I bought a Royalex Old Town Camper that had been left outside hull-up for what looks like several years. I replaced the seats, yoke, and thwart so the inside of the hull looks great. The outside is very faded, the red is on its way to pink.
I have used a car care product called Liquid Glass Ultimate auto polish / finish for many years. I recently bought a new container and the instructions said that it was safe to use on many surfaces and when used on a fiberglass boat that it would reduce bottom friction.
I am not looking to make my boat look “pretty” but I was intrigued by the reduced friction idea.
I store the camper inside but am also interested in reducing any further sun exposure damage.
I can not find anyone who has used Liquid Glass on Royalex but some people have cautioned against car care products on Royalex. Most recommend 303 aerospace protectant.
Have any of you ever used Liquid Glass on Royalex?
Will 303 bring back the original color?
Is there any merit this “reduced bottom friction” idea?
The black vinyl trim is still in pretty good shape, should i use anything to protect it?
Thanks in advance for any help on this topic.
I rub my OT 3 layer poly canoe down in the spring before first usage after pressure washing and in the fall before storing it upside down outside for winter. I use FluidFilm in the spray can, but the bulk stuff would work the same. FluidFilm is a wool wax product. It seems to make it a bit slicker in the water but that is likely all in my head. It does make the hull look a lot better bringing that original green color back. Does it help the hull last longer? Who knows but it does seem to help it clean up with just a hose after being in murky water. I think it might help with UV as well. I store mine year round under a shade tree, so that blocks the sun in the summer. Before/After
You can also use Rejuvinate for Vinyl Floors on faded hulls. It will make them look great, but it has no UV protection , so if you do not store your boats indoors, I would not recommend it.
That canoe looks great. I’ve used 303 on Royalex and it looks great but I felt I should have used more once it dried. I’m Curious as to how long you’ve been using Fluidfilm, if you have any experience with 303 as well, and do you have any feedback comparing the two? Have Any long term issues on your canoe show up from your Fluidfilm usage? Thanks!
I have used 303 for years on sailboats and kayaks and the plastic rubber bits on my vehicles. It clearly makes things shiny and can make a slightly faded black look newer but I can’t imagine it would turn faded red now pink back to red.
My understanding and experience is it washes off quickly once the hull is in the water.
It also needs to be applied often on exposed parts. You don’t let it dry on the treated surface, you buff it to a shine right after applying it.
Bud hasn’t posted here for a number of months…wondered what happened cause he was a prolific poster for a while…