One of the most famous and popular brands in the wax industry is Meguiar's. Meguiar's has stood the test of time as a brand name. Some of the after market competitors of theirs as well as the larger users of the product have complained that Meguiar's has turned their back on the professional user market for the consumer market through their newest and largest customer Wal-Mart. Many in the auto, aircraft and boat detailing industries have even been critical of Meguair's recently because they feel this is a slap in the face to the loyal operator who has paid premium prices for quality products and now can see those with the Meguiar's brand name on the shelves.
We tested the RV and Boat product lines from Meguiars. What we like about Meguiar's RV and Boats detailing products line is that they have made a step by step guide for different levels of oxidation, surfaces and paints. Their Flagship soap Number 65 is excellent as well as their Gel Wash (Number 54) made for all gel coat surfaces. We felt that for a professional Boat Cleaning Business that these products were somewhat over priced and admit they work well but too costly for a small 16-ounce bottle. Unless you buy it online you will find the price outrageous at the local Marinas and Boat Stores such as the Marine West chain.
We did enjoy the sheeting action on the surfaces after use of the product. Using inline injection from a bucket of soapy water did not work very well. The product did appear very benign so we do not feel that a little soap getting into the water around the Marina would be any issue. On their cleaners and polishes for the Marine Industry we found ourselves okay with these products, but felt we had once again paid to much for them. Although the competition "Star Brite" is also heavy handed on the price points. I guess assuming that boat owners will be willing to pay more since it is for a boat. We did not see all that much difference between these products from the marine industries to that of the auto industry Meguiar's product line. Perhaps a few small ingredient changes for UV gel coat protection and fancy repackaging, but you will have to be the judge on that.
Meguiar's Color Restorer seems to be okay for what it is being able to remove small marks and scuffs, but we also found that a polymer solvent wax did the same for instance Auto Magic's Sealer Wax or the Diamond Shine Products. We did not see the reason to purchase this product for professional use other than to keep the brands you use consistent. Also we found that these other waxes with solvent did not damage anything and actually worked better than the Color Restorer (Number 44) and the next up product Oxidation Remover (Number 49). The One Step Compound by Meguiar's (Number 67) is not too impressive, but we are not fond of compounds anyway and the product is hard to use, thick and under whelming, although the results were decent, it did most of what you would expect it too. It did seem to have one other property that most products that we use in the industry did not have and that is that it seemed to put some properties back into the fiberglass. Someone had come up to me today and asked what was the best wax to use on an RV and fiberglass area. A lot has to do with the decals, surface, paint and level of oxidation. This same premise goes for boats, personal watercraft and yachts. The Waxes in the Meguiar's line we were somewhat impressed with and we are relatively hard to please. So this is a thumbs-up for them. Their premium flagship wax it seemed to be adequate, on ease of use we give it a 5 on a scale of 1-10. It is said to last a long time, but on a salt-water boat we question what that means. Meguiar's Pure Boat Wax (Number 56) seemed to work good yet we found it had in it Silicone, polymer blend with Brazilian Carnauba and the problem with this blend although the shine was excellent is that on Polyurethane there are issues with some silicones and with Imron there are issues with carnauba waxes. So if you take this special boat wax and apply it to the RV's with custom paints we have to wonder if we may cause issues. So this may not be the best for our team to use on the trucks but certainly good enough for the average citizen with a boat. When the average person washes their RV there are definite issues, read this article
Now for a good touch up product for a Boat Show account we did like the Quick Wax Marine Number 59, with a trigger spray and also the same product in an aerosol can. We also thought that it was smart of Meguiar's to custom label all the car care products for their boat line. Similar to the way that Zep Chemicals often changes their product labels to conveniently be ready for another cleaning use. MSDS
http://www.msdssearch.com/
of course exactly the same for they have the same contents and ingredients and the directions the same as well. Now then the specialty cleaners for Meguiars Marine did also have non-skid deck and hull cleaner which worked well and the Hard Water Spot remover was good enough for government work and is of value for other uses as well. The Meguiars Gold Teak Oil seemed above average in quality and the test spot we did made us want to complete the entire boat deck, so we are very bullish on that product.
