Best Polishing Product and Method? - Page 2 - Escape Trailer Owners Community
Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×

Go Back   Escape Trailer Owners Community > Escape Tech > Maintenance, Winterizing and Routine Care
Click Here to Login
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 11-01-2020, 01:11 PM   #21
Senior Member
 
Doug2000's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: London, Ontario
Trailer: 2020 Escape 19
Posts: 1,117
I only use the Meguiar's products. I wash everything with the Meguiar's car wash, even the house windows.
__________________
Had 2 Escapes, 17b, 19, went back to a pop up that fit in the garage. 2018 Coachman Clipper RBST HW AFrame
Doug2000 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-01-2020, 02:07 PM   #22
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2020
Location: Oriental, North Carolina
Trailer: 2023 Escape 21C
Posts: 158
Quote:
Originally Posted by Perryb67 View Post
Read:

I put the floor polish in a spray bottle to spray small areas and used a waxing glove to apply the wax. It took perhaps 15-20 minutes per application and I applied three coatings. As soon as I finished each application, the wax I put on 15-20 minutes earlier was dry, so I could just keep on applying. NO BUFFING IS REQUIRED!

Enjoy,
Perry
So Perry you just spray it on and rub it in? Is it a wax or something else? Does it require stripping?
Thanks
Greatboatz3 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-01-2020, 02:50 PM   #23
Senior Member
 
Perry Butler's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Lanesboro, MN, between Whalan and Fountain, Minnesota
Trailer: 2016 Bigfoot 25RQ - (2018 Escape 5.0 sold)
Posts: 2,152
Quote:
Originally Posted by Greatboatz3 View Post
So Perry you just spray it on and rub it in? Is it a wax or something else? Does it require stripping?
Thanks
Zep calls it a polish, rather than a wax.

Every summer I watched our custodian go through this process: strip, wax a couple of times and seal. After I saw the Fiberglass Forum thread I had a talk with him and considering the number of successful users on the FG forum I had no problem giving it a try.

Because the Bigfoot was chalky everywhere it was a no-brainier to strip. If you have great jelcoat I'd just use their cleaner. Next summer we'll just use the cleaner, before using the polish.

You don't rub the polish in, you just spread it thin on the area, so it dries quickly, and come back with another thin coat 15-20 minutes later. Eazy Peazy!

Enjoy,

Perry
__________________
Those who know everything use pens. Intelligent people use pencils.
Perry Butler is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-01-2020, 04:18 PM   #24
Senior Member
 
cpaharley2008's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Central, Pennsylvania
Trailer: Escape#5 2022 E19
Posts: 26,268
Thumbs up

Quote:
Originally Posted by flynfrfun View Post
On my 2010 17B I’ve been using Meguiars Flagship premium cleaner wax and follow up with the Flagship Marine wax. I use the cheapo Harbor Freight Chicago Electric polisher and a wool pad. I polish with the polisher and apply the wax by hand. The wax is very easy to apply and buff off. The time consuming part is polishing with the cleaner wax to get the nice shine. I polish/wax once a year and keep the trailer protected with a cover. Here are a couple of pics from our trip to Nehalem bay this year...
Nice shine......
__________________
Jim
Sometime life gets in the way of living.......
cpaharley2008 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-01-2020, 06:26 PM   #25
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2019
Location: Bonney Lake, Washington
Trailer: 2010 Escape 17B
Posts: 188
Quote:
Originally Posted by cpaharley2008 View Post
Nice shine......
Thanks!
flynfrfun is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-01-2020, 07:30 PM   #26
Site Team
 
John in Santa Cruz's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Mid Left Coast, California
Trailer: 2014 Escape 21
Posts: 5,122
once my fiberglass repair is done, I plan on having a local marine/rv detailer do a full polish and then apply a polymer sealant. this should last 3-5 years with just simple washing as maintenance. my wrists hurt too much after an hour if I try and do any sort of polishing anymore, buffer or hand.
John in Santa Cruz is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-01-2020, 07:56 PM   #27
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: SLO County, California
Trailer: 2014 Escape 21C 2019 Expedition
Posts: 5,210
Yep, that Poly Gard product has held up great since March.
__________________
"We gotta get as far away as we can!"
- Russell Casse, Independence Day
Rossue is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-01-2020, 08:28 PM   #28
Site Team
 
John in Santa Cruz's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Mid Left Coast, California
Trailer: 2014 Escape 21
Posts: 5,122
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rossue View Post
Yep, that Poly Gard product has held up great since March.
googling a bunch of things called poly guard, but not sure what you're referring too specifically, closest thing I found was a spray for inflatable boats. never, mind, found it, it's Poly GARD, heh. https://www.prowax.com/paint_sealant..._Sealant3.html

the polymer sealant I'm talking about has to be applied to an already compounded and polished surface, there's a ton fo brands, mostly little boutique speciality companies, I'm not sure what the best is, but Meguiars M21 is one of the readily found varieties. I had a bottle of Rejex, and my test usage of it gave awesome results, but somehow the bottle got lost in a house cleaning (my son probably figured it was ancient and tossed it).
John in Santa Cruz is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-01-2020, 08:41 PM   #29
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: SLO County, California
Trailer: 2014 Escape 21C 2019 Expedition
Posts: 5,210
https://cougarchemical.com/products/...AaArXoEALw_wcB
__________________
"We gotta get as far away as we can!"
- Russell Casse, Independence Day
Rossue is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-01-2020, 11:27 PM   #30
Senior Member
 
