Need tips on applying vinyl & rubber protectant

[Denali Daddy]

I have been applying vinyl and rubber protectant on exterior trim using a foam "stain applicator" and a small paint brush. Then wipe with micro fiber towel.



Looking for your tips on how you apply it. I often end up getting it on the paint despite tedious efforts.

[Accumulator]

Danali Daddy- If this is in reference to your Denali (Yukon XLD owner here..) then I simply wouldn`t use a dressing-based approach on its trim. IME GM exterior trim responds very well to LSP-based approaches that last for months with zero upkeep. The only surface where I use a dressing on mine is on the little rubber flaps on the windshield cowl (that accommodate the hood hinges) and I use Ultima Trim Seal on those (every six months or so).



Otherwise, I use foam applicators and swabs, and a whole lot of insufferably tedious, intense concentration. Doing lots of exterior trim with dressings is such a PIA that I was finally motivated to experiment with the LSP-based approaches.

[Dubbin1]

I use various size foam paint brushes.

[tmg19103]

I use various size foam paint brushes.



Yep, best way to go for me.

[Denali Daddy]

Accumulator, yes it is for my GMC truck and my wife`s Yukon. Please define LSP-based. I`m currently using meguiars professional vinyl and rubber conditioner/cleaner. Specific product recommendations are helpful.

[akimel]

One of the reasons I chose Ultima Paint Guard Plus to be the LSP of our Honda CR-V is because I can apply it to the entire car, including plastic and metal trim. The CR-V has plenty of cladding, and I didn`t want to worry about attending to it separately from the paint. With UPGP I quickly seal the entire vehicle and that`s that. UPGP is the easiest and quickest sealant to apply. I honestly can`t imagine using another sealant on the CR-V, except maybe Opti-Seal, which seems to be similar product.



I do, however, protect the windshield cowl with a different product--Ultima Tire and Trim Guard Plus. I apply it with a foam cosmetic wedge--you can pick them up at the drug store. I suppose I could also apply the UTTGP to the trim and cladding of the CR-V, but that would be just to much of a hassle. UPGP just makes everything so easy.

[Striker]

What`s wrong with simply applying some 303 and call it a day.

[Accumulator]

Accumulator, yes it is for my GMC truck and my wife`s Yukon. Please define LSP-based. I`m currently using meguiars professional vinyl and rubber conditioner/cleaner. Specific product recommendations are helpful.



Sorry, didn`t mean to be inscrutable...by "LSP-based (i.e., Last Step Product-based) I meant using a wax or sealant on the trim instead of a dressing (while I`m beating abbreviations to death- "ERV" is short for Exterior Rubber and Vinyl, as in "ERV dressing").



One of the simplest and most user-friendly LSP based approaches for trim is Klasse All-In-One ("KAIO") topped with Collinite 845 Insulator Wax ("845"). The KAIO cleans and preps the surface, sorta like a super cleaner-wax except that KAIO doesn`t leave white stains, and the 845 provides lasting protection (and no stains from it either).



This is basically another version of the approach akimel advocated; the KAIO/845 can be used on the whole vehicle.



You might want to be a little careful doing it to the running boards though, lest they get too slick/slippery for safety. But FWIW, I used Klasse All-In-One followed by Klasse Sealant Glaze ("KSG") on mine and many months later I`m still happy with how they are.



I guess the whole idea of using such products on plastic, let alone rubber, seems odd, but if you use *the right products* it can work great, and this is pretty much how I treat all such surfaces on all of my vehicles. I`ve been doing it for a loooong time so if it caused problems I`m confident I woulda seen some evidence of that by now.



Note that if your paint/trim is scratched or otherwise needs correction, there are approaches that might be better than the KAIO, but that`s perhaps opening a can of worms that`d change the focus of this thread and I dunno if you want to go there.

[Denali Daddy]

Thanks for the clarification and informative reply`s. I never dreamed a sealant could be used on paint and plastic/vinyl. I`m rather new at this so thanks for the lesson.

[tmg19103]

Sealant is fine for everything, but I`m paranoid about my rubber and plastic trim getting bleached and dried out by the sun as I am parked outside a lot, so I go the extra step even though I use UPGP (over DWG), while topping the UPGP with OCW. I do get all my trim covered with the UPGP, but I only apply 3 coats twice a year (OCW every few weeks) and I just feel my trim is too exposed for 6 months with just UPGP, so I apply UTTGP to exterior plastic and rubber every three months with foam paint brushes.

[g35_coupe]

I use 303 on the window trim and windshield cowl on my G35. the stuff looks great but always end up getting it all over the windows and paint which is pretty aggravating.

[Accumulator]

I use 303 on the window trim and windshield cowl on my G35. the stuff looks great but always end up getting it all over the windows and paint which is pretty aggravating.



Which is exactly the sort of hassle that prompted me to try the LSP-based approach all those years ago ;) That and having to redo it all the time.



For the window trim, the same Gummi pflege stuff that works on seals can be a cleaner alternative there too. Ditto for Wurth`s Rubber Care, but that stuff comes in an aerosol spraycan, messy messy, so I spray it on a swab/etc. or otherwise find a way to avoid spraying it directly on the parts in question.


I never dreamed a sealant could be used on paint and plastic/vinyl...



Yeah, the first time I tried this I was using a wax, and I was pretty nervous about the possibility of white stains or some other disaster! Some sealants don`t work so great for this BTW (especially if the surface is a bit worn), so it`s always smart to try an inconspicuous test spot before doing a large area. Note that IME GM (and Audi) exterior black plastic trim can be *polished* with certain polishes made for paint too, but this is another case where you sure don`t want to use the wrong stuff.