New or used, your caravan is a major purchase, and a paint protectant is a great way to conserve its value, says John Sootheran
WHETHER YOUR CARAVAN is new off the production line or has a few miles under its belt, it makes sense to protect such a valuable asset the best way you can against the constant attack of road film, tree sap, dead bugs, acid rain, road salt and exhaust particulates.
An effective way to do this is to apply one of the latest ceramic paint-protectant solutions on the exterior panels – oh, and to guard interior furnishings against spills and stains with a spray-on protector.
These safeguarding solutions provide an invisible shield for your van’s surfaces, resisting dirt, grime and staining, and protecting against fade and discoloration.
Protectants have been around for a long time. Originally, they were wax based, then super-slippery PTFE (often branded as Teflon); but these days, the very best are ceramic coatings, an indiscernible layer of liquid glass, which contaminants sit on top of, making them much easier to rinse off.
How they work
The theory is that while your caravan’s exterior might look perfectly smooth, at the microscopic level, it’s actually about as uneven as the Himalayas.
Minute particles of dirt and pollution, anything from diesel exhaust particulates to road muck, become lodged in this coarse micro-surface, eventually leading to a loss of shine, discoloration and deterioration of the surface material.
The protectants aim to fill the minuscule indentations and undulations, so a surface that was all peaks and troughs is afterwards much smoother, shinier and level. This makes it far harder for dirt to become ingrained in it, so it’s easier to clean.
Likewise, PTFE solutions sprayed onto carpets and furnishings create a tough, slippery coating that contaminants can’t penetrate. Liquids or solids, anything from red wine to mud off your pet’s paws, will sit on top of the coating and wipe off with minimal effort. Without it, contaminants could sink permanently into the fabric.
The benefits
With rigorous washing, polishing and elbow grease, you could probably remove almost all micro-contaminants manually, but, seriously, who has the time for that? A thorough caravan exterior clean will take at least half a day!
With a properly applied ceramic finish, rainwater simply runs off all the caravan wall panels, while any contaminants in rainwater sitting on the roof will be unable to penetrate the surface.
Dirt that splashes onto your caravan�
