Polishing, Waxing, Buffing Your Trailer, RV, Motorcycle, Car, Boat or Bike

I went to the store, actually, I went to several stores looking for wax's trying to find out which would be the easiest and best to use on my trailer.

I also went to the trailer repair place and spoke to them about what they use to buff and wax trailers. They told me to use just plain car wax.

I then asked them what to use on the fiberglass window shield as it is getting thinner and worn with age and weather damage. The decoration on it was oxidized and quite faded as well. They had a product that was about $45 a bottle. Since I only had that one area and the door of the trailer to cover, I wasn't sure I wanted to spend that amount. I wondered if it would be good on the sides of the trailer as well but wasn't sure one bottle would be enough for the entire trailer.

I finally just went to Walmart and purchased two bottles of "Turtle Wax" thinking it has been around forever, it had to be good for something.

I took one small drop of the turtle wax and put it on the side of the trailer over the oxidized stripe of paint on the side. I spent about five minutes buffing and rubbing it into the trailer and having to get new cloths since the oxidized paint came off onto the rag etc. My arm ached by the end of the five minutes and I hadn't done much on the trailer.

Because of the variegated sides of the trailer, you can't use an electric buffer. I was also warned, at the trailer shop, that the paint on the trailers is very thin and electric buffing can scratch and damage the paint finish.

So, I was VERY discouraged and knew I would be really stiff and sore trying to wax the entire thing by myself.

I kept working on the seals and other things not focusing on the waxing problem. I was at a second hand store a few days later and they had a buffer there for sale. I took it out of the box it was very wide and I knew it wouldn't work but there was a man behind me that came up and asked me what I was doing. I was a bit taken back as it looked like a homeless man.

He has red infected looking eyes and was wearing dirty clothes. I told him I needed to buff and wax my trailer and wasn't looking forward to doing it by hand as the wax I tried didn't go very well and I was wishing I could find a way to use an electric buffer.

He told me to use "Teak Oil." to polish my trailer.  He told me that he used it on the boat he used to have and it worded well and that it could be used on trailers as well.

I thanked him up and down and rushed out to look for "Teak Oil." Walmart carries Teak oil in the paint and stain section. It is about $10 a can and I am thinking it will probably take two cans to do my trailer. The wax I was going to use would take probably four jars and would have cost the same but the work involved would have been much more intense.

Other waxes are more expensive than what I was going to use and I guarantee they won't look any better than the Teak oil and wont be anywhere as easy.

I poured some on a paper towel and just wiped it on. It took off the oxidation in one wipe and looked great. If there was a bit of grime, I just had to wipe it a few times and the dirt, water streaks etc just came off. If there is an area that you miss, it is obvious. There is such a difference.

The areas I did look great days and a few weeks later now. You can see the difference in the wax on the right of the pictures, no polish in the center of the top picture and the Teak oil is on the left side of the pictures. From my house, the Teak oil looks great and shiny. The waxed section looks ok and the rest looks REALLY dull now.

In these small pictures, you can't really see the white oxidation on the Nomad label but the oil worked great on it as well.

It rained the other day and where the Teak oil had been applied, the water just balled up. It was kind of neat to watch. I stood out there watching it for a few minutes in awe.

  
Here is a short video I did showing the comparison of where the oil is verses the wax and no polish. 

In the third picture, you can see how much of a difference the Teak oil made on the white side of the trailer. It is actually a cream color but you can see exactly where I put the Teak oil and where I didn't. It really doesn't take much work or time but I have used my time on the sealing aspect first. I am sure I will post a finished pictures when I am through with the entire thing. It will be a day for celebrating. Be sure to click on the link to the youtube video as it shows how quickly and easily the oil works. 

I woke a few days later giving gratitude for the man in the store who came up and spoke to me. I began to ponder on the event and I know now that he was an angel sent to help me as I was VERY stressed about trying to wax the trailer knowing it needed it but not wanting to spend the effort and days it would take to do it. I believe my Heavenly Father sent me an angel to help me find a better and cheaper way to get it done. Makes me wonder what type of boat my angel had......