How to Polish a Vintage Airstream - Vintage Trailer Supply

How to Polish a
Vintage Airstream

By Steve Hingtgen
Vintage Trailer Supply, Inc.
1-800-644-4620

Airstream shells are made of aluminum. the trailer skin its strength. The pure Airstream dealers started offering an
Aluminum reacts with oxygen in the air aluminum cladding is soft and is what early version of plasticoat on a handful
to form aluminum oxide, or oxidation. shines up so well when polished. of trailers as a way to stop the oxidation.
But unlike steel when it oxidizes to form In 1961 it became an official option you
iron oxide, aluminum doesn’t rust. The While some travel trailer could have applied to your trailer for
chemical reaction between aluminum manufacturers used alclad only until an extra charge. In 1964 it became
and oxygen doesn’t eat away at the the early 1960s, Airstream used alclad standard on all Airstream trailers.
aluminum, it actually builds on it . . .and panels into the 1980s. Starting in the
darkens it. middle of the 1982 production run, The formula has changed
Airstream changed the type of aluminum several times over the years, some
That’s the chemical part of the they used on trailers to .040” non-alclad versions lasting longer than others.
story, but not the part that has brought 3004-H18 aluminum. This alloy is much But eventually they all fail and start to
you to the point of polishing. More softer than the 2024-T3, so it needed flake off as the aluminum expands and
likely, this is an emotional decision. to be thicker. However, because it is contracts with the heat of the day, and
Once you’ve seen a freshly polished softer, it can still be polished to a very the UV rays dry out the coating, making
Airstream, it’s hard to look at Airstreams nice shine. However, without the pure it brittle. Usually the failure starts on
or aluminum the same way again. The aluminum cladding, it won’t achieve quite top, like a sunburn. It takes many many
mirror finish on that vintage streamline the same mirror as an older trailer. years for the sides to peel.
shape is nothing short of stunning. The
rivets and seams are accented against Another important change to A previous owner of your
the mirror panels, and you feel the Airstream exteriors was the application trailer may have struggled with this
urge to run right home and polish your of a lacquer coating over the aluminum problem and either had the trailer re-
own trailer. It isn’t about the chemical starting in the 1960s. The coating– plasticoated, had the plasticoat stripped
reaction, it’s about the emotional one. called plasticoat–was added because off completely and polished (or tried to
the aluminum skins were oxidizing so polish) the trailer, or simply let time take
This article provides a basic quickly that customers were complaining. its toll and watched as most or all the
description of how to polish a vintage Airstream had been applying glass wax plasticoat disappeared.
Airstream. But first, it’s important to to slow down the oxidation, but it didn’t
know that polishing isn’t for everyone. last more than 6 or 7 months. No matter how old your trailer is,
And it isn’t the same for every trailer. if your trailer has any plasticoat on it, the
Starting as early as 1958, coating must be entirely removed from
Can My Trailer Be Polished?
All Airstreams can be polished to a very
nice shine. However, not every trailer
can achieve the eye-popping mirror of
a vintage Airstream. As a general rule,
the softer the aluminum alloy (higher
aluminum content), the better the
shine.

Airstreams built up to 1982 used
a .032” thick aircraft-grade aluminum
alloy with a very thin layer of nearly pure
aluminum electrochemically bonded to
both sides. This special type of aluminum
sheet is called alclad aluminum. The
aluminum alloy underneath the cladding
(2024-T3) is strong and is what gives

