Clean, Polish & Glaze Your Teardrop - Camp-Inn Style!

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Clean, Polish & Glaze Your Teardrop - Camp-Inn Style!

Postby Betsey » Thu Mar 26, 2009 9:57 pm

For anyone who is interested, Craig has posted (on the Camp-Inn website) instructions on how to clean, polish & glaze a teardrop with Walbernize. Walbernize is what Airstream recommends for their trailers. We use it on our trailers and recommend it to our customers. The guys have developed a technique for using it that works better than the instructions on the bottle.

http://tinycamper.com/care/walbernize.htm

The teardrop shown belongs to Jack&Nancy (Hi guys!). When they came to the 5th Annual Camp-Inn Camp-Outt last September, they brought their tear into the shop to have some updates done and while there, Jack & Craig gave it a once-over with the Walbernize. It turned out pretty nice, looking almost like new again!

If you are wondering how long the finish will last, we use it on our rentals and demos once a year.

If you would like any more info, feel free to email us at [email protected] or call 608-565-7443.

So, check out the link, if for no other reason than to find the answer to the burning question, "How many Camp-Inn employees does it take to polish one of our trailers?" :thinking: It's worth a visit to the site just for that! :D

Betsey 8)
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Postby BILLYL » Fri Mar 27, 2009 6:19 am

Betsy-

Thanks for the info - I wonder if I can pick this stuff up locally. Maybe my local RV center woulkd have it??? I'll check.

The technique should work very well and I'll let you know what happens.

Thanks

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Re: Clean, Polish & Glaze Your Teardrop - Camp-Inn Style

Postby angib » Fri Mar 27, 2009 8:40 am

Betsey wrote:"How many Camp-Inn employees does it take to polish one of our trailers?"

But you don't answer the important questions:
- how long should his hair be under the wool bonnet;
- does the beard make a difference;
- what verbal abuse of the bonnet-wearer is recommended;
- etc, etc.

Andrew ;)
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Postby tonyj » Fri Mar 27, 2009 9:20 am

Have you tried a dual-head polisher (using two children or two small adults)? :lol:

Thanks for the tips and link.
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Postby madjack » Fri Mar 27, 2009 9:40 am

Betsey, pretty darn cool of ya to post that info...looks to be a good way to go...a question...do new employees havvta polish a certain number of campers before they start work each day........
madjack 8)
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Postby BILLYL » Fri Mar 27, 2009 11:02 am

WAX ON-

WAX OFF

Now you grasshopper
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Postby fpoole » Fri Mar 27, 2009 11:10 am

Kewl,
Does the Sealer/glaze help at all afterwards???

Just Wandering Minds That Wanna Know...

Thanks...
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Postby Classic Finn » Fri Mar 27, 2009 2:40 pm

Well Gee Betsey

Now the only thing that is missing is a Camp Inn :lol: :lol: :lol:

Thanks for posting that. Always willing to learn. ;)

Classic Finn :thumbsup:

PS on your website there is the photo of the gentleman using his head for polishing. And quote of (Only one if you hold him right) I sure hope he made employee of the month. :rofl:
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Postby Cary Winch » Fri Mar 27, 2009 3:55 pm

Frank,

The Walbernize does help keep the trailer clean. The water beads off much nicer so way less water spots. Plus it is easier to spot clean areas (particularily where people fondle your trailer) with a little Walbenize and a rag once the trailer has had it applied already with the buffer.

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Postby greasywheats » Fri Mar 27, 2009 4:08 pm

Hey Carey-
Would you say that with a single buffing on, say 1-year old mill finish aluminum (stored indoors), the resulting finish is a mirror-finish, or is it just slightly more polished than new mill finish aluminum?

The reason I ask is that I don't want a mirror, or high-polish finish on my trailer, but would definitely like to bring a little bit of the luster back to the mill finish aluminum after getting a little water staining and such.

I've used Purple Stuff metal polish on aluminum before and it worked well, but besides being incredibly expensive per ounce, brought out a pretty high shine.

Any thoughts? Or other pictures of the finished product?

Thanks! :applause:
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Postby Cary Winch » Fri Mar 27, 2009 4:39 pm

That is a good question to bring up and should really be mentioned. This product that we use is not meant to shine it up all mirror like and such. It is a very mild polish. Our trailers also have the mill brush finish on it and it actually restores it. I have seen trailers where it was a scuffed up (overly aggressive sponge washing in one case) and after Walbernizing it the brush finish came back.

It does look shinier (or more like just different) than it did before you apply it after one buffing. When looking straight on it doesn't seem any different. But, when you look at it at an angle you notice it seems shinier. We have a couple of older trailers here that have been used as rentals and such that have had this done many times to them and they still retain their brushed look. So, while I think that after many many applications it may start to polish smooth that sounds like more buffing than I want to do.

To achieve a mirror polished finish you need a more aggressive compound (also a more aggresive buffer too like a Cyclo). That would be like the Mother's (the purple stuff) or many of the aircraft polishes like Flitz, Rolite or Nuvite. I get asked constantly about the one shown on our website where the customer put a spectacular mirror finish on his. That was done with aircraft polish, a Cyclo polisher and about 50 hours of work. That is a high level of commitment for sure. I have a couple of customers right now tackling the full polish project on their Camp-Inns. Looking forward to seeing the results.

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Postby greasywheats » Fri Mar 27, 2009 4:50 pm

Great response Cary!

Looks like this spring I'll give the Walbernize a try. Wouldn't mind making my pride and joy sparkle a little more!

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Postby Rigsby » Fri Mar 27, 2009 5:39 pm

BILLYL wrote:WAX ON-

WAX OFF

Now you grasshopper

Did that today for 5 hours, just need a sample of walbernize to get this a bit shinier
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Postby Classic Finn » Fri Mar 27, 2009 7:11 pm

Rigsby wrote:
BILLYL wrote:WAX ON-

WAX OFF

Now you grasshopper

Did that today for 5 hours, just need a sample of walbernize to get this a bit shinier
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Rigsby what brand of polish did you use?

Classic Finn :roll:
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Postby Moonage_Daydream » Fri Mar 27, 2009 9:33 pm

Cary Winch wrote:Frank,

The Walbernize does help keep the trailer clean. The water beads off much nicer so way less water spots. Plus it is easier to spot clean areas (particularily where people fondle your trailer) with a little Walbenize and a rag once the trailer has had it applied already with the buffer.

Cary


HEY! I'm picking up my trailer Saturday, and it better NOT have been fondled! I want mine young and innocent. ;)
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