Keeping the shine
Is it essential to apply a wax to your caravan/motorhome? My caravan has had the Paintseal treatment and if I am correct, somebody posted on here that you cannot use Autoglym ,Tourshine and the likes (including Fenwicks) on top of Paintseal.
I feel guilty just washing the caravan and not doing anything else.
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I too have had my van "paint sealed".. I have found it good, but it doesn't actually entirely prevent all black streaks over winter, but they are Much easier to remove with a wet brush.
All in all I'm not sorry that I spent out the money.
TF
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The only way to really know whether these paint sealers work is to have them applied to half the caravan and then check the finish over time, but I cant ever see that happening.
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Similar products are offered and sold with new cars as well, applied by a 3rd party normally. The products may do what they claim to do but you need to factor in the Human element i.e. the the protection will only work if the preparation and application is done properly.
That you will never know, unless you did it yourself.
Not something I have ever/would spend my money on,
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Thanks for the very helpful replies folks. I am pleased that I do not have to apply wax.
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We had paintseal done on our van thinking that it would be a good idea as it was new straight from the production line.
We have a lot of trees overhanging our driveway and get the green sap in particular on the van roof. I must admit it seems no easier to clean than on our previous van I wouldn't bother paying for it again, I feel it was an expensive outlay for not much reward.
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There is a sticker affixed to my caravan (outside) with the words " Paint Seal " on it.
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I had my caravan caravan treated with Paint Seal when it was new , it is now 3 years old I believe the Paint Seal is guaranteed for 3 years ,is it now ok to use Fenwicks on it or should I continue to wash it with the Paint Seal shampoo solution,
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I find the simplest yet most effective way of keeping vans looking reasonable is a wash with Fenwicks followed by their Bobby Dazzler. Waxing looks good for a while but in the end attracts dirt and grime which results in premature staining, thats my experience I know the makers claim otherwise! No matter what you do after three years cars / vans all begin to lose that new showroom look.
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I work in the motor trade and see how the valeters apply the sealant to new cars and believe me it is never done as specified to do it correct it needs time and meticulous application for it to be effective and car valeters do not have the time or pride in there work to do it right. I would never have it done unless i was there watching it be applied its something the sales people push because they get a bonus for selling it. When I bought my new Barcelona I was given enough material to do my twin axle by what was left over from customers cars including upholstery and alloy wheel protection so be very careful before you pay out hundreds of pounds .
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I've had two new cars done with Paintseal or similar and my wife's new Corsa was done with it - supposedly FOC but I will have paid for it somewhere in the deal! With all of them, the 'shine' lasted no more than a few months and didn't seem any better than giving the car a couple of coats of AutoGlym - at a fraction of the price.
The one tip I was given, many years ago - in the boating world - was to be careful about what you used to wash the boat / car with since many products are detergents containing a lot of salt which effectively remove any polish in a short space of time. As a consequence I only ever use old fashioned Stardrops which doesn't contain any salt and I find that using that and applying a couple of coats of Autoglym ever year, keeps the van sparkling and very easy to remove any streaks.
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An interesting read. Could you please specify which particular Stardrops product you used? I will consider using it.
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a good quality car wash and wax does not contain salt. washing up liquid on the other hand contains quite a lot and should not be used on car or lv. been driving for 43 years and never wash any car with washing up liquid. the worst thing to use is the waterless wash and wax that they sell.
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John - it's "Stardrops Original All Round Cleaner" - the only problem is that, these days, it's not that easy to find and it tends to be the 'cheapo' discount stores that stock it - so when we find it, we tend to buy half a dozen bottles at a time. I expect it's probably available on-line as well.
The boat used to suffer from black streaks far more so than our caravan - especially in winter and I found that with Stardrops, the streaks just wiped off with no effort required at all.
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I've seen Stardrop products in our local yacht chandlery. If you are near a coastal location, that might be an avenue to pursue.
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Totally agree and you generally get charged around £300 (car) for the privilege, it also needs to be re-applied in a few months time.
You may as well buy Fenwicks 'Shield', it does exactly the same job and at a fraction of the cost and if you apply it yourself, you know the job is done right.
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Thanks for the very helpful replies all.
CT, I am near the coast and have access to a few chandlers. Thanks.
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Sorry CY, I mistyped your initials!
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well easyT. it is supposed to be used on a dry car, spry on and use cloth to wipe down and dry, then clean cloth to buff up. cars get covered in road grimme and dust so you will be putting thousand of minute scratches on the paintwork. rinse of car with a hose pipe first then a soft soapy sponge and rinse again, then wax. but you will already know this MR. T.
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