Ask Dave: How to restore travel trailer’s faded plastic lower panel

Dear Dave,
Our 2020 Outback travel trailer lower front black cap is showing signs of wear. Can l repair it? —Charlie

Dear Charlie,
The material on the lower front of your Outback is a pebble-grain, vacuum-formed plastic panel. It is hard to tell if it started out dark black or was painted. This is a common issue with front components on trailers that are exposed to harsh sunlight and particles while being pulled down the road.

When I worked at Winnebago Industries, we had a Plastics Division that did vacuum-formed components such as shower surrounds, dash front panels and bumper end caps. I researched the different types of plastic for the videos and training program.

There is quite a difference in materials such as thickness, UV resistance, and strength. Plastic sheets are tested with a puncture test for strength, which is equivalent to dropping a dart from 6 feet, and providing different grades of strength. Those are much like a good, better, and best label, and each level is a different price point. Unfortunately, we have found that in the past few years RV manufacturers have been looking for something even below “good”!

Since the wear or faded marks on your panel are not uniform across the plastic, I would assume it is caused more by wear. It looks like the pattern could be directly behind the rear wheels of your tow vehicle? As you go down the road, the tires will kick up dust, sand, and dirt. It will have a “sand-blasting” effect on the plastic, whether it was an inherent color of the plastic or painted on.

Suggestions

The first thing I would suggest is a set of mud flaps on the tow vehicle. Then there are a few products you can try to restore the original color.

303 Protectant

This has been a really good product to not only help with protecting fiberglass and plastic components from UV fading and normal wear and tear, but also as a restoration product. We used it back in the mid-1980s to help restore the beige color of the sidewall material that had turned pinkish, and even for dash vinyl that had faded to almost white. I would try a liberal amount of product on a rag or spray directly to see if it will restore the color. It is not very expensive so it might be a good test without spending a fortune on repainting. You can find it on Amazon here.

Meguiar’s Black Restorer

There are a ton of products on the market that claim to restore faded plastic, especially clear headlight lens covers. I have tried more than a dozen without much success.

However, I have always been a fan of Meguiar’s products. Crane Composites, the company that manufactures Filon fiberglass panels, recommends Meguiar’s for faded gelcoat and protection. I have read many posts regarding faded black plastic on car bumpers and side mirrors. Meguiar’s Ultimate Black Plastic Restorer has the most positive reviews.

I have not tried it yet as most of the faded components we have worked on for RV Lifestyle and Repair have been either beige fiberglass or plastic. However, I would say that for under $10 it would be worth trying it. You can find it on Amazon here.

Repainting

If none of the restoration products work, it might not be a difficult task to repaint it. I have used Rust-Oleum Black Trim Paint on several old cars that I have touched up over the years as it is flexible and easy to apply in a small area.

Recently I used this to paint the metal trim under the windshield wipers and around the license plate on my father-in-law’s 1985 El Camino, and it looked like new. I used the flat black, as gloss shows every little defect in not only the paint application but the material, as well. You can find it on Amazon here.

What do others use?

As I stated earlier, there are dozens of products on the market such as Mother’s which is a trusted brand. Most wipe-on applications only last a few months unless the unit is stored out of the elements.

I have also talked with a few owners at the local campground that covered the lower front with a diamond plate shield. One even had it customized and bent to the shape by a local metal fabricator.

I’m looking forward to seeing what our readers have used.

 You might also enjoy this from Dave 

Why is the sidewall on my trailer “crinkling”?

Dear Dave,
I have a 2007 18-foot Fun Finder and the sidewall on the front portion of it is crinkled. Some people say it is because it wasn’t glued correctly. I would like to find out how to repair it. Thanks. —Leonard

Read Dave’s answer.

Dave Solberg is a leading expert in the RV industry and the author of the “RV Handbook.”

Read more from Dave here. 

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