Visit our Popular Forums

trailertrash · 06-20-2003, 09:38 AM

Hi all-
I've been raving about the effectiveness of Southern Shine on all my trailers that I've polished for years- it comes from the Harley Shops, and is the best I've found at polishing an oxidized and dull trailer.
I usually use it first, or after acid washing, and its almost a 1 step system- I usually have to skim it with an abrasive free polish and a foam pad to remove light swirls after the SS.
I polished my 1958 Flying Cloud in less than 12 hours, start to finish, and it was terrible when I started. I had people coming by saying- "wow! what are you using?"
I have to buy some quantity of this product, and want to know if someone out there would like to help me pass it on- I don't look to make any money, and want to see people get a good deal, so you'd have to be willing to offer it for cost plus shipping and a small box for it to go out in. I'd do it, but have to leave for Europe soon- I'm a month late as it is.
I buy it for about $2 a bottle- 8oz- and it took only 1.5 bottles to polish my FC.
I'll send it out n/c to someone, and they can ship it out and pay me later. Any remaining product can be returned, and I'll pay the shipping both ways.
Please remember- I'm looking for someone to help and not profit from it- just as I'm doing.
Thanks and looking forward to others response on this product.

airstreamcaravel · 06-20-2003, 04:32 PM

http://www.daytonanow.net/sshine/

Looks interesting .... But what exactly is "Billet" aluminum?

DMC

trailertrash · 06-22-2003, 10:34 AM

....Solid aluminum- usually round stock machined into a part.
In the custom HD business we use it all the time- its the only way to get a strong quality part that isn't molded or extrudable for its manufacture process.
Many cars have billet wheels- all one piece and have a "carved" look.
Its expensive, I doubt you'll see much of it in the trailer world- unless some idiot like me decides I need a special part that I can't find and go to the trouble of creating it from scratch.
The polish works great- and thanks for putting the link- I'm a lot better at shinin' trailers than computin'...

Chitown AirStreamers · 06-24-2003, 08:28 AM

Is this stuff really that easy to use!?!? What is the process that you used to apply this stuff? & Does it make the AS shine like other polishes fellow AStreamers are using? Thanks!

trailertrash · 06-24-2003, 11:41 PM

I can only speak from my own experience, and I don't claim to know everything- but I do know that I need to polish my stuff, to make it look the way I want, and to get sales when I want to sell it, so its in my best interest to take care of them and keep 'em shiny.
Trailers all vary- I don't care what any of the experts say- i have seen them from all over the USA, and with damage from different conditions, like sun and dirt, different colored dirt, salt water, moss, you name it. Polishing is necessary some times just to restore a shine or to make a shine come back. When I buy a trailer- after I've done my deal, I usually take the seller and show them how nice I'll have it looking after a day or 2 of hard work- most times they can't believe that junky old trailer has the ability to shine again- and I usually do it with SS.
In MOST cases, I've found that it works best, and I use it with different pads- 3M coarse wool on poor skin, 3M yellow pad- which is much less abrasive- to get swirls out after I'm done, foam pads on high shined surfaces that I've gotten to the point where the swirls are almost gone, but very light buffing will brighten it even further.
I have a trailer now that was so badly pitted that I have to use a green 3M scotchbrite pad, and remove the very top layer, like wet sending a cars paint.
And yes I know about the clad story...
Steve Hintgen was sent a bottle yesterday, that will meet him at the Vt rally, and he'll be trying it in front of others.
I won't use other products and stand by my decision to buy enough of this to be a "dealer"- no, just to get the other folks to check it out....
Saves me a lot of time! Talk to Steve or someone else in Vt after the demo...

Curtis-79MH · 06-24-2003, 11:54 PM

I'm interested in the Southern Shine, but would I have to remove the clear coat that is on my MH? I want my MH to shine like some motorhomes that have had their clear coat removed and have been polished so they look darn close to chrome (go get yourself some cheap sunglasses....)
Thanks, Curtis

Jabba · 06-25-2003, 02:26 PM

Next question, will it hurt the aluminum? I've heard of people using Eagle One mag wheel cleaner, but it etches the metal, which is supposedly bad(?)...sounds interesting for sure, I've got 30' to polish.

Silver Bullet · 06-25-2003, 06:15 PM

Think I'll have to stop at Barnett HD tomorrow and see if they carry this stuff. If they do, I'll definately do a test run.
Oscar

trailertrash · 06-25-2003, 09:26 PM

I've heard the theories of using an acid wash, and how it "damages" the aluminum.
I think that some of the "pro's" may have started this as a scare tactic- I've done it and have seen the trailers for years after, and no leaks around the rivets.
I rinse it fast with lots of water, and I'd rather use it and get done than never see my stuff shine, but I don't find it necessary on all my trailers...

**Stefrobrts** · 06-25-2003, 09:27 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Jabba
Next question, will it hurt the aluminum? I've heard of people using Eagle One mag wheel cleaner, but it etches the metal, which is supposedly bad(?)...sounds interesting for sure, I've got 30' to polish.

