Howdy all! New to this forum after retiring our '83 Airstream 310 diesel. Our new (to us) '93 Grand Villa was stripped, re-painted and restriped in 2013. She looks brand new and gets lots of comments! Question is, when should I put some wax on her and what brand do you have good luck with? Do the stripes get a different wax? She will be living full-time in Arizona and I want to stay on top of her beautiful finish. Thanks in advance. Mike
I wash with Armorall Wash & Wax and twice a year give the coach (windows & rubber included) a coat of Turtle Wax Ice synthetic car polish. Our stripes are painted on and the only decals are the Foretravel GV. I attached some pics so you can see the reflections on the sides, etc.
Thanks Hawk! M
We use Wash Wax All. To remove heavy road grime I use Dawn then follow with Wash Wax All. Aircraft RV Cleaner Waterless Wash Wax Detailing Products Supplies (http://washwax.com/)
Good luck. ;D
We also use WashWaxAll. Easy to use and it leaves a mirror finish. Amazing stuff. We get lots of comments from folks in parks. We park her inside for 5 mos./yr. and I 'wax' her twice per year.
This is what James at Xtreme Graphics recommends. They painted my coach. It works very well and is wipe on wipe off.
Aircraft RV Cleaner Waterless Wash Wax Detailing Products Supplies (http://washwax.com/)
Keith
Any good automobile/boat wax is fine, EXCEPT, do not wax vinyl decals. Use 303 Aerospace on any vinyl.
Good advice, I wish I'd known about 303 when I had the Airstream! M
Thanks to all for your advice, here's old "Bess". full time for 25 years!
Alpine, Arizona at 8 thousand feet. Beats spending spring & summer in 115 degrees down below! b^.^d
When not in Mexico where a wash AND wax is $1.50/ft. (eh John Haygarth?) I have not found anything any better than Maquires in the red bottle for $6.47 at Walmart and believe me, I taste test EVERYTHING!. As far as 303 goes @ $12 for a small bottle, it is the same thing as Briallianize which is $25 a gallon.
Another thumbs up for WashWaxAll. A little soap and water if really grimey or for the caked on bugs in front and then WWA the shady side today and the other shady side tomorrow. Keep up with it and it does the job quickly. Roger
I wash my coach regularly with lots of water, but never wax. My Xtreme FBP is five years old and looks great. I guess I'm just too old to think about waxing 42' of coach a couple times a year. Sorry.
With clear coat, you never need to wax. I would just go over it with a mixture of vinegar and distilled water and microfibers. But Gelcoat is imperative.
Can anyone tell if these Alcoa wheels are the older ones or the newer "Dura Bright" ones? Any favorites for cleaning/polishing? Thanks, M
What year coach (might want to add that to your profile signature so it's automatic)? Plus Dura Bright ones should have it labeled somewhere on the wheel. If Dura Bright, just mild soap and water.
I don't see any markings on the wheels, so I assume they are the older versions. The PO took good care of them, any suggestions for cleaner/wax? Thanks, M
Mike, they look just like the rims on the front of our '89 GV, even says Alcoa on ours. I use Mother's Mag & Aluminum Polish. There are many others here on the forum that have their preferences and they all work just fine.
Thanks Hawkman, I used Mother's on the Airstream and found it to be a fine product! M
We have Dura Bright and the wheels are labeled.
Another thumbs up for 303 also. I use it on all rubber and plastic stuff.
Those look like what you would see on an ORED so I would guess that they are not coated.
Gary B
Have I had too many beers this aft.? What does ORED mean? :help:
Hey Gary! Our GV is an ORED (Oshkosh Rear Engine Diesel)
Screwed up--can't get the R in Rear to bold and underlined.
Also, as can be seen in my photos, the striping is custom, similar to later model GVs.
Sorry, Oshkosh Rear Engine Diesel...
But after looking again that may not be. More likely a OREG Oshkosh Rear Engine Gasoline.
Profile does not fully describe coach
In other words, Coach wheels are of old enough type that they would not be coated, not sure what year coated wheels became available but they were not available in early 90's.
Gary B
Hi Mike! Glad to see you on here. Are you still in Prescott? Dori and I are in Puyallup at the fairgrounds for a another week anyway.
I use WashWaxAll too. It works great and is easy to put on and wipe off. On the rims I use Flitz. It's pricey in small quantities but not so bad if you buy by the pound! Amazon.com: Flitz CA 03518-6 Blue Metal, Plastic and Fiberglass Polish... (http://www.amazon.com/Flitz-CA-03518-6-Plastic-Fiberglass/dp/B0002V9LAW/ref=sr_1_3?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1440562589&sr=1-3&keywords=flitz) I use a flapper pad on a drill to polish it in.
see ya
ken
Hey there! Good to hear from you, glad things are going well, thanks for the info on how you keep your coach so pretty. Yes, we are still in Prescott, still too hot for Ajo. Where do your wanderings take you next? Stay in touch. All the best, Judy, Mike & Chet the wonder dog.