passport front end - texture / polish

[east2650bh]

I have a new-to-me 2013 passport 2650bh with what I think is a gel-coated filon front cover (not a fiberglass cap). The decals on the front were toast, so I removed them. Of course there was ghosting which I tried to remove with polishing compound and a dual-action polisher, but that was not strong enough. So I went to 1200 grit wet sanding - then on to 800 when that wasn't enough.

I've managed to remove 95% of the ghosting - enough for me to stop wet sanding. Then I wet sanded with 1500 and polished it out.

I have managed to get it glossy, but now I notice very small wavy appearance when viewing from the sides. I believe this is due to very small imperfections or texture that didn't get totally flattened out by my wet sanding (I was trying to go easy and take off as little as I could). I don't recall there being much texture in the front cover, but I'm not sure. Can someone confirm whether there is or is not texture for me?

Has anyone tried to polish out that texture with a similar experience?

Has anyone tried to go more aggressive and flatten the texture out to a glass-smooth finish? That wasn't really my objective, but I think the wet-sanding to remove ghosting may have started that flattening process and accidentally created a visual effect (that isn't pleasing).

I'm also toying with going back over it with 1500 and leaving it that way to sort of dull the finish and make the imperfections less noticeable. I don't know what its "supposed" to look like from the factory, so I need some help with that aspect of it.

Thanks for any feedback.

[east2650bh]

Update:

There is definitely a texture to the stock front panel. Mild wet sanding it does remove heavy oxidation and most ghosting, but also flattens out part of the finish, while not going deep enough to flatten it all over. So after polishing you get a look from certain angles that looks like heavy orange peel or hail damage.

I'm giving up on any thought of trying to flatten it out with more wet sanding due to the amount of material that would have to be removed. I'll post a pic when I'm done and get the replacement decals on.

Also, I bought replacement front decals from rvdecalsdirect, but they do not perfectly align (which is why I was trying to remove the ghosting). The font is a little different and the "road" image is not the same exact shape (you can tell from the images on the site). I still plan to try them out, but after this experience, I likely will not replace any of the ones on the side unless I can get exact oem replicas.
(https://www.rvdecalsdirect.com/keyst...rt-2013-travel)

TLDR; Do not wet sand the front panel of a 2013 passport to try and remove ghosting. Just buff/polish out as much as you can and quit.

[JRTJH]

Up until around 2018 (or around there) most FILON trailers used "raw FILON" sheeting on the sidewalls and either a FILON sheet or a molded fiberglass cap on the trailer front wall. Then, in around 2015-2016, Keystone started using "automotive quality painted fiberglass caps with a gel-coat overspray"... Sometime around 2018 or so, they started painting the "FILON front wall trailers as well"...

Your trailer does not have an OEM gelcoat finish and will probably have the fiberglass strands visible on the surface, especially if you "removed or polished the oxidation"... If you "look carefully beyond the swirl marks" you'll probably see what I'm talking about. Here's a photo of the type FILON used on your 2013 trailer. Later years may have a gel-coat overspray to "mask the fibers"

The situation, as I see it, for you, is how to minimize the swirl marks from removing the oxidation. One way is to spray gel-coat on the front FILON panel. If you do, it will be much more shiny than the sidewalls, and probably will stand out as "new/repaired" when anyone looks at the trailer.

You might consider an automotive polish/surface finish such as NU-FINISH rapid shine or a similar product.

I use Aerospace 303 "surface protectant" on the FILON on my trailer and Turtle Wax ICE spray wax on the front cap.

If you do use a "gel-coat" finish to hide the swirls, I'm afraid your sidewalls will then be "much more clearly a problem"....

[east2650bh]

Here is where I stopped.

[JRTJH]

That looks a "helluva lot better" than most 2013 trailer front walls. I'd consider it a "victory and finished" LOL just keep the bugs from drying on it and it should look "natural" for the summer.....

[sourdough]

IMO I think that looks really good for a 2013 trailer, and many newer. I would protect what you've done and go with it. If you keep sanding/buffing I'm afraid you'll get past the point of no return and it will just go downhill.

[flybouy]

Originally Posted by east2650bh

Here is where I stopped.

If you're not satisfied with the results I recommend that you practice, on my trailer!