Polishing motorhome

[Shortap]

Best to put it on with a damp cloth I was told and I also use SRP on my van with good results.

I found that method by accident, hurrying to finish the cleaning of the roof as it started to rain. The polish soaked cloth from having polished side panels got damp but left a really great shine, much better than from following the directions on the bottle, which I think are based on using a powered polishing pad.

 

[fun kit]

Hi I’ve got ceramic coating on my Pilote 6 years old just.book in for recoating &600 for 6 years protection is good value and. It doesn’t need washing as often soo win win at 81 years old!!
fun kit

 

[GeeCee]

Pesonally I've never seen the need to polish my van or my car. Well no that's not true. After a few years of polishing my car after every wash years ago and seeing it just as dirty again the following week I realised it was a complete waste of time.

All modern vehicles are built to withstand the dirt and grime that gets splattered onto them. So the fact that it 'protects' is a bit of a fallacy as the vehicle doesn't need protecting. I can't argue that a freshly polished vehicle looks good with its showroom shine. But how long does that last anyway when you're travelling? especially if you're going to be driving through rain, muddy country roads or even dry sunny countryside with all the aphids, flies and other wildlife that happily stick to the vehicle, polished or not. So for me it's just not worth it and is money and labour very poorly spent. I do like to see my van looking good but for me that just means regular washing.

 

[Al n Val]

My mate uses this stuff and I have to say his motorhome always looks brilliantly clean and shiny, the paint surface as feels lovely and smooth

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B09N7J3F8Y/?tag=mhf04-21

i've yet to try it though but its on my list

meanwhile I use this if onsite and i'm bored or just looking at it dirty and its doing my head in, very easy to apply and just as easy to polish off

 

[G-RMPS]

I use this for polishing my plane (aluminium/fibreglass). Easy and quick. I just bought more two days ago. Two bottles, around £28 from Amazon.

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[Folkranger]

I must have joined the wrong club! Polish? What's that?

I've had 7 caravans and 4 motorhomes and I've never had the need to polish any of them. Never had any paint degradation of any sort.

 

[Jerrywh]

My mate uses this stuff and I have to say his motorhome always looks brilliantly clean and shiny, the paint surface as feels lovely and smooth

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B09N7J3F8Y/?tag=mhf04-21

i've yet to try it though but its on my list

meanwhile I use this if onsite and i'm bored or just looking at it dirty and its doing my head in, very easy to apply and just as easy to polish off

View attachment 940789

The greased lightning stuff sounds good, when you are as lazy as I am anything that saves effort is worth a try .. I'm also mean though so I've ordered some of this stuff: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07C6K63QZ/?tag=mhf04-21
.. it's cheaper and the wife won't know the difference

 

[HKF]

My mate uses this stuff and I have to say his motorhome always looks brilliantly clean and shiny, the paint surface as feels lovely and smooth

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B09N7J3F8Y/?tag=mhf04-21

i've yet to try it though but its on my list

meanwhile I use this if onsite and i'm bored or just looking at it dirty and its doing my head in, very easy to apply and just as easy to polish off

View attachment 940789

Does this stuff really work at cleaning, or is it advisable to clean first? I get a lot of black streaks on my MH, running down from the windows etc., and also soot deposits and sap. Will it remove those, too? If it will, I'm in, although I'll have to wait until I get back to the UK as it's twice the price in France!

 

[Al n Val]

Does this stuff really work at cleaning, or is it advisable to clean first? I get a lot of black streaks on my MH, running down from the windows etc., and also soot deposits and sap. Will it remove those, too? If it will, I'm in, although I'll have to wait until I get back to the UK as it's twice the price in France!

Does this stuff really work??

no unfortunately I just makes things up as I go along

this is attacking the roof before and after

 

[HKF]

Does this stuff really work??

no unfortunately I just makes things up as I go along

View attachment 940849

this is attacking the roof before and after

View attachment 940850

I really didn't mean to be rude. I was just double checking before I used it, in case I ended up trapping dirt underneath the product and then needed a whole strip back to start again. The results you got look amazing! I'll definitely buy some when I next visit the UK. Thanks xx

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[Bazzagas]

Does this stuff really work??

no unfortunately I just makes things up as I go along

View attachment 940849

this is attacking the roof before and after

View attachment 940850

Is it ok to climb onto a motorhome roof...I've been using a long brush with me on a ladder , but it's really awkward , ( had a few scary moments when leaning back slightly )...I'm concerned about it not taking my weight...I'm about 75 kg...

