On occasion of my 4R's first birthday, I used soap, clay bar (ok, the cheater Mothers 2.0 speed bar), Meguiar's Rubbing Compound and its "Gold Class Carnauba Plus" wax. The result is stellar, with the headlight-to-taillight pinstripping hard to see even for me.

BUT, desert pinstripping is serious business...which got me thinking.

I read that some folks put wax and just leave it there going into brushy areas (without wiping). Apparently it helps the brush slide off the paint.

Thoughts? Seems like something practical only on rare occasions, but I can definitely think of some more trails that are seriously brushy yet too interesting to be written off.

Interesting. I could see that working in a humid climate, but do you think dust and sand would stick to it in a dry dessert climate?

Good thinking...yeah, I have no idea. I am worried about ideas that can cause more trouble than they are worth. Since things dry in seconds here, it is conceivable that the result might be a giant mess causing a myriad of scratches after (potentially) preventing some pinstripping.

I saw a Wrangler with some sort of protective panels all over its sides. I guess that is a Wrangler-specific product.

I guess some sort of film would be ideal. Something that is easily and safely removed. Something that helps those pesky thorns slide easily off.

why don't you try carpet runner protector from home depot..

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Trimaco-...2420/203613852

Yeah, something like that. Would that possibly damage the paint?

I see that the bulk film sold by 3M is meant to be kept in place for a long time, hence the higher price. Something like what you propose would be better, so long as it is safe for the paint.

Found this, too:

https://www.amazon.com/Wall26-30mil-...VN6JD3ANY&th=1

I'll raise you...

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004V9EGFG..._t1_B0163G4348

Yeah, thanks, that's an option.Different shapes, sizes, prices.

The magnetic panel idea I got from the Rugged Ridge and Smyttibuilt products for Jeeps. They sell those shaped properly to fit nicely Wrangler doors and panels.

So I am thinking maybe I can improvise with panels of my own. They don't need to be on until the trailhead. It matters not what they look like etc. So long as they stay attached and don't damage the paint instead of protecting it, they should be good. Hmm...

I typically wear my pinstripes with honor, and I have more than enough from the kickpanels up to mid side window, but I can appreciate trying to minimize deep damage to the actual paint as opposed to just the clear coat.

I would never go through the trouble of intermittently installing plastic wrap or magnet panels to protect the paint, but I do wax at least once a year to give me a small level of protection.

That being said, I use synthetic wax as opposed to carnuba was due to its chemical makeup. It doesn’t have the deep luster that true wax has, but it’s a tougher, harder finish that is more for protecting paint than anything else. 2-3 coats of that with a light buffer will protect pretty good and not look frosted as it would if you just left it on.

Even though it says not to do this, I’ve applied my syn wax to my headlights on all my vehicles for over 20 years and I’ve never dealt with sun damaged plastic due to the UV protection given by the wax.

its sticky as hell but i doubt it would damage the paint any more than sharpened branches scraping along the paint

Hmmmm...this sounds very interesting. Any particular brand you have been happy with?

I also think that bothering with panels/films is a bit too extreme since I do stay off trails known to be seriously bad for brush anyway. The problem is the lack of recent info so surprises happen.

So, yeah, a tougher wax would be great. Would a spray version of that, applied at trailhead make any sense? To make stuff slide off more easily? As opposed to the paste I had read some use.

I wouldn't trust the spray on "wax as you dry" stuff. It's fine to quickly re-apply some wax after a wash, but it's not in any way shape or form going to save you while going through bushes.

If you are actively staying away from thick brush areas, that's probably the best way to keep the scratches off.

This is really a topic about how far you're willing to go to keep a shiny clear coat, because unless you are driving through large tree branches, these "scratches" are at worst only tearing up your clear coat, and most of the minor ones you can either fill with some scratch remover, or engage in a complete re-wax, which includes the clay bar and wax remover, polish, and re-wax. The deeper scratches into the clear coat are going to be there no matter what, and honestly once you have a few (or in my case hundreds), you are an off-roader and it's not going to really matter because that's what you do.

But for sure, Synthetic wax is by far the best protection short of a clear wrap, which also scratches, and unless you're dropping $400+ every time you off-road, is going to show when you get off the trail and wash it.

As far as brands? I'm pretty sure this is a debate similar to oil, grease, batteries, etc. Everyone is going to have their favorite brand, and they're probably all really good if you go with a trusted name. I personally have about 15 Mother's products that I used to use all the time on vehicles long since retired. Pre-kids, I would spend entire days detailing my cars. My 4runner is my family's off-roading/camping rig, and so I now wear my dirt/scratches/dings with pride. Everyone always laughs that whenever we get home the first thing I do is go to the spray and wash, of which only a few drops ever touch the paint, lol. My last trip I spent about $30 worth of quarters and that was just the under-carriage/suspension, followed by a driveline lube back at home, and a lot of bolt tightening/adjusting. I still haven't washed the body, haha.

But I will admit, when I do spend some time on it, I really enjoy it, and I enjoy the way it looks the one day or so it's clean. But even when it gets dirty, as long as I know I have that syn wax on, oxidization and UV damage will be at a bare minimal.

It has been 5-6 weeks since I clayed it and waxed it myself though I was not yet aware I should go synthetic. The results even with carnauba are stunning. Just spraying it for 3$ on a manual wash after trail (most time spent spraying underneath) and then using quick detailer at home is now enough to keep the scratches from showing.

On that occasion, I did not wax the roof at all. I did that last weekend using liquid synthetic wax. Next time, I will use synthetic wax for the rest of the vehicle.

All in all, as with other things, taking this into one's own hands has made a big difference.

I was just wondering what people's thoughts on vinyl wrapping the truck?
This is my daily driver and nicest vehicle I've ever owned, that does not mean it stays on pavement though. For serious trails I have something else, not worried about panel damage just pinstripes on the Toyota.
I was thinking a good vinyl wrap should A. protect the original paint for resale and B. I really don't like having a white truck but don't want to paint it when I know what's going to happen to a fresh shiny paint job.
Good idea? Waste of money? I don't know if the wrap will just tear on branches or what, anyone with real world experience?

Since starting this thread, I took the paint maintenance in my own hands, with great results.

I clean it, use Mother 2.0 cheater clay bar (it is a slow enough process, cannot imagine doing the 4R using a real clay bar), then synthetic wax. The result is amazing when you do the job on your own. Now, after every trip I just spray it all. I used to spray the undercarriage before auto wash. Now I spray under and then just rinse the vehicle. Then at home I just go over with a quick detailer. The improvement is STUNNING. My pinstrips show WAY less, in fact, barely at all!

And consider that my scratches are literally headlight to tail-light. Now very few scratches are visible and only if you look at a certain angle.

It is amazing what difference DIY-ing does for non-specialized jobs.

So my current plan is to use synthetic wax every 6 months with the quick detailer after every offroad trip/as needed.