Oxidation of front cap

[Bob Denman]

Question: Do you think that going through the effort of covering your rig up when you're not on the the road; help with at least delaying this from happening?

[blw2]

Yes, I for one do think that covering would help.
..... but it could also do other damage,maybe possibly

I strongly considered covering when I first bought, and I often wish that I had done it. At the time, a lot of my research pointed to covers scratching in the wind. Also, a friend advised me about how much work it was to cover his C, and he had said he wouldn't do it if he were using it every month or two...

If I had it to do over again, I'd take a closer look at one of those partial covers, that cover just the upper portions and don't go all the way to the ground

[sciguy6]

Covered mine religiously. Up in chicago area. Think it accelerated it.for me. Helped with keeping the roof protected (which was worth it) but came at the expense of the front cap.

[blw2]

Originally Posted by sciguy6

Covered mine religiously. Up in chicago area. Think it accelerated it.for me. Helped with keeping the roof protected (which was worth it) but came at the expense of the front cap.

sciguy6, do you mean that your cover made the nose cone/cap fade faster or more? What is your line of thinking on that?

as I think it through
seems like shade would eliminate fading
but thinking through all the reasons I've read folks write about why not to cover, a cover could

• trap moisture = mold
• scratch/abrade
• build up heat under it
• maybe snag on something and break it, either in the wind or during install and removal

The friend of mine that told me what he did about covering his was in Virginia, so not as severe winters as some, but still a definite season... so he would cover for those several months when it would not be used.
In my situation in Florida, I'm more likely to use it any month, sometimes relatively last minute. Used to be it would be stored not more than 4-6 weeks, longer as of late though. Anyway, my friend said it was not worth hauling a heavy cover up and fighting it on every month.

sadly, it has been approx 11 weeks since we used it, and will be another 2-1/2 before we get it out again... had I known it would be anywhere near that long it might be worth it to cover....going in though I like to be able to use it a bit more spontaneously.... oh well, too late now since my finish is basically shot...well maybe not, my sides and back still look ok....maybe I should?

[Bob Denman]

Thanks for this info! The Missus is on me about buying a cover: I think that I'll let her win this fight...

[JamieGeek]

I'll chime in with my perspective:

Our Axis is covered in winter since it doesn't get used for a good 5 - 6 months. In the summer I don't cover it because it is a hassle to get on and off (thus covered when stored for a long period of time).

Its been covered every winter we've had it (so far that makes 4 winters) and we're still on the first cover (it looks like it might last another winter, not sure).

This also means that for 6 months our Axis sits exposed to 42 degree North latitude sunlight when the sun is highest (summer). (Hence our recent tire experiences.)

The front roof of our Axis is shot--I've been considering getting it painted (this is the gelcoat portion in front of the TPM/rubber roof--there is about a 4-5 ft section; all part of the unique "nose" of Axis/Vegas units). I wax/Rejex it and 303 it but its patchy, faded, etc. will need paint.

The rest of the Axis looks brand new aside from some small patches here and there (notably on the front and on one hatch on the passenger side).

There is another Axis at our storage lot that is a year younger than ours but looks like its about twice as old since it doesn't get covered, waxed, etc. (e.g. the care ours does).

Has the cover scratched the paint? Not that I can tell--granted we have a few scratches on the paint from a local campground where the trees are a bit close on the roads. Has the cover warn the corners down? No--I keep it pretty tight. Has the cover snagged pieces? Yes--this is the main reason we'll be needing a new cover soon; it occasionally snags something during application/removal and that snagging causes a hole. Strangely enough holes can be fixed with any good tape (gorilla tape, duct tape, etc.).

[Roaming Vernon]

I just ordered everything for a barkeepers strip and a zep wax, home delivery ,etc...Wish us luck !

