Exterior maintenance

[Keith Moffett]

I am looking at avariety of products which call themselves sealants.  The frontrunner is a product called Top Coat F-11.  They claim you never need to wash again but simply rinse and re apply.  Swirls are diminished and dirt wont stick.  Very hydrophobic.  The shine is certainly remarkable in the video.

Has anyone used one of these and how did it hold up?

[David T. Richelderfer]

If I wanted to spend a couple hundred bucks, then I would purchase something like this.  In fact, I did purchase the long wand kit at Quartzsite a year ago.  It makes it much easier to wash/wax the coach's sides and up over the top edge without needing a ladder.  The head on the wand swivels as you push it up and over the rounded top edge of the side wall.  I had never heard of the F11 until reading your post, so obviously have not tried it.

https://www.amazon.com/Aero-Cosmetics-Waterless-Aircraft-Restrictions/dp/B006AFAWYI/ref=sr_1_23?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1551100751&sr=1-23&keywords=waterless+wash+and+wax

[Lee Welbanks]

I've been using "The Solution" by Super Seal for years now, works great wipe on wipe off and much cheaper than most I've found. Most all of these waterless wash products are silicone based in water along with their super secret added in.
The only time my coach gets a bath is at a Blue Beacon truck wash and it has to be real dirty even then. I have a adjustable pole and a few of  the micro fiber flip mopes that you can get at Walmart for a couple bucks. I can do the whole coach in a few hours.
The Solution really works great on the front, bugs don't stick and it makes cleaning the windshield a snap.
I have tried a couple other products and they all seem to do about the same thing with the only difference being the price.

https://www.amazon.com/Houseables-Replacement-Dual-Action-Microfiber-Washable/dp/B01FYL2PGG?SubscriptionId=AKIAILSHYYTFIVPWUY6Q&tag=duckduckgo-d-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B01FYL2PGG

[Keith Moffett]

Lee
If you search you tube there are some videos on Top Coat F 11.  Does "The Solution" work that good?  I see the solution is about half the price of Top Coat.  How long does it last?

[Lee Welbanks]

Keith, I am usually cautious of what you see on YouTube, I've had very good luck with "The Solution", most all of these dry/wash products are about the same, silicone in water with their secret voodoo added which is some kind of wax. Last year we went up into Canada and down the west coast and didn't wash the coach once. Just used dry/wash and micro towels and the mope. It works really good on the front and the nasty bug don't stick, makes cleaning the windshield a snap. The micro fiber towels and mope are the only thing to use.
A friend has been using Aero Cosmetics Wash/Wax on his boat and classic cars for years so I just ordered some to see how it works. It costs less than the solution which is always good, give it a test drive.
 

[Keith Moffett]

Lee
Thanks for the info.  Hey, that Aero Cosmetics wash wax wouldnt be that outfit with the triangle shaped mop head one side says wet and the other dry would it?  I have seen that in use one time and it worked well except it didnt last.  Sure was pretty for a couple days though.  Give us an update when you can.
Thanks

[Jerry Emert]

Keith, I've been using the Wash Wax all for 4+ years now.  I haven't waxed in that time.  The "Voodoo" in it builds up as you continue to use it.  The first couple of times I used it, it wasn't exactly hard to apply but it definitely took more spray and work than it does now.  I use it on the windshield as mentioned above and it seems to be better than anything else so far that I've used.  I strongly recommend it every time the issue comes up on one of the forums.  I didn't chime in earlier because you asked about a sealant and that's not really how I think of this product.  I have read that it does provide UV protection also.  Just as an aside, I bought a small spray bottle first and liked it so I bought the gallon size.  4 or so years later and I still have more than half of the gallon left.  When traveling I use it about once a month or so.  Other times I just spray the dust off and drive fast to get rid of the spots!!  Good luck in your research.

[Lee Welbanks]

Keith, Yes Aero Cosmetics is where you can buy all things related to applying these products. And Jerry is spot on saying that the more often you clean the coach the easier it gets.
Out coach has been sitting all winter here in Wickenburg, Az and is pretty streaked from the run off, now that it has finally warmed up I will be cleaning it up. Going to use both "The Solution" and Aero's  "Wash Wax All" and see if I can see any difference.
 The search is always on to find ways to keep looking good without killing yourself or spending $$$ for somebody else to clean it.

