Top protectant suggestion?

[unluky]

I want to scrub and seal up my top before I put her in the shed for the winter. Top does not repel water at all, so I assume it has not been done in a while.

I see people talking about Raggtop - but when I go to buy it the reviews were poor.

Any other suggestions or things that have worked well for you before I just wing it?

[Steeler]

Interested in the responses
Have some discoloration also.

[m3griff]

Originally Posted by unluky

I want to scrub and seal up my top before I put her in the shed for the winter. Top does not repel water at all, so I assume it has not been done in a while.

I see people talking about Raggtop - but when I go to buy it the reviews were poor.

Any other suggestions or things that have worked well for you before I just wing it?

I've used the BMW top protectant before with good results. Though my dealer has it back ordered right now.

Jeff

[GriffBrew]

I like raggtop, don't recall seeing negative reviews. It's done fine for me - water beads every time I wash the car (never really sees rain otherwise). Putting it on is a pain - covering and taping the rest of the car. But, I imagine all treatments for the top would be a similar for application process.

[StickMon]

I just spray with my right hand while holding a rag in my left hand as a shield.
What little gets on the windows or body wipes right off.
I give it a couple coats about every three months.
I don't see much beading unless it's been recently applied and I just get a slight mist of water.
When I wash the car, I don't use anything on the top, I just rinse it through from one side to the other with lots of water.
Seems to be working. Sits in SoCal sunshine all day every day. Top looks great.

[Nate4641]

how thick do you guys apply the ragtop spray? I tried it once and I think I may have been a little heavy on it and the spray can barely finished the whole top.

[WAMz4]

Go to a boating store and pick up some 303 cleaner and protectant. Its made for canvas boat tops and covers and is the only protectant I've ever used.
http://www.303products.com/303r-fabr...e-top-kit.html

[gas-can]

Originally Posted by WAMz4

Go to a boating store and pick up some 303 cleaner and protectant. Its made for canvas boat tops and covers and is the only protectant I've ever used.
http://www.303products.com/303r-fabr...e-top-kit.html

x2

303 seemed cheaper to me more than raggtop and also works very well. I buy the 32oz bottles for ~17 bucks and I can do the car two times (thick coats). I also like the fact that I can pour the stuff into a small container and use a small paintbrush to apply it on the top. This does use more than spraying would, but I don't have to worry about overspray.

The stuff lasts for about 6 months, and my car is outside.

Just be careful if you do buy it- they have two very similar products, and only one is the one meant for fabric tops. The other is for vinyl products (I use it on the interior to protect against UV).

-gas-can

[StickMon]

Originally Posted by Nate4641

how thick do you guys apply the ragtop spray? I tried it once and I think I may have been a little heavy on it and the spray can barely finished the whole top.

I get about 4 applications per can.

Thanks guys for the tip on 303. I think I'll try that once I use up this can of Raggtopp.

[elerner61]

I spent about 1/2 hour on the phone with a product guy from Raggtop 2 years ago. He was very informative and did not push over-applicaton of their products (cleaner, sealant). He did stress that when applying the sealant two or so coats using a light touch were recommended. My top beads the water when I lightly hose it.

Regarding procedure, he did say that for general maintenance of our cloth tops you DON'T want to use any car wash/soaps on it. That deteriorates the top material and the stitching. Instead, vacuum the top with the cloth brush attachment and perhaps once in a while, rinse it off. If you use any type of cleaner (such as the Raggtopp cleaner) after you've applied the sealant, you are stripping the sealant off.

[jdoublehcubed]

I've used RaggTopp a few times, it works, but its fairly expensive. I also got about 2 applications out of a can (took 2 light coats to have any effect) but they seemed to only last about 3 months.

Just ordered some of the 303 protectant, about half the cost of RaggTopp for a larger container. Planning to apply soon, will report back.

[fiberguy]

I've used both Raggtopp and 303 with similar results. I would give a slight edge to 303 due to cost and being a non-aerosol product.