 

[Al n Val]

I really didn't mean to be rude. I was just double checking before I used it, in case I ended up trapping dirt underneath the product and then needed a whole strip back to start again. The results you got look amazing! I'll definitely buy some when I next visit the UK. Thanks xx

You weren't rude at all, its just my Yorkshire sense of humour lol

I use the Grease lightening stuff often and the black streaks just come off easily, its good stuff tbh

 

[Al n Val]

Is it ok to climb onto a motorhome roof...I've been using a long brush with me on a ladder , but it's really awkward , ( had a few scary moments when leaning back slightly )...I'm concerned about it not taking my weight...I'm about 75 kg...

Thats a can of worms

personally I don't and wouldn't recommend it, all motorhome are different though so some will take your weight, be careful not to stand near any seams of close to roof openings.

I can reach (only just) to the centre of mine off the ladders, its a stretch but I do it, but at 71 I should be letting someone else do it now for me TBH

 

[Spriddler]

I must have joined the wrong club! Polish? What's that?

I've had 7 caravans and 4 motorhomes and I've never had the need to polish any of them. Never had any paint degradation of any sort.

Except when I was one of the Brighton Mini Boys with a Mini Cooper in the late 60's I've never polished any of my vehicles. They only look their best the day I buy them and the day I sell them.

 

[Bazzagas]

Thats a can of worms

personally I don't and wouldn't recommend it, all motorhome are different though so some will take your weight, be careful not to stand near any seams of close to roof openings.

I can reach (only just) to the centre of mine off the ladders, its a stretch but I do it, but at 71 I should be letting someone else do it now for me TBH

...thats my problem...nearly 70 ...

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[Jerrywh]

Thats a can of worms

personally I don't and wouldn't recommend it, all motorhome are different though so some will take your weight, be careful not to stand near any seams of close to roof openings.

I can reach (only just) to the centre of mine off the ladders, its a stretch but I do it, but at 71 I should be letting someone else do it now for me TBH

When you're 74 you will get past that .. now I just think "Oh well, I've had a good life .."
What I do have however is a really big stepladder .. bought it for clearing gutters but it is very useful for my 3m high La Strada.. you can buy them literally any height you want, for much less than the price of a new leisure battery or hab check .. handrail and all.

 

[Al n Val]

When you're 74 you will get past that .. now I just think "Oh well, I've had a good life .."
What I do have however is a really big stepladder .. bought it for clearing gutters but it is very useful for my 3m high La Strada.. you can buy them literally any height you want, for much less than the price of a new leisure battery or hab check .. handrail and all.

I would have the same but the boss says

"Where would we keep it"

I've often said "under your feet", but its not as worked yet

 

[Chipster]

The Fusso stuff linked to above is very good. Also Bilt Hamber do some very good no nonsense care stuff. I’ve used their double speed wax on cars with great results and the wheel cleaner is good for use on diamond cut wheels.

 

[mackeellan]

Does this stuff really work??

no unfortunately I just makes things up as I go along

View attachment 940849

this is attacking the roof before and after

View attachment 940850

Thanks for this tip. I have ordered and given microfibre cloths to go with it. £29.90 from Amazon.

 

[jezport]

Not wanting to hijack the original thread but I tried Autoglym Resin polish on my coachbuild. Applying the polish seemed quite easy but using a micro fiber cloth to polish it afterwards the finish was patchy.
Would an orbital polisher of some sort be worth trying ? .

It's way too sticky, it looks good initially but then everything sticks to it and it black streaks badly.
Great if you are selling your van next day.

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[jezport]

To clear another thing up. Polish is different to Wax. A good polish after a good claying followed by a good hard wax is the best way to a mirror finish that lasts. A liquid wax is mainly water, so a wax paste is more wax per measure.

