Question Ceramic coating and paint correction, how to find someone reputable to do a RV?

[Neal]

Educate me on ceramic coating and paint correction please. There seem to be gimmicks out there using the "ceramic coating" buzz word and then there are companies that are doing the true legit job. I had a detailing done and they of course boasted their ceramic coating "spray" - umm, no thanks, but this is an example.

I am considering spending the coin someday to get a good paint correction and ceramic coating having seen the amazing job on @Ddmo's coach. Educate me on what to look for, who does it right, and how to avoid scams.

 

[Av8r]

Like CaptainGizmo and others here, I recently (last month) had Bob Moses Ceramic Coatings do my coach, a 40' super C. Total cost $5300. (Ouch!)

I live near Phoenix, so that's where I had it done. Their easternmost location is Dallas, I think.

The coach looks better than it did when we picked it up at Nappanee. They took two days to paint correct and apply coating, which is guaranteed for 5 years and expected to last 8. I haven't had a chance yet to get it dirty, so don't know if the claims of extreme ease of washing are accurate, but I have no doubt that they are.

I don't know how you would predict how good a given company is. I think that the only valid info you can get is word of mouth from previous customers. I can give you one more data point on Bob Moses - it was money well spent! They took a full day to paint correct, then applied the product by hand with piece of rag about a fourth the size of a standard microfiber cloth. A note: they do not do the roof, nor do they do the sidewalls of the slides for the standard price. You can pay extra to do the slides; I'm not sure about the roof.

 

[Neemer]

@Av8r . Only two days start to finish? Am I reading that right?

 

[Av8r]

Yes. Multiple guys working on it. I think that's quicker than normal. I'm not sure whether that's due to fewer coaches in the shop at the time, or what.

I prefer to think it's because I'm so special that I got the royal treatment.

 

[sheridany]

Bob Moses is one of the best out here. I haven’t had it done but many speak highly of them. Hayes Detailing out of Montana is another and they winter in Indio. He did Mark Martin’s brand new Newell and it is gorgeous. Quality Detailing here in indio does a lot of Marathons.

 

[Wemustrv]

Educate me on ceramic coating and paint correction please. There seem to be gimmicks out there using the "ceramic coating" buzz word and then there are companies that are doing the true legit job. I had a detailing done and they of course boasted their ceramic coating "spray" - umm, no thanks, but this is an example.

I am considering spending the coin someday to get a good paint correction and ceramic coating having seen the amazing job on @Ddmo's coach. Educate me on what to look for, who does it right, and how to avoid scams.

I did my own about a year and a half ago. It took me multiple days (its 40') to do it but it made a huge difference in appearance and cleaning. The dust and light dust rinses right off. I am sure I will have to redo it probably next year but right now still looking good.

 

[CaptainGizmo]

@Av8r . Only two days start to finish? Am I reading that right?

This would be HIGHLY dependent on how many are on their team!!
BMCC in Vegas took 4 days, with 2-3 people working on it.
Keep in mind, ANY legit company SHOULD STORE YOUR COACH INSIDE FOR AT LEAST 24 hours…preferably 48….to let the coating full cure.

 

[CaptainGizmo]

So, I’ve probably catalyzed this topic Neal started, and have addressed it in a couple different posts if you want check more comments out. But here is the summary:

There is NO alternative for a true professional that uses TOP-GRADE hand applied coating. Period.

Paint Correction is THE most important step, because once the ceramic is applied over a poor job…it’s sealed and you’ve got a severe problem on your hands.

SEEING their work is critical!! I’ve had the luxury of spending weeks upon weeks with Newells that have had Arnie Hayes ceramic jobs and his work is literal perfection! This comes at a price, as his labor and product is very expensive. He’s dealing with clientele who can’t afford a single mis-step on theif $2M coach.

There are WAY too many shoddy “out of their trunk detailers” who register themselves on “ceramicpros.com” just to get referrals. These guys should be … never mind. You WILL get screwed!

I have a very reputable, good man, who runs a detailing business and does a great job. He “suggested” that I try a PS Detailing spray as an alternative to ceramic. I paid $2400 and regret doing it. My coach‘s finish didn’t hold up, dulled, attracted dust, and water spotted way too easily. The coach wasn’t corrected very well either. Money wasted.

So, I set out once again and started research and ended up interviewing Matt Moses, who started Bob Moses Ceramic Coating in honor of his Grandpa that meant so much to him. This man won me over with his work and business ethics as we talked about the ceramic business and state of “crimes” that are going on.

