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Claying the coach
Just curious if anyone else clays their coach. I’m about halfway through–am saving the areas where I have to get on the ladder! After claying the coach, I put a coat of wax on, and it gets as smooth as a baby’s bottom! Figure I have to treat the coach special, since it sits outside.
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10 Replies
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I am of the opinion that of our large group of members we have those that maintain the appearance of their coach using all of the available techniques and practices. We also likely have a large number of those somewhere in the middle that keep the coach looking nice, but don’t do anythng special, and those who probably don’t do anything other than an occasional wash job, if that.
Since I have only had XL coaches my eforts on the stainless have been minimal, never a wax job and usually only a wash and dry before it gets water spots. Most of the time I do not use any soap, only clear water. The painted surfaces also get washed and dried, but occasionally I will put on a coat of wax. Waxing the painted surfaces so far is the extent of the extra care, but the painted surfaces are high enough that the dirt from road spray on wet highways is mostly on the stainless with little on the paint. The exception to that is the front gets spray from the vehicles ahead along with bug splatters and the rear gets everything except bug splatters sucked onto the full height.
The garage is a huge asset because if I had a bus predominently outside here in TN it would have pollen and sap to be removed, mildew and whatever dirt and soot is in the air all over it. Maybe it is everywhere, but if I leave a perfectly clean car outside, by the following moring it has a layer of dust, pollen, fine debris from the trees and bird poop.
1999 XLV X-6872, liberty #440 -
I have never used the clay bar but I bet it would be very effective.I just finished the first waxing on my coach and I used a cleaner wax and next week I will wax with a carnuba wax,I do this twice a year and wash the coach after every trip with RO water which does not leave any spots.I can tell you that an H is so much easier than the XLII to wax and polish the stainless,it takes half the time.
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I’m a big fan of Autogeek.com a great source of all thing relating to car detailing. So our Prevost is new to us 3/24/16 it’s 2016 Liberty but it had an owner before us. Awesome TAOD paint job but lots of swirls in the clear coat. So my son (just out of USMC & the REAL expert) started a whole bus detailing as follows:
1.) Nanoskin Autoscrub Medium Foam Pad – 6 inch (replaces claybar)
2.) Meguiars M105 Ultra-Cut Compound
3.) Meguiars D30016 DA Microfiber Correction Compound
4.) Meguiars D30116 DA Microfiber Finishing Wax
5.) GTechniq Panel Wipe Coating Prep
6.) Gtechniq EXO Ultra Durable Hybrid Coating (repalces wax with a sealant)
We waxed or SEALED the glass as well with GTechniq G1 Clear Vision Smart Glass. If the coach is older or hasn’t had the paint protected and ahs a lot of raod grime (a.k.a. a daily driver) I’d start with CarPro Iron X Iron Remover. i have a both Porter Cable 7424 XP and a Rupes BigFoot LHR21 MarkII Random Orbital Polisher. The new Mircofiber Pads are amazing. We spent about 30 hours working together on the detailing. The coach paint now looks wet it’s so shinny!!!!
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Thats awesome,I wish I had your son for a couple of weeks,does he need a job?
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Ha!! Ha!! He’s working on the Jeep now. I’m not sure if I’ll ever be able to get him to help on a coach again. Let see he has a rent free two bedroom apatment, free WiFi and free gas heat in a newly renovated carriagehouse. His momma’s so happy he’s not out keeping us free and safe!!! Plus he’s engaged and his fiance has two gigantic dogs whom distroy the grass and shrubbery and still had to pay him $!!!
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I use a product developed for the airlines. Its perfect for r.v. parks that don’t allow washing.It’s called WAX/ wash/ALL made by aero industries.The kits come with a 9 foot pole with micro fiber pads You apply the product and then dry off. cleans and leaves a great finish and shine.Amazon sells or I by mine from the company direct. No ladders.
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Also been using aero wax system for years on all my toys. Never ever buff that paint , cause you just lost some clear coat!!
I can wash/wax my 45 footer in @ hour using this system. People are always commenting on how clean it is. I replaced aero product with Lucas wash / wax. Lot cheaper and just as good.
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Steve,
You are correct the 105 Compound will reduce the clear coat by 5 +/- microns . We had a lot swirls in the clear coat because it was only waxed and than washed with a brush (our best guess as to the cause). The Dean Loucks paint job is amazing and my guess is the clear coat is 200 to 300 microns thick!!! You can not feel ANY tape lines anywhere and the detail is crazy!! Plus the GTechniq EXO Ultra Durable Coating v2 will add a couple of mircons back!! The product claims it protects for 600 washes and 2 years in the sun!!!!
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Family used to be in auto paint bus, with show cars, etc. I’ve yet to see any product that lasts more than a couple of washes much less driving in the rain. My toys never, ever get washed only use Lucas and microfiber cloths on them.
On a side note I had some clear coat cracking recently on an older auto and instead of repainting did an auto wrap by 3m and it is great.
High end cars are now taken straight from showroom and wrapped. check it out.
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For those of us dimensionally challenged 200 microns is about 8 thousandths of an inch and 300 is about 12 thousands of an inch or about 25% less than 1/64″
I don’t know the total thickness of our paint jobs, or how much is applied with each color or application of clear coat, but they are certainly high quality and you cannot feel the masking lines. Amazing.
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