Polishing touring caravan...advice please

[Leesfarm07]

We're spending this weekend cleaning our touring caravan. Started off okay with diluted traffic film remover which got all the black and green crap off it. Today we thought we'd polish it but we've tried everything and it's all streaky and mottled.
Auto glym Super resin
Auto glym extra gloss protection
And finally T-cut....but nothing will bring the shine up.
Do you reckon it's going to need a rotary polisher or something?

 

[Maniac]

Is the surface painted or is it plasticoat? If former what you did should work, if the latter it won't as its plastic coating and won't give hard paint like results.

 

[Leesfarm07]

I'm not sure...how would I tell?

 

[wegras]

We're spending this weekend cleaning our touring caravan. Started off okay with diluted traffic film remover which got all the black and green crap off it. Today we thought we'd polish it but we've tried everything and it's all streaky and mottled.
Auto glym Super resin
Auto glym extra gloss protection
And finally T-cut....but nothing will bring the shine up.
Do you reckon it's going to need a rotary polisher or something?

Mer polish always used to be the darling of the Caravan Dealers /owners etc but we sold our last caravan a few years back so haven't used recently
On Amazon one recommendation is from a guy who uses it on his Glider probably similar construction materials to a caravan

 

[Silverzedtom]

Clay bar? I wouldn't have thought it would take too long, as it's large flat panels.

 

[wegras]

Probably best solution is to call the Manufacturer Customer support and ask their advice

 

[Leesfarm07]

Probably best solution is to call the Manufacturer Customer support and ask their advice

Thats the best I think. I know it's aluminium but whether it's coated or painted I really don't know. It seems that everything just smears when you try to rub it off and leave the smear marks. I really thought tcut would be the answer but it doesn't touch it....strange one...Ah well it'll do another day

 

[firebobby]

When I do have to clean our van, I use bobby dazzler caravan cleaner and then Mer polish. I don't suffer from the black streaks though as I always use a cover, this keeps the van looking spotless Mike

 

[Paulr]

A proper caravan shampoo followed by a good scrub with Mer should do it. Car shampoo does not get rid of the black runs, and makes the finish more dull. This method Brought my 2007 Swift up a treat.

It will be a fibre glass or plastic body with a gel coat or shiny finish. No paint involved.

 

[firebobby]

A proper caravan shampoo followed by a good scrub with Mer should do it. Car shampoo does not get rid of the black runs, and makes the finish more dull. This method Brought my 2007 Swift up a treat.

It will be a fibre glass or plastic body with a gel coat or shiny finish. No paint involved.

They also used Aluminium on caravans, my one is made of it and it's painted :wink:

 

[Pastry]

A proper caravan shampoo followed by a good scrub with Mer should do it. Car shampoo does not get rid of the black runs, and makes the finish more dull. This method Brought my 2007 Swift up a treat.

It will be a fibre glass or plastic body with a gel coat or shiny finish. No paint involved.

They also used Aluminium on caravans, my one is made of it and it's painted :wink:

I always suspected you were a pikey Fred :lol:

 

[firebobby]

A proper caravan shampoo followed by a good scrub with Mer should do it. Car shampoo does not get rid of the black runs, and makes the finish more dull. This method Brought my 2007 Swift up a treat.

It will be a fibre glass or plastic body with a gel coat or shiny finish. No paint involved.

They also used Aluminium on caravans, my one is made of it and it's painted :wink:

I always suspected you were a pikey Fred :lol:

According to Chris (mad dog) D, your the Pikey, Paul. When are you going to be handing out some of your booze stash then

 

[Pastry]

They also used Aluminium on caravans, my one is made of it and it's painted :wink:

I always suspected you were a pikey Fred :lol:

According to Chris (mad dog) D, your the Pikey, Paul. When are you going to be handing out some of your booze stash then

You should see the boot of my X3 when I come home from France in the summer!! :drinkwine: :-D

 

[Paulr]

A proper caravan shampoo followed by a good scrub with Mer should do it. Car shampoo does not get rid of the black runs, and makes the finish more dull. This method Brought my 2007 Swift up a treat.

It will be a fibre glass or plastic body with a gel coat or shiny finish. No paint involved.

They also used Aluminium on caravans, my one is made of it and it's painted :wink:

You are right, I forgot - Airstream come to mind with their shiny metal tube look, but not very often because they are so damned expensive.

 

[firebobby]

A proper caravan shampoo followed by a good scrub with Mer should do it. Car shampoo does not get rid of the black runs, and makes the finish more dull. This method Brought my 2007 Swift up a treat.

It will be a fibre glass or plastic body with a gel coat or shiny finish. No paint involved.

They also used Aluminium on caravans, my one is made of it and it's painted :wink:

You are right, I forgot - Airstream come to mind with their shiny metal tube look, but not very often because they are so damned expensive.

Nothing so posh Paul, we have a Lunar Lexon and it does mark so easily, really have to be careful with little sh1ts and their footballs. That's why we tend to stay on sites where kids are scarce.

 

[Kingfisher]

......... and when you've finally cleaned, polished and waxed it .... buy a cover! ...

 

[firebobby]

......... and when you've finally cleaned, polished and waxed it .... buy a cover! ...

That's what we have, have always covered it form new and it still looks as fresh now as it did when we got it 10 years ago