What is the Finish/Paint - Gel Coat or Paint?

[Nomad Mike]

My 2005 Journey has full body paint. There is some peeling of clear coat on the very top rear cap. I can't do much about this without giving her to a body/paint shop, but I would like to protect the rest of her.



So is this a gel coat with clear coat, or a paint over the fiberglass with clear coat?

I have some swirls, water spots and not sure if it is oxidation or some staining.

The oxidation/staining starts to wipe off with a little hard rubbing with a wet finger but most of it will take more effort.



I'm looking to get a DA Orbital Polisher such as the PC 7424 or the Meguiar's MT300. Deciding on that is the easy part, but which pad's, chemicals and techniques is the hard part. I've seen some suggestions of using Mequiar's marine products.

So what do I have and what to do about it's care? I like Mequiar's products and have used them and DA's on a Mustang I use to have and it always looked nice. Since I have a back and neck disability, I will have to rely on the DA, so no I won't be doing Karate Kid on it.

Thanks - Mike

[Pusherman]

It's full body paint, with clear coat.

[Nomad Mike]

Originally Posted by Pusherman

It's full body paint, with clear coat.

Thanks, any recommendations on care?

[Nomad Mike]

I found this in my manual:

Waxing and Polishing
When water will not bead up and roll off the finish of your freshly washed vehicle, it’s time to apply a new coat of wax to the finish. Wax not only improves the appearance of the vehicle, but protects the finish against oxidation and corrosive substances. We recommend using a wax that is compatible with painted and gel-coated fiberglass finishes. If the finish begins to look dull or discolored, it may need to be cleaned with a polishing or cleaning compound.

[Nomad Mike]

I called Winnebago and got the information. It is both, a gel-coat and paint. It starts as a gel-coat and then it is painted over that surface.

Bottom line is I can use wax products designed for cars.

[Nomad Mike]

So my second picture is also clear coat failure.

[MaverickBBD]

I looks almost exactly like mine. I was given an estimate of $1,200 to paint the front upper end cap and $2,400 to do the sides of the roof. Oh and $30,000 to do the upper half of the coach. We won't be doing option 3 but I was just curious.