Suitable Polish to revive bodywork?

[alphapets]

Hi,

My van is looking a bit dull and want to revive the bodywork using a buffer. And seek advice on what products to use please?

Thanks

 

[WoodlandsCamper]

Re your phrase "using a buffer", does that mean a mechanical device or a cutting compound? In either case the paint on caravans is very thin and you could go through the top layer. You don't say the age of your van and the sidewalls could be a different material to the front and back, requiring different treatments. If you have fibreglass panels anywhere then 3M Fibreglass Restorer can be used on them, but the result doesn't last long unless plenty of extra wax is put on afterwards with elbow grease. I used it to restore the front of an old Avondale.

PS - note that 'polish' is slightly abrasive and not a finishing layer, whereas 'wax' is not abrasive and leaves a protective shiny coat.

 

[alphapets]

Hi,

It's Bessacar E795 (2004) I think the material are a mixture of 3. The cab roof looks like moulded fiberglass, the sides are the thin metal and the cab the normal car metal painted material. Because of the large area, I was thinking of usinga buffer/polisher.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/PowerStorm®-Polisher-Sander-PLATINUM-Pack/dp/B004WNPLNC/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1464851930&sr=8-3&keywords=car polisher
Thankshttps://www.amazon.co.uk/PowerStorm...8&qid=1464851930&sr=8-3&keywords=car+polisher

 

[swpostie]

For paintwork you really want a random orbital polisher, the head of which oscillate as it rotates, preventing swirl marks and scorched paint.

 

[Dustydog]

For paintwork you really want a random orbital polisher, the head of which oscillate as it rotates, preventing swirl marks and scorched paint.

Sir WC has already explained caravan paint is extremely thin.
The use of any mechanical polishing device is not something I'd recommend.

 

[swpostie]

I think the Bessacarr E795 is a motorhome.

I don't know whether that means the paint is any thicker or thinner than on a caravan.

Is the paint on a caravan any thinner than on a car?

If so, why?

 

[WoodlandsCamper]

Is the paint on a caravan any thinner than on a car? If so, why?

Caravans are built by hand on a manual line. Cars were traditionally made of steel and are painted at bodywork stage and then baked in an oven. Caravan panels are sandwiches of various items with thin aluminium on the outside to keep the weight and cost down. More layers of paint mean more cost and more weight.

 

[Parksy]

As Sir WC pointed out, caravan paint is extremely thin so you should definitely steer well clear of electric buffers, cutting compounds and car bodywork restorer products if you want to preserve the paint on the sidewalls and the gellgoat on fibreglass or GRP.
Have a look at some car detailing websites using Google because modern detailing products lend themselves to hand application and ease of use.
All polishes contain some level of abrasive ingredients, most caravanners wash the caravan with a good quality shampoo such as Fenwicks and to restore and brighten painted surfaces they use Auto Glym car polish and sometimes follow it up with Autoglym wax sealant to preserve the shine.
Personally I use Fenwicks shampoo followed (very occasionally, no more than twice a year) by an application of Meguiars step 2 deep crystal polish which is quick and easy to use and recently I used Collinite 476 hard paste wax to seal in the shine. It's too early to tell how long the waxed surface will last but all I have to do now is to wash the caravan down with Fenwicks and dry it off using a microfibre towel.

 

[WoodlandsCamper]

As you have a motorhome have you asked this question on the Practical Motorhome Forum rather than this Caravan Forum? You may get more specific answers there.

 

[Dustydog]

I think the Bessacarr E795 is a motorhome.

I don't know whether that means the paint is any thicker or thinner than on a caravan.

Is the paint on a caravan any thinner than on a car?

If so, why?

Over six years ago His Royal Woosieness gave us th correct technical details of caravan - v - car paint thickmess.
BE VERY CAREFUL with "T" cut as the paint on the van's is nowhere as thick as what gets put onto a car:

Caravan paint thickness = 23 (+/- 3) microns

caravan paint thickness

Car paint can vary from 90 microns to 180 microns depending on manufacture & can be even thicker !

Read more at http://www.practicalcaravan.com/forum/technical/38543-caravan-painting#foCAXufw0TLyrCRT.99

 

[alphapets]

http://www.meguiars.co.uk/shop/marine

 

[martindf3]

I've just been looking into this . If its fibre glass bits ( caravan front panel ) then don't use T-cut it has ammonia in it . I used 3M motorhome and caravan restorer . This worked quite well .you are safe with anything that says Marine in it . I used Autoglym Radiant wax polish pro version ,got it for nothing . (I don't think pro version have silicon in it for body shop conditions ) over the top to get real polished finish . Put it on with a sponge and polish off with microfiber cloth .Side of Van came up with just polish . There are loads of right ways to do this most involve "elbow grease of some kind .

 

[WoodlandsCamper]

Here are pictures of elbow grease.

 

[Beehpee]

If you want to give the motor home or caravan a complete makeover I can personally recommend " "tourershine" if you google it you will find the details, I had a 1999 Avondale given the full restoration clean a couple of years ago, not cheap if my memory serves me right at £300 but it was worth every penny, I had the same problem with dull paintwork and tried all sorts of polishes and waxes but although it improved with my efforts it was never particularly good especially on the front and rear plastic/grp panels which were really dull, a guy from tourershine spent around 6 hours working flat out but the result was outstanding, I reckon it looked better than when new, when I decided to sell it this year it was pretty grotty having been parked in front of house with us living in it with all sorts of building work going on, it was green with algae and loads of brick dust, a hose down and then a quick wash with some type of car wash wax, probably tesco own brand and it still came up far better than I'd ever been able to achieve prior to them doing it, our new caravan is shining great but I'm still tempted to have them come and do it because it makes life so easy in the future, various levels of service with varying prices so well worth a look, I will just say I'm not connected to this business in any way other than being one of their many very satisfied customers, not sure If this will get deleted as could be misconstrued as advertising but thought I'd give it a go.

BP

 

[martindf3]

Here are pictures of elbow grease.

Well I be . I was under the impression it was the mechanical use of my arm . I'm E-baying that stuff immediately ,presume it will be coming from China with the usual 3 or 4 weeks wait ?