The All metal polish for bright work, was also very good and seemed better than the Never Dull Product for shine and better than the Mother's Aluminum Polish for ease of use. When we tried the Bilge Cleaner by Meguiars we laughed because it seems a little over doing it to make a specific product for that need. It did dissolve the grease but so does Simple Green for a lot less money. Here is a page on the Meguiar's website where you can order the most popular of their Marine Products.
http://www.meguiars.com/store_meguiars/search_results.cfm
Also if you are a private boat owner you can go to the Meguiar's web site and they can give you a custom guide to which products to buy from them to help you clean your boat properly and wax it.
http://www.meguiars.com/marinerx.cfm
Which is a nifty value added service for the retail B2C online part of their business strategy, but to me it seems if they are going to peddle their wares art Wal-Mart why pay $30.00 for the Boat kit, $12.00 for the soap, all those cleaners and then shipping? We are always interested to see what types of marketing stuff or vendors and suppliers do and what type of strategies they employ. It is interesting to see them try new things and then change them later. Interactivity in web strategy is important and Meguiar's seems to understand this very well and has obviously put some serious dollars into their website. At 2004 SEMA Show this year we noticed they had the same truck on display as our Blitz Mobile sitting on the corner of Convention Center Drive. Their unit was gloss black with the Meguiar's Paint Scheme and during the show they had beautiful displays as always with information on their New Wipe Products as well as a re-introduction to their Marine Line.
All in all the Meguiar's Marine Line is definitely complete and a player in the market, and they seem to be attacking it well, over time to hold any market share they attain, they will need to improve on a few of their products. However with their brand name recognition in the auto care industry, which has significant competition they should be able to carry this strong image into the future with the Marine Industry. StarBrite Products sell quite well and tend to out sell the Meguiar's by only a little bit now, originally they were just about the only game in town. But we are seeing the Meguiar's line fight for market share. What we found is that you cannot always find a complete line of StarBrite products at your local Marina, as most companies are not carrying the full line and neither are they willing to carry the Meguiar's full line. So there are issues already. Wal-Mart does carry the RV Wash and Boat Waxes from Meguiar's and other automotive products in the Meguiar's Line. We feel that the better products for efficiency and ease of use definitely come from the professional detail products companies such as Auto Magic, Pro , Beauty Shine, Stoner, etc. And we do not discount Meguiar's mainstay products such as the Meguiar's Mirror Glaze or their excellent buffing compounds. But then again in the buffing compound arena we also prefer much of what 3M has to offer:
http://www.3m.com.br/us/auto_marine_aero/
and they too have a Marine Line of great products. But as of yet we are not overly excited about the rest of Megiuar's retail line. The new wipes are cool enough and it appears have entered the market along with the other brands such as Lexol for their leather cleaner wipes. All in all we totally applaud the Meguiar's line of Marine Products and feel comfortable with about six of the products, which our tea will most likely be using. These are the products, which we felt did favorably in our tests. We are hard on all our suppliers. And to the credit of Meguiar's they are a tireless company with regards to upgrading and listening to their customers. And we all know good things come with age.
"Lance Winslow" - If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs
Touring Niagara Falls & Surrounding Area
Niagara Falls has certainly grown over the last thirty years. When I was a kid, I remember that it was Niagara Falls itself as the only real attraction here.
Want A Cheap Companion For Your Rv?
You?re on vacation, traveling across the country and everywhere you look, you see recreation vehicles with trailers, hitches and the like pulling alternative transportation for use when they get where they are going. Not you. You are smarter than they are.
Try A Static Caravan Holiday
Once you?ve tried a static caravan holiday, you could find yourself converted, like many other holiday makers before you!
