Faded front cap...no more!

[sjk1998]

Nice job, it really looks good.

[gmurphy28]

Thanks

[Stovepipe]

Originally Posted by gmurphy28

We have a 2013 Reserve Sunset Trail 31 BH by CROSSROADS we purchased last summer. Previous owner didn't look after and tried to clean front cap. The front was severely faded. I washed the trailer and used a general degreaser. Then purchased a one step Marine / RV compound and applied with a polisher. Then applied a 9H Car Ceramic Coating Kit Color N Drive which I also purchased online from Amazon. Please see the before and after pictures unbelievable difference. The truth will be after next season if it still looks good.

Dang son, that looks amazing! Can I pay you to do mine?

[mactek]

Thanks for all this info. We just bought a 32BH that was badly oxidized and we thought we were going to have to repaint but this thread gives us hope that we can fix for less than 100 bucks and a little elbow grease.

[cvconsult]

How long after you purchased your trailer did you notice fading? We have a 2016 Super Lite and it is already fading, looks like garbage for a 40k trailer and manufacturer will not back their poor choice of materials.

[mactek]

We bought our trailer with the faded front cap. I plan to try and repair this weekend. I will post before and after pictures. It is a real shame that crossroads won't fix on a 2016 trailer.

[cvconsult]

Yes it is a shame that they will not back their product, claiming that because the trailer is past the 1 year warranty they wont deal with it. So you mean that if I buy a new car I should expect the clearcoat to fade after less than 2 years of use?? Anyway thank you for your response and have a great day, I look forward to seeing your results!

[harley]

Like I and others have posted earlier...any amount of compounding and polishing will not last at all...wasting your time. the outer layer of crappy gelcoat is gone ...Paint is the only fix. If it is a lighter colour , you may get away with it.But dark brown ..no way...

[mark5w]

You could try this product: http://www.vivilon.com/product_list.html
Not cheap, but a do it yourself project.

[BillBolly]

I have a 2013 Sunset Trail Reserve 32RL I bought new. By the time mine faded about a year later I was so fed up with the dealership, had it in their shop probably 6 months of the first 12 months we had it with slide leaks, GFI not working, that I just gave up. Later found out the dealershp was bringing in others at the direction of CrossRoads to have them repainted with an automotive paint. They, CrossRoads and dealership, refused to make it good saying I had waited to long to report it. Have had nothing but trouble with it, including the GFI that I had the dealership repair 3 times and another dealership 1 time. They all claimed it was fixed, NOT. I finally replaced the GFI, on recommendation of 2 electricians, with a standard and voila all works. Of course, I'm forgetting about all the times we had it in because the driver's side 2 slides were leaking. Finally, Crossroads send down 3 technicians to central Louisiana to fix mine and 6 others with same problems. Of course, I have given up on Crossroads and am repairing the flooring that was ruined by the slide leaks myself. Dealership is Courvelle on I-49 in Opelousas, Louisiana.

[jduhon84]

Originally Posted by gmurphy28

We have a 2013 Reserve Sunset Trail 31 BH by CROSSROADS we purchased last summer. Previous owner didn't look after and tried to clean front cap. The front was severely faded. I washed the trailer and used a general degreaser. Then purchased a one step Marine / RV compound and applied with a polisher. Then applied a 9H Car Ceramic Coating Kit Color N Drive which I also purchased online from Amazon. Please see the before and after pictures unbelievable difference. The truth will be after next season if it still looks good.

How well has the ceramic coating held up?

[BillBolly]

The automotive paint route is what they were doing to others here in Louisiana, except for mine saying I had waitd too long to file a complaint. I had so many problems over the first year I had just given up. Anyway, Crosssroads was paying $1300 per trailfer to have a truck repair outfit in Baton Rouge repaint the front cap with an automotive quality paint and then the dealer was replacing the emblem on front. At our age we'll just put up with this paid for trailer but bad mouth Crossroads and Courvelle RV in Opelousas, LA at every opportunity. Hate to be that way but they should have taken care of the problems.

