Recommended Cleaning products/protection?

[NewRamBuyer243]

So I am very happy with my recent purchase of the 2019 Ram Big Horn Crew Cab 4x4 w/ the sports package, level 2 equipment package, protection group, and premium lighting group.

I was wondering what everyone recommends to purchase/use to keep my ram looking new and clean? I've always just run my car through those gas station car washes but I know that can scratch up a vehicle pretty easily.

I also want to protect the front bumper from dents/dings from small rocks. I'm active duty military so almost once a week I've gotta drive on a dirt path or rock gravel road to go to a training area. I want to try and keep my Ram as protected as possible and looking clean/new. Never really cared much since I drove an old Mazda but this is my first Truck and I LOVE it!

 

[silver64]

Many people here have had Paint protection film installed.

 

[TVANVA]

Yeah, stay far away from the brush car washes........

There are a number of threads to dig through on this forum.

There are some scattered threads on waxing, sealant, and ceramic coating, typically done by pros, although some have done their own.

Not a lot of cleaning "how to" on this forum. For a ton of good information on paint care, I recommend the following sites:

How to Detail a Car Step by Step - Detailed Image

Auto Detailing 101 - How-To's, Directions, FAQs, Tips, Articles, and more

www.detailedimage.com

Autogeek How-to Blogs - Autogeek.net

Having been part of the detailing community for more than a quarter-century, we realize a lot goes into the science and art of car care - and new products and techniques come along seemingly every day. That's why we've written numerous blogs and how-to guides for all experience levels that will...

www.autogeek.net

One of the larger threads concerns significant rock damage to fender flares, which you don't have, but gravel damage was also occurring on the rocker panels and fenders behind the wheel wells.

I think the general consensus was that mud flaps only helped a little and the best protection was to install non-retracting side steps.

On the front end, your best bet is going to be protective film (PPF). How to get that depends on if you are a DIY person or not. There are pre-cut PPF kits available on the web for significantly less than a pro installer would charge, but installation is not trivial. I bought a package from ClearMask for my Big Horn Sport, but haven't had time to apply it yet. My plan is to practice with some vinyl stripe scrap before taking on the real thing.

 

[NewRamBuyer243]

great thanks, i was looking into ceremic coating been looking at carpro cquartz uk 3.0 for that

hmm, so side step bars along the entire side would help better than mud flaps?

 

[kjn86]

I had a friend who was a real car geek and he was at almost a professional level with detailing his cars. He showed me this https://www.amazon.com/Chemical-Guy...aterless+wash&qid=1559987319&s=gateway&sr=8-4 which has been the best thing I have gotten for my cars ever. It is a waterless wash. Spray it on, wipe the car, then buff with another cloth. It is wash and wax in one. I can go months without a wash and it still looks clean. It's amazing and so easy to clean your car. I get the gallon jug and refill. Expect to use about 4-6 oz. each time you do it. If I had any crazy caked on dirt, I'd hit with a hose or spray wash station first just so you aren't moving around hard things over your paint. But this stuff works on dirty cars with ease.

Make sure to get some good microfiber towels too. I got these a few years ago and wash them after each use. https://www.amazon.com/Chemical-Guy...DR0M72982WX&psc=1&refRID=ZD6MFN1DMDR0M72982WX

It takes me a few months to use all the towels, then I do one load. Using good products with crappy towels is probably a bad idea.

Got one of these clay bars and lube to get after removing small particles https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00A8MZ7E...&pd_rd_r=9ea742dd-89d2-11e9-8533-e764d8cd5020

