By Ethos Car Care

RV Wax & Ceramic Coating Guide

The RV Kit That Protects a 40-Foot Rig in One Afternoon

Detailing a 35-foot RV by hand takes 10 to 15 hours on a ladder. One owner sprayed and wiped RESIST onto a 45-foot RV, top to bottom, in a little over three hours. The gallon is $145.

By the Car Care Journal Editors
7 min read
4.9 from 652 reviews · protects 12+ months

“Took a little over three hours to do 45 ft RV top to bottom.”

James B., 45 ft RV · RESIST Buy 2 Get 1 listing, April 2026
A white fifth wheel trailer in an RV storage lot after RESIST, customer photo
Matt S.'s 36-foot fifth wheel after RESIST. Photo from his review, January 2026.

An RV is a lot of surface, and most of it is above your head. The gel coat gets chalky in the sun, the front cap collects every bug on the interstate, and hand waxing is a lot of arm work.

Most owners pick one of two bad options: days on a ladder with paste wax, or about $10 a foot for a crew. This guide is the third: eight products from Ethos, built around one gallon of spray coating, and the plan to use them in an afternoon. Going into storage, or just coming out? Start here.

Ethos sells every product on this list. Quotes with names are Ethos customer reviews, four of them from owners of RVs.

What RV owners say about washing and hand waxing a rig

  • “My back wont take the up and down on the ladder.”

    RV owner on the iRV2 forum
  • “i plan on it taking four days to get it done”

    RV owner on the iRV2 forum
  • “31ft RV takes me 5 days with beer breaks...”

    RV owner on the iRV2 forum
  • “Was quoted $10 a foot for full wash and wax by 3 different mobile wash guys.”

    RV owner on Forest River Forums

Public forum posts, quoted word for word. These are not Ethos reviews.

The afternoon plan

Five steps, top to bottom, one side at a time

  1. 1
    Foam the sidesFoam Cannon + Ceramic Shampoo: pre-soak, let the road film loosen
  2. 2
    Wash the cap and lower panelsBucket wash with the shampoo; the cap carries the bugs
  3. 3
    Dry each panel in one dragMAX towels, 24 x 36 in: how you keep from water spots
  4. 4
    Coat one section at a timeRESIST: spray, spread with one towel, buff with a second, top to bottom
  5. 5
    Finish the glass and the tiresEZ Glass on the windshield; Graphene Shine on tires and trim against UV damage from the sun

One owner did a 45 ft RV top to bottom in a little over three hours.

The 8 picks for an RV

Foam Cannon Pro V2

Best for: a 30 to 45 foot sidewall, without hours and hours of scrubbing

An RV owner foams the side of a fifth wheel with the Ethos Foam Cannon Pro V2 on a pressure washer
Foam Cannon Pro V2Up to 50% denser foam than a standard cannon Illustration, not a customer photo.

Let Foam Lift the Road Film Before Anything Touches the Gel Coat

Most wash scratches start when a brush drags grit across a 35-foot side. Foam the rig top to bottom first: it pre-soaks the panel and loosens the dirt before contact.

The Pro V2 raises foam density by up to 50% over standard foam cannons, so it clings longer on a tall, flat sidewall. It runs on pressure washers from 1,000 to 4,000 PSI, electric units from 1,300 PSI. All-brass core, 40 oz bottle.

“Puts out a lot of foam for the same amount of soap you use in a bucket wash.”

Kerry D. · Foam Cannon review
Ethos Foam Cannon Pro V2 with its 40 oz bottle

Foam Cannon Pro V2 $101

4.95 · 20 reviewsProduct page

Ceramic Shampoo, 1 Gallon

Best for: bugs on the front cap, and two vehicles to keep clean (the truck and the RV)

Washing bugs off the front cap of a motorhome with a wash mitt, a bucket and the Ethos Ceramic Shampoo gallon
Ceramic ShampooAdds protection every wash Illustration, not a customer photo.