I used some eagle one to do a test spot by hand. I thought it shined it up nice, but nothing spectacular. It took a LOT of rubbing to clean off the road dirt, I can't imagine it would hurt the aluminum. I'd like to find some of this Southern Polish and try it myself. A friend who's into hot rods also suggested some stuff called Trucker's Secret, he says it'll shine up anything, no problem. I'm hesitant to use just anything on my trailer though.

trailertrash · 06-25-2003, 09:44 PM

Its a product that is very good, and manufactured as White Diamonds- which makes and private labels for a few different companies, most in the truck stops. I tried it and its excellent- I tried to buy quantity from the owner and he gave me a decent price, but it was not low enough for me to change over- retail was $14 and he was giving me a case price of $8 per bottle. Its about equal to SS imo, maybe a little better on some stuff. Try it- and lets see what Steve says about SS after the weekend in Burlington...

Chitown AirStreamers · 06-25-2003, 11:34 PM

So - I just apply this to a cloth rub it on & then rub off? Am I correct?

trailertrash · 06-25-2003, 11:34 PM

Acid washing is also best simply to clean and remove oxidation- and I use less of it than others I know, and I get good clean surfaces that are ready to polish by rubbing the acid wash in small quantities, with a white 3M scotchbrite pad. I rinse it quickly to neutralize the acid- which is supposed to be mild...

trailertrash · 06-26-2003, 05:16 AM

I use it with a high speed buffer/grinder. The notion that an "easy" solution- to rub on and rub off by hand would scare me- no quality results will come so simply, anything good requires work, and high revs!

TBKP's Overlander · 06-26-2003, 07:06 AM

These 3m pads fit your poilisher? Or do you use a wool bonnet? You said you have swirl marks, then you put some on one of the 3m pads to remove the swirls. Did I get that right.

It sounds like what you are doing is similar to the typical Nuvite/Rolite polish process with the exception that you don't need a Cyclo polisher. I've done the Nuvite with my Makita Polisher. My next step was going to be to buy a Cyclo ($300) and more Nuvite. Maybe I'll give your stuff a try. Might save me $300.

Chuck · 06-26-2003, 08:43 AM

I'm skeptical...if this stuff is so much better, and so much easier, why would people go to all the trouble that they do to polish the "standard" way that I've seen described.....which takes a month of sunday's to complete, polishing the entire trailer several times with varying grades of polish, etc, etc, etc..... One description I read about one of the professional polishers is that it takes 2 guys that know exactly what they're doing, have exactly the right tools and equipment, and have done it hundreds of times before, 40 hours of labor to do a 28 or 30 ft trailer. yikes!

another general polishing question that I haven't seen addressed before in the numerous discussions about this subject: once a trailer has that chrome-like shine on it....what is required to maintain it? will it stay that way indefinately if it is waxed regularly, or does it need to be periodically re-polished? if the latter, what is that period? (i.e. how often does it need to be re-done?).

Jabba · 06-26-2003, 09:35 AM

I remember reading somewhere (RJ Dial's website maybe? Vintageairstream) that a yearly touch up might be needed? I guess it would depend on whether you can protect it from the elements etc. I know around here I'll have to deal with acid rain and junk in the air too, yippee.

**Stefrobrts** · 06-26-2003, 10:09 AM

I'm at the annual touch-up stage. My trailer was polished by the previous owner, and it's beautiful and shiney, but not like a mirror (which is fine with me). But when you get up close you can see water marks on it and places where it just could use a little shining up. I don't know if he regularly waxed it, he gave me so much good info when we picked it up, I should have taken notes, I can't remember it all! Either way, now I'd like to just get the water marks off and maintan it's shine with the minimum of work (of course).

trailertrash · 06-26-2003, 11:09 AM

Chuck-
Its all work- and trailers have varying conditions that extend the amount of time necessary. I have a Cyclo that I got brand new, for free, and I tried it once and put it back in the box- too gimmicky for me...
I'm pretty fortunate when it comes to polishing, I'm 6'5" and pretty strong, and I can take the buffer with one hand and go almost to where the roof starts to get flat, without using a ladder. Ladders and steps take a lot more time- moving them and climbing them up and down. I get a chair with wheels to roll up and down the bottom of the trailer so I don't have to bend down and reposition myself, just push along. I work on it really hard, and sweat bullets- its not an easy 8-10 hours. You should wait and see what Steve says after this weekend- its not a miracle polish, but I like it and it is CHEAP.

Stef- The water spots are from hard water- check this softener out- I won't wash mine without it- especially in the hot sun, where the spots start sticking as soon as they hit the surface. www.softwetspot.com

Silver Bullet · 06-26-2003, 06:20 PM

I checked out Barnett Harley-Davidson today, they not only didn't have it, they never heard of it. They're supposed to be one of,if not"the" biggest HD shops in the nation. They even have their own magazine! Oh well, back to old "No.7"

Oscar