[blw2]

I hope yours is as jaw dropping as mine was when it was all said and done.
I did a sloppy re-do of mine before our trip about a month ago. I scrubbed the MH down well after scrubbing the roof clean, but didn't go the extra step of barkeepers friend or anything like that.

and the same as what happened to me the last time I did it a few years back, I sorta ran out of time. I really needed to put at least one, probably 2-3 more coats to really get it to pop...
Then I told myself that the very next weekend following the trip that I'd do it again... but just as last time, life got in the way of that plan

I was doing another twist as an experiment, too...
I skipped the acrylic floor polish on the nose cone/cap. Instead I painted it with rattle can automotive clearcoat. I had only bought one can of the stuff and ran out before getting enough coats on it... while on the trip, I picked up several more cans of the same stuff
then of course I never got around to finishing.
so far it's looking very promising. I'd say that it looked to be on track to a similar finish as the floor polish.
I figure the clearcoat will last a lot longer than the floor polish, but I am a bit concerned that since it's not a proper quality job that it might peel in a few years.
My plan is to put a few more coats on the nose, then give it some time to see what happens. If it holds up I might very well go over the rest of the coach where it's also starting to fade, areas such as the main entrance door.

I hope that I can steal some time in a couple of weeks after our next trip to spend a few days finishing the clearcoat and adding to the floor polish on the rest of the rig

[gnach]

Has anyone had Rhino Liner or LineX applied to the cap? These are proprietary urethane, I think, spray-on bedliner products that are tough as nails. I believe the base coat is black and topcoated to match your vehicle. I've started reading more on irv2.

[JamieGeek]

Originally Posted by gnach

Has anyone had Rhino Liner or LineX applied to the cap? These are proprietary urethane, I think, spray-on bedliner products that are tough as nails. I believe the base coat is black and topcoated to match your vehicle. I've started reading more on irv2.

That is an interesting idea. It certainly would provide great protection.

Note that LineX isn't really urethane as it cures to a very hard textured coat. Rhino liners cure to a soft rubber texture.

Check out Rhino's web page, they show RV roofs coated with it:
Rhino Linings Media, Spray on Bed Liner, Spray Bed Liners | Rhino Linings
(Although it shows only two places to get the RV roof done and both are in TX)

I had a Rhino lining in both of my past two pickups.

[blw2]

I had my roof done with rvroof.com
similar stuff, but they claim it better....anyway they also sprayed over the seams around the nose to seal them in. The guy said they'd never do it again because it's apparently hard to spray the verticals and under. I think mostly because they are set up to spray roofs up high (hoses and such).

It's tough stuff, but in this case anyway, it's grey, but they top coat it essentially with paint...a flexible paint like formulated for stucco....but still it's just paint. I have considered that it would be good for teh nose...quiet, insulation, and impact resistance/protection... but it's a very rough and runny finish.

[mountainsam]

How about we give this thread a second life. I would love to hear the results of some of these posts.

I am in the process of trying to find a solution to my front cap paint failure.
First I have no idea if it is Gelcoat or paint. It seems the paint protection we paid for isn't doing the job. I have a sticker in my owners packet that says it was painted on 3/17/16 with SIKKENS AUTO BASE PLUS in Champagne. Of course I have no idea what part/parts they painted. After that it sat on the dealers lot for a year.
A detailer was sent to our home in July to buff it out and retreat with protectant. It now looks worse after just a few months. He is coming again to redo it. I just don't believe it should be this hard to care for. I want to fix the problem.
Anyone have success with paint on these caps?

http://www.thorforums.com/forums/att...1&d=1547523376

[Roaming Vernon]

We ordered the items and spent an ENTIRE weekend getting this job done !! We scrubbed the entire unit with Palmolive oxy ( 3 parts) and bleach ( 1 part), dish soap. Yes, It got black streaks off and I was amazed at how tough it was but didn't damage the leftover gelcoat and paint. We used that and a long handle soft auto brush on every nook of the rig. Fantastic results, but clearly down to the bare bones ( in my opinion , OR, we just uncovered how dull the rig had become under all the road dirt) and needed protection to assure the job was finished. ( palmolive oxy clean and bleach, also worked magic on our windshield canvas cover that had gotten mildew/dark streaks from storage and damp camping areas. Looks brand new , scrubbed that , both sides, in the bright sun, splayed out flat on the driveway.)

Next: Barkeepers friend on the entire rig, THIS initially scared to poo out of me, it's an abrasive for crying out loud but, as the testimonials state...it IS gentle and effective. Small scatter on a wet wash cloth, circular motions, easy peasy and done in no time. Another THOROUGH rinse and we are ready to rock.....

