LOL! If you talk to Nikki, she will explain why I am wired the way I am (she's a psychologist)! I'm just not one for an idle mind or idle hands, have too many hobbies and interests, and make a lot of different materials. Nice to contribute where I can, and really enjoy learning new things from the forums and fellow campers as our subculture is full of extraordinary folks!
Polymer-based are the most flexible overall because they do not develop the surface tension or have pore-infiltrating/diffusion characteristics of the emulsifiers and carrier compounds used with carnauba-based and silicone-based waxes and polishes. Vinyl decals are destroyed mostly by two mechanism - emulsifiers/carriers penetrating the very thin vinyl, which can occur by traveling through the microscopic pores (cast vinyl has them) or by a process called diffusion - and then breaking down the adhesive layer. The other mechanism, surface tension, causes forces that want to peel the decals up (curling them). Vinyl, and the adhesives, have come a tremendously long way since campers starting receiving them. While the RV industry isn't using high-quality Oracal for instance, they're way better than days of old, but still should not be taken for granted. However, my nephew has his own vinyl sign, decal, and wrap business and is hoping to continue to see supply of RV customers!
Up until the enormous amount of surface area of our Solitude, I used nothing by Klasse All-in-One on all of our gelcoat campers that I would apply twice yearly when de-winterizing and then again for winter, and supplement with a spray-on, wipe-off polymer-based nanowax suspension. I cannot give you the brand because they discontinued the product when they revamped their nano-based line, and the new offerings are emulsions making them complete junk IMO! I'm sure there's good alternatives out there considering the grow in the hobbyist detailing market, I just don't have need at this time to find another. Anyway, our campers have been parked outside year-round, in the sun (literally no shade where parked) and never had a decal peel, and with the exception of the Shamrock logo decal on their front bunk of our HTT along ago, never had them fade to the chalked out state. The Shamrock logo was a very early, multi-colored, printed vinyl logo and everyone's faded back because the colorant oxidized (coincidentally, I found that I still have a replacement decal when cleaning the basement a few weekends ago).
For the Solitude, I have converted to Wash Wax All because doing that much surface area, outdoors, is just more than Nikki and I can do. I am gladly taking donations for the pole barn fund, however! I didn't make that switch carelessly either. I did my homework and some testing. WWA is water-based suspension of favorable pH and non-caustic (you can request their lab reports BTW) and uses a micro-polymer. It does not last nearly as long as my old regiment, however it's just so simple to apply with normal washing that it's perfectly acceptable to us. The key being to have a couple of the mops and extra heads.