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areas you intend to polish. Directions for involved. Your ability and willingness to Step 1: Remove parts that might be
determining whether or not your trailer do the work must be weighed against the damaged during polishing
still has a plasticoat and removing it are value to you. It is undeniable that the Lenses on porch, tail or marker lights
detailed later in this article. pride of ownership and resale value of should be removed. Any other plastic
a trailer are substantially increased. But or painted parts that might be damaged
Is Polishing For Me? since oxidation doesn’t harm a trailer’s during polishing should be protected by
Polishing is labor-intensive. The time it skin, perhaps you will decide you can taping off or removing them. Remove
takes depends on the size of the trailer, live with the unshined look. the red WBCCI numbers and VAC
the amount of oxidation, the efficiency decals and buy new ones to replace
of your technique, and the number of How to Polish an Airstream them.
breaks you need. At a minimum, expect The following polishing procedures
to spend at least three full weekends were developed from our own product Glass windows are safe,
on this project. Add a weekend to field testing, polish manufacturer lab but plastic vent covers may become
your timeline if you have to remove a and field testing, and feedback we’ve discolored or damaged. Door and
plasticoat. It is not uncommon for the gathered from our customers who have window gaskets are safe from polishing,
project to take twice that much time. experimented with various polishing but should be protected during plasticoat
techniques and products over more than removal (if applicable).
The good news is that once a six years.
trailer is polished to a mirror shine, the Step 2: Clean the trailer
second time takes far, far less time. Polishing techniques continue Oils and waxes will interfere with
That’s an important thing to know since to evolve. Although we can confidently effective polishing. Use a soft wool
you may very well be repolishing every recommend the following procedures, car wash glove and warm soapy water
year to keep the shine. they are not the only way to get (dishwashing liquid is fine in this case)
satisfactory results. You are encouraged to thoroughly wash your trailer. If you
Once the aluminum surface to experiment if you have the time. see any bird droppings, tar or pine sap
is polished, future polishing will be anywhere on the trailer, take mineral
easier and the shine will last longer Tools, Equipment and Supplies spirits or more agressive solvents and
because the aluminum surface becomes In practice, a polish’s aggressiveness remove those deposits. With a rigid
smoother and is further “healed” with depends on the polishing pads or fabric plastic or wooden tool, pick any dried
every polishing. and the tool being used. Therefore, loose caulk out of the seams.
you’ll need two different power tools to
To understand the smoothing complete all the polishing steps. To do When you are finished cleaning
and healing process, it is important to it all, you’ll need both a variable speed and prepping, be absolutely satisfied that
understand that aircraft-grade aluminum rotary polisher AND a Cyclo dual-head the surface is clean. Any dirt, sand or grit
polishes–like Airbrite or Nuvite–do orbital polisher. There are a number left on the trailer when you start polishing
not remove oxidation with a chemical of brands of rotary polishers. Look for will cause severely damaging scratches
process, but rather by an abrasive a heavy duty 7” variable speed model in the trailer skin. Note: do not use any
process. Aircraft-grade polishes are capable of operating at ~1500 rpm. The cleaning product containing ammonia.
specifically designed to be used in DeWalt 849P is highly recommended. Ammonia reacts with aluminum.
steps, somewhat like sandpaper. Each Do not use an orbital car polisher; it isn’t
successive step is a finer polish. The agressive enough. Step 3: Remove plasticoat
coarser polishes are used on highly All remnants of a plasticoat must
oxidized or slightly corroded surfaces. Along with two power tools, be removed before a trailer can be
The finest polishes are used only after you’ll need the following pads and other polished.
nearly all oxidation has been removed. items:
If you aren’t sure whether your
The skin of your Airstream is • 7” twisted-wool polishing pads (5+) trailer has a plasticoat, there are several
covered with small and microscopic • 7” velcro backplate to hold pads ways to find out. First, take a look at
scratches, pits and other imperfections. • A “spur” polishing pad cleaner your trailer from a distance. Does it look
By smoothing the surface during • Cyclo foam backing pads like it has a sunburn up top? Are there
polishing, the surface area is reduced, • Cyclo cotton terry bonnets OR distinct splotches of darker oxidized
providing less opportunity for oxygen aluminum and then the rest of the trailer
to bond with the aluminum to form the several yards of heavy cotton fabric is looking fairly good? If so, you have a
aluminum oxide. (95% cotton flannel or 100% cotton plasticoat and the top has failed. This
t-shirt fabrics work well) is natural since the top of the trailer gets
In addition, oxidation left on • Scaffolding or ladders for safe work on a lot more UV and heat than the rest of
and in a polished surface increases side and top of trailer the shell.
the breeding of more oxidation, causing • Ladder padding to protect trailer
the polish job to dull more quickly. The • Diaper cloth or other soft cotton rags One way to check conclusively
cleaner the surface of oxidation, the • Mineral spirits to see which areas have a plasticoat
longer the polish job lasts. • Appropriate grades of Airbrite, Nuvite or and which do not is to get a clean white
other aircraft polishes cotton cloth and a tube of white (not gel)
So, is polishing for you? This
article helps you assess the work Page 2 of 4