 

[rosalan]

Best polish? I do not think ‘Which’ has ever tested auto polishes, I wonder why.

 

[Folkranger]

When you're 74 you will get past that .. now I just think "Oh well, I've had a good life .."
What I do have however is a really big stepladder .. bought it for clearing gutters but it is very useful for my 3m high La Strada.. you can buy them literally any height you want, for much less than the price of a new leisure battery or hab check .. handrail and all.

Only way to get the winter gunge off is to walk on the roof (good vans only) BTW I'm 80, no probs.
I've recently bought the big step ladder but don't like it. Too heavy, not stable unless flat, cumbersome and takes up loads of space. The telescopic ladder is so much easier and if you have a long enough one you have enough extension to make getting on and off a doddle.

 

[M-J]

Only way to get the winter gunge off is to walk on the roof (good vans only) BTW I'm 80, no probs.

Walk! No chance

 

[Folkranger]

Walk! No chance

View attachment 941092

I take atelescopic brush, hose and bucket of wash'n wax and just walk around with the brush.

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[Diabalo]

Earlier on in the year I bought a Ryobi rotary brush, It makes cleaning the roof easy standing on a ladder as it's telescopic and reaches halfway across easily. You can get various types of brushes and pads including polishing pads to fit on the velcro head. It ain't cheap but I can use it at home on patio, windows and such like.

 

[Diabalo]

Earlier on in the year I bought a Ryobi rotary brush, It makes cleaning the roof easy standing on a ladder as it's telescopic and reaches halfway across easily. You can get various types of brushes and pads including polishing pads to fit on the velcro head. It ain't cheap but I can use it at home on patio, windows and such like.

Sorry ment add the link.

Telescopic Cordless Scrubber | RYOBI 18V ONE+™ R18TPS-0

Ryobi - 18V ONE+™ Cordless Telescopic Scrubber (Bare Tool) | Powerful long reach cleaning equipment from the Ryobi power tool range. Buy here

uk.ryobitools.eu

 

[Go_buddy_go_]

We washed the roof of buddy at the weekend… managed to squeeze out of the skylight above the drop down bed and could reach all but the rear 8 “ with a long handled brush… hubbs did that bit standing on a … a squirt of wet and forget afterwards and jobs a good un!

 

[driftwood]

Its important to clarify what material you wish to clean. So taking it you have some sort of Ducato base or van etc The front cab van part and usually all the plastic trim like bumpers can be cleaned and polished in the same manner and with the same products as a car. The Motorhome body presuming you have a coachbuild will be made of GRP (Gelcoat) - glass fibre reinforced plastic. This is what they use to build yachts. Use a good yacht cleaner and wax, don't use auto cleaners and auto waxes as it reacts differently. GRP is porous so holds onto oxidation and leaches it out again weeks after being cleaned so sometimes after removing oxidation you need to redo it 2 weeks later before you seal with a wax. This is why sometimes people are unhappy with the finish they achieve after putting in all the hard work and why some can find it difficult to get back to the showroom shine with GRP.
Everyone will have their own regime depending on many factors such as time and weather and condition of the vehicle and what level of shine or protection you are trying to achieve.
For me I clean once a year with fairy to strip all the old wax off, then I use a product called Starbrite black streak remover where needed around window seals and so on. I then will clay bar and if needed polish using a starbrite oxidation remover followed with a decent boat wax. The van probably gets 3 standard washes (if its lucky!) for the rest of the year using a boat wash that does not remove wax and if I have time or its looking dull I will top-up with another wax layer.
Please bear in mind I only de-oxidise if necessary, My van stays outside all year.
The boat waxes are also heavily doped with UV protection as you can imagine there is no shade on the ocean. There are many good products but I suppose my main point is to treat it like a boat not a car when it comes to buying your products. Check out youtube boat detailing and you will find a host of information. Find a nearby boat Chandler and get your products there.

 

[Lenny HB]

Only way to get the winter gunge off is to walk on the roof (good vans only) BTW I'm 80, no probs.

I'm only a youngster at 74 so no problems getting up there.

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