A Gallon of Soap That Adds Protection Every Wash

A rig takes far more soap than a car, and dish soap strips the protection you just put on. This is the gallon, the same formula as the 16 oz, at what the product page calls the best value per wash. It calls the gallon ideal if you wash weekly or maintain multiple vehicles, like two vehicles to keep clean: the truck and the RV.

It is infused with ceramic resins, so each wash adds protection and beading instead of taking it away. Pour it in the bucket or straight into the foam cannon.

“Snow foamed, rinsed, 2 bucket washed with a couple of ounces. Bugs literally disappeared as I washed.”

Nicholas B. · Ceramic Shampoo review
Ethos Ceramic Shampoo, 1 gallon jug

1 gallon $87

5.0 · 27 reviewsProduct page

RESIST Graphene Spray Coating, 128 oz The one to buy

Best for: protecting the rig before storage, with no more ladder and buffer days

Illustration: an RV owner on a short ladder sprays RESIST onto one section of a motorhome sidewall and buffs it with a towel, with the RESIST gallon at the foot of the ladder
RESIST gallonSpray. Spread. Buff. 12+ months per coat Illustration, not a customer photo.

One Gallon, One Afternoon, No More Four Days on the Ladder

Detailing a 35-foot RV by hand runs 10 to 15 hours. A mobile crew charges about $10 a foot, so a 40-foot rig is about $400 a visit.

RESIST is a graphene-infused ceramic (SiO2) spray coating. Mist a section, spread it with one towel, buff it with a second, move down the side. It bonds on contact and protects for 12+ months, repelling UV rays, water, dirt and dust: what a rig needs before it sits in the sun until spring. It goes on the gel coat, the painted cap and the trim alike: James B. did a 45 ft RV top to bottom, Matt S. his 36 foot fifth wheel, Bryce M. his 30 ft RV. If the gel coat is already chalky, compound it first: RESIST protects, it will not remove oxidation.

The 128 oz jug holds eight 16 oz bottles' worth. One 16 oz bottle covers 3 to 4 average vehicles top to bottom, and one owner coated a 45-foot rig in a little over three hours.

Pull Needed to Drag a Sponge, After Five Harsh Chemicals

  1. RESIST2.3 lb
  2. A $110 kit2.5 lb
  3. Other coating2.6 lb
  4. Other coating3.2 lb
  5. Bare paint3.3 lb
  6. Other coating3.3 lb
  7. Other coating3.6 lb
  8. Other coating3.9 lb
  9. Other coating3.9 lb
Project Farm's independent test of 8 coatings, July 2026. Lower is slicker; bare paint measured 3.3 lb. Brands other than RESIST are not named here. The overall test went to another coating.

“Took a little over three hours to do 45 ft RV top to bottom.”

James B., 45 ft RV · review on the RESIST Buy 2 Get 1 listing, April 2026
RESIST Graphene Spray Coating, 128 oz gallon

128 oz gallon $1453 bottles (48 oz) $87

4.9 · 652 reviews
Get the Gallon · $145

If you only buy one thing

Get the Gallon: 128 oz at $1.13 an Ounce

A rig has far more surface than a car, and the gallon holds 128 oz against 48 oz in the 3-pack. The 3-pack is the car buy: more than 8 in 10 RESIST 16 oz orders are the 3-pack, and one 16 oz bottle covers 3 to 4 average vehicles top to bottom.

Orders over $75 ship free. The gallon clears that on its own; the 3-pack alone is $-12 short.

Price per ounce
Gallon, 128 oz$1.13 / oz
3-pack, 48 oz$1.81 / oz

Live prices divided by the ounces in the bottle. Same formula in both.

Get the Gallon · $145

30-day money-back guarantee. Use it first. If it does not perform, full refund.

Everything on this list except the DI system comes to $586 and ships free. Build your rig kit

What RV owners wrote after doing their own rigs

Matt S.'s fifth wheel after RESIST, customer photo

“Just did my 36 foot fifth wheel and it looks like new.”

Matt S., 36 ft fifth wheel · RESIST review, Jan 2026

“This stuff is awesome and quick to use on my 30’ rv.”

