#1

To polish or not to polish?

in Improving your pride and joy and how to fix things Sat Mar 01, 2025 4:52 pm
by Russell Smith • | 10 Posts

Hi - just finished washing my 540 after its winter hibernation (it looks grand!) and wondered what the latest wisdom is around polishing? Thank you.


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#2

RE: To polish or not to polish?

in Improving your pride and joy and how to fix things Sat Mar 01, 2025 5:29 pm
by eribaMotters • | 5.666 Posts

I have always polished my Eribas every year with the exception of the sides on my dimpled Triton. On this I used Bobby Dazzler. The GRP roof really does need some regular care. If you do not polish it then the grime will eat into the surface and the finish will become flat and eventually powdery. The application of any surface protection has the added bonus of making it easy to clean the front of your Eriba after a long tow as the dead insects simply wipe off.
I am continuing with my swap to Bobby Dazzler for the forseeable future on the sides of my current van for two reasons. One I have a lot of it left and two as it's very easy to apply.
These show my van after the winter cover came off in March 2024. It had been treated with Bobby Dazzler before I covered it up for the winter.

P1060222-1600.jpg - Bild entfernt (keine Rechte)P1060225-1600.jpg - Bild entfernt (keine Rechte)

Colin

Forum Administrator aka Oscar - Audi A3 1.5 petrol - oh dear me, I've gone to the darkish side and bought a Feeling after 4 Tourings


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#3

RE: To polish or not to polish?

in Improving your pride and joy and how to fix things Sat Mar 01, 2025 6:12 pm
by Russell Smith • | 10 Posts

Fantastic advice- just what I need - thank you!


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#4

RE: To polish or not to polish?

in Improving your pride and joy and how to fix things Sun Mar 02, 2025 10:40 am
by Randa france • | 13.386 Posts

I was advised by folk on here to use AutoGlym Super Resin Polish on the fibreglass roof of my "Touring" model and have done so for the past 15 years. Then finish it off by using a car polish with carnuba ( Simoniz is good). ( Thanks Pepe le Pew and Agger)

Have only needed to do it every two years now unless we've camped in a location open to seagull or wood pigeon bomb attacks.

Randa

ERIBAFOLK POP UP EVERYWHERE 1999 Eriba Troll 530 pushing a VW Touran 2L TDi Match . 1995 Eriba Puck flying behind Ford Kuga 2L Titanium FORUM ADMINISTRATOR
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#5

RE: To polish or not to polish?

in Improving your pride and joy and how to fix things Sun Mar 02, 2025 11:49 pm
by Russell Smith • | 10 Posts

Thanks randa France. What about using Bobby Dazzler over the Autoglym product?


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#6

RE: To polish or not to polish?

in Improving your pride and joy and how to fix things Mon Mar 03, 2025 9:04 am
by eribaMotters • | 5.666 Posts

I did not detect any issue. I had polished my van when I collected it new in June 2023 as it had been "stored" and was filthy.. I polished the front again for our long summer holiday so the flies did not stick. Summer 2024 saw an application of Bobby Dazzler and it looked good. A few days ago I unzipped a corner of the winter cover and it still looks good underneath.
Having thought all of this through I'm going to start a set routine on the outside:-
- May, wash and Bobby Dazzler after the service
- Mid summer car polish the front
- Oct/Nov before winter lay up wash and Bobby Dazzler
I'll also admit to loose fitting my Kampa cover when the van is not being used as I live down a country lane with a lot of trees, birds and dirt. Over winter the winter is fully strapped down.

Colin

Forum Administrator aka Oscar - Audi A3 1.5 petrol - oh dear me, I've gone to the darkish side and bought a Feeling after 4 Tourings
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#7

RE: To polish or not to polish?

in Improving your pride and joy and how to fix things Mon Mar 03, 2025 12:00 pm
by Russell Smith • | 10 Posts

That’s really helpful - thanks. In light of all your helpful replies I think I am going to a)Autoglym resin polish the GRP roof panels and front and then b) Bobby dazzler the top and sides. We’re away next week so better get cracking! Thanks again. 👍


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#8

RE: To polish or not to polish?

in Improving your pride and joy and how to fix things Tue Mar 04, 2025 12:22 am
by Simboc2004 • | 813 Posts

I did not detect any issue. I had polished my van when I collected it new in June 2023 as it had been "stored" and was filthy.. I polished the front again for our long summer holiday so the flies did not stick.

Good to know there are no flies on you, Colin

Poppy, our 2005 Eriba 430GT, leading our Volvo V40 astray...
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#9

RE: To polish or not to polish?

in Improving your pride and joy and how to fix things Wed Mar 05, 2025 9:13 pm
by Inspecta_Gadget • | 352 Posts

Russel, just go easy on polishing the front; the paint is very thin. Colin has a feeling (yes, he really does😂) which
has a grp/ fibre glassy front which is better suited to polishing.
Waxing is useful to make things slippy for dying insects, but a towing cover is better.
Steve.

Hyundai i30 Estate, pulling a Troll 550.
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#10

RE: To polish or not to polish?

in Improving your pride and joy and how to fix things Thu Mar 06, 2025 12:51 pm
by Russell Smith • | 10 Posts

Thanks for the warning, Steve. I have now polished the front and all seems OK (I knew my laziness would pay off at some point!) Looks like I'll just polish the GRP bits in future and take a look at towing covers. Russell


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#11

RE: To polish or not to polish?

in Improving your pride and joy and how to fix things Tue Mar 18, 2025 9:59 pm
by SOULBLUESMAN68 • | 1.220 Posts

Hi Russell

I am strongly in the Autoglym camp for our Troll. I always wash it with Bodywork Shampoo Conditioner and then, like Randa, use the Super Resin Polish. As our Troll is the silver flat GT finish I also got some Autoglym Extra Gloss Protection Polish but haven't felt the need to use it yet

Like Colin I always give it a clean and a polish before I put it away for the winter with its cover on. This means that when you take the cover off it gleams like new. I took the cover off this afternoon and when Kath came in she asked me if I had just polished it................I resisted the temptation to tell a little white lie!

However I would add that Colin is a bit of a perfectionist so that if he uses Bobby Dazzler it must be good. I also resist the temptation to rub too hard when polishing.

Good luck
MikeT


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#12

RE: To polish or not to polish?

in Improving your pride and joy and how to fix things Fri Mar 21, 2025 8:57 am
by Russell Smith • | 10 Posts

Thanks, Mike.


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