I wonder how many, like Agger, have actually set about Polishing and Waxing their beloved Eriba from time to time. For me that pleasure was this afternoon, and after standing on a ladder for the best part of three and a half hours all I have got to say is .........never, ever again. My shoulders and arms are killing me and there is absolutely no chance of me repeating this little exercise twice a year - no, not even once. Is it really worth it I find myself asking as I wash my car by hand mixing into the water some mixture or other from one of the major car detailing suppliers that contains both detergent and something that makes the car shine afterwards. Surely a regular washing of the Eriba using a branded car cleaner will do the job every bit as good?

I give my van a good wash with a caravan cleaner, (Aldi in my case) then I use Fenwicks Bobby Dazzler in a pressurised garden spray to give a nice shine.

http://fenwicks.info/caravan/index.php/e...s/bobby-dazzler

Blurb:
Fenwicks Bobby Dazzler is a hydrophobic protective surface coating, it actively repels water, dirt and algae, it gives you that showroom finish without the need to polish. Simply apply during rinsing without the hard work of polishing. It is suitable for use on plastics, aluminium, glass, acrylic windows, GRP, ABS, fibreglass, decals, sealants, paint and much more. Does not contain silicone

used to do the roof every month by hand when was not educated in polish to use [cry], not a job I liked or do like being perched on a ladder, thank goodness the polish lasts longer and can keep uv off for longer..
do the sides once or twice a year, depending on how feeling,
never did the whole eriba in one session, always split into manageable sections.
ouch, perhaps a radox bath may help reset the muscles
there is a company that does come to home or you take to them and they do the clean and polish job for you...
hope you recover soon
P

What can I say! I'm not fit, I'm 62, I have deformed arms (due to hypercalceria after breakiing and fracturing both) but I could wash, dry & wax our Eriba in about 2 hours, mind you it was always kept clean! And this is Ii believe where many go wrong.

Why leave what is likley to be either your second or third most expensive purchase of your lifetime to get ingrained with dirt? I'm not sayiing your dirty so don't take umbrage, some of us have time, some don't, some enjoy it, some don't, for me I was just looking after our possession.

We have a new car, we bought it 2 weeks ago and it's already had 5 coats of wax and I'm going out now to wash, dry and wax it again

I keep myself fit despite being fat! I never ache after a days cleaning

Thanks for the Fenwicks tip, Poptop - much appreciated. I give the van a good wash off after every trip and treat it as the valuable possession that it really is. That said, I believe there are two ways to set about any job - "an easy way and a hard way" and if the same effect can be achieved by opting for the easy way then I'll choose that over the hard way any day. If this Fenwicks stuff can give a protective finish to the vans roof and prevent the powder effect by giving it a two minute rinse then sod the standing on a ladder for a few hours. I've got far more important things to do during the day - every day - than stand around admiring a freshly polished and waxed caravan roof.
I should perhaps emphasise that non of the above is a dig at Agger - each to his/her own I say and if applying umpteen coats of polish/wax to his car and caravan then so be it - whatever rocks one's boat.

Deeps, as you know the fiberglass roof is a pain to keep clean and stop the dreaded UV rays turning the gel coat into powder. I now use a roof cover on my Familia 320 in-between trips during the touring season, in winter it has a full cover. So in theory the roof will only be exposed for approximately 6 weeks of the year.

this is the one I bought, It covers my Eriba Familia roof which is 362 x 200 and drops down the side by about a metre

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B005H...ailpage_o00_s00

Familia roof cover.jpg - Bild entfernt (keine Rechte)

Thanks once again. However, we keep our Triton 430 in covered storage when not actually in use and cover the roof with a large cotton sheet to keep the dust off more than anything.

Oh! To have the time. Nothing like a nice shiny caravan to make yourself feel good!

With regards to cleaning and polishing the roof. I have used Farecla surface restorer from my local boat chandler and it worked a treat. It took me half a day to do the roof and pop top on my 2001 Triton 420gt and bought the shine back up, Thought it was worth a try if its good for boats must as good for my caravan roof both made from the same stuff. Try this site for information about the product www.seascrew.com/Farecla-Boat-products.htm

Bought a garden spray earlier today and will obtain some of that Bobby Dazzler stuff when over in the UK in a few weeks time. One question regarding it's application - do you leather off the van after washing and before applying the BD or simply apply it to the wet van. Or does it really not matter? I'm thinking the pop-top here where BD is likely to pool and not run off due to the relative flatness.

I always spray the BD straight after rinsing the van. I think the instructions only mention leathering off after applying the BD in hard water areas.

Ah ok, thanks. We live in a fairly hard water area so leathering the van off first seems to be the way to go.

I have some shampoo with Canuberra wax, and Merely polish. Would you use these and then apply bobby dazzler?

Bump anyone help on the advice on do I use the mer polish on it. And can I use the booby dazzler after shampooing with added wax

You don't need to polish with Bobby Dazzler, just wash your van as normal and then add the Boddy Dazzler solution as below.....


This is the info on their website:
Fenwicks Bobby Dazzler is a hydrophobic protective surface coating, it actively repels water, dirt and algae, it gives you that showroom finish without the need to polish. Simply apply during rinsing without the hard work of polishing. It is suitable for use on plastics, aluminium, glass, acrylic windows, GRP, ABS, fibreglass, decals, sealants, paint and much more. Does not contain silicone.

How to use Fenwicks Bobby Dazzler

Step 1: Pour 1 capful of Fenwicks Bobby Dazzler Afterwash Protective Coating into 5 litres of cold clean water.
Step 2: Apply to surfaces from top to bottom using a spray, sponge or brush.
Step 3: Use a micro-fibre cloth in hard water areas or on warm or windy days.

Handy hints

Cleaning first with Fenwicks Cleaner Concentrate will always result in a superior finish. A quick rub over with a dry cloth will remove any water marks. Use on your car for a dazzling afterwash shine.