Best Boat Wax

[retiredfornow]

My 5th wheel needs a waxing, and the book says to use boat wax.
Hey, maybe I'll wax the boat too! Need something not labor intensive, the 5th wheel is 39' long.
Any ideas? Thanks.

 

[Texasmark]

Re: Best Boat Wax

I'm a retired guy and don't have to kiss up to anyone. With that said, I was in WW the other day and they had a large isle display of a product: Turtle Wax and it was a synthetic wax in a spray bottle....I think the bottle was purple. They said to spray it on a panel of your auto at a time, then wipe with a "special cloth", flip the cloth and polish it off with a couple of strokes.....the magic cloth is identified on the bottle but I currently can't remember the name of it. It's new and certainly magic...WW sells the cloths also. I used to use the Orange wax with the white cap that WW sold, but this year I got that and will not use anything else on anything. It has some Caranauba (spelling) wax in it and that has been the primo wax since I was a teen...I think Onthanks marketed it with a cleaner when I was a young lad doing detail work at the local Humble Oil Company gas station in my "hood" for a meager 50 cents an hour.

HTH,

Mark

 

[retiredfornow]

Re: Best Boat Wax

Thanks Mark, I'll give it a try.
I used to detail cars at my Dad's used car lot as a kid. Pay was a roof over my head and meals. LOL
When I turned 16, got a free car to drive until he sold it, then I'd get another. Lots of fun.

 

[sasto]

Re: Best Boat Wax

The best I've ever used is Colonite.....and we have expiermented with many.

Good Luck!

 

[Shamfarlango]

Re: Best Boat Wax

What is so different between automotive and marine wax that some people are religiously opposed to auto wax on gelcoat?

 

[Richardsix]

Re: Best Boat Wax

I have worked in GRP for many years in the UK, I may get shot down in flames for this, but here goes.
As long as you use a good quality wax, ie, Simoniz(Sevice staion pack), Mequires Mirror wax (MGM8) then you will not have a problem, these are old fashioned polishes that take a bit of elbow grease and time, but believe me, they are by far supperior to any modern spray on and wipe off wax. They take time to apply, but will look after a boats finish. Just my opinion though!

 

[H20Rat]

Re: Best Boat Wax

3m marine is my go-to wax... Sometimes use it on the vehicles also.

 

[cyclops2]

Re: Best Boat Wax

Beats me why different waxes are used or needed.

Good boats should have the same clear coat on them as a car. A automotive clear coat does not need waxing at all.

Is somebody delibertly making a crummy expensive boat finish ?? Must be.

 

[Thalasso]

Re: Best Boat Wax

The best I've ever used is Colonite.....and we have expiermented with many.

Good Luck!

Which Collinite? The 870 or the 845 Paste or liquid.Going to give it a try. I use the 920 for oxidation.
I know there is a difference between polish and wax.

 

[Thalasso]

Re: Best Boat Wax

Beats me why different waxes are used or needed.

Good boats should have the same clear coat on them as a car. A automotive clear coat does not need waxing at all.

Is somebody delibertly making a crummy expensive boat finish ?? Must be.

Sorry but boats have gel coat not clearcoat. Two differant things.

 

[H20Rat]

Re: Best Boat Wax

Sorry but boats have gel coat not clearcoat. Two differant things.

yep, and there is almost no similarity... Different materials, different properties, and vastly different thicknesses. And of course, the obvious one... Gel coat is colored, clear coat is, well, clear! What works for one is probably a really poor choice for the other, at least if you are talking polish. (never would want to use a gel coat polish on clear coat) Marine wax tends to be a little thicker, and works well on vehicles if you are really careful about prep and your work. Otherwise it can make a mess of streaks.

 

[V153]

Re: Best Boat Wax

Kinda partial to 3M for gel coat. Never let me down so far. They got a product for every application. Trust me.

As mentioned clear coat's a different animal.

 

[cyclops2]

Re: Best Boat Wax

So GELL COAT is a far superior final top coat for a vehicle ?

CLEAR COAT should not be used by boat companies ?

GELL COAT companies must OWN the GELL COAT wax companies & are protecting their sales.

Cars sit in water for months & the paint is fine. Me thinks some people are raking in needless money.