Next: ZEP floor wax, oh yes...we pulled the trigger.
We did it in our driveway, double ladders with 2x12 across the steps ( not recommended for newbys at balance, not OSHA approved) AND my husbands actual construction scaffolding to assure we could reach the high spots. We tried a spray bottle at first, the over spray was a pain in the arss as the slightest wind took it to places we didn't want the wax.
Next, we took toss away , clean, average washcloths to dip in a small bucket tilted to the side to saturate the end wrapped over our fingers and we HIGHLY recommend using rubber gloves ! The wax dries quickly on the rig AND in your container so keep that in mind, small enough to get your hand in it to avoid waste from drying to the sides, etc.

We worked a single section each, with easily noted stop/start points. By the time we finished one section, we moved to a second section and by then, the first section was ready for more. We worked opposite sides for efficiency and the much expected competitive nature of who's side looks better. Yes, even waxing 'Vernon' became a friendly competition. He beat me in the Camping Checkers Competition, I needed to redeem my skills with my nimble, agile ladder and wax on, wax off skillz.

By the second coat we noticed a sparkle...by the 4th coat we saw trees and the house in the rigs reflection. LOVE. We did 7 coats total. The rig is only a 24' er, so two people , fair skies and low wind,made the job quick.

When we look close or at an angle,we can see flaws from application only, our amateur errors, not a waxing/product flaw. We will get better over time.

The cap, looks AMAZING still, THIS was our most joyful result because it , along with the back upper ladder attachment corner were the WORSE parts of Vernon that initiated this fiasco to begin with.
Rain and snow glide right off and I have zero concerns thus far.

Now, I had to get ON the roof to scoot across the cap to reach the little corners our extended tools would not reach, I noticed the roof had obvious wear and tear that Vernon's first years spent nakid in the brutal Florida sun had caused and that is concerning. A future project is to seal the roof, all suggestions are welcome.

We have been to the heat of south Louisiana , the rain of the Smokey Mountains and the freezing temps of Wisconsin ( most recently) since the wax job. We noticed just 2 weeks ago, in 20' degree weather with sleet and snow, that a small bubble was on the black decal on the driver side slide out...hmm, a flaw perhaps? That was NOT my side so, I am wondering if the wax there was too thin of a coat or too thick?
Rest assured we will watch this spot closely.
Let me say this, That is absolutely NO deterrent from doing zep over and over , through the years,as long as we own this rig. The finished product makes me smile every time my gaze is drawn to Vernon's cap in the sparkle of the sun. Best thing we have done to date.

Helpful hints: watch the weather if your're doing the job outdoors. (it's a longer job than you think)
Gloves, rubber gloves are your friend when it is time for wax.
The windshield , we had some over spray and dripping of wax onto the windshield, which was accentuated by the glare when we drove at night our first trip after the wax. A straight scraper blade at a Loves gas stop solved this in a jiffy, beware.
Watch your weep holes on the windows, clogging those would/will manifest later in a bad way. We caught this early and were vigilant from there on. Yes, we used zep on the rubber window edges, it's holding up very well and looks great. Accidental wax on the glass, if you get that excited with your application process, can easily be scraped off with a blade.

Best of luck, kudos for reading this far.
Safe travels, fair winds and watch for motorcycles.

Any and all advice for roof sealing and black bumper, etc trim glossing and shining up would be SOOOO appreciated. thanks in advance.

Johnny & Nena with Guinness, Erin and Ponyo. Best road dogs ever. :0)

[blw2]

I'm glad you did revive it..
I believe I posted a while back about trying rattle can clear. must be a different thread.
My cap was severely faded. It started out looking great for the first month or two until whatever the dealer put on it wore away. I assume it was some sort of protectant, 303, or similar

Anyway, it got worse and worse. In fact eventually a lot of the coach side walls have started to fade too, but so far not nearly as bad. As I mentioned earlier I've done the acrylic floor polish after a good scrubbing. It actually worked pretty well but is not permanent. Something like that I think is a decent cheap option for someone willing and able to keep up with reapplication maybe 2 or so times per year. Reapplication, if done on that frequency probably would be easy enough. I let mine go too long though and it would have taken and entire re scrub application.... which was a lot of coats.