Touring The Scottish Highlands
Misty Lochs, landscapes rich in history and heritage and tartan-clad locals proud of their unique traditions - in ?bonny Scotland? you?ll discover a country that is refreshingly different from many other UK destinations The city of Glasgow is the ideal base from which to plan your travel adventures through Scotland
RV Boondocking
What is RV boondocking? It is simply camping in your recreatinal vehicle in an area with limited or no facilities. In many areas of the west, you can just drive into the desert, and stay free for up to two weeks.
Touring Italy's Lombardy Region
Situated in the north of Italy, under the shadow of the Alps, the Lombardy region is home to some of the most spectacular sights in Italy From the banks of the shimmering Lake Como to the glitzy streets of Milan, car hire offers myriad magical touring possibilities
Sky River RV Announces Year-End Close-Out Inventory Specials of New & Used RV Stock
Sky River RV (www.skyriverrv.com), the largest and most complete RV Dealer of motor home, travel trailer and RV sales on the California Central Coast is having a major Year-End inventory close-out sale of new and used RVs, motor homes and travel trailers to make room for the new 2008 RV inventory.
RV Satellite TV Systems - Get the Best System and Service
RV Satellite TV Systems
RV Park Pals
My husband and I are retired and have been for three years now. We enjoy traveling in our RV. This is a great way to see America. I mean you really see America this way and not just through a windshield traveling down the interstate highway system. By staying in RV parks, you get to know the people of America. This is a terrific way to meet new friends and view the different lifestyles of folks across the country. We have met the most interesting people that we have ever met in our travels since we have been retired than we ever did working nine to five jobs.
RV Education 101 Teaches RV Consumers How to Drive a Motorhome Like a Pro
When most people were taught to drive they were just taught the hows and not the whys. Teaching the whys or the mechanics of driving gives you the tools and skills you can apply to any vehicle or any driving situation. The purpose of this video is to help instruct you on how to drive your motorhome like a pro.
Touring the Saint Vincent Coast
Baleine Tours is Saint Vincent & the Grenadines' premier boat tour operator. We offer trips along the St. Vincent coast to Baleine Falls, the Pirates of Caribbean set in Walillabou Bay, and to all the islands of the Grenadines, including Bequia, Mustique, Canouan, Mayreau, Union Island, Petit St. Vincent and Palm Island. We also offer snorkeling and sport fishing trips. Baleine Tours offers a discrete, non-discriminatory service. We regularly cater for celebrities and other groups who demand privacy and the highest standards of discretion.
Sky River RV Slashes Airstream RV Prices Again
Sky River RV, the leader in California RV sales announces an additional price slash for its monthly RV Online Sales Closeout on Airstream RVs. These particular RV coaches are fully loaded and are equipped with a beautiful Carmel Mocha interior. An online slideshow to view exterior and interior detailed pictures are available @ http://www.301url.com/RV-Online-Sales-A37
Caravans
We will start with the definition of caravan. A caravan is a group of travelers or merchants banded together and organized for joint support and protection while traveling through unsettled or unfriendly country.
Traveling By RV: Your Rental Options
Would you like to travel by RV? If you would, you are not alone. Motor homes are increasing in popularity and they are no longer reserved for the retired. Traveling by RV is a great way to reduce travel expenses, as well as spend quality time with close friends and family members. For that reason, there is a good chance that you may be interested in planning an extended RV trip.
LP Cylinders and Tanks In RV'S And Motorhomes
I know! I know! LP tanks are boring!!! Well... they may be BUT since you'll find them on all sorts of rv's including motor homes, fold down campers, truck campers, travel trailers, and 5th wheels it only stands to reason that since we're using them we should also under- stand them. REMEMBER, liquid propane is a gas, it is stored under pressure, it is flammable, and IT CAN BE DANGEROUS. There are not only rules, which must be followed in their use, but also laws have been enacted to help insure the safe use of liquid propane. All of this is especially pertinent for older units and many purchasers of these units who thought they "got a steal" on that old trailer get a surprise when they learn the LP cylinders are "out of date" and subsequentl...