Aluminum cleaner by JJV's Best?

[fshnrig]

Hi, I am wondering if the aluminum cleaning product from JJV's Best (http://www.jjvsbest.com/)will work ok on my Camp-Inn 550 Special.

Has anyone tried this product for cleaning the exterior aluminum before? If so, how did it perform, etc.

Thanks!

 

[Steve & Ellen]

Looks interesting and not pricey. I wonder if Cary has tried this?
Steve

 

[Betsey]

The only way to know is to try it on a small spot in a hidden area, like under the rear roll pan, & let it dry completely. Then wash it with soap & water. Let it dry fully (wiping it is okay but to get it truly dry, it needs to air dry.) If you are satisfied with the look, repeat on a larger area. If you have the Alcan cover, this would be a good area for testing a larger patch. If it doesn't look good, you have the Alcan cover to hide it.

This cannot be applied with a cloth - a sprayer like the one shown is needed. (However, you could use a cloth for the small test area under the roll pan.) Also, if you don't have a high pressure washer, you would need to apply the cleaner at a car wash & use the high pressure rinse. A garden hose will not be enough to get all of the cleaner removed.

The demo video is very good at showing exactly how to use the product.

That said, Craig is not sold on it, as it has to be etching the surface of the aluminum. A cleaner is either abrasive or etches in order to clean. Since this cleaner does not involve rubbing of any kind, it must be etching.

Besides the etching issue, biggest drawback to using it: You will need to cover any/all exposed areas that are NOT aluminum (fenders, hardware, gasketing, trim, windows, sunroof, vent/fan, etc.) which can be a real pain.

 

[Oysterpot]

After watching the video, a box popped up and there was a video demo or docu on "sharkshide" for those of you that are curious about that stuff.

 

[Betsey]

After watching the video, a box popped up and there was a video demo or docu on "sharkshide" for those of you that are curious about that stuff.

You must have watched the video on the "Demo" tab - the one that was "unsolicited?" I just went back & watched it, as that's not the same demo I talked about in my post. The guy in this video didn't apply it or remove it according to the directions that were shown in the demo on the aluminum tab.

Craig still thinks it is etching the aluminum as it is removing the oxidized finish, which would leave the metal more susceptible to getting dirtier.

Also found this from someone who used it on their boat pontoons: "After rinsing it off, it left kind of a light chalky film after drying."

Even if it didn't etch the metal, I think it's too much work to use on a teardrop, considering you have to protect any surface that is not aluminum.

 

[ghaynes]

While the video showed them cleaning after spraying it reality it doesn't tell us much. If they had sprayed a section and then pressure washed both a sprayed and non sprayed section we could have seen a comparison. So was the it the 'magic' stuff or just the pressure washer.

 

[Betsey]

If they had sprayed a section and then pressure washed both a sprayed and non sprayed section we could have seen a comparison. So was the it the 'magic' stuff or just the pressure washer.

The pressure washer will remove grit, dirt, etc. but will not remove the oxidation, which is why the aluminum is dull looking.

 

[ajs777]

The only way to know is to try it on a small spot in a hidden area, like under the rear roll pan, & let it dry completely. Then wash it with soap & water. Let it dry fully (wiping it is okay but to get it truly dry, it needs to air dry.) If you are satisfied with the look, repeat on a larger area. If you have the Alcan cover, this would be a good area for testing a larger patch. If it doesn't look good, you have the Alcan cover to hide it.

Besty, as you were writing that yesterday I was doing just that. Except I couldn't get any decent pictures under the roll pan, so I flipped up the alcan cover and continued my experiment. The front of the trailer is untreated straight from the factory. The side of the storage box and the rest of the trailer was treated with Woody's XXX within a few days of taking the protective wrap off (photos of that process are in another thread).

Not bad, XXX did a pretty good job but the aluminum lost some of it's luster.

So, this thread prompted me to start looking for something that might restore the luster that Woody's changed. After a couple days of watching youtube videos, browsing endless websites and emailing different product makers, I came across this... here I applied the product, let it dry to a haze...

then wiped it off. It might not be that easy to see in the photo, but the shine is back. Not AirStream quality, but we're not dealing with the same material.

I thought this photo might give you a better idea of the difference between the untreated aluminum and the two sections I did. It also gives you an idea of how the polish and the Woody's wax differ in appearance.

