Thor finish

[tbone883]

I have a 2017 Thor four winds and has a dull finish. what can i use or do to bring back the luster/shine?

and what finish is it? paint? gel coat?

[Bob Denman]

Welcome to the Forum!
I'm pretty sure that's a combination of gel coat and decals...

[brucev]

Originally Posted by tbone883

I have a 2017 Thor four winds and has a dull finish. what can i use or do to bring back the luster/shine?

and what finish is it? paint? gel coat?

I have tried everything that I can think of, the best solution I have found is a good power buffer, polish compound and finally a good wax. I use Griot's Garage buffer and products but there are many out there. It needs to be done at least every year or 6 months. If you keep up with it the polish compound only needs to be done the first time or when it gets bad again. In between I have started using Wash and Wax All in between waxing. The first time will probably be a lot of work but you can do a little at a time if you need to.

My coach is a 2015 and I am in California where the sun shines most of the time.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[Bob Denman]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fULNUr0rvEc

[brucev]

Here is a pic of how it looks when finished. Don't give up, it is work but worth it. You could get a detailer but the guy that does my cars wanted $25 a foot.


https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[Bob Denman]

Bruce,
We get a lot of stuff from Griot's as well...

[Luc]

I have a Thor vegas 2014 and I need to have it varnished the front cap and also the top back
Very poor quality of the job "cheap job"

[BASSMAN]

if its fiberglass go to Amazon and buy the POLI GLOW kit, $85.00, easy to use and results are amazing, they have a cleaner to use first that will strip away the oxidation and then you apply the finish and its far easier then wax and buff, you have to see the results to believe it

[jr_nicholson]

takes some photos and include them in an email to Chemical Guy's
https://www.chemicalguys.com/home

They have some products that can help depending on the deterioration of the gel coat on your coach.

It's the only product i use on my trucks, cars and camper

[Golfbum18]

Thor paint sucks....we wax 2x yearly and use a wash/wax monthly...still doesnt look good to me. My suggestion.forget the frickin decal swooshes and put on a clearcoat. If they would lose the hasbeen decal patterns and go wih a 2 or 3 color scheme, and then clearcut...you could end this crap. I have friends with clearcoat and havent waxed for 10 years. And dont tell me its that expensive...another 2 thou would do it....worth it. Realize how much auser puts into a bus in 5 years to keep it shiney... Thor....missed the boat again

[Pete'sMH]

Originally Posted by Golfbum18

Thor paint sucks....we wax 2x yearly and use a wash/wax monthly...still doesnt look good to me. My suggestion.forget the frickin decal swooshes and put on a clearcoat. If they would lose the hasbeen decal patterns and go wih a 2 or 3 color scheme, and then clearcut...you could end this crap. I have friends with clearcoat and havent waxed for 10 years. And dont tell me its that expensive...another 2 thou would do it....worth it. Realize how much auser puts into a bus in 5 years to keep it shiney... Thor....missed the boat again

Don’t t blame Thor especially. They’ll be the first to tell you that most of their products are entry to mid level. Like every manufacturer they use unpainted fiberglass because it’s sturdy, shiny and cheap. When you are able to buy a whole complex house for the price of a nice pickup truck you have to know that there will be quite a few cost related concessions. I have to admit though that they could use a better quality of decal! I learned my lesson after a while and put full body paint on my “must have” list.

[JamieGeek]

Last fall we used Meguiars Marine/RV Fiberglass restoration kit on our Axis and it came out fantastic.

It was a lot of work: Essentially like applying 3 coats of wax on the RV.

[Golfbum18]

Originally Posted by Pete'sMH

Don’t t blame Thor especially. They’ll be the first to tell you that most of their products are entry to mid level. Like every manufacturer they use unpainted fiberglass because it’s sturdy, shiny and cheap. When you are able to buy a whole complex house for the price of a nice pickup truck you have to know that there will be quite a few cost related concessions. I have to admit though that they could use a better quality of decal! I learned my lesson after a while and put full body paint on my “must have” list.

I'm not sure I buy that their "complex house" is the price of a nice pickup truck but I wouldn't mind it if it was sturdy (maybe) and shiny but it's not shiny..that's the problem. You can make on a budget and still maintain some quality. If they want to be Jayco, Entegra, etc....then build a good product that lasts and looks good. Like I said,....dumpt the hasbeen decals and go to bi or tri color paint and put on the clear coat. I just don't buy when they tell me it's going to get dull because it's entry level. Mercedes has an entry level 300 series and it doesn't look like shit after a few years.

[Bob Denman]

Originally Posted by JamieGeek

Last fall we used Meguiars Marine/RV Fiberglass restoration kit on our Axis and it came out fantastic.

It was a lot of work: Essentially like applying 3 coats of wax on the RV.

Jamie,
How about some pictures?

[JamieGeek]

Originally Posted by Bob Denman

Jamie,
How about some pictures?

Posted in another thread when we did it but sure....

[Bob Denman]

Awesome!

[cgeace29.3]

You have fiberglass panels.
Buffing does not remove the oxidization, I've tried.
Waxing does not leave a good appearance.
The best product specifically made for fiberglass is Poly Glow.
I've used on 2 motorhomes with great looks like new finish results.
Get the cleaner to remove the oxidization and the finish to make it look like new.
Works great on any fiberglass motorhomes, boats, etc.
I highly recommend it.

[taylorbob1]

ZEP Floor Polish works great also.
I put it on my front end cap and it looks fantastic.

[Laco]

Most, if not all of Thor's RV's are not full body painted, but gel coat over fiberglass. Full body paint is very expensive, and Thor keeps costs down by not painting, and using inexpensive decals for the graphics. The only long term fix, would be to have the entire coach painted, but that cost scares most enough that they won't have it done. There is nothing wrong with gel coat, looks great when new, but does not hold up well with constant sun exposure, and will require frequent maintenance to keep it looking good. If you store inside, it won't be much of a problem for a number of years.

[Jimbo56]

Originally Posted by BASSMAN

if its fiberglass go to Amazon and buy the POLI GLOW kit, $85.00, easy to use and results are amazing, they have a cleaner to use first that will strip away the oxidation and then you apply the finish and its far easier then wax and buff, you have to see the results to believe it

I used this. Cleaner first. Works great. But it does require some time & elbow grease.