Does use of tow cover affect shine on front panel
Morning Folks,
I have a Swift Challenger SE 580 that I bought new in 2014 and have noticed that the GRP front seems to have lost its high gloss finish!
So I am wondering if by using a Front Towing Cover, this has anything to do with taking the shine off the front panel?
I bought the Front Towing Cover as I was tired of having to clean the front end of my Caravan every time I arrived on site and also to protect it from stone chips and the like!
I have tried polishing to restore but to no avail, perhaps it needs a machine polisher?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Kind Regards,
Paul.
Moderator Edit:
I've amended the title of your thread to better reflect the reason for your post, rather than people think it's just asking for advice on covers in general.
Comments
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We do not have a Swift caravan but ours does have a high gloss finish. We have used a front cover for many years and haven’t noticed any untoward affects from it, certainly no loss of finish. Maybe it’s just age? I would be very wary of a machine polisher. Maybe ask your dealer for advice.
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To avoid preventing the cover scratching the front then the front has to be clean as has the inside of the cover. I would hope you check this before use.
Other problems could be the cover is not tight enough and moving against the front panel or possibly the inside of the cover is not soft enough.
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We use a towing cover and having read many comments as to scratching the front I would point out if the panel is clean before fitting the cover, then when towing I notice how it perfectly moulds to the panel completely and I cannot see how then it could move.
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I used a Specialised Covers towing cover on our Barcelona for four years and didn't notice any detrimental effect on the finish of the GRP - indeed I reckon it preserved it by stopping the 'shot-blast' effect of grit, salt and whatever else could be thrown at it from the road.
Dulling of GRP over time was something I was well used to with boats and was cured by using a fine cutting compound and a good quality wax polish. I suspect the gel coat on caravans is nothing like as thick as on boats and therefore care will be needed and for the same reason, I wouldn't recommend a power polisher although I always used one on my yachts.
I would also suggest thinking carefully about what you use to clean the van - normal detergent containing high levels of salt will very quickly remove any polish, undoing all your good work. As I've said on here before, I'm a great fan of old-fashioned "Stardrops" which has no salt in it at all.
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10 year old Coachman, never had a cover on it, wouldnt go so far as to say front is like new, but it looks pretty dam good. Dont see how you can possibly ensure front is clean before each time you put cover on, this would mean washing front which surely is not very practical if you are on site. Fenwicks wash followed by their Bobby Dazzler rinse for me, and it keeps the algea off the roof.
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Is it actually GRP or ABS plastic? In either case, given the probable thinness of the gloss surface, T-Cut followed by a good polish & wax. Like richardandros, I have dealt with yacht hulls in the past. One had completely lost its dark blue gloss and had developed a chalky appearance. I started with 1000 made wet and dry followed by rubbing compound, then T-Cut and finally Mer polish. At the end I could see my face in the reflection but boy was it laborious.
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I used a front cover a few years ago and found it rubbed the corners of the caravan front. I stopped using it and have just mud flaps on my cars since. Although the front of the caravan gets dirty and sometimes collects flies it has not suffered any damage and is easily cleaned.
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Hi Paul
This may help:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3Jlqu29MSBY
When you get the shine back I would recommend Fenwicks Bobby Dazzler Shield. It's a sealant similar to the Car/Caravan Dealers sell and is a fraction of the cost. It works well on cars too.
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