[cottonakin]

Originally Posted by gmurphy28

We have a 2013 Reserve Sunset Trail 31 BH by CROSSROADS we purchased last summer. Previous owner didn't look after and tried to clean front cap. The front was severely faded. I washed the trailer and used a general degreaser. Then purchased a one step Marine / RV compound and applied with a polisher. Then applied a 9H Car Ceramic Coating Kit Color N Drive which I also purchased online from Amazon. Please see the before and after pictures unbelievable difference. The truth will be after next season if it still looks good.

I bought those items based on your recommendation, paid a young auto detailer to buff and apply, and our 32RL looks better than it ever has (it was faded when we bought it)!


Thanks for the post!

[egrum]

Hey Folks

I'm so glad to see that this is almost a common problem.

We have a Crossroads Reserve 26BH 2012, every single year from day one I would spend 6 - 8 hours washing, and waxing the outside using good cleaning and waxing products and every year when I got it out of storage it looked worse.

I would ask around and check with fiberglass experts and try the recommended product, only to have the cap look worse the following year, but also never really coming back to original with all my work.

I contacted distributor and Crossroads and the products that they recommended never did any better than the other. I had sort of gave up.

I even had tried that 3M Marine wax that others have used. I did only a very slight improvement over everything else I tried.

Then camping last year out of the blue some people stoped and asked about the trailer and the cap and said they had the same issue and recommended some products from a supplier in Calgary (where they and we live).

I bought the products as a last ditch effort (very expensive about $200.00).

So far with about 6 hours into the project (must do when it is sort of cool, not 25 C)

I use an orbital polisher with the:

Poli Ox covering abut a 3' sq, and repeat at least 2 times

Then

2 applications of the 3M Marine Restore (1 application of either one barley makes a noticeable difference to the oxidation.

Last and I havent got this far is to apply the Poli Glow.

The directions say do not apply like a wax but rather like a Varnish. It is supposed to leave a "Wet Look" to the fiberglass.

Reading your comments this sounds common and it seems to be another example of manufacturers taking the cheap/inexpensive route in their process. for them to apply clear Gel-Coat would add minimal expense to you and I.

I owned boats and NEVER had this much trouble with a 10 year old boat and oxidation.

I was not impressed in year 2 with the support I was receiving from Crossroads on this and many other issues (wearing a set of tire out in 5000 miles) Caster Camber and Toe-In all wrong on the axels, (turns out the axles are way under rated for the DRY weight of the trailer) I had to buy new axels, went up 1 weight rating, still to light but could not go higher unless I was willing to change the entire suspension system. Crossroads, the trailer was just out of storage in the 2nd year (bought in May, got the unit into the dealer in August, no other appointments available) when they did the measurements they came up with the same numbers that an independent frame company gave me.

They (dealer) told me we were beyond the 1 year warranty and they would do nothing. I asked them to contact Crossroads, they came back with the axels were manufactured in 2010 and our trailer is a 2012 therefore the axels were 2 years old so no warranty.

I argued and complained and finally Crossroads agreed to ship a set of new axels (only, no hubs, no brakes) free of charge, it was up to me to have them installed. Unless it was done at a certified dealer no warranty, cost of installation over $1200.00.

Crossroads has left a bad taste in out mouth.

Are they all like this?

Yes we still have the unit, I have spent over $1000.00 in mods and upgrades and that does not include the new heavier axels.

Dont want to sell it quite yet.

The picture of the cap is before I started and it looks worse in real life.

[Wingerdinger]

Originally Posted by egrum

Hey Folks

I'm so glad to see that this is almost a common problem.

We have a Crossroads Reserve 26BH 2012, every single year from day one I would spend 6 - 8 hours washing, and waxing the outside using good cleaning and waxing products and every year when I got it out of storage it looked worse.