[Keith Moffett]

Ok fellas then here is a side question.
If it gets better with more applications and it protects against UV, why would we not use it on the roof as well.  Seems a coat or two would do alot for stopping the chaulking and white run off.  Only drawback I can think of would be making the roof too slick.
What say you?

[Jim Nichols]

Waxing the gel coat of our roofs is for the young that can withstand bouncing off the ground after slipping 12 feet to the ground. I waxed the roof and and slipped but was able to grab some tree limbs luckily, otherwise I could tell you first hand what the fall would feel like. Sixty years old at the time. We have a rubberized coating know and love it.

[Steve Huber Co-Admin]

Keith,
If your roof is in good shape, consider using Rustoleum Deck Paint. Looks shiney but non-slip. Instructions are on Forum. Easy to prep and apply. I've done it to our last 2 coaches and have been extremely happy with the performance. Sheds dirt, no more streaking on radi, etc.
Steve

[Gerald Farris]

Keith,
If you want to protect the gelcoat on your roof and stop the white streaks, it is just as easy and a lot better to just paint the white section with Rustoleum Top Side Marine Deck paint. It stops all of the white streaks, can be applied with a paint roller, and since it is designed for boat decks it is nonslip and UV resistant so it last for many years. All you have to do is wash the roof and paint it unless you have waxed it or applied some other coating, and then you will have to strip that coating off before painting. 

Gerald

[Mike Shumack]

Do you think the "white" color paint makes a difference in keeping the coach cool? It looks like Beaver put a lot of insulation in the ceiling.
I have a dark car and a white car, and the interior temperature after parking in sun (in FL summer) seems the same to me.

My coach is brown, and I'm wondering if painting the roof brown (with the marine paint above) would be a mistake.
 
Of course it's not easy to see what color the roof is painted from the ground - so if there is "any benefit" white, I'll just go with that.

[Bill Lampkin]

I've had 'white streaks' on other rv's we've owned, due to the rubber roof material becoming oxidized over time. Used rubbing compound and a lot of elbow grease to remove the streaks from the gel coat on the side of the rig. Our Beaver, with the fiberglass roof doesn't have any 'white streaks', the only streaks come from rain or condensation (Ore /Wash coast in AM) working its way down the sides and carrying dust with it. Our '05 Beaver does not have a 'drip rail' on the side as my previous 5th wheel and TT's have had. As for roof color, we know that white reflects all light, darker colors have less reflectivity but I don't know if that affects UV absorption.
I'm a big believer in the 'Wash Wax All' stuff. The long handled wash mop gives my upper body a workout as I use it to clean a small area using the wet side of the mop, then quickly use the other 'dry' side of the mop to dry and polish the area just cleaned.  Boy, the rig sure shines in the afternoon as I enjoy a beer!

[Bill Sprague]

I've been following this for a couple days.  The first time I used ProtectAll it was to clean up a fifthwheel that had grown some Pacific Northwest green slime.  It quickly went from dirty and ugly to clean and shiny.

When we bought the Monterey in '03, Camping World sold aerosol cans of ProtectAll.  It goes on like Pledge furniture wax.  You spray and wipe.  It has carnuba wax and UV block in it.  Now I get it at Amazon.   One can does the entire coach in about an hour.  My goal for the Monterey was once, every six months for the sidewalls.  I used it on the roof about once a year.
 
After a dozen years, all the painted surfaces looked very good.  The roof had no chalking.  Because it is so easy, I continue to use it on our new SOB rig with full body paint.

If you see me at a rally, we can do a test patch on your rig in a few seconds.  A friend with a boat tried it on half of his roof forward of the steering station.  He put Maguier's best, hard to apply marine wax on the other side.  After six months, both sides were equal.

https://smile.amazon.com/Protect-All-62015-02-Surface-Cleaner/dp/B015IIKRM4/ref=sr_1_3?crid=3TXUVU3YAR6XF&keywords=protectall+all+surface+care&qid=1551288539&s=gateway&sprefix=protectall%2Caps%2C202&sr=8-3