A GREAT AMOUNT of our time was spent talking about PRODUCT. BMCC uses SENSHA from Japan. It’s a company that’s been around for a long time, and has done scientific AGING studies that show SENSHA holds up for well over 8 years; thus their (Sensha’s) 8-year life warranty. BMCC, as a business though, gives you a WRITTEN CONTRACT for a 5-year Guarantee along with YOUR instructions on how best to care for your coach. NO, it’s not rocket science and takes NOTHING special than everyone should be doing anyways!

So, I ran FAST to Vegas where I met up with Matt Moore, who runs the Vegas location with his family and awesome workers. I was treated as a friend and their only customer, including taking me to the airport.

He took personal care of our coach, gave me routine updates, videos and BEFORE/AFTER pictures of how CRAPPY my coach was and how GORGEOUS it came out just after they corrected the paint!!

The final product IS INSANE. I had it done in MARCH and after the whole summer of traveling around 8,000 miles through dust, rain, and dirty highways…I‘ve washed it TWICE and only because I wanted to clean the bugs off the front! The rest of the time, I stood in amazement as I realized that CERAMIC IS NOT HYPE!! My friends were not lying when they said that ceramic repels dust. I thought this was a joke, just to defend their $14k investment in ceramic. But, they’re right…just as of yesterday, after 8 months, I couldn’t believe how slick my coach is, as if it was just done.

So, when I paid BMCC around $5500 for a full ceramic coating, glass, wheels, and chrome…I can HONESTLY tell people it was one of the best purchases I’ve made. I was invited to come back to BMCC on an annual basis so that they can inspect the coach and make any touchups needed. This is more important on coaches, boats, and trailers with fiberglass gel-coats since ceramic tends to not embed itself as well to those. BMCC is confident beyond a doubt, however, that a paint job like on a Newell, will have no problems well past 5 years, and most likely 8; depending on how it‘s stored and cared for.

So, that’s the SHORT story. I‘d trust very few companies to do this kind of work. You HAVE to see their work, and see others who’ve had their ceramic for a while. DO NOT think you can “cheap out”, because you WILL pay for your mistake dearly. I know of a very famous person who had to STRIP his coach because of a poor job and start all over. This is NOT something you should risk doing and will cost you a lot more in the end…when you find out you have to do it right.

If you haven’t seen my video, introducing you to Matt Moore in BMCC Vegas, here it is; this man is top notch and I can tell you no one will take better care of you and your coach!

If you need more info or questions you’d like to ask offline, feel free to DM me.

RV Ceramic Coating our Newell Coach at Bob Moses Ceramic Coating, Las Vegas!

 

[CaptainGizmo]

@Neal

After my novel above, I realized that I probably spent more time talking about the WHY rather than the WHAT...and maybe that's more of your question.

So, in terms of WHAT a "Ceramic" coating is, let me clarify exactly WHAT it is...or what it SHOULD be...

Having a ceramic coating involves 2 very simple steps/processes:

1. "Paint Correction". This removes all the previous waxes, polishes out all the micro-scratches and imperfections, and provides a clean and shiny base for the ceramic coating.

2. "Ceramic Coating". Here's where the differences lie and will start the war at the Thanksgiving table! Bottom line, without any argument or defense, all "ceramic coating" products are NOT the same!!!! Currently, products such as SystemX (used by Hayes) and Sensha (use by BMCC) are "world-class" ceramic products with long standing research and guarantees.
A good ceramic coating will be rock hard and even rated on the Rockwell scale up to 9H hardness. But, fact is, it must be a pure ceramic product from a good company and not just a company that wants to jump on the hype and "add" a touch of ceramic to there "spray-on" bottle product. This won't work! It won't last! And, all of that prep work in step 1 will have gone to waste.

Keep in mind, TRUE CERAMIC is a liquid that is VERY VERY VOLATILE in that it "COOKS OFF" so fast that the technician has to know what they're doing and work methodically in small sections! This product needs to cure for 24-48 hours INDOORS so as to avoid any moisture of contamination. So, when you've got yourself a fancy "spray bottle" claiming to magically and easily apply "ceramic", run away...it's not going to work.

Yes, after a good correction, and application of your favorite wax, your coach will look good, but only for a while. And, I can guarantee you it won't look anywhere near as good as a coach that's been coated with the world-class ceramic product.

I'm not being critical, I'm being honest because I've done them all; wax, spray, protect-all, glaze, SiO2 BeadMaster, etc. etc. etc. I've wasted time and money...they don't last and don't compare to ceramic...period.

One note, from Matt at BMCC, is he always likes to inform people that their ceramic is paint PROTECTION, not paint restoration. So, once your paint is shot and beyond repair, no ceramic coating is going to bring it back to life.