Bryce M., 30 ft RV · RESIST review, May 2022

“It’s easy on and easy off (very important when cleaning two large rigs).”

BILL H., full-time RV and truck · review on the DEFY 1 Gallon listing, Feb 2023

Customer reviews from ethoscarcare.com, quoted word for word.

5 mistakes RV owners make before storage

Each one costs you a weekend in early spring.

  1. Washing with dish soap or a degreaser

    It cuts grease, and your protection with it. Use a shampoo that adds protection back.

  2. Planning on days of hand waxing

    Hand waxing a rig means hours and hours on a ladder. One owner sprayed a 45-foot RV top to bottom in a little over three.

  3. Parking it dirty for the winter

    Storage is the majority of the time for most rigs, and the sun works on it the whole time. Wash it, coat it, then park it.

  4. Letting campground water air-dry

    One owner on YouTube asked the question this fixes: “How do you keep from water spots?” Hard water leaves its minerals behind as spots. Dry it with a big towel, or rinse the last pass with deionized water.

  5. Skipping the front cap

    The cap takes every bug from every highway mile, and it is one of the higher areas, the hardest to reach late in the day. Coat it first, while you are fresh.

That is the wash and the coat. The next five handle what campground life throws at a rig: hard water, big flat panels, parks that don’t allow you to wash, highway rain on a big windshield, and sun on the tires.

Deionizing Water System

Best for: full-timers asking how do you keep from water spots on hard campground water

A final rinse through the Ethos Deionizing Water System at a campsite, water sheeting down a travel trailer's side
DI water systemAbout 20 RV rinses per fill Illustration, not a customer photo.

Rinse With Water That Has Nothing Left to Spot

Hard water is why a clean rig dries spotted. The minerals stay behind when the water leaves.

This system strips them out for the final rinse, so the water evaporates clean with no towels required. The maker's estimate is about 20 RV rinses per fill (30 gallons per rinse, tap water at 250 PPM); harder water uses the resin faster. A bypass switches back to tap water in seconds.

An RVer on Reddit put the trade-off plainly: “A water deionizer, is a relatively expensive device but a time saver.”

Ethos Deionizing Water System canister

DI system $621

Product page

MAX 1400GSM Drying Towels, 2-pack

Best for: drying big flat panels before you get soap spots everywhere

Drying a travel trailer panel in one pass with an Ethos MAX twisted-loop drying towel
MAX towels24 x 36 in. One drag per panel Illustration, not a customer photo.

Two Towels Sized for a Sidewall, Not a Hood

Each towel is 24 x 36 inches of triple-layer twisted loop, 1400 GSM, with hidden edges. One drag covers a full panel.

The maker's own numbers: a sedan dries in two passes, a full-size truck in four or five, with no wringing between panels. On a rig, two towels mean one is still dry for the last side. Dry each panel before the sun does: that is how you keep from water spots on a big flat side.

“No twisting the water out several times. ... A dry car with absolutely no water spots or lint left behind”

Robert S. · MAX towel review
Two Ethos MAX 1400GSM drying towels

2 towels $87

5.0 · 8 reviews

DEFY Ceramic Waterless Wash, 1 Gallon

Best for: parks that don’t allow you to wash your vehicles using their water

A full-time RVer wipes dust off a motorhome's lower panel with DEFY waterless wash at a desert campsite, no hose
DEFY waterless washNo hose. No bucket. Illustration, not a customer photo.

Clean the Rig at Parks That Don’t Allow You to Wash

Many parks ban washing with their water. DEFY cleans, conditions and coats in one spray-and-wipe step: no bucket, no hose.

It is rated 4.97 from 559 reviews. The label lists paint, plastic, trim, glass, wheels, chrome and vinyl, so it handles the dust on the cap, the windows and the trim between real washes, on the motorhome and truck alike.

“most places don’t allow you to wash your vehicles using their water. Defy solves these problems for us.”

