How We Restored the Shine on a 2004 Casita Travel Trailer

CGI Detailing
Aug 6
3 min read

By CGI Detailing – Professional Ceramic Coatings

If you own a fiberglass trailer like the Casita, you know how important it is to keep the gelcoat protected. Over time, sun exposure, oxidation, and general wear can cause the surface to lose its shine and turn dull, chalky, and yellowed. That’s exactly what happened with this 2004 Casita Travel Trailer—and it’s a perfect example of how a professional restoration can bring oxidized fiberglass back to life.

At CGI Detailing, we specialize in ceramic coatings and gelcoat restoration for fiberglass trailers. In this blog, we’ll walk you through exactly how we restored the gelcoat on this Casita using a 3-stage correction process, topped with long-lasting ceramic protection.

WATCH THE FULL YOUTUBE VIDEO HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eX5cbiofuv4

🧼 The Problem: Severe Oxidation on a 2004 Casita

When this 2004 Casita arrived at our shop, the signs of oxidation were obvious:

Dull, faded surface with no gloss
Yellowing on exposed areas
Chalky residue coming off on your hands
Hard-to-clean bug stains and black streaks

This level of oxidation is common in older fiberglass trailers, especially when the gelcoat hasn’t been maintained with regular washing, waxing, or ceramic protection.

🔧 Step 1: Full Decontamination Wash

We started with a complete wash and decontamination process to prep the trailer:

Washed with pH-balanced RV soap
Removed all bugs and contaminates from the surface
Thoroughly washed the wheels, and wheel wells

This step is critical—it ensures the surface is free from wax, dirt, and other grime so that our correction products can properly and do their job.

✳️ Step 2: Multi-Stage Gelcoat Correction

The Casita’s gelcoat was heavily oxidized, so a multi-step compounding process was necessary to bring back its shine. Here's exactly what we did:

🔨 Stage 1 – Glidecoat Heavy Cutting Compound + White Wool Pad (Rotary)

We began with Glidecoat’s Heavy Cutting Compound, a marine-grade product formulated for gelco

at. Using a rotary polisher and a white wool pad, we:

Removed deep oxidation
Stripped away years of UV damage
Brought us closer to fresh new gelcoat
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🔨 Stage 2 – 3M Heavy Cutting Compound + Fresh Wool Pad (Rotary)

Next, we refined the cut using 3M’s Heavy Cutting Compound. This product has slightly less aggressiveness than Glidecoat’s but is excellent for:

Removing haze from the first pass
Smoothing out heavy buffing trails
Leveling the surface further

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🔨 Stage 3 – Sonax CutMax + Microfiber Pad (Dual Action Polisher)

To clean up rotary swirls and finish the correction:

We switched to a Dual Action Polisher
Used Sonax CutMax on a microfiber cutting pad

This removed any remaining haze and left a crisp, swirl-free finish—perfectly prepped for ceramic coating.

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🧽 Optional Final Polish

If needed, we’ll finish with a foam polishing pad and a fine polish like Sonax EX 04-06, but in this case, the finish was so clean after the Sonax CutMax step that a final polish wasn’t required.

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✨ Step 3: IPA Wipe and Ceramic Coating

With the gelcoat fully corrected, we wiped the surface down with isopropyl alcohol (IPA) to remove polishing oils and residue.

Then, we applied two layers of Glidecoat Ceramic Coating, a marine-grade coating designed specifically for gelcoat surfaces. This coating:

Lasts 2+ years
Prevents oxidation
Adds hydrophobic protection
Makes future cleaning effortless

🛠️ The Results

The transformation was dramatic. The once-chalky gelcoat now has a deep gloss, vibrant white color, and a slick, glass-like finish. The trailer not only looks fantastic—it’s now protected against:

UV degradation
Black streaks
Bug etching
Water spots

And best of all, the owner can now wash and rinse their Casita with ease—no more scrubbing!

🧠 Why Gelcoat Correction Matters

Fiberglass gelcoat is porous, and once it starts to oxidize, the damage can go deep. If left untreated, it becomes harder and more expensive to restore.

That’s why we always recommend having your Casita or other fiberglass trailer corrected and coated before the damage becomes severe.