HABBERDABBER's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Madison area, Wisconsin
Trailer: 2016 Escape 19 Chevy 2012 Express 3500 Van
Posts: 1,734
My 2 cents

I've used Poli Glo, (NOT Poly Gard! ) on a 20 year old sailboat and 16 year old 16' Casita . Both were spectacular results, and have held up for years. My 4 year old E19 hasn't gotten any treatment yet, but I have the materials available. Maybe next year, when things quiet down a bit. Ah..huh!


Save your pennies, and buy floor wax, or get a product used in the marine industry for fiberglass boats.


Coffins don't have pockets, so I'd rather get the better product.


All of my chatter is speculative and anecdotal.



But show me the DATA, if floor wax is better for UV protection! A church floor is a lot different than a trailer roof. Until then, I'll go with what has worked for me.
HABBERDABBER is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-01-2020, 11:58 PM   #31
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Kent, Ohio
Trailer: 2017 21c Sold, 2023 Bigfoot 25RQ
Posts: 1,381
Quote:
Originally Posted by flynfrfun View Post
On my 2010 17B I’ve been using Meguiars Flagship premium cleaner wax and follow up with the Flagship Marine wax. I use the cheapo Harbor Freight Chicago Electric polisher and a wool pad. I polish with the polisher and apply the wax by hand. The wax is very easy to apply and buff off. The time consuming part is polishing with the cleaner wax to get the nice shine. I polish/wax once a year and keep the trailer protected with a cover. Here are a couple of pics from our trip to Nehalem bay this year...
Looks great, we love that campground !
oldwave is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-02-2020, 12:01 AM   #32
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Kent, Ohio
Trailer: 2017 21c Sold, 2023 Bigfoot 25RQ
Posts: 1,381
Quote:
Originally Posted by arniesea View Post
I would like to remind everyone to be safe while tackling waxing and polishing jobs. Falling off a ladder can ruin your whole day, perhaps ruin your life. For the high work, it is much safer to work off a scaffold plank than a ladder.

Oh, and I personally have been very happy with Meguiar’s premium marine wax.
Excellent idea, old bones break,easily
oldwave is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-02-2020, 10:40 AM   #33
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2019
Location: Bonney Lake, Washington
Trailer: 2010 Escape 17B
Posts: 188
Quote:
Originally Posted by oldwave View Post
Looks great, we love that campground !
We did too. I especially enjoyed walking to the airport next door and sitting on the bench at the south end of the runway. The bench overlooks the bay. Very nice spot. Too bad the weather was crummy because it would have been fun to watch planes take off and land.
flynfrfun is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-17-2023, 10:04 AM   #34
Senior Member
 
TahoeJoe's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2020
Location: South Lake Tahoe, California
Trailer: 2017 5.0
Posts: 523
Quote:
Originally Posted by HABBERDABBER View Post
I've used Poli Glo, (NOT Poly Gard! ) on a 20 year old sailboat and 16 year old 16' Casita . Both were spectacular results, and have held up for years. My 4 year old E19 hasn't gotten any treatment yet, but I have the materials available. Maybe next year, when things quiet down a bit. Ah..huh!


Save your pennies, and buy floor wax, or get a product used in the marine industry for fiberglass boats.


Coffins don't have pockets, so I'd rather get the better product.


All of my chatter is speculative and anecdotal.



But show me the DATA, if floor wax is better for UV protection! A church floor is a lot different than a trailer roof. Until then, I'll go with what has worked for me.
Yesterday I watched my neighbor apply Poli Glow to her old boat, with amazing results. She swears by it...she had told me about it before, but now I can see it with my own eyes, and feel the gelcoat which is like new. Just ordered my own Poli Glow kit!
__________________
“We are here to help each other get through this thing, whatever it is.”
- Kurt Vonnegut
TahoeJoe is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-17-2023, 12:33 PM   #35
Senior Member
 
Centex's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2020
Location: East of Austin, Texas
Trailer: 2021 Escape 5.0 / 2022 F150 SuperCab
Posts: 2,864
Quote:
Originally Posted by TahoeJoe View Post
Yesterday I watched my neighbor apply Poli Glow to her old boat, with amazing results. She swears by it...she had told me about it before, but now I can see it with my own eyes, and feel the gelcoat which is like new. Just ordered my own Poli Glow kit!
Take care to note that "POLI GLOW®" is not intended for use on new / good condition fiberglass.
Can I use Poli Glow® on a NEW BOAT or RV?
No, the Poli Glow® family of products has been developed to restore oxidized, faded or dull finishes. They are NOT maintenance products for un-oxidized fiberglass. Do not use them on a new BOAT or RV.
The distinctly different POLI SLICK SEAL™ is intended for new / good condition fiberglass.
__________________
Alan E.
2021 Escape 5.0 / 2022 F150 Lariat SuperCab 6.5' box / Centex's 2021 5.0 Modifications
Centex is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-19-2023, 12:28 PM   #36
Senior Member
 
