To polish or not

[ccetex]

To polish or not to polish, that is the question. I have searched and I am confused. Is an 89 345LE a candidate for polishing, and if so what is the procedure?

If not what makes it look goooooooooood?

Do you have to strip (the coach), then polish, then what?

Is there a procedure to follow for this?

Would love to have step by step instructions including products to use.

I have read stuff here and sure I am missing a bunch of threads on this topic, but it is hard to find a definitive answer.

Chuck

[snake]

Since the question is: "To polish or not?" my canned response when folks ask about /suggest my polishing the Airstream is: "That will be a great project for the next owner"

[ScrapIrony-2]

I would have to agree...it's ALUMINUM underneath...cosmetically 'damaged' has nothing to do with integrity, and that should be the main concern...the rest is personal preference, and relevant only to the current owner...some folks shine them up, some folks re-clear-coat them, some have the whole paint job done...your choice, obviously, but it is aluminum under all that cover...it's gonna last longer than you...mike

[elbundi]

34.5 feet is a lot of aluminum to poilish. I did the door on mine, it looks great but dammed if im doing the rest and then keeping it up every year or so. I've thought lots about painting it though as some of the clear coat is looking a bit shabby.

[ScrapIrony-2]

Still aluminum under the shabby...ours is quite 'weathered', cosmetically challenged is the term I use, but it gets down the road, and we call it home for 9 months of the year...our home without wheels has a rusty-looking roof, but it doesn't leak...m

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by ccetex

To polish or not to polish, that is the question. I have searched and I am confused. Is an 89 345LE a candidate for polishing, and if so what is the procedure?


Do you have to strip (the coach), then polish, then what?

Is there a procedure to follow for this?


Chuck

Chuck.

1. Yes, you must strip the coach.

2. Then polish.

3. "Then what ?" Be prepared for a ton of work, keeping the coach looking nice, after the polishing.

Raw aluminum oxidizes. You must establish a routine to
keep the shiney look.

That means a wash and polish job, every 30 to 60 days.

And that's ok, if you have nothing better to do with your time.

For openers, you should make sure the coach is water tight.

20 year old gaskets take a beating in that west Texas climate. Window, door, access door, and sewer vent pipe gaskets, all give out over time, especially sewer vent pipe gaskets which only last 2 to 3 years.

Andy

[ccetex]

Great points everyone, gives me some things to think about.

Andy, thanks for your input. These are things I have not thought of. The points about the gaskets really have me thinking. I get the coach tomorrow and that is the first thing I will check out.
Chuck

[wolfpack]

havnt touched my trailes exterior skin yet but was thinking of just semi polishing it, remove 50 yrs of oxidation but stop when it looks clean and still has that "look" of a new airstream and not go so far as to turn it into a mirror finish. that way I wont have to be re polishing all the time, maybe just spring and fall hand buff it a bit and call it good.

[tallytwo1994]

Originally Posted by Inland RV Center, In

3.Raw aluminum oxidizes....

That means a wash and polish job, every 30 to 60 days.

No one polishes every 60 days, and I can't imagine the circumstances that would require such a routine.

Yes, it's true that aluminun oxidizes and it starts as soon as it's exposed to air. But the oxidation actually protects the finish too.

Take some time to go through some of the threads in the polish sub-forum for much more specific answers to your questions.

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f441/

Carol

[ScrapIrony-2]

"Cosmetical Challenge" is good enough for us...IT"S ALUMINUM...cloudy or shiny...IT"S ALUMINUM...leaks are another issue, but so far we've had leaks at the TV antennae and the rear AC...not bad for a 20 year old...and the leaks aren't bad, so far...wish I could say the same for myself, and I'm over 60...freezing weather compromises seals, so we're headed for AZ, but it was 11 this am, although our neighbor's gauge was 1...maybe the time to leave is yesterday!!!m

[John H.]

Has anyone used Olive Oil ??? to clean and polish the aluminum skin ???

I use it some on anodized aluminum on our Houseboat and it does an amazing job of cleaning, removing oxidation !!! and it is a natural product !

[silverleeper]

Originally Posted by John Haggard

Has anyone used Olive Oil ??? to clean and polish the aluminum skin ???

I use it some on anodized aluminum on our Houseboat and it does an amazing job of cleaning, removing oxidation !!! and it is a natural product !

Never heard of this but I found this on the web "An emulsion of equal parts of rum and olive oil can be used for cleaning aluminum."

Two parts rum for me...

[John H.]

I prefer Kentucky Bourbon Myself Silverleeper !

I was quite surprised at the acid and cleaning abilities found in Olive oil alone, But along with the alcohol blended in ???? I will give that a try !!! Thank You

[GlenCoombe]

I'm a paint fan myself. The original two tone paint job on most of the AS Moho's was very nice indeed. Back in 1984 mine was done with Dupont materials and has weathered well.

You can paint with new technology chrome paint if you really want shine, it's not cheap but in the long run would be cheaper than a strip, polish, maintain routine.

[MaryContrary]

heya... i have a naive question about stripping the interior beige speckled skin.
is that possible?
trailers with shiney interior endcaps and walls...has the skin been replaced?

also a few pics in the gallery of motorhomes have the bottom gray exterior stripped and polished, storage trays and all ...whew, that looks like a chore

[samb]

Polish? ....... Never! I learned my lesson on my '49 Boles.
But I did clean my '61 Safari (no clearcoat) using Bon Ami ("Hasn't scratched yet!"). I rubbed the whole trailer down with a towel, water, and about a whole 14 oz can of Bon Ami. 45 minutes later I was done and it was VERY much cleaner. I might do this every 3 to 5 years since this cleaning did such a good job on 48 years of oxidation.
Sam

[AlbertF]

Originally Posted by John Haggard

Has anyone used Olive Oil ??? to clean and polish the aluminum skin ???

I use it some on anodized aluminum on our Houseboat and it does an amazing job of cleaning, removing oxidation !!! and it is a natural product !

I believe you when you say it works. I once watched my father use mineral oil to clean and brighten up a piece of galvanized sheet steel. He spent 20 years working in a food plant, and he learned the trick while cleaning stainless steel surfaces. However, I'm sure heavy oxidization requires something far more aggressive.

[John H.]

Originally Posted by AlbertF

I believe you when you say it works. I once watched my father use mineral oil to clean and brighten up a piece of galvanized sheet steel. He spent 20 years working in a food plant, and he learned the trick while cleaning stainless steel surfaces. However, I'm sure heavy oxidization requires something far more aggressive.

Could be AlbertF, But even I have been very surprised at the acid content and cleaning ability of Olive oil and Natural Vinegars for cleaning metal surfaces long exposed to the sun and dirt, UV rays.

I am going to do some more research and experimentation.

Remember, most products are marketed with HUGE markups.

the BEST odor inhibitor and window cleaner is Vinegar !!! Blended with different ratios of water for specific jobs !!!

[silverleeper]

Originally Posted by John Haggard

Could be AlbertF, But even I have been very surprised at the acid content and cleaning ability of Olive oil and Natural Vinegars for cleaning metal surfaces long exposed to the sun and dirt, UV rays.

I am going to do some more research and experimentation.

Remember, most products are marketed with HUGE markups.

the BEST odor inhibitor and window cleaner is Vinegar !!! Blended with different ratios of water for specific jobs !!!

Please make sure you post your results. Maybe I'm draw to this because of the Rum...

[John H.]

Originally Posted by silverleeper

Please make sure you post your results. Maybe I'm draw to this because of the Rum...

AHHH, Now a trip to the Bahamas is now On My Mind
Rum Run anyone ???