Notice the reflections... no making fun of my red CocaCola pants. I was standing 7' feet away from the trailer when I took the picture.

My biggest disappointment at this point is the deeper you try to make the cleaner work as in repeated applications, the more surface imperfections you start to turn up.

These photos were taken in my shed under fluorescent lights. Before I would even consider doing the whole trailer, I'd want to roll it out and see the results in natural daylight. Hopefully the imperfections won't be as noticeable and the overall improved shine will be an acceptable look... although, I have no problem with the look of the XXX either. This stuff just gones on and off so much easier.

 

[Betsey]

AJ,

Could you let us know what product you are using? It appears to be a mild abrasive with a wax.

From the pictures, is appears, that it is actually polishing the surface. The original finish is what is called a "mill finish" or as-it-comes from the rolling mill. The original has a light "brushed" appearance. This means that there are small lines or grooves in the surface. These small grooves scatter the light and help to hide minor imperfections or scratches in the surface.

When you use an abrasive cleaner or polish, you are removing the grooves (actually removing the high areas between the grooves)making the surface smoother. This makes the surface more reflective and also makes those minor imperfections and scratches stand out more.

At that point, the only way to get rid of the minor imperfections is to continue polishing until you have worn away the surrounding material. When you get to the "bottom" of the scratches, the surface will look uniform, but also be very shiny. Any scratches added later, will stand out on that mirror surface.

Once you go away from the mill finish, there is no turning back.

If you get tired of the constant maintenance that a polished finish requires, the best option is to scratch it uniformly, simulating the original finish. It won't look the same as the original finish, but it will hide the slight imperfections. I'm not sure I want to get into how to "uniformly scratch" your trailer, right now, as that is a different topic entirely.

The Walbernize is a very mild abrasive with a mild chemical reaction. It takes longer, but it doesn't remove as much of the mill finish. If you use it several times, you will notice that it starts to polish the surface too.

 

[Cary Winch]

AJ,

Keep in mind too now that you stripped the wax off and no longer have the protectant you wanted. The wax is what gives the metal the duller appearance. If you wax back over it again it will dull up again.

I agree completely with Betsey on the polish. We really recommend not using aluminum polishes on the trailer. They are really too aggressive and you will be on your way to have a full mirror polish. From the pictures it is pretty clear that you are working with a typical aluminum polish product. In order for that to look good on the larger surfaces you are going to need to power buff that. This will turn into a big project, probably 40-50 hours. And then when you done you still would need to wax it when completed if wanting the protection of a wax.

Cary

 

[Evan]

I heard about a guy who spent days buffing his trailer to a perfect mirror finish. When he was done he was afraid to use his trailer any more. He ended up selling his Camp-Inn and buying a new one that he could use.

 

[ajs777]

Betsey and Cary,

I understand and agree with what you're saying. I had already applied a coat of XXX on the polished surface to see if I could take it back to where it was originally. Once I saw the imperfections in the aluminum I knew I would be in for a major undertaking. I have no interest in going to a mirror finish... as I mentioned before, I don't have a problem with the way the Woody's looks on the trailer, I just wanted to see if I could bring back a little shine.

I think my experiment is done.

The product I used is a 3 in 1 (cleaner, polish, protectant) the abrasive in it is white jewelers rouge.

 

[Steve & Ellen]

I'd like to tell you what I did.
I polished the rear area below the hatch. I took off the tail lights, the license plate and bracket, and the bumper. I polished to a smooth reflective finish. I then coated with sharkhide protectant. I was tired of this area looking so bad from the kitchen use. Now it wipes down, stays clean and looks clean.
After this I decided to do the galley hatch. This was the next area that looked the worst. After I got the reflective coat I wanted I treated that section. I like what I have. It looks clean and stays clean.
I don't think I will do the sides.
Oh yeah, Cary mentioned on my unit they used two different vendors for the aluminum. The metal on my sides was one vendor and the areas that had metal forming was another. The area with metal forming is the center from front to rear. I think he said the same vendor is used now. The finish of the center section is from the mill, brighter than the sides and appears to be softer aluminum. Maybe softer to facilitate the forming. Of course softer means more easily scratched and more easily polished.
This seems to work for me.

Steve