Perry Butler's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Lanesboro, MN, between Whalan and Fountain, Minnesota
Trailer: 2016 Bigfoot 25RQ - (2018 Escape 5.0 sold)
Posts: 2,152
Quote:
Originally Posted by Centex View Post
The distinctly different POLI SLICK SEAL™ is intended for new / good condition fiberglass.
I was going to purchase a small bottle of Poli Slick Seal to compare to Zep until I read, "PROTECTION for up to 6 months". That's just too short a time for us.

Enjoy,

Perry
__________________
Those who know everything use pens. Intelligent people use pencils.
Perry Butler is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-19-2023, 01:27 PM   #37
Senior Member
 
Centex's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2020
Location: East of Austin, Texas
Trailer: 2021 Escape 5.0 / 2022 F150 SuperCab
Posts: 2,864
Quote:
Originally Posted by Perry Butler View Post
I was going to purchase a small bottle of Poli Slick Seal to compare to Zep until I read, "PROTECTION for up to 6 months". That's just too short a time for us.

Enjoy,

Perry
No disagreement here. As I'm sure you realize I'm not in any way endorsing the product(s), just pointing out the mfr's guidance.

Myself, I'm a Nu Finish fan, I've used it for many years on both painted vehicles and fiberglass trailers (Casita and now the Escape). No claim it's the 'best' or 'easiest' but I apply and remove by hand with what I consider acceptable / not too great effort, 2 coats separated by a few weeks as suggested by that mfr, more or less annually, and I've been happy with it. But that's just a maintenance routine, not a 'restorative' thing.

Methinks that a lot of these products yield similar results via slightly different paths, maybe some more or less robust in different environments, maybe some more or less 'easy' for some folks. As with most things I think it's a matter of finding what works for each individual and likely there's no universal / one-size-fits-all "best".

I tend to stick with what's demonstrated to work for me, sometimes I'm tempted to experiment with others but so far not tempted enough that I've done so.
__________________
Alan E.
2021 Escape 5.0 / 2022 F150 Lariat SuperCab 6.5' box / Centex's 2021 5.0 Modifications
Centex is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-25-2023, 07:58 AM   #38
Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2023
Location: Nooksack, Washington
Trailer: 2014 Escape 5.0 TA
Posts: 43
Hi, Escape recommended to me a Meguires product called Caranuba or something like that, but you’re saying you like the Zep products to get oxidation off the trailer/5th wheel? I bought a 2014 5th wheel by Escape and it has some lines that are yellow coming down from the roof which I assume are oxidation. They never used a cover but live in B.C. so maybe didn’t feel the need. I’d like to start working on this myself to try it out, but this is totally new to me and I’m a woman without experience. I was even wondering if I should wash it with our pressure washer before waxing to get the oxidation off. Help?!
shlm2umac is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-25-2023, 09:16 AM   #39
Senior Member
 
Perry Butler's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Lanesboro, MN, between Whalan and Fountain, Minnesota
Trailer: 2016 Bigfoot 25RQ - (2018 Escape 5.0 sold)
Posts: 2,152
Quote:
Originally Posted by shlm2umac View Post
Hi, Escape recommended to me a Meguires product called Caranuba or something like that, but you’re saying you like the Zep products to get oxidation off the trailer/5th wheel? I bought a 2014 5th wheel by Escape and it has some lines that are yellow coming down from the roof which I assume are oxidation. They never used a cover but live in B.C. so maybe didn’t feel the need. I’d like to start working on this myself to try it out, but this is totally new to me and I’m a woman without experience. I was even wondering if I should wash it with our pressure washer before waxing to get the oxidation off. Help?!
Washing will only get loose oxidation off and is just the first step. On our severely oxidized 2003 Bigfoot a harder oxidation was still remaining after high pressure washing, so it needed stripping. After stripping I then went around the trailer and removed any stubborn dirt. If you don't strip oxidation I understand the trailer will definitely yellow. For a good looking trailer start with a squeaky clean, unoxidized surface and then use your shining product of choice.

Enjoy,

Perry
__________________
Those who know everything use pens. Intelligent people use pencils.
Perry Butler is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-25-2023, 09:56 AM   #40
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Kent, Ohio
Trailer: 2017 21c Sold, 2023 Bigfoot 25RQ
Posts: 1,381
Poly glow makes two products, one is for restoration and the other is for a new undamaged gel coat. I just applied the new product Poli Glo slick on our new camper. I will see how it holds up this summer for our 10 week journey. I have no experience with the restoration product. I think a kit is around 80.
oldwave is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off




» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Escape Trailer Industries or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 09:19 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Copyright 2023 Social Knowledge, LLC All Rights Reserved.