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Old 04-14-2020, 02:18 PM   #1
stevemac
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2013 outback front cap oxidizing.

I have a 2013 Outback 298RE. the front cap which is brown has white patches developing. Is there anything I can do or use to get it back to close to original. It is not from clear coat chipping off, its just a dull whitish finish.
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Old 04-14-2020, 02:49 PM   #2
flybouy
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Have you cleaned the roof? The "whitish" deposits are often caused by the roof covering draining over the front cap.
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Old 04-14-2020, 03:59 PM   #3
JRTJH
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2014/2015 is when Keystone changed from "color molded into the front cap" to "automotive finished painted front cap"....

Some of Keystone's brands were "tested with automotive finishes" prior to others, and by 2016/2017, all models that featured fiberglass front caps were being produced with painted front caps.

I believe your trailer is one of many (like my 2014 Cougar) that were "on the tail end of molded in color"... From what I've read and what's been posted on forums I follow, Faded front caps is considered a "cosmetic issue" by Keystone and they don't do much (if any) after warranty good will gestures for owners with faded front caps.

That said, you may find some benefit from a good cleaning, restoring the finish and quality automotive waxing. Caution should be the "order of the day" as you're not working with a "conventional automotive finish" that's painted on the fiberglass, you're dealing with a "color molded into the fiberglass with a clearcoat finish over the fiberglass"... So, destroy the clearcoat by abrasive "color restore products" and what you'll end up with is a "faded fiberglass with no clear coat to keep it shiny"...

There are some products that seem to help a bit, mostly from the marine/boating industry, but even they can only "shine the faded brown front cap" they don't restore the faded brown to a vibrant brown... It'll still be faded, just a bit more luster.

One product that seems to be popular through the years is PolyGlo. If you remember the old "mop and glo" floor wax, it's similar to that. Clean the front cap, apply a thick coat of PolyGlo and it shines for a while. The problem comes when it starts to peel/wear and you need to reapply another coat. Like the old "mop and glow", buildup causes issues. I wouldn't recommend PolyGlo, but some have used it with success.
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Old 04-14-2020, 04:38 PM   #4
sourdough
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My 14 Cougar did not have the painted cap and it began to fade very quickly. The SM at the dealer saw it before I did and they painted it with excellent results until I traded it a little over a month ago. I'm sure you are dealing with the same issue I had.

In addition to the cap the side of the trailer that faced the sun during winters began to "oxidize" or get some kind of haze on it while it sat there for 5 months with us even trying to wax every 6-8 weeks or so (if we could). Something that showed some improvement was using Aerospace 303 on it liberally then repeating the process. I believe if you read the instruction on it they say for advanced oxidation or fade to let it soak in and repeat (this is totally from memory). The first coating appears to more or less soak in and help "bind" the damaged areas and then the repeat coat seems to help fill it in and gloss it up - it depends on how advanced it is. If that won't help I've used Meguire's #50 and it works well. I use a buffer then wipe it down.

https://www.autogeek.net/boat-cleaner-wax.html

https://www.autogeek.net/303aerprot.html

From the sound of it you may have lost the blended in coloring for the cap and the best you can hope for is removing the oxidation and getting a good shine....or paint it. Good luck with it.
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