Archive for December, 2008

The outer surface of a fiberglass panel is normally a special resin called gelcoat. As the cometic component of the laminate gelcoat provides little structural value.

When gelcoat is sprayed into a mold it takes on the shape and texture of the mold surface. The glossiness of gelcoat is due entirely to the highly polished, surface of the mold.

Exposure eventually erodes the surface of gelcoat, leaving it dull and chalky. Fortunately, the gloss can usually be restored.

On a new RV, routinely waxed gelcoat can retain its gloss for 15 years or more. The primary purpose of wax is to protect, but wax also has restorative properties.

Here’s some tips for keeping your gelcoat looking like new.

• The first step in restoring the gloss to gelcoat is a thorough cleaning. A cup of detergent to a gallon of water is a good cleaning agent. If mildew is present, add a cup of household bleach to your cleaning solution. Difficult stains may require direct application of a concentrated cleaner formulated for fiberglass.

  Rinse the clean surface thoroughly and let it dry.

• For dependable results from wax or polish, the gelcoat surface must be free of oil and grease. After washing, wipe the surface with a rag soaked in MEK (preferred) or acetone, turning the rag often and replace it when you run out of clean areas. Protect your skin with thick rubber gloves.
• When applying wax you should follow manufacture’s application instructions, but in general, wax is applied with a cloth or foam pad using a circular motion. Let the wax dry to a haze, then buff away the excess with a soft cloth. The remaining wax fills microscopic pitting in the gelcoat and provides a new, smooth, reflective surface.
• An electric buffer can take much of the work out of keeping your RV shining but keep in mind they operate at relatively slow speeds, don’t try to “make do” with a polishing bonnet fitted to a disk sander or chucked into a drill. You will probably ruin the gelcoat surface.

Before relying on this information you should contact the manufacturer for recomendations for your specific RV. If that’s not possible consult an auto body or RV tech. Also note that a surface that looks like gelcoat may not be.

Read more about How to Restore Gelcoat & Gelcoat Buffing at RVbasics.com
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Stuff accumulates … especially in an RV and double especially for fulltime RVers. There’s no time like the present to get a hand on the clutter that has simply happened in your RV.

A favorite quote is: “If it doesn’t have a place in your future, what’s it doing in your life.”

Starting is the hard part but there are a few things that might make it easier to sort out your souvenirs, treasures, memories, and even your clothing and other excess equipment:

• Keep your digital camera handy while you are sorting the keepsakes you have collected over the years. Take pictures of your momentos that remind you of places you’ve been …tee shirts that name places you’ve visited, ball caps, coffee mugs, pennants, etc. You could even take a snapshot of clothing articles you liked but just don’t use anymore. Then discard the stuff you’ve photographed. Upload the photos to your computer. It would be best to label and date them as you go so they don’t become ‘clutter’ in your computer.
• Take one section of your rig at a time and do the sorting. Arrange what you will keep in places they will always be stored unless you are using them. That way you will always know where they are and can easily check to see if they need to be resupplied. When you start keeping more than you are discarding it is time to stop for the day.
• Stuff that you have and haven’t used for two years or more should be discarded. Depending on what it is, it can be sold, gifted to someone, recycled or trashed.
• Learn to be generous and give away good stuff that you have no more use for … even though you still may like it.
• Keep magazines, papers, catalogs, etc. in a basket or bin and when it begins to fill up sort through it and dispose of back issues and outdated catalogs. Sort through your mail folder and toss what you don’t need.
• Finish a project and clean up your work area before starting another. Your mother probably isn’t around to remind you to do this.
• Cancel or do not renew any magazine subscriptions if you have a pile of unread issues.
• And stay away from yard sales, flea markets and gift shops.
• Make more room in kitchen cupboards, drawers and cabinets by eliminating utensils and other equipment you rarely, if ever, use.

One last thing to remember is that your treasures and mementos will probably not mean nearly as much to your offspring as they do to you. Also, as long as you cannot give them up, you are responsible for them. Unload and be free!

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