Cleaning/Polishing a new van

[eatonl]

Hi about to become the owners of a new Bailey Pegasus GT65 Ancona. The Hubby wants to know if its wise or neccessary to wash and polish a new caravan straight away to protect it from the off or if its better to wait and do it when its dirty. Apologies for the question if its a daft one

Lisa

 

[johnandrew70]

Hi Lisa
I am a car valetor so i know that the first coat of polish on a car or caravan is probably the most important.
Get a good polish/wax on it and keep on top of it.
I would invest in somethin like AutoGlym or Meguiar's range of products.

John

 

[Parksy]

The only daft question is the one that you sould have asked - but didn't

Protective coating is available for new caravans from companies such as Paintseal Direct if you feel like splashing the cash, and forum members who have used this service will be able to tell you more about it.
Otherwise, as John said, the first application of polish and wax is all important.
Give the caravan a wash down using a good quality caravan shampoo such as Fenwicks , rinse and dry, microfibre towels are good for cleaning and polishing.
The use of a pressure washer is not recommended because the mastic seals (where applicable) can be damaged.
Polish and wax are entirely different things, polish will clean paint surfaces and bring to a shine and wax will seal and protect the shine. Two thin applications of a good quality wax are better than one thick application. Prices of products can vary significantly, so choose products that suit your pocket, are easy to apply and which give good lasting results.
Click Here to see more about polishes and waxes.

 

[johnandrew70]

We use paint seal products at work and yes they are good, but and this is the clincher the customer will pay a fortune as a retail product and to me it's not worth it.
The customer will pay around 300+ pounds for the kit and to have it applied when its readily available on eBay for less than 30. It's easy to apply and if you did it yourself at least you know it's been done properly.
if you do buy these paint seal products don't think you will never have to polish your pride and joy again because you still need to keep on top of it by reapplying a product regularly. So in my eyes you may as well buy a good quality polish and wax.

John

 

[Surfer]

We got our caravan washed and waxed within weeks of delivery and I think it has paid dividends.

 

[johnandrew70]

The only daft question is the one that you sould have asked - but didn't

Protective coating is available for new caravans from companies such as Paintseal Direct if you feel like splashing the cash, and forum members who have used this service will be able to tell you more about it.
Otherwise, as John said, the first application of polish and wax is all important.
Give the caravan a wash down using a good quality caravan shampoo such as Fenwicks , rinse and dry, microfibre towels are good for cleaning and polishing.
The use of a pressure washer is not recommended because the mastic seals (where applicable) can be damaged.
Polish and wax are entirely different things, polish will clean paint surfaces and bring to a shine and wax will seal and protect the shine. Two thin applications of a good quality wax are better than one thick application. Prices of products can vary significantly, so choose products that suit your pocket, are easy to apply and which give good lasting results.
Click Here to see more about polishes and waxes.

Hi Parksy
I must point out that the paint seal products i am talking about are the type that dealers sell to customers when buying the vehicles and not the products offered by Paintseal direct.
I misunderstood you Sorry.
John

 

[Parksy]

Not a problem John

We're both trying to give Lisa good advice about how best to look after her new caravan.
I've never used Paintseal Direct myself although we've bought two caravans from brand new, and I'm hoping that a forumite who has had a Paintseal Direct application will tell us if they thought it was worth the money.
I'm a Fenwicks Caravan Cleaner / Autoglym super resin polish / Meguiars step 3 user myself.

 

[johnandrew70]

Not a problem John

We're both trying to give Lisa good advice about how best to look after her new caravan.
I've never used Paintseal Direct myself although we've bought two caravans from brand new, and I'm hoping that a forumite who has had a Paintseal Direct application will tell us if they thought it was worth the money.
I'm a Fenwicks Caravan Cleaner / Autoglym super resin polish / Meguiars step 3 user myself.

I have never used any of the Fenwicks stuff but i did use the Carpride caravan cleaner from our local £1 Shop last year and used it on our old van, I feel embarrased to say it was very good stuff left the van with a great shine and kept the green algea type stuff away over the winter.
I have a secret stash of the Carpride £1 caravan cleaner hidden away as i cant find it in the shops anymore

John

 

[Dustydog]

8 years ago I wasted £300 on super douper paint polish on my new car. Rubbish.
There is no substitute for the Gagakev and Dustydog elbow grease with a good quality polish. I still swear by Fenwicks products for the clean and Autoglym polishes twice a year. Fenwicks Bobby Dazzler is also used after the regular washes..

 

[johnandrew70]

8 years ago I wasted £300 on super douper paint polish on my new car. Rubbish.
There is no substitute for the Gagakev and Dustydog elbow grease with a good quality polish. I still swear by Fenwicks products for the clean and Autoglym polishes twice a year. Fenwicks Bobby Dazzler is also used after the regular washes..

I cant agree more when it comes to Autoglym polishes, but you then need to seal it in with a good wax, i love Meguiars Gold Class Carnuba wax it will give the paintwork a long lasting shine, Oh and dont forget the microfible cloth.

 

[Surfer]

Not a problem John

We're both trying to give Lisa good advice about how best to look after her new caravan.
I've never used Paintseal Direct myself although we've bought two caravans from brand new, and I'm hoping that a forumite who has had a Paintseal Direct application will tell us if they thought it was worth the money.
I'm a Fenwicks Caravan Cleaner / Autoglym super resin polish / Meguiars step 3 user myself.

We use Fenwicks and Mer and find it works a treat. I have considered buying Mother's canuba wax but never got around to it.