Sound technical content, curated with aloha by
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Pine Beach, NJ

The authoritative public forum
  for Metal Finishing since 1989
  

Polish & Protect Aluminum Airstream Trailer

Q. I am restoring a classic Airstream trailer with lots of aluminum and have been told that I need a "CYCLO MACHINE" [dual head orbital polisher] to do the buffing; however, no one can tell me where to find one or who makes it.

Any help out there? Thanks.

Cyclo Dual-Head
Orbital Buffer

on eBay or

Amazon

(affil links)

A. Hi, John. Cyclo dual head buffers are made by Cycle Toolmakers. New ones are available from Amazon, and both new and used ones are listed on eBay ⇨

Best of luck with it!

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey

Q. I would like to know the best materials for polishing an Airstream trailer

"My Journey Restoring a Vintage Airstream"

on AbeBooks

or eBay or

Amazon

(affil links)

A. Hi, Jim. Thread 11151 is an informative (and quite entertaining) discussion entitled "Moonshine Aluminum Polish"; I think it may help.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey

Q. I have a 1963 Airstream trailer and I'm looking to polish it ... any suggestions would be helpful!

Thanks,

"Airstream: The History of the Land Yacht"

on AbeBooks

or eBay or

Amazon

(affil links)

Q. I would like to mirror polish my 1974 aluminum airstream which currently is in very good exterior condition with a clearcoat sealer. Is this something that I can tackle myself, and if so how ?

Thanks.

RV siding: To paint or not to paint?

Q. My husband and I have a RV with aluminium siding, the paint is rubbed off in spots. Due to years of washing the RV, because we keep getting the black streaks down the sides. We were told we could paint the siding. If so, what are the proper steps we need to take? What products do we buy? Where do we find the products to buy? Any help along these lines would be most appreciated.

A. Hi, Ellen. If you you are on the fence about repainting, you may find the application of Everbrite [a finishing.com supporting advertiser] to be sufficient to get you by. It protects the aluminum while making the paint look less faded, and is easy to brush on. Basically, it makes the trailer look like it does when it's wet. If it looks good wet, this approach should help. If you don't like the look of your trailer even when it's wet, it won't improve the looks :-)

If you have decided to re-paint, and don't wish to go to a body shop or auto painting shop, you need to scrub the paint well with a scrub brush ⇦ this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] and detergent, spray on a primer ⇦ this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] , then spray on a color of your choice. An auto store will have suitable paint. Good luck.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey

Best polish and sealer for vintage Airstream trailer

Q. I am in the process of polishing a vintage Airstream trailer to a mirror polish. Does anyone have a product (wax or sealer) that they could recommend to minimize the time between polishing, and reduce oxidation? It is a lot of hard work to get it shiny so I want to keep it that way. I have heard that WD-40 ⇦ this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] sprayed on the surface could work, glass wax, etc. Any ideas?

Silver Streak trailer restoration

Q. I'm restoring a 1976 Silver Streak Trailer.
I have cleaned the years of crud off. The anodizing is gone accept in a couple of places. I'm having problems removing some of the water streaks from the walls.
I want to to have the original gray finish.
Some have suggested Transmission fluid. I tried it it looks great until the trailer gets wet then I have white streaks on the finish.
How can I remove the last of the anodizing?
What is the best way to remove the water streaks?
And how would be best to protect the Aluminum surface?

Q. HELLO
I HAVE AN ALUMINUM BODY AIRSTREAM MOTORHOME (1991 MODEL) WHERE THE BLACK PAINT ON THE UPPER PART HAS BEEN SUN BURNED AND NEEDS REMOVING.
CAN YOU PLEASE TELL ME WHAT PAINT STRIPPER I CAN USE THAT WILL NOT DAMAGE THE ALUMINUM SKIN?
THANK YOU,

"My Airstream Mentor"


on AbeBooks

or eBay or

Amazon

(affil links)

A. Hello, Araken. That product is called Aircraft Stripper and contains methylene chloride. It will not damage aluminum but it can damage people. Be sure to wear rubber gloves ⇦ this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] and goggles ⇦ this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] , and use with very good ventilation. Dangerous stuff!

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey

Q. I have a 1968 Silver Streak Trailer made with anodized Aluminum. The finish looks streaky and dull and will not clean up. I would like to polish the aluminum if I can remove the anodizing. I have read here that sodium hydroxide will either eat or etch the underlying aluminum and I have no way to heat and apply a heated chromic/phosphoric acid mixture - that and I'm too scared.
Any alternatives? How about very fine diamond abrasives?
Thank you,
Steve

Q. I'd like to follow up on my last post. In an attempt to brighten the anodizing on my Silver Streak I applied a aluminum brightener (as suggested in a message board dedicated to trailers) consisting of Ammonium Bifluoride, Sulfuric Acid and Quaternary Ammonium Chloride. Rather than brighten, this appeared to etch the surface.
I continued to apply in a small area, until the anodizing was gone. I was then able to polish that area. My goal is to strip and polish the entire trailer.
I bought this product at a pressure wash supply company, and seems like a good alternative for removing the anodized coating.
Is there a downside to using this?
Thanks.

A. Hi, Steve. As long as it works, I see no downside for the Silver Streak. This stuff is used in commercial truck washes. However, note the ammonium biFLUORIDE. Strong fluoride chemistries are not at all good for people. It is related to hydrofluoric acid, which is one of the most dangerous materials; this is weaker and in a different form, but you should read up on ammonium bifluoride from a personnel protection standpoint before deciding to use it. Good luck.

Sorry, I don't know about the fine diamond abrasive. The anodizing is so much harder than the bare aluminum -- polishing the egg shell off of an egg -- that it may be impractical. Most people suggest Easy-Off oven cleaner ⇦ this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] for removing anodizing.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey

Gentle Readers:

This meeting place welcomes Q&As, photos, history, & interesting tidbits -- but it's not a consultancy.

Please engage with others

• When people show interest in each other's situations, the forum is informative, and fun too !

• If people post their own question but show no interest in others', it can quickly become a long string of unanswered questions

Q. I have a 1979 32 foot Century Supreme Travel Trailer, The outside is 100% anodized Aluminum.
How and what do I use to clean and polish the Trailer?

Thank you

Q. I have a 1985 Avion RV (like a Airstream) with anodized aluminum skin. The trailer has been in Ocean City MD since new and has oxidized/corrosion. I've used several cleaners, including Nuvite polish with a wool polisher to attempt to clean the surface to look better. The bottom cleans nicely, but begins turning back to foggy white within days. The top half is much worse. I have a few questions...
1. Do you have suggestions on how to clean / polish aluminum in this condition?
2. Will clear coating maintain a better appearance
3. Is painting an option, if so I'd like input on preparation and recommended products to use.

Q. I recently purchased a 13' travel trailer with a very thin aluminum sheet for the roof. I have a continual problem with oxidation that washes down on the trailer sides and requires frequent washing. The area is too small to spray and there are several penetrations to work around. I am just beginning the search process of what I can do to seal the aluminum to prevent this continual problem. Any suggestions?
Thanks,
Jay