I checked with clear coat companies years ago & they said some boat companies were using CLEAR COATS for the same reason car companies do. They were probably just lying to me about wishfull sales. When was the last time you saw a car paint finish building up a powdery surface ?

 

[sasto]

Re: Best Boat Wax

Which Collinite? The 870 or the 845 Paste or liquid.Going to give it a try. I use the 920 for oxidation.
I know there is a difference between polish and wax.

870 liquid is the best I've ever used. I would say over 60% of captains around here that wax their own boat use this. It is by far the longest lasting. Follow instructions carefully and you will have great results.

 

[shrew]

Re: Best Boat Wax

So GELL COAT is a far superior final top coat for a vehicle ?

NO, Clear Coat is a superior final top coat for painted metal, therefore it's use in autmobiles is preferable.

CLEAR COAT should not be used by boat companies ?

Yes, when you look at a fiberglass boat, you are looking at Gelcoat covering the fiberglass. This is how fiberglass boats are made. You wouldn't cover the fiberglass with a clearcoat, and you wouldn't put clearcoat on gelcoat.

GELL COAT companies must OWN the GELL COAT wax companies & are protecting their sales.

Not to my knowledge. Gel coat and clear coat are completely different substances. Wax manufucturers simply make different products for different applications. painted metal with a clearcoat finish is significantly harder and thinner than gelcoat. Gelcoat is softer and much thicker. Thus you would use the appropriate wax and buffing compound on the material you are working with.

Cars sit in water for months & the paint is fine. Me thinks some people are raking in needless money.

I don't think so. both boats and cars sit in water for lengthy periods of time. This does not mean there is a single product for all. This argument is like saying, houses are painted, cars are painted, interior rooms are painted, so is the fence. Therefore there should be a single type of paint for all. With this logic you would be painting your automobile with interior latex paint because paint is paint is paint.

At the end of the day gelcoat and clearcoat are completely different. Id' suggest using the correct product for the material you are working with. BTW- I prefer the 3M line of marine waxes.

 

[Philster]

Re: Best Boat Wax

So GELL COAT is a far superior final top coat for a vehicle ?

CLEAR COAT should not be used by boat companies ?

GELL COAT companies must OWN the GELL COAT wax companies & are protecting their sales.

Cars sit in water for months & the paint is fine. Me thinks some people are raking in needless money.

I checked with clear coat companies years ago & they said some boat companies were using CLEAR COATS for the same reason car companies do. They were probably just lying to me about wishfull sales. When was the last time you saw a car paint finish building up a powdery surface ?

I like gelcoat on my boat because it's proper for fiberglass, which bumps, rubs and scuffs against everything and anything in daily use (even when cared for) and because the color is in the gel, so that each scuff, bump and rub just reveals more color. Automobile clear coats work well to go over paints and offer some limited protection, but an expensive car clear coat-over-paint-over-primer-over-metal finish is a wee bit fragile compared to a fiberglass/gel combo.

Cheap gels and one's that aren't protected (oh, say with wax) can oxidize and reveal this 'powdery' substance you reference, and clear coated cars will eventually turn to crap if not cared for. The paint will get chalky; sometimes the clear coat gets faded/dingy, too.

.

 

[Philster]

Re: Best Boat Wax

. When was the last time you saw a car paint finish building up a powdery surface ?

Are you serious? Everyone knows someone or maybe even owned a car that had clear coat that wound up looking like this:

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: Best Boat Wax

I also use the 3M marine polish/wax for my boat and jet ski. I only do it once a year, but I have no complaints. I use Zaino Bros for the autos because of ease of application, but have had great results with Meguire's Gold Class wax as well.

 

[dingbat]

Re: Best Boat Wax

Which Collinite? The 870 or the 845 Paste or liquid.Going to give it a try. I use the 920 for oxidation.
I know there is a difference between polish and wax.

I normally use the 885 Fleetwax paste wax and was given a bottle of 845 insulator wax this Spring to try. The insulator wax was easier to apply but the depth of shine was nowhere near that of the 885 paste wax.

 

[Thalasso]

Re: Best Boat Wax

I normally use the 885 Fleetwax paste wax and was given a bottle of 845 insulator wax this Spring to try. The insulator wax was easier to apply but the depth of shine was nowhere near that of the 885 paste wax.

Thank you. 885 it is.