Make My Aluminum Trailer Look New Again

[DWHalverson]

What can I use to bring back that new look to my aluminum trailer. I have uses muriatic acid to clean off the oxidation and now it looks dull. I have also tried to buff it with some polish and a Scotch Brite pad with no luck. I'm about ready to actually polish it, but I hate polishing and the results on a trailer wont last long.

Dave

 

[adrenaline junkey]

When it came time to polish the boat I used an orbital buffer with the terry cloth cover and lots of mothers polish or blue magic. Do it early in the mornings so the heat of the day doesn't kill you and the sun doesn't dry the polish so fast. But I'm warning you ahead of time sometimes its better to live with the dull look.

 

[DWHalverson]

Yeah I hear ya on the polishing. I have polished way too many things over the years to know I don't want to go that route. I'm just looking for some kind of chemical cleaner that I can use to "wash" the trailer and get it looking better.

Dave

When it came time to polish the boat I used an orbital buffer with the terry cloth cover and lots of mothers polish or blue magic. Do it early in the mornings so the heat of the day doesn't kill you and the sun doesn't dry the polish so fast. But I'm warning you ahead of time sometimes its better to live with the dull look.

 

[94fordguy]

Would anything like a powerball work? Seeing as other than the front ramps, the sides of an ope trailer itself are only a few inches tall...?

 

[crestview]

You could try an acid wash at a truck stop. We run our cattle trucks through there and it seems to clean them up really nice. We also have a soap and acid spray on on the farm that we use that works good. You soap up your vehicle or trailer and spray the acid on top of the soap and just rince off. No scrubbing or polishing. Works good on the aluminum trailers and my boat too.

 

[tnts4me]

I have a white 4 place enclosed trailer that I recently did the outside after about 2 years of no waxing, basically rinse off-n-be done. Anyways there was the oxidation, stains and rust particles as I live by a foundry. It was a lot of work but it looks almost brand spanking new. Here's what I did

Washed with liquid soap and water, while still soapy I sprayed simple green on and worked it on the sides. Rinsed

Then I used Turtle Wax's Clay Bar kit. The step 1 (liquid clay) was amazing on getting off the stains and what not. I even went one step further, I removed the metal screws (if they would come out) hold the sides on. So that I could get the stains around the screws also. I did one row going down at a time. Then once done, I rinsed and dried.

Then I used the clay bar to go over the whole trailer.

Then I gave it 2 coats of wax. The sides are as smooth if not smoother than new. It was a lot of work but the results are awesome. My trailer is 10 years old and you would not know it now.

I should add that it took about 2 weeks to do this as had to work on it when I could find the time.

 

[racingpit]

Try the Mcguire's Aluminum polish on the unpainted aluminum parts.

 

[Above & Beyond Performanc]

At just about any boat store or marina you can buy (SAFER ACID REPLACEMENT) i think they call it Safer hull or something like that, it is pink in color and smells like a mixture of acid and super clean. (IT JUST STINKS) but works awesome spray on and let sit out of sun and then spray off

good luck

 

[94fordguy]

TTT... Any other methods you guys have had success with?

 

[Dragon 08]

SOS pads work great.It will look like new aluminum without polishing and have some protection on finish.

 

[DOLLYLLAMA]

check out www.sharkhide.com they might have what you want.

 

[RX1MountainMan]

You could try an acid wash at a truck stop. We run our cattle trucks through there and it seems to clean them up really nice. We also have a soap and acid spray on on the farm that we use that works good. You soap up your vehicle or trailer and spray the acid on top of the soap and just rince off. No scrubbing or polishing. Works good on the aluminum trailers and my boat too.

What's the name of this stuff? I bought a new polisher and tried to ploish the aluminum on the front of my v-nose enclosed. Diamond aluminum will eat up buffing pads like like a fat chick at an all you can eat buffet!

 

[fasta76]

Try Busch.. I have used it on many box liners and running boards. Works great!

http://www.buschshineproducts.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=4_11_22