I STRONGLY suggest that you do a thorough job of vacuuming the top to remove as much dirt and dust as possible rather than scrubbing with water. Occasionally, a water cleaning is necessary, but never use a detergent or a hard scrub brush. The "graying" effect that you see on a black top is due to fiber abrasion on the fabric surface. The less abrasion that occurs - the better you maintain a deep black look to the top.

Protectants of any type should be applied in multiple light coats. A heavy coat of protectant could result in crease and rub marks in the top. ANY protectant is going to break down in 6 months due to UV exposure and oxidation. A thicker coat of the protectant won't do very much prevent that breakdown.

[mike519]

I use the raggtop cleaner and sealant. I get two applications from each bottle of sealer but I do two coats per application...about 15 minutes apart. I go pretty light each coat. Works perfectly for me.

[unluky]

I went with the 303 and could not be happier. Was super easy to put on after cleaning my top and now it beads up great. Thanks for the recommendation!

[WAMz4]

BTW, I picked up a gravity feed paint gun for my air compressor from a pawnshop for around 25 bucks. I use it to apply the 303 protectant.
Just adjust the sprayer to the lowest volume, widest spread and the air compressor to about 35 psi to avoid emptying the entire contents on one side of the roof, just make a quick once over to cover, then go back over to even up. (It helps to test with water in the gun first to get a feel for coverage).
You'll get more even coverage, and no more cramped fingers from pumping the 303 trigger.

[jdoublehcubed]

Having now used both the raggtopp and the 303, I can say that the 303 seems to give better waterproofing and thicker coverage. I would consistently need 2 or 3 coats of raggtopp to do anything, 303 I did 1 coat and it was enough.

I can say that the 303 makes a much bigger mess as you apply it. I didn't expect that, since Raggtopp was aerosol and 303 is a trigger sprayer, but the 303 tends to splatter a lot more. Make sure you cover the area around the top, your hand is not going to do it. I like to use plastic garbage bags taped along the edge with painters tape.

[Huz-Z]

Has anybody used the BMW product? I'm wondering how it compares to Raggtopp and 303. My roof is overdue for a treatment.

[unluky]

I just pumped it till it looked dampish like the label said, wiped up any overspray immediately that made it around my "shields" and it worked great. Dried very quickly as well. I still left it in the garage for a full day, but it was dry to the touch in a few hours. Took me 20 minutes tops going back with a sponge brush to dab the edges a little extra. I think next time I will buy a larger thin plastic painters drop cloth and just close it in the top like I have seen others do to make it easier. I did not find it that messy and kept a rag with me to wipe up anything that got away from me then washed the car the next day. I was watching out my office window 2 days ago as the rain beaded up and ran right off. I have a tan top and no change in color or "ashyness" was detected either. Great stuff!

[Clearancediver]

I just did my top last night. I used a gentle dish soap on my wetted top to clean using a soft horsehair shoe brush to gently agitate the surface. After washing off the suds I let it dry to where it was just damp. I used the BMW top repellant in a spray bottle to apply. It worked great. Easy to "soak" the top and very little over spray that easily washed off with a damp cloth. I used a damp sponge to gently/lightly wipe the top to ensure it was an even application and avoid streaks etc in the fabric (all strokes in the same direction/parallel). The top this morning looked pristine... As if it was brand new.

[unluky]

303 says to put on a bone dry top only . Be nice to be able to apply to a damp top. I used a soft toothbrush to lightly scrub the dirty spots on my top with the cleaner before I sealed it. Turned out great.

[beta]

Originally Posted by Huz-Z

Has anybody used the BMW product? I'm wondering how it compares to Raggtopp and 303. My roof is overdue for a treatment.

I have. The BMW product is not nearly as good as 303, stick with that.

Edit: I posted some pictures of the process here about 3 years ago.

I'm due to do this again soon as I only do it about once a year, this time I'm going to use painter's plastic.

[Huz-Z]

Originally Posted by beta

I have. The BMW product is not nearly as good as 303, stick with that.

Edit: I posted some pictures of the process here about 3 years ago.

I'm due to do this again soon as I only do it about once a year, this time I'm going to use painter's plastic.

Thanks Beta! I appreciate the help!