For all of the work you put into protecting your vinyl,
cleaning windows, and ensuring that your RV is well-maintained, it’s easy to
forget one of the most important aspects of keeping your RV looking healthy and
attractive: vibrant fiberglass. Fiberglass is, after all, one of the most
common substances in your RV; protecting it will do a lot to not only maintain
the look of your RV, but maintain its overall integrity the more you use it.
The problem for first-time RV owners is that they might not
have a lot of experience in dealing with fiberglass. If that’s the case for
you, you’ve arrived at the right place.
Defining Fiberglass
Fiberglass is reinforced plastic material composed of, yes,
glass fibers that are actually built into the resin itself. In short, it’s a
very complex material that produces a simple output: it’s solid, it’s
attractive, sure, but it also needs plenty of attention and care if you want to
get the most out of it.
If you look around your RV, you might be surprised to learn
that a lot of what you thought was metal or plastic may actually be fiberglass.
Of course, you’ll want to look up your RV’s owner’s manual to be sure that you
know which areas to properly clean and where you can find them. Don’t go
treating every substance on your RV
as fiberglass, you don’t want to use a cleaner on the wrong material and end up
damaging your RV.
Cleaning and
Restoring Fiberglass
Ensuring that you get the most out of your fiberglass means
treating the fiberglass like the unique substance that it is. That means you’ll
want to have the right products to both clean and restore fiberglass if you
notice staining and other abrasions that call for treating.
RV Fiberglass Rubbing Compound is a great place to start. It’s a “very fine”
formula, which means that it’s effective at removing oxidation and getting into
the nooks and crannies that can be difficult to see even if you’re wearing your
glasses. The key here: let the rubbing compound do the work. Many people make
the mistake of believing that if they just scrub hard enough, the fiberglass
will respond. It’s far better to let a rubbing compound do the cleaning work
for you.
An added bonus: this rubbing compound does more than just
clean. It also prepares the surface of the fiberglass for a waxing—and no,
we’re not talking about that kind of
waxing. We’re talking about the waxing that…well, you’ll see.
Waxing for
Longer-Lasting Fiberglass
Life Wax is
your option for ensuring that your fiberglass wax finish offers UV protection
while sealing the fiberglass away from the elements—like rain, hail, and
anything in nature that likes to challenge RV owners.
Some people like two coats of wax, but the key here is to regularly
wax your fiberglass so that the protection is durable and continues to protect
against unforeseen weathering. Consistency is the name of the game here.
Fiberglass doesn’t have to be a scary or daunting material
that’s so intimidating that you don’t even bother cleaning it. In fact, with
the right tools, you’ll find that fiberglass maintenance can be one of the
easiest and most pleasurable parts of taking care of your RV.