I would ask around and check with fiberglass experts and try the recommended product, only to have the cap look worse the following year, but also never really coming back to original with all my work.

I contacted distributor and Crossroads and the products that they recommended never did any better than the other. I had sort of gave up.

I even had tried that 3M Marine wax that others have used. I did only a very slight improvement over everything else I tried.

Then camping last year out of the blue some people stoped and asked about the trailer and the cap and said they had the same issue and recommended some products from a supplier in Calgary (where they and we live).

I bought the products as a last ditch effort (very expensive about $200.00).

So far with about 6 hours into the project (must do when it is sort of cool, not 25 C)

I use an orbital polisher with the:

Poli Ox covering abut a 3' sq, and repeat at least 2 times

Then

2 applications of the 3M Marine Restore (1 application of either one barley makes a noticeable difference to the oxidation.

Last and I havent got this far is to apply the Poli Glow.

The directions say do not apply like a wax but rather like a Varnish. It is supposed to leave a "Wet Look" to the fiberglass.

Reading your comments this sounds common and it seems to be another example of manufacturers taking the cheap/inexpensive route in their process. for them to apply clear Gel-Coat would add minimal expense to you and I.

I owned boats and NEVER had this much trouble with a 10 year old boat and oxidation.

I was not impressed in year 2 with the support I was receiving from Crossroads on this and many other issues (wearing a set of tire out in 5000 miles) Caster Camber and Toe-In all wrong on the axels, (turns out the axles are way under rated for the DRY weight of the trailer) I had to buy new axels, went up 1 weight rating, still to light but could not go higher unless I was willing to change the entire suspension system. Crossroads, the trailer was just out of storage in the 2nd year (bought in May, got the unit into the dealer in August, no other appointments available) when they did the measurements they came up with the same numbers that an independent frame company gave me.

They (dealer) told me we were beyond the 1 year warranty and they would do nothing. I asked them to contact Crossroads, they came back with the axels were manufactured in 2010 and our trailer is a 2012 therefore the axels were 2 years old so no warranty.

I argued and complained and finally Crossroads agreed to ship a set of new axels (only, no hubs, no brakes) free of charge, it was up to me to have them installed. Unless it was done at a certified dealer no warranty, cost of installation over $1200.00.

Crossroads has left a bad taste in out mouth.

Are they all like this?

Yes we still have the unit, I have spent over $1000.00 in mods and upgrades and that does not include the new heavier axels.

Dont want to sell it quite yet.

The picture of the cap is before I started and it looks worse in real life.

We would love to see the `after' pictures, please. I hope it all works out for you.
I assume the Poli Glow is a protectant. Do you know how long it's suppose to last? How often do they recommend that you reapply?

[egrum]

Bought ours new in 2012, the next summer Oxidization had started, in spite of the fact I had polished the cap with a good quality fiberglass cleaner and polish. Just kept keeping worse every year.

I cleaned and polished every year.

[harley]

Like I have said numerous times about fade ...paint and clearcoat just loke a car is the only way to keeep from not having to do the polish yearly. Mine was done in aug of 2013 and still looks great . Just wash it ...like the car.

[Amk]

2013 sunset reserve- faded so bad we had it repainted at auto repair shop😕😕

[Chgill]

Originally Posted by Brox

Recently did the same thing with my used 2012 ST29SS Sunset Trail, which was also badly oxidized. I first used Meguiar's M4916 Marine/RV Heavy Duty Oxidation Remover using Meguiar's DMC6 6" DA Microfiber Cutting Disc, then followed it with Meguiar's M205 Mirror Glaze Ultra Finishing Polish and on my Dual Action buffer used a polishing bonnet and the final product used was Meguiar's M6332 Flagship Premium Marine Wax.

I followed your recommendations and it worked great! Thank you!

[zrone90]

I guess I was lucky, dealer had it painted under warranty.