How to Polish a Vintage Airstream Trailer
Vintage Airstream trailers have an aluminum shell, often with a brilliant, polished shine. While the shells of the Airstream campers don't rust, they do dull over time, developing a dark layer that results from the aluminum's chemical reaction to oxygen. The way to turn these dulled surfaces into the mirror shines for which the Airstream is recognized is by polishing the surface of the aluminum with a cream polish and buffer. The process is time-consuming, but the results can be spectacular, as your gleaming trailer attracts looks from all around.
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Things You'll Need
- Car wash soap
- Sponge
- Scrub brush
- Bucket
- Water hose
- Masking tape
- Cream metal polish
- Orbital sander
- Buffing pad
- Polishing pad
Instructions
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1
Clean the surface of the trailer thoroughly using a car wash soap to remove all traces of dirt or debris. Use a sponge for light dirt layers and a scrub brush for the ingrained dirt that's more difficult to remove. Rinse the trailer with clean water and allow it to dry.
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2
Mask off any sections of the trailer that you don't intend to polish. Use 2-inch wide masking tape to cover the edges of adjacent surfaces, especially the trailer windows.
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3
Apply a cream metal polish to the aluminum skin of the trailer with a clean, dry sponge. Start the polishing process from the top of the trailer working your way downward in 4-foot-square sections for ease of reach. Allow the polish to dry in place.
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4
Remove the polish from the trailer with an orbital sander equipped with a buffing pad. Use a small, circular motion to remove all traces of the polish. After clearing the area, apply a new section of polish, slightly overlapping the first area, and repeat the process. Continue to repeat the buffing process until you've completed the front of the trailer. Use the same buffing process to complete both sides of the trailer and then the rear. Take care when polishing the top of the trailer not to scuff the surface in the process. Cover your shoes with nonslip shoe covers for additional safety.
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5
Switch the sander pad to a polishing pad and go over the aluminum trailer skin a second time to raise the skin to a brilliant shine.
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Tips & Warnings
Use scaffolding in order to safely reach the top of your trailer for polishing.
Some Airstreams were clear-coated after 1960. If your trailer won't accept the polish, strip the clear-coat using paint remover before proceeding with the polishing process.
