Coachella

When we purchased Coachella Birdie back in October ’23, the fiberglass finish really looked nice. What we did not realize or understand was how fiberglass gelcoat easily breaks down over time and exposure to UV rays. Within 6 months, we began to notice blotchy areas that were not so shiny. In 2024, after some research, we thought applying some Turtle Wax compound to remove the obvious oxidation from the surface of the coach and applying a protective coat of Carnuba was the approach. The coach shined up nicely, but by the end of the season, the coach again had blotchy patches of oxidation.

Applying compound and wax was a massive undertaking, even though I used a DA buffer to assist with the application and removal of the material. The task in the spring of ’24 took nearly three weeks of work. When 2025 rolled around, I decided to only attach the nose-over area of the coach. This is the area over the cab with the roof and walls all made of fiberglass. I did approach a few body shops to tackle the task, but the lowest bid was $750 to just wax that area. So again, I used the Turtle Wax compound and Meguiar’s Carnuba wax.

So here we are in 2026, wash/rinse/repeat yet again with the gelcoat. Not sure why manufacturers just don’t paint the fiberglass to end this huge maintenance problem, but it’s probably cost-related. This year I decided to try a non-Carnuba was based product. Meguiar’s Marine & RV Cleaner was designed specifically for light cleaning of oxidation while applying a protective UV barrier on the surface of the gelcoat. The product is not organic, so in theory the finish should hold up better against washing and UV than organic Carnuba was.

Application was extremely easy; in fact, the process was easier to do by hand application and polishing than using a DA buffer. While the coach is not entirely done, after two days’ work more than 75% of the coach has been completed. In 2027, I’ll revisit this post and report back on how well the Meguiar’s product held up.

Some 45+ years ago, I polished my ’70 Mustang using my Dad’s tried and proven method: Simonize Cleaner and then Simonize Wax. That stuff held up against the elements for a full year, but to Wax my small Mustang took a full day of labor-intensive work. Doing the same on our Class-C motorhome would probably take a month, certainly not worth the effort. Hope the Meguiar’s Marine product holds up!