Anyway, I used this stuff
https://www.rustoleum.com/product-ca...motive-enamel/
I'm a bit ashamed to admit I didn't do a good job at all. I was in a hurry and lazy with prep work. I tried a small spot at first up high so it wasn't so visible. After it seemed like a good idea, I sprayed the first coat in a hurry one day before a trip...bad prep work...just scrubbed the whole thing with a scouring pad really quick to knock the oxidation off. It turned out to scratch things up a bit too much. Then I found that I didn't buy enough cans to finish the job... but I was able to get a fairly decent 1st coat.... just before a small sprinkle rain came by...ugh... it was a comedy.... almost.
Well....even with all of that it looked pretty good. I went back later and gave it a couple more coats. Ended up with a few runs. I found it very difficult to spray it evenly over such a large surface that's rather impossible to get to from a single position...it was up the roof, up the ladder...move the ladder...up the roof again...etc...
Anyway, even with such a horrible job I'm still happy with the result. It's very passable. I was just noticing a couple days ago how shiny it still is many months later. I'm convinced that my coach at least, would look just fine with a professional clear coat. I don't think an entire paint is totally necessary.
One of these days I hope to get around to giving it another & much better spray job, probably using scaffolding and maybe after a light sanding, but I'm much happier with it now than before.

In my opinion based only on my experience and trials with my one MH
I think
best solution would of course be a pro paint job
2nd would be a pro clear coat
3rd is really good DIY job
4th is a really bad DIY job like mine
5th is a polish, like acrylic floor polish or something similar
and coming in last place would be the finish protectants, 303 and similar
oh, and worse than that was traditional buffing and waxing. I had zero success with any of that personally

[blw2]

Roaming Vernon, your story brings back memories...except I did ours by myself with only a stepladder and no scaffolding. It was a lot of work but the time ticked right along as I just made laps around until I ran out of daylight, then a few more laps the next day.
Also, I had read somewhere to do a rinse using TSP after the barkeeper's friend followed by a good water rinse. I'm convinced this is totally unnecessary.
I'm glad your result was as good as mine! Just don't wait as long as I did for a recoat. I think if you keep up with it one or two refresh coats every so often would be easy and quick. Basically no more than wiping it down after a wash

Oh, and for what it's worth... everyone talks about using Zep. I used this stuff from walmart
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Quick-Shi...fl-oz/19758081
As best as I can tell all of these things are roughly the same...just an acrylic floor polish. The stuff I used on the RV smelled exactly the same as the stuff my mom used on her kitchen and hard floors.... the smell took me back 40 years... hers was called "Future" I think

[mountainsam]

Today our Gemini was again serviced by a detailer sent to correct our front cap issues. I will say he did a great job, buffed out the cap with compound, washed rig, scrubbed and power washed roof and applyed a more permanent coating on the cap, (two coats of a thicker product similar to clear coat). It really brought the color back and I was insturcted not to wax it. Fine with me.
While the roof was clean I paid for a roof protectant.

So again I am happy with the $1800 we spent for the paint protection. Not so much the material but the company standing behind it.

before and after pics. http://www.thorforums.com/forums/att...1&d=1548544351

[blw2]

Any idea what that thicker product is? Is it supposed to be permanent...or something more like the floor polish idea?

[NewAxisOwner]

Originally Posted by Lloyd

This is a problem that has been going on with all makes , models, and brands of RV's for some time. The manufacturers all received a batch of bad caps from their suppliers. They have repainted some for a few people and in the next instance refused to help.
I'm sorry to say, the only true fix is to have the cap painted.
People haven't banded together strong enough yet.
There is stouter means that need to be applied to some situations.

Well said...

[mountainsam]

Originally Posted by blw2

Any idea what that thicker product is? Is it supposed to be permanent...or something more like the floor polish idea?

I think I would have to say semi permanent. I am sure it will be necessary to reapply at some point. I will just have to wait and see how it works. He said if I had any issues call him directly and he would come back. He really had no idea why my cap was reacting the way it did to previous treatments. Sorry, I didn't get the name of the product.

Does anyone know for sure if these caps are gelcoat treated fiberglass or a molded plastic?

[blw2]

I can't speak to your model or your vintage....
mine is fiberglass for sure. I was going to post a photo of the raw interior surface, but the pics I took in there didn't do it justice to help the cause any...