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Old 10-22-2013, 10:31 AM   #1
superdog404
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Clear Coat or Cover?

Hi everyone new here with a question. We are picking up a new last year 2013model 318sab. The dealer called and asked me if I wanted to have them do a clear coat on the outside of the rig. He says it will not leave black marks down the sides and also help protect the decals from the sun. He said it would be guaranteed for 5 years. He continumed to say since we live in California they usually recommend the coat. That and a scotguard inside is around $1100. I will forget about the scotguard but kinda wonder about the clear coat. In the back of my mind I think I should pass but thought I'd ask here.
My other idea would be to buy a cover for the 5th wheel but out here they also don't seem to last more than a couple years.

Thnaks for the great site
Harold
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Old 10-22-2013, 11:11 AM   #2
Bob Landry
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Decline the Clear Coat and the Scotchgard. It's all a rip-off and it does nothing but add to the bottom line cost and the amount you'll have to finance.
The dealer in Houston that I bought from was very animate about needing it an went so far as to tel me his cost for three bottles of stuff was over $500 and he was selling to me at a loss. I almost walked away from the deal.
If you have already closed the deal, make sure the price is what you agreed on and they didn't pepper you with "extras". It's the bottom line number that counts, not the dealer's internal accounting system
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Old 10-22-2013, 12:49 PM   #3
440justin
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I just ordered a cover from Calmark yesterday, so I can't speak for how it will hold up over time, but they do offer a cover with a 6year warranty and they are based in California so they should expect to sell some covers in your conditions. Maybe give them a call and ask them, I have talked to them twice and they are very helpful on the phone.

http://www.calmarkcovers.com/



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Originally Posted by superdog404 View Post
Hi everyone new here with a question. We are picking up a new last year 2013model 318sab. The dealer called and asked me if I wanted to have them do a clear coat on the outside of the rig. He says it will not leave black marks down the sides and also help protect the decals from the sun. He said it would be guaranteed for 5 years. He continumed to say since we live in California they usually recommend the coat. That and a scotguard inside is around $1100. I will forget about the scotguard but kinda wonder about the clear coat. In the back of my mind I think I should pass but thought I'd ask here.
My other idea would be to buy a cover for the 5th wheel but out here they also don't seem to last more than a couple years.

Thnaks for the great site
Harold
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Old 10-22-2013, 05:59 PM   #4
randy69
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I did the clear coat from mike Thomson .. It does not save your decales. But it does help with black straks .. Last year my cap was faded. The warranty was good they sent someone out to fix it . The guy told me to have the whole rv done just before my 6 years are over. This was the clear coat manufactor. My rig 2010.
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Old 10-22-2013, 07:04 PM   #5
hankpage
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Harold, Think about it .... your trailer has sat on the dealers lot for a year and after they washed it, it looks brand new. Hmmmmm, No cover, no super duper clear coat and it still looks new. Save your money and if you don't want to (or can't) wash and wax it yourself, use that money to pay someone else to do it once a year and you will be ahead of the game. JM2¢, Hank
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Old 10-23-2013, 06:04 PM   #6
superdog404
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Thanks everyone. That's about what I thought also. The final price has been set so i don't think I should have any trouble.
About the covers. I have a 66 Pontiac that I drag race. I have had over the past 7 years or so at least 5 covers. The one from Walmart fall completely apart. It was replaced but still didn't last. The cover I have now is a 7 layer cover at about 1 year old and it's alreay wearing through at the headlights etc. I have some nylon rope that I have had outside on an antena for about 20 years and it is still strong and good. I have looked for a cover that is nylon but have never been able to find one.
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Old 10-27-2013, 09:24 PM   #7
fred1609
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We had a diamond coating sprayed on our new unit in 2011. In the fall of 2012 DW and I bought a cover for the 327RES. My buddy also had a cougar, same year but the bunk house model. He didn't have the diamond coating or a cover and his unit is dull and he has black streaks down the sides. We paid $500 for the diamond coating which the dealer will re-apply for in 5 years. I look at the two rigs and although I am a bit anal about the rig in terms of cleaning it....I believe that the diamond coating and the cover have made a difference.
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Old 10-28-2013, 04:53 AM   #8
Bob Landry
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Even with wax and/or clear coat, you are going to have streaks. Streaks are nothing more than atmospheric contaminants that accumulate and are washed down the sides when it rains. It's going to wash off regardless.
The bottom line is that if you feel warm and fuzzy about having a dealer give you a $500 wax job, then by all means do it. My dealer was unsuccessful in convincing me that a bottle wax and a couple of spray cans of Scotchgard were worth what he wanted for them, claiming that his cost was greater than what he was selling it for, so I declined his generous offer.
As far as covers, the only material that is going to offer longevity as far as UV resistance is Sunbrella, used for boat bikinis, and those are going to be some high dollar covers. For any other material, figure on a couple of years and more will be a bonus. Add to that the posts that I have read where covering the trailer possible caused such ills as paint and gelcoat blistering and decals peeling, I'll take my chances with the elements.
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Old 10-28-2013, 10:34 AM   #9
Pentagon
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We used to have a Golden Falcon 5th wheeler, we had to wash and wax it every year, after a while the wax yellowed, and had to strip the whole 30 foot
trailer. We bought in April 2013 new Mountaineer clear coated it, the cost 899.50 with 10 year warranty. what a difference hardly NO black streaks all throughout the summer, and now the fall. I personally would highly recommend it .
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Old 10-28-2013, 11:24 AM   #10
JRTJH
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Pentagon,

Part of the reason for "fewer black streaks" on your new RV is the design change in rain gutter spouts. Back "when" either there were no rain gutters and no spouts or there were rain gutters with very short spouts. If you look at your new Mountaineer, you'll see that the rain gutter spouts have built in extensions and drip the water at least 4" from the side of the RV. That alone has reduced our black streak problem by at least 90% on the Springdale we just sold. We have a new Cougar XLite with the extended rain gutter spouts and we've had no black streaks at all. I attribute it to the extended gutter spouts as we had no add on finish protectant applied.

In years to come, you may see a benefit in other areas from the protectant, but I'd suggest the reason for less black streaks is because the water isn't running off the roof and down the side of your Mountaineer.
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