toothpaste. Pick a few inconspicuous “fingerprint” of about half a finger length At the end of the oxidation
areas of the trailer to polish with the every 3” or so over an area to be polished removal step, you will be left with bright
toothpaste, the rag and your finger. Do approximately 3 to 4 square feet. Work aluminum and very little oxidation, but
just a small one inch patch Are you fairly quickly so that the polish does not there will be very noticeable swirl marks
getting black aluminum oxide on the rag? dry out. from the pad and the relatively coarse
Or is it just dirt? If you have plasticoat polish being used. They will be removed
in that area, you won’t get any oxide Place the wool compounding in the next step.
because the plasticoat is protecting the pad onto the “fingerprinted” area, and
aluminum from your polishing efforts. smear the polish around a little before Step 5: Polishing
turning on the polisher. Tilt the pad up After Step 4, or if you trailer has been
If you need to remove the slightly so that the pad is not laying flat polished within the past three or four
plasticoat, you will need to use either as it spins, but rather so that only one years, you may be able to start with
paint stripper or lacquer stripper. This side of the pad is touching the surface. this step.
is a process much like stripping a finish The polisher should run slowly–ideally
from wooden furniture except you 1200 to 1500 rpm. As it spins, move the Using a medium abrasive polish
should never use any abrasives on polisher over the surface at a speed of like Airbrite No.4 or Nuvite Grade C
your trailer (other than the polish, itself). about a foot every one to two seconds. and your 7” polisher with clean or new
That means: no steel wool, no green Light but firm pressure is all that is compounding pads, repeat the process
plastic scrub pads, and of course, no needed. (If it were a horizontal surface, described in Step 4 over the entire
sandpaper. you would want to use about the weight trailer.
of the buffer or very slightly more.)
We recommend using an After polishing the entire trailer,
environmentally safe stripper designed Lightly scratched areas may use a clean cotton terry towel, diaper
for removing paint from metal. PPG require working back and forth, then cloth or similar fabric to hand wipe the
Aerospace PR-5044 is a popular choice up and down, then diagonally over the entire trailer to remove any surface
and works extremely well. It’s safe to scratched area several times to blend polish. Look for accumulations of
work with and can be hosed off when the scratches. Do not stop moving residue around rivet heads and along
finished without killing the grass or the pad and “bear down” on one area panel lines. Mineral spirits may be
harming the groundwater. Usually one to blend the scratch. It can cause the used to dissolve and remove difficult
or two gallons is enough to do the job, surface to get too hot and scorch. deposits.
but test a small area first.
As you work back and forth, At the end of this polishing step,
Before applying the stripper, black residue will form over the buffing all visible oxidation will be gone and
on a warm day park your trailer in the area. Continue moving the buffer back your trailer will be beautifully polished.
shade. Brush the stripper on to one or and forth, up and down, across the You may decide that you don’t want to
two panels of your trailer. Follow the surface. After about 30 to 45 seconds, continue to Step 6. Certainly, that is an
directions on the container, requiring it to the black residue will begin to lighten option, but keep in mind that the more
sit for a period of time while it dissolves and disappear if you have the correct smooth the finish, the longer your polish
the plasticoat. If you need to work it amount of polish. job will last.
around to loosen the plasticoat before
hosing off, use the tips of a large house Continue moving over the area Alternative Steps 4 and 5:
painting brush. They are soft and won’t until the black residue is gone and the Although somewhat more difficult,
scratch. You can also use a plastic putty clean aluminum surface shows. Black some people use a 1/2” drill with a
knife, spatula or scraper. You may have residue may remain around the edges of side handle instead of the 7” rotary
to reapply the stripper if some coating your buffed area, but that will be cleared polisher. A backing plate adapter
remains. When your entire trailer has as you move to the next adjoining area is available for drills.
been stripped, clean the trailer well to be buffed. If further work is needed
according to the instructions in Step 2. to clear the cloudiness, or if scratches Step 6: The Mirror Finish
remain prominent, repeat the above For this step you will be switching to the
Step 4: Oxidation Removal process. Cyclo dual-head orbital polisher. You will
If your trailer is significantly oxidized be using a “no-cut” polish like Airbrite
(as all trailers are if they have not been Repeat the above steps on the No.6 or Nuvite S.
polished in several years), begin here. next adjoining area, and so on, until the
For this step, you will be using a coarse entire panel, and then the whole trailer, There are two ways to use
polish like Airbrite No.2 or Nuvite Grade is complete. the Cyclo. One is to apply cotton terry
F7 and your 7” rotary polisher with a new bonnets to the Cyclo heads (over foam
or clean wool compounding pad. As you go along, the wool pads) and polish just like you would
compounding pad will mat up. The oxide a car. This leaves mild swirl marks.
Place one finger across the and polish will make it look shiny. When They’ll be much smaller and lighter
top surface of the polish, just wetting this happens, fluff the pile of the pad by than if you stopped with Step 5, but they
your finger with polish (do not dip out “spurring” it with a buffing spur. Spurring will be noticable in direct sunlight. The
a quantity of polish) and put a wet loosens the matted fibers and lets you
use the pad longer before changing to
a clean pad.