BILL H., full-time RV and truck · review on the DEFY 1 Gallon listing, Feb 2023
DEFY Ceramic Waterless Wash, 1 gallon

1 gallon $87

4.97 · 559 reviews

EZ Glass Graphene Windshield Coating

Best for: the big windshields on a motorhome and truck, in highway rain

Rain clearing off a motorhome windshield at highway speed with the wipers off, EZ Glass windshield coating on the dash
EZ GlassWater clears above 30 mph Illustration, not a customer photo.

Rain Clears Off the Windshield at Highway Speed

A Class A windshield is a lot of glass for two wiper blades. EZ Glass makes it slick enough that above 30 mph water clears on its own.

It lasts about 12 months or 20,000 miles, with no cure time: prep the glass, wipe it on, done. On a very large windshield, check the bottle size against your glass before you order.

“My windshield looks awesome after using the product, and the added layer of protection works great.”

Anthony K. · EZ Glass review
Ethos EZ Glass graphene windshield coating, 15 mL

15 mL $54

4.92 · 25 reviewsProduct page

Graphene Shine Tire and Trim

Best for: the fight against the Texas sun fading the tires and trim while the rig sits

A motorhome's tire and black trim with a satin shine from Ethos Graphene Shine, the bottle and applicator beside the wheel
Graphene ShineUV protection for tires and trim Illustration, not a customer photo.

UV Protection for the Rubber That Sits Still All Winter

A parked rig's tires and trim take the sun every day it does not move. An RV inspection channel on YouTube calls UV damage from the sun “one of the biggest enemies of an RV's exterior.” Graphene Shine adds UV protection to prevent fading and browning, and restores faded plastic trim with the same treatment.

The shine lasts 2 to 4 weeks. It is water-based and solvent-free, and it does not sling onto the paint when applied correctly.

“Even after driving through rain and large puddles, there is still a clean and shiny tire.”

KEVIN T. · Graphene Shine review
Ethos Graphene Shine tire and trim, 16 oz

16 oz $25

4.95 · 82 reviewsProduct page

Hours and hours by hand, $10 a foot for a crew, or one afternoon

Time and money for a rig, side by side. One owner on Forest River Forums paid “$400 for a 40ft with a spray on wax.” Every outside figure is sourced below the charts.

Time on the ladder
Detailing a 35 ft RV by hand10 to 15 hours
One owner, 45 ft RV, RESISTa little over 3 hours

Hand detailing: speedyks.com, 35 ft RV. Spray: James B., 45 ft RV, review on the RESIST Buy 2 Get 1 listing, April 2026.

Cost for a 40-foot rig
Mobile crew, 40 ft rig, one visitabout $400
3-piece rig kit, once$319
RESIST gallon alone$145

Crew: about $10 a foot (owner on Forest River Forums; a published RV detailing price list). Kit and gallon: live prices.

  • Detailer price: "Was quoted $10 a foot for full wash and wax by 3 different mobile wash guys", RV owner on Forest River Forums; a published RV detailing price list gives the same $10 per linear foot
  • DIY detail time: "DIY detailing a 35-foot RV can take 10-15 hours", speedyks.com
  • 3 hours for 45 ft: James B., review on the RESIST Buy 2 Get 1 listing, April 2026
  • Kit total and 12+ months: ethoscarcare.com product pages, read October 6, 2026

Pick the rig that sounds like yours, and the kit is already built.

Pick your kit

Three rigs, three kits

Each kit goes straight to checkout at the live price. Change anything in the builder below.

Parking it for the winter

Protect it before it sits

The coating for the gel coat and UV protection for the tires and trim: UV damage from the sun does not stop in the storage lot.

  • RESIST, 128 oz gallon$145
  • Graphene Shine, 16 oz$25

Kit total$170

Checkout · $170

Washing it yourself

The 3-piece rig kit

Soap that adds protection, towels sized for a sidewall, and the gallon to coat it.

