2015 has yellowed

[HABBERDABBER]

My license plate light cover has also yellowed like yours. I wonder if lightly scuffing it with fine sandpaper would aid adhesion.

It sure can't hurt to scuff the plastic prior to painting. A thorough wipe down with rubbing alcohol would be a good move too.

 

[iamunique127]

Right. I always do that.
Thanks.

 

[Ron in BC]

I often wash with solvent and scuff lightly. Definitely adds some mechanical grip.

Ron

 

[MyronL]

Didn't think to do any of that prep. That's got to be my problem.

 

[C&G in FL]

A related question:

I've noticed that when looking at photos of older ETI trailers, that it seems common for the bathroom sink to yellow over time (more so than the rest of the fiberglass wet-bath interior). I doubt that UV exposure or weathering would be a factor in a dark bathroom. Would waxing the sink prevent this?

From past experience in coatings industry , I know that finishes based on older chemistries ( IE: alkyd or nitrocellulose) are more prone to yellowing in the absence of light. I guessing that may be the case with the gelcoat material used for the sink as well......

My rig is away in storage so I can't check, but I thought my 2016 "Classic" sink was vacuum formed ABS. Being white, it may show yellowing more with age than the gelcoat walls of the bathroom.

The bathroom sink in my 2015 5.0TA has definitely yellowed, likely due to the Florida summer heat. Unfortunately I cannot get away for the entire “hot and humid” season. While it is totally undercover, I have seen temperatures inside in the low 90s F (@ 33° C). Not sure I would bother painting it though. I have also seen other plastics yellow out of the sun but exposed to high temperatures.

I haven’t noticed any yellowing on the outside, but I just completed (several hours) shining up some of the “duller” parts of the roof using Meguier’s1 Step with a Torq X (sold by Chemical Guys) that I recently purchased on the recommendation of another Escape owner. After seeing the results, and since the trailer has a name (Little Elsie), I decided the Torq X also deserved a name so I appropriately named it “Buffy the Oxidation Slayer.”

 

[HABBERDABBER]

Different materials

The gel coat and trailer shell are a completely different type of polymer than the sink or other plastic parts on the trailer. Completely different, and they all react differently to heat, solar exposure, ageing, etc.
One is thermoset, another thermoplastic.


https://www.twi-global.com/technical-knowledge/faqs/thermoset-vs-thermoplastic

 

[iamunique127]

Follow-up to my original post:

I've had our trailer home over the past week to attend to the yellowing. As someone stated earlier in a reply, it happened gradually over the years and didn't really look bad except it wasn't shiny white. Nothing was chalky at all and it wasn't dull, just not bright white.

I like to patronize the locally-owned marine dealer when I can so I went to him again for the products I used. He sold me a stripper to get rid of any old wax, a polish to work off the yellow & get a good shine and the wax to protect it.

I worked sections separately from start to finish, doing the roof first, then one side and the back in another stage and finally the other side and front last. Luckily the weather has been cool and I've had shade from my trees by the afternoons for waxing.

Mission accomplished: we have a nice white trailer again.

 

[Donna D.]

The original classic builds NEVER were bright white. Especially compared to the gelcoat used in the second generation. You found wax does yellow. There's probably some that remember television commercials for floor wax that even talked about a particular floor product being 'non-yellowing.'

However, in the end it won't matter what wax you use, you're original classic built trailer will never be bright white. But it sure can shine!

 

[iamunique127]

The original classic builds NEVER were bright white. Especially compared to the gelcoat used in the second generation. You found wax does yellow. There's probably some that remember television commercials for floor wax that even talked about a particular floor product being 'non-yellowing.'

However, in the end it won't matter what wax you use, you're original classic built trailer will never be bright white. But it sure can shine!

I'm sure many of us here remember those commercials.

Thanks for the reality check. It may not be as white as some but it is much whiter than it was.

 

[BravoDeltaRomeo]

Follow-up to my original post:

I've had our trailer home over the past week to attend to the yellowing. As someone stated earlier in a reply, it happened gradually over the years and didn't really look bad except it wasn't shiny white. Nothing was chalky at all and it wasn't dull, just not bright white.

I like to patronize the locally-owned marine dealer when I can so I went to him again for the products I used. He sold me a stripper to get rid of any old wax, a polish to work off the yellow & get a good shine and the wax to protect it.

I worked sections separately from start to finish, doing the roof first, then one side and the back in another stage and finally the other side and front last. Luckily the weather has been cool and I've had shade from my trees by the afternoons for waxing.

Mission accomplished: we have a nice white trailer again.

Excellent Job.

It looks as good as new.

 

[WillyB]

Because I have bad shoulders and the Wax On / Wax Off motion is not good for me I bought one of these last year to save my shoulders.

Works perfect.

 

[mr.stang]

Thank you for the follow up.