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12-13-2010, 07:18 PM
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#31
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TrailManor Master
Join Date: Jan 2022
Location: San Diego, California
Posts: 2,939
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Shandysplace
How would you compare this treatment to a professionally applied coat of high quality wax? Since the surface you applied the topdeck to is not fiberglass, would there be a concern of any negative affects between the topdeck and that surface?
We had serious moisture issues with our 3326 last winter after many consecutive days of rain under an ADCO cover. We decided to go w/o a cover on our Elkmont for this reason. Your solution is interesting. We thought of having the roof waxed each Spring and waxing the rest of the trailer ourselves each year.
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Fiberglass is nothing but glass fibers soaked it polyester resin (plastic). Plexiglas is like fiberglass without the fiber.....
High quality wax has some UV protection but it burns off fairly rapidly..You can't compare that to a good coat of paint that gives 100% UV protection. It would be like comparing sun-screen lotion with wearing a jacket.
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TrailManor Elkmont
640W solar- 230AH LiFeP04 Battery
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12-14-2010, 07:47 AM
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#32
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Guest
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Shandysplace
How would you compare this treatment to a professionally applied coat of high quality wax? Since the surface you applied the topdeck to is not fiberglass, would there be a concern of any negative affects between the topdeck and that surface?
We had serious moisture issues with our 3326 last winter after many consecutive days of rain under an ADCO cover. We decided to go w/o a cover on our Elkmont for this reason. Your solution is interesting. We thought of having the roof waxed each Spring and waxing the rest of the trailer ourselves each year.
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My main concern was to protect the plastic sheet (factory roof repair) from UV. Like Wayne says, white paint has to be better than wax.
As for negative effects, ... we'll just have to wait and see. My main concern right now is that it'll not stick and start peeling because I went the cheap route.
There's a lot of other plastic strips and bits (like the roof vents) that will probably deteriorate with age because of UV. But they would be a lot easier to repair/replace than this big, glued-down, plastic panel. Of course the Al panels should be impervious to UV.
Guess UV protection and cleanliness are some of the main reasons for the ADCO covers? We don't have one and for now just plan to leave the trailer out and keep it clean. Waxing everything seems like a good idea that might very well help with both concerns.
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12-14-2010, 08:26 AM
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#33
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TrailManor Master
Join Date: Jan 2022
Location: San Diego, California
Posts: 2,939
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I learned the paint trick on my sailboat.
I had a lot of teak wood on the exterior of my boat and I used to put a coat of high UV varnish on it every 3 months (a weekend job). If I skipped a 3-month coat, the varnish would deteriorate to the point that I would have to strip it all back to bare wood and start over with 8-coats of new varnish (a 2-week job).
This was fine when we lived aboard in a marina but when we started sailing around the world, we didn't want to be saddled with varnish work at every port. That's when I decided the give the varnish a light sand and apply a coat of paint over my beautiful teak. After sailing around the world for 10+ years, we sanded off the paint and applied a new coat of varnish. We had our beautiful teak back.
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TrailManor Elkmont
640W solar- 230AH LiFeP04 Battery
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12-19-2010, 07:49 AM
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#34
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TrailManor Master
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Williamsburg, VA
Posts: 668
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Another $.02
Quote:
Originally Posted by harveyrv
If the plastic is really shiny, it isn't polyethylene. It's more than likely good old fashion Plexiglas. It has the same characteristics as F/G (for painting).
I would sand it with 180g paper, put a coat of epoxy primer on it (allow primer to dry 24 hours), quick-sand it with 220G paper then a coat or 2 of LP Marine paint (wet-on-wet). It will protect that panel for 20 years and look great. It can be done with a roller. If you leave the plexi exposed to the Sun, I give it 5 years before it starts cracking (unless you cover the trailer).
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Without knowing what the material is, what it's been coated with, or whether it already has appropriate solar stabilizers, you can't possibly know whether it needs to be painted or what to paint it with if it did.
This might have been a great idea for a boat or a 1995 model that needs maintenance, but this one sounds like a really bad idea to me. Wouldn't it be a better idea to just leave this alone and see how the factory repair does, considering that it's always a good idea to keep new vehicles and their factory fixes in a condition where you could ask the factory to work on them again if you want them to?
__________________
2005 TrailManor 3023
2003 Toyota Highlander 220hp V6 FWD
Reese 1000# round bar Weight Distributing Hitch
Prodigy brake controller.
"It's not how fast you can go, it's how fast you can stop an RV that counts."
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12-19-2010, 09:13 AM
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#35
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Guest
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr. Adventure
Without knowing what the material is, what it's been coated with, or whether it already has appropriate solar stabilizers, you can't possibly know whether it needs to be painted or what to paint it with if it did.
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The repair appears to be holding up well; no leaks so far. But I suspect much of that is the new hybrid polyurethane caulk the factory is using, not the plastic sheet.
The plastic sheet appears identical to that used on the wall above the shoulder height shower wall of our Elkmont. The paint job has not caused any harm, from what I can tell, and is not peeling off so far. And I'm quite sure that the 2 coats of rather thick paint is blocking much of the UV, whether necessary or not.
Anyway, I enjoy puttering around with our Elkmont. But am glad the factory did the major stuff, despite the pain of getting the trailer to factory. Hopefully it will not be necessary again.
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12-19-2010, 09:22 AM
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#36
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TrailManor Master
Join Date: Jan 2022
Location: San Diego, California
Posts: 2,939
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr. Adventure
Without knowing what the material is, what it's been coated with, or whether it already has appropriate solar stabilizers, you can't possibly know whether it needs to be painted or what to paint it with if it did.
This might have been a great idea for a boat or a 1995 model that needs maintenance, but this one sounds like a really bad idea to me. Wouldn't it be a better idea to just leave this alone and see how the factory repair does, considering that it's always a good idea to keep new vehicles and their factory fixes in a condition where you could ask the factory to work on them again if you want them to?
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Ya!!!! That idea worked out real well with the brand new trailer. The paint can do no harm. It will protect the plastic from UV as long as it lasts and it is a heck of a lot easier than trying to keep the trailer covered.
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TrailManor Elkmont
640W solar- 230AH LiFeP04 Battery
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