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alternative method is more awkward, as you continue buffing over the area, previously stated, do not use any cleaner
but completely eliminates the swirl and the bright, mirror shine will begin to with ammonia as an ingredient.
marks. With this method, you are appear.
using the Cyclo for its random, vibrating For stubborn stuck-on messes,
movement, and not for its spinning. Work back over rivets and panel use mineral spirits or other solvents.
lines to clean the residue from these Keep in mind that solvents and detergent
To eliminate the swirling, you will areas as well as possible. can strip protective waxes and polymers
cover the heads with 95%+ sweatshirt from the skin of your trailer.
fabric, soft 100% cotton flannel or heavy When the area is clean of
100% cotton T-shirt fabric. Wrap a surface polish, stop the polisher. Now Re-Polishing
section of the fabric over the face of the adjust the placement of the fabric on the The rate of reoxidation varies somewhat
foam polisher pads, being sure to leave Cyclo so that a clean spot of the fabric is depending on how healed the aluminum
motor vent openings unobstructed. The now over the heads. Do a final buff over is, and environmental conditions like
size of the fabric doesn’t have to be the whole area, continuing the cleaning sunlight, pollution and humidity.
exact, but a piece approximately 30” x and brightening of the finish and picking
40” works well. up any light residue caught around rivets Normally, you will need to
and panel lines. repolish once each year to keep your
Similar to the method in Steps trailer looking great. Fortunately, the
4 and 5, place one finger across the Finally, finish with a clean annual touch-up can go fairly quickly
top surface of the jar of polish, and put microfiber, flannel or diaper cloth material since it may be possible to do only Steps
a wet fingerprint about half a finger by hand, lightly cleaning close in around 2 and 6. In some cases, Step 5 may be
length every 6” or so over an area to be rivet heads and with folded material necessary.
polished approximately 3 to 4 square to get back against the edges of the
feet. (Note that this is less polish than panel lines. Be careful not to drag any Frequently Asked Questions
used in previous steps.) deposited polish onto the clean, clear, Q. What brand polish is best?
polished panel image. A. We’re not snobs about polish. We
Pull the fabric tight over the sell aircraft-quality Airbrite and Nuvite
face of the polisher and hold it with your Step 7: Sealant abrasive products because they have
hand as you grip the polisher handholds. Unless you intend to pay a professional been thoroughly tested and proven
You’ll be bunching it up and even twisting to immediately plasticoat your trailer, safe for aluminum. Other high quality
it as you work to grip it all with one hand. you’ll need to prepare yourself for polishes may work well too.
Some people use a ratcheting plastic reoxidation in the months and years
cable clamp to help hold it. The fabric ahead. The better your polish job, Q. When is the best time to reseal
needs to allow the heads to spin and the slower the reoxidation. But no seams?
vibrate underneath the fabric without matter how well you did, your trailer will A. A good time to apply Trempro 635
grabbing it. reoxidize over time. or another sealant to seams between
panels and around vents and windows is
Smear the face of the polisher One way to slow the reoxidation between Step 4 and Step 5. If you wait
around the area to be polished before is to apply a sealant like the kinds that until you are finished polishing, you’ll
turning on the polisher, then turn it on are used after hand washing a car. In make a mess of your new mirror finish.
and move the polisher over the area the old days, Airstream used glass wax.
at the rate of about one foot of travel Glass was is no longer available in the Q. Should I worry about polishing
every three seconds. Use only light formulation from decades ago. Some through the cladding?
pressure. people still use car wax, while others A. As long as you follow the procedures
use a non-wax polymer sealant made described, you will not damage the
Move the polisher back and for cars or boats. cladding. Airline maintenance crews
forth and up and down. Work the areas polish aircraft dozens and even hundreds
around raised rivets and panel lines The application of any sealant of times without problems.
more, if necessary. Black residue will is controversial. Those who oppose it
appear as before. say it does little to retard the reoxidation Q. Can I sit on top of my trailer when
and it slightly dulls the mirror shine. I polish?
After 30 to 45 seconds, the In addition, it will need to be removed A. Yes, you can even stand on it. The
black residue will begin to disappear before repolishing. trick is to keep your weight on the ribs.
The rivet lines follow the ribs on the roof.
Alternative Step 6: If you do apply a sealant, you Please be careful up there.
If you are struggling to work with can expect it to retard reoxidation for
the cotton cloth wrap on the Cyclo, roughly an additional six months.
you don’t have to do it. If you don’t
mind mild swirl marks, simply use Maintenance
cotton terry pads on the Cyclo. It’s Between polishings, keep your Airstream
much easier, and the minor swirl clean. Immediately remove any road
marks will fade with time. tar, bird droppings, insects or pine sap
using a vinegar-based glass cleaner or
Page 4 of 4 soap designed for washing cars. As

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