Finally, my friend had this stuff and let me try it. It was so great I got my own. Seemed expensive at the time, but it's totally worth it. I use this 2-3 times per year after washing and waxing. Made the truck look like it was glass. https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B01AGELUJE/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Chemical Guys has a ton of high quality products for a lot of purposes like interior clean or cleaning the tires. If you find a quality line, you can give their products a try. Check out https://www.amazon.com/stores/page/CCBD6455-F259-4DC6-9F73-69D1D30967F8?store_ref=SB_A09180213IKSS5KV0W6NV&pf_rd_p=3fade48a-e699-4c96-bf08-bb772ac0e242&hsa_cr_id=2062446180801&lp_slot=auto-sparkle-hsa-tetris&lp_asins=B00F5MCLE6,B003UW1IQU,B002M4CELA&lp_mat_key=chemical%20guys&lp_query=chemical%20guys%20wax&sb-ci-n=brandLogo&sb-ci-v=images%2FS%2Fabs-image-upload-na%2F5%2Fams%2FATVPDKIKX0DER%2F4df5f128d665dc50211462178066c5fe.w800.h800._CR0%2C0%2C800%2C800_SX120_SY120_.png

I have found the waterless car wash and those towels to be a huge improvement over what I was doing before. A lot of guys use Adams products too, which I am sure are awesome. Probably can't go wrong with either.

 

[dsn112]

Chemical guys is junk, they make a few ok things, but really are a super bloated company trying to get people to buy tons of crap they don’t need.

CarPro and Gyeon are my favorites for quality products, but P&S has been getting my attention lately because gallons cost like $20 and are really solid products.

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[Ryan6900]

Kjn86.....you sure you arent a Chemical Guys rep? Lol

 

[Biga]

I don't go crazy with detailing but I only hand wash my truck and I wax it with a quality wax about three times a year. I've done this with my last three trucks and they still looked like new after 8 or 10 years.

 

[Diamondback]

Subscribing ...
I am looking into protective film and ceramic coating for the paint once mine gets build/delivered.
I'm sure the Granite paint will get damaged pretty quickly ...

 

[ramhead]

Re: "paint sealant", etc. - I'm sure the product puts a nice shine on a vehicle but advertising as a sealant seems like snake oil. Modern clearcoats ARE a sealant....in the old days of lacquer paints a cover wax, protectant, etc. was needed to seal the paint and not have it oxidize. A wax (carnuba, etc) used to be used to build up layers of a barrier between the paint and exposure to the elements,etc.If you went without protection on older paints and then went to apply it or buff the finish, the paint color would come off on the rag you were using. That's impossible today with factory urethane clearcoats. They don't "breathe" or leave access to the paint layer. All major manufacturers use a 2 or 3 stage paint system where the paint layer goes on first and then the protective urethane clearcoat.

Modern factory paint jobs really are a miracle finish...they don't need any upkeep really. The only real reason to apply a polish is to make it look nice and shiny....not to protect it. A silicone liquid or paste wax will do that on the cheap and even using a car wash with a poly/silicone foam polish will do a really decent job in prettying up the finish. One thing I would recommend though is treating the rubber/plastic against exposure using 303 Protectant or the like.

 

[kjn86]

Kjn86.....you sure you arent a Chemical Guys rep? Lol

I know. Sounds like it, right? Honestly I am a car noob and a trusted friend of mine who is a serious car guy (experience professionally detailing) recommends it, so I use it. I am not in a position to disagree with him and I know he won't steer me wrong. Like anything, you will get disagreement, but Chemical Guys stuff is definitely in the better class and I have had good results.

 

[Derek]

I’ve been using stuff from Adam’s Polishes on my new truck. Their products seem to have a pretty good reputation online. I’m sure there are better products out there but the price fits in my budget, and they do a good job.

I started out with their $100 bucket kit.


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[Billy James]

Collinite wax. Its super tough and slick; lasts about six months.

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[verter]

My truck is getting 3-layers of a self-healing Feynlab coating right now. Should provide nice shine and decent protection.

 

[Clean19]

chemical guys is junk. Any one who is " almost professional detailer" wouldnt touch that **** with a 10 foot pole.

 

[WZA]

Chemical guys is junk, they make a few ok things, but really are a super bloated company trying to get people to buy tons of crap they don’t need.

CarPro and Gyeon are my favorites for quality products, but P&S has been getting my attention lately because gallons cost like $20 and are really solid products.

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Where do you shop for the P&S products? Direct from them or somewhere else?

 

[Clean19]

Where do you shop for the P&S products? Direct from them or somewhere else?

SOME are carried on Amazon. All can be purchased directly through P&S