Plastic protectants?

[LHaven]

What do people like for plastic protectant products, for un-dulling things like propane covers and tongue-jack heads? Looks like I'm going to be needing a good one since my Cougar is parked facing Mexico. I haven't touched these products since the original Armor-All formulation came out when I was a teenager and I discovered it gave me lobster hands.

[locomech]

I use Aerospace 303 protectant on Maxx air vent covers, ac cover, light lenses, window trim, Propane tank cover, and weather stripping. I didn't know lobsters had hands

[JRTJH]

Aerospace 303. I buy it by the gallon and use it on everything from motorcycle tires to upholstery in the boat, the cycle, the Cougar roof, refrigerator vents, shower skylight and all plastic/fiberglass surfaces, yes including the FILON trailer sides and all the vinyl screw cover moldings.

Not cheap, when you first buy it, but significantly cheaper than buying new plastic, vinyl and/or TPO components.

https://www.amazon.com/303-30320-Pro...s%2C145&sr=8-6

[ChuckS]

Aerospace 303 is all I use..

[sourdough]

303 - definitely not ArmorAll.

[dutchmensport]

Spray Paint and forget it. But it has to be an oil based spray paint, like original Rust-o-lium. Do not use a house paint or an interior paint or a latex paint or an enamel paint. Use an oil based paint and you'll never have that plastic part fade again.

[LHaven]

All good ideas. I actually have an antique jug of 303 I bought for some project on my previous rig (possibly dressing the EPDM roof) and I never think of using it for anything. I'll break it out.

I like the paint idea, too, though painting the jack head would require no end of detail masking. On my old rig, I did remove and repaint all of the plastic grilles (fridge, range fan, outlet cover) with the then-new Krylon Fusion (metal/plastic) paint after the desert sun had really browned them, and was quite pleased with the result.

[dutchmensport]

It took a while for me to locate these photos, but this was my "crowing achievement" painting the plastic or vinyl items on my previous campers. This was our Outback TT, before and after paint those vinyl propane tanks. I did a lot of detail work on that camper after 5 years of sun dried fade:

This is a photo of the camper when it was still fairly new. The propane tank cover had not faded yet. It faded a dingy grey. It looked very similar to the electric jack cover.
You can see the difference in how much that plastic faded over those years by looking at the difference in the jack cover:



And here is the same tank cover after using the black Rust-o-lium (Professional) spray paint (2 coats):



I have also quit messing around trying to wax and protect metal parts, like the trailer frame, stuff like that. I just spray paint and never have to wax. I would not do that on the side of the camper, but it works VERY well on metal and plastics!