How do you keep it shiny?

[kellykellyi]

I am having my '67 Globetrotter polished. Question is, how do you keep it shiny? What are the best practices to maintain the beautiful mirror shine? Thanks!

[InsideOut]

You will need to apply clearcoat (which will last 5-10 years or so) OR plan on touching up the polish job every couple of years.

Once it's been polished once like you are having done now, the touch-ups are much easier (if you are doing it yourself) or cheaper (if you are having it done professionally). Parking it indoors or undecover will help keep it shiny longer...living or camping near the ocean will make it re-oxidize sooner. Keeping it washed & cleaned from road grime also helps - especially if you travel on salted roads.

Applying a clearcoat does dull the shine slightly...keeping the polished trailer waxed with something like NuFinish will help protect the bare mirror-polished shine.

Shari

[kellykellyi]

Yikes! We are parking it at a "campsite" we built in our yard in Santa Barbara, 1.1 miles from the beach. Since I want to look at it as well as use it, I wasn't covering it. Can it be waxed? Will that help?

[InsideOut]

NuFinish (as mentioned earlier) is a "wax" of sorts...another is NuImage. NuFinish can be found at any Auto Supply store, NuImage can be found at VTS. These will help...but no matter what, it'll slowly start to oxidize again - the moisture in the air (& salt spray from the ocean) will expedite the process. Here in CO, it's really dry and it takes longer to dull.

The good news is, once it's clearcoat is stripped and it's been polished, your trailer will oxidize evenly unlike when the clearcoat fails & it oxidizes with a splotchy look. So it's not as noticable ~

Shari

[ROBERT CROSS]

The "patina" will look better and better as time goes by.

"Time will bring to light whatever is hidden; it will cover up and conceal what is now shining in splendor."
Horace

Bob

[Bigventure]

A dealer told me they use Pledge funiture polish a couple of times a year between waxing it.

[Becky B.]

Originally Posted by Bigventure

A dealer told me they use Pledge funiture polish a couple of times a year between waxing it.

That would be used on a trailer with clearcoat and a satin finish. A mirror finish would look like a mess if you put Pledge on it IMHO I too use wax & just am resigned to give it a touch up every spring.