  • Ceramic Shampoo, 1 gallon$87
  • MAX drying towels, 2-pack$87
  • RESIST, 128 oz gallon$145

Kit total$319

Checkout · $319

Living in your RV full time

No hose needed between washes

For parks that don’t allow you to wash: DEFY between washes, RESIST to protect, EZ Glass for the long drives.

  • RESIST, 128 oz gallon$145
  • DEFY waterless wash, 1 gallon$87
  • EZ Glass windshield coating$54

Kit total$286

Checkout · $286

Build your rig kit

Check what your rig needs

Start from the 3-piece rig kit, add or remove anything, and check out once.

Your rig kit

3 items$319

Ships free (orders over $75).

Checkout · $319

30-day money-back guarantee, even after you use it.

Questions RV owners ask

Isn't this just wax in a spray bottle?

No. Wax is a layer you rub on and buff off by hand, hours and hours of it on a rig, and it wears away on the road. RESIST is a graphene-infused ceramic (SiO2) spray coating: it bonds on contact, needs no cure time, and protects for 12+ months per application while repelling UV rays, water, dirt and dust. You spray it, spread it and buff it, one section at a time.

Does this stuff work on gel coat fiberglass, or only on top of paint?

RV owners use it on the whole rig: James B. did a 45 ft RV top to bottom, Matt S. his 36 foot fifth wheel and Bryce M. his 30 ft RV, all in the reviews above. One caveat: if the gel coat is already chalky, RESIST will not remove oxidation. Compound that first, then coat.

Mine is coming out after a year in storage. Where do I start?

Plenty of owners save it to do in early spring. Wash first: foam the sides, then a bucket wash with the ceramic shampoo. Dry it, then coat one section at a time. If the gel coat feels chalky, compound before you coat.

Is it safe on decals and graphics?

DEFY's label lists vinyl among the surfaces it is made for. For RESIST, spray one decal corner, buff it, and look at it before you do the whole side.

Can I use it on a rubber roof?

No. This kit is for the sidewalls, the cap, the glass, the tires and the trim. Nothing on this page is made for an EPDM or TPO roof.

How much RESIST does an RV take?

The product page says one 16 oz bottle covers 3 to 4 average vehicles top to bottom, and the gallon holds eight of those bottles. One owner did a 45 ft RV in a little over three hours. Start with the gallon; whatever is left goes on the tow car.

I saw a cloudy film after buffing. What went wrong?

Usually too much product or not enough buffing. The directions call for minimal product with full removal: spray lightly, spread with one towel, then buff with a second fresh towel, one section at a time.

Before it goes into storage

One Gallon. One Afternoon. Protected Until Spring.

A clean fifth wheel parked under a storage-lot carport in autumn, with the RESIST gallon and two drying towels on a storage tote
Before storageCoat it, then park it Illustration, not a customer photo.

Coat it before it goes into storage and the protection sits on the rig through the winter: RESIST protects for 12+ months per application and repels UV rays, water, dirt and dust. Spray, spread, buff, next section. In early spring you pull the cover, rinse the road dust off, and the water still beads on the cap. The 128 oz gallon is $145, ships free, and the guarantee holds after you use it.

Get the Gallon · $145

Wash, dry and protect, the 3-piece rig kit: $319. Build your rig kit

Use the whole gallon. Then decide.

Every product on this list has a 30-day money-back guarantee, and it holds after you use it. Coat the rig. If RESIST does not perform, contact Ethos for a full refund.

And a second promise, for RESIST: if the panel you coated is not still beading at month six, email us a photo and we replace your RESIST bottle free.

P.S. A mobile detailer quotes about $400 to wash and wax a 40-foot rig once. The gallon is $145, and the 30-day guarantee holds after you use it.

About Car Care Journal

Car Care Journal covers paint protection, washing and detailing for everyday owners, from daily drivers and work trucks to boats and RVs. Our guides are written for people who do the work themselves and want results that last.

Quotes with a name are customer reviews from ethoscarcare.com. Quotes marked as forum posts come from public RV owner forums; they are not Ethos reviews.

Car Care Journal is published by Ethos Car Care.