Removing yellowing from RV

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Removing yellowing from RV

Do I still need to worry about the pad damaging the edge of the decal (which could then lead to further damage)?

Then, what about the small 1" gaps between decals. There appears to be a lot of oxidation in these spaces, so they'll need quite a bit of work. If I tape off the adjacent decals, the fiberglass in between will in effect be in a trough. There will be the thickness of the decal and the tape raising the surface level on either side - will the pad be able to effectively get down to the fiberglass?
Any comments?

Separated your questions but the below answer addresses both...

Decals are just a pain to work around, if you don't want to risk causing any damage to the decals then maybe just do all the polishing work around them by hand and use a strong cleaner/wax like M50 with a piece of terry cloth or a terry cloth applicator pad.

The other option is to throw caution to the wind and just buff out the panels, gel-coat and decals all at once and suffer any consequences for convenience and time's sake. Not the best solution for everyone but for some RV's and some people this approach works just because the option of working by hand and carefully avoiding rubbing on a decal is too time consuming and difficult.

[beeser]

Re: Removing yellowing from RV

FWIW, I applied #49 Oxidation Remover using a PC without taking any precautions to protect the decals on my gelcoat RV and everything worked out fine, no peeling back of the decals on the edges, etc.

[LongGone]

Re: Removing yellowing from RV

Decisions, decisions...

I don't like the thought of working around the decals by hand, but I know I'd be in BIG trouble if I screwed up the decals.

Well, I've got a week or so to think about while my M91 is on order.

Thanks for the info
Pat

[Poki]

Re: Removing yellowing from RV

The damage to vinyl RV stripes will usually show up later....the wax/polish tends to cause them to dry out and the edges will start to curl up. Sometimes MUCH later but soon or later.....

[beeser]

Re: Removing yellowing from RV

The damage to vinyl RV stripes will usually show up later....the wax/polish tends to cause them to dry out and the edges will start to curl up. Sometimes MUCH later but soon or later.....

That may be true in some cases but it seems more logical to me that the effects of weather and the type of decal and how they were applied is more to the cause. I have original decals on my '70 Jeep that have had countless applications of wax, cleaners, gas spilled on them, etc. and they still look in like new condition. I bought a spare set of decals when purchasing the Jeep new thinking the decals would never last. They are still sitting in a box. On the other hand I've seen decals on cars and RVs that were cracked, peeling and almost falling off by their own weight. It might possibly be that waxing and polishing helps to maintain them.

[Poki]

Re: Removing yellowing from RV

Very true, not all vinyl graphics are created equal. It's always best to ask the manufacture for their recomendations. However, with so many RV manufactures out of business in the last 2 years, that may not be possible. It is a combination of everything that leads to deterioration..weather, vinyl makeup, maintenance products. I personally feel using a dedicated vinyl protectant (Meguiar's has several) will be the safest route to take.

[LongGone]

Re: Removing yellowing from RV

An update:

I'm just about done with one side and part of the roof. What a pain! It looks better, but not as much better as I'd hoped.

What I've done...
1) tape off the decals
2) used the M91 cleaner with a M7006 cutting pad
3) used M49 oxidation remover with a lighter cutting pad
4) then the M45 polish with a polishing pad
5) then the M56 pure wax with a polishing pad
6) then used some M50 cleaner wax by hand on the small spaces between the decals
7) then used M50 cleaner wax with a polishing pad on the compartment doors and other painted areas
8) and finally, used some M57 vinyl/rubber cleaner & conditioner on the decals and trim around the windows.

That's a LOT of steps! It's taken me about 15-20 hours just to do the drivers side, with way too many times up & down the ladder for my 55 year old body.

Some comments:
1) I found the M91 very difficult to work with. Probably user error, but...It would dry up very quickly, and was then almost impossible to get off with a microfiber. Thus the need to use the M49 to remove the residue.
2) I was hoping that the M91 would remove more of the yellowing than the M49 did by itself, but I can't really see any difference between the two products. Maybe I needed to use the M91 several times on each section, but I just couldn't justify the time or effort.
3) I also did a section on the roof, which is a different fiberglass material. I actually had better results up there - there was a spot that the antenna covers which was still white, while the adjacent areas were yellow and chalky. After hitting a few adjacent test spots with the 4 product routine, I can't tell where the old line was - the areas I worked on are as clean, white, and shiny as the area that was covered by the antenna. So, in my opinion, the products worked much better on the roof fiberglass than they did on the sidewall fiberglass.
4) I also struggled with the polish. It too would dry very very quickly, and was difficult to remove once dry. I had better luck up on the roof since I didn't have to take the time to climb down the ladder to get rid of the PC and then climb back up with the microfiber.
5) The M50 by hand in the small spaces worked well. It's just that my fingers are tired and I can't point in a straight line any more.
6) The vinyl cleaner did pretty well on the decals - I've got a couple areas that are pretty faded, and the cleaner helped some, but they were possibly too far gone. On the rest of the decals that were in good shape, the cleaner made them nice and shiny.

Pat