I would recommend using a pressure washer and good, old car wash shampoo. Pretty much any type of dressing will do more harm than good.

 

IMHO

don't put anything on the cover or anything but the tires.

once you do it once, you'll HAVE to continue to do it forever, or it will actually look worse than if you never touched it. plus all of the grease running down the paint job if it rains sucks.

just my .02

later,
chris

 

Protectant 303 is the only thing you should use. Products like Armor-All have silicone in them...very bad for vinyl. Stay away from silicone based products.

 

Meguiars Vinyl & Rubber Cleaner/Conditioner #57 (boat/marine UV protection)

 

Actually,
Extang makes something called "Tonno Tonic" made specifically for soft tonnos.U/V protectant and it keeps water beaded to avoid puddling.Great shine.

Frank

 

superfords is 100% correct.

 

Superfords is wrong. UV protection is great and stops fadding and deterioration. They will NOT last longer or LOOK anywhere near original without a UV protectorant, unless you park inside and never take your truck out in the sun. My truck sits outside 24 hours a day. I have never seen any "grease" run off mine from the 303. I donno, maybe it just doesn't stick to the zaino but I have never had any problem with the 303.


ganiman--as I stated above the Extang product is 303. 303 makes it for Extang. If you don't believe that call 303 and ask them and they will tell you that.


noelvm

 

zymol leather conditioner

you put it on then buff it with with a dry
towel, looks good and dosent run all over
the side of the truck in the rain.

 

i 2nd zymol

 

Thnx for the info Noelvm,
I read thru the thread pretty quik and must have missed what you posted.I'm gonna order a gallon of that 303 since its the same as extangs product.Extang only sold the small pump bottle.
Quantity rules!..Is my extang tonno the only one that warned against using silicone oil and petroleum distillate protectant products? Or am I the only one to read the instructions

Frank

 

I use a product called nu-vinyl the stuff works great. And when it rains it don't run down the body like armor-all, it last a long time to. A good month in the summer heat. I put it on and rub most of it off. NU-VINYL at walmart like 4 bucks a bottle

krueger

 

If 303 is the only dressing recommended by several of the OEMs (which it is), that's a pretty strong case. Why would they recommend something which would harm (or not help) the cover?

 

Westleys Black Magic tire shine works great on the cover.
I do mine maybe 3 times throughout the summer and it looks
great. I wash my truck "everytime" I drive it and this stuff stands up to all the washing.
It comes in a clear spray bottle. It fills all the texture in the cover and is really not hard to apply. Leaves a great shine also.
It takes a lot less rubbing to remove the excess than you would think. And when it rains you do not get and oily run off on the fenders and tailgate.
Marc

 

Dont get ya Tim Skelton.
Whos "They" And when did I say "they" recommended something that would harm a tonno?I did say,"Is my extang tonno the only one that warned against using silicone oil and petroleum distillate protectant products"?

I'm missing the point
Frank

 

Well...it was great to find this thread. I used the Black magic stuff and after I washed the truck and after a week later and a rain storm...it was all over the sides of the box. Garbage!

I'll go with the 303 stuff or something similar that I can find without the petroleum disillates in it.

Thx for the advice, Folks!

Paul G.