303 vs. Armour All

Star152

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 5, 2007
Messages
188
After reading about 303 I thought I buy a bottle and give it a try.....it was worth the effort. Ben from ATC good call.....I put 303 on some of the black trim pieces on my truck as I would Armour All. the 303 has no film feeling and one application is enough. the trim (top bed rail, side mirrior, door handle) look like new. Armour All would take many applications and dry out. I'll report back to see how long 303 last.......Any one else use 303......
 
303, good stuff

I stopped using Armor All a few years ago when I found F21, then Formula 2001 (I think they are the same product, just re-branded). However, because of what I've read here and an e-mail from Stan, I decided to try 303. I even got the 303 cleaner.

After washing my cars I always had streaks on the plastic and vinal, so I used the 303 cleaner on those parts - looked good already. Next the 303 protectent - wow, I didn't think my car with 192,000 miles and 9 years outside in the California sun could look that good. That was 4 weeks ago. We had a little (very little) rain this weekend and I happened to be on a dirt road during the rain. That car has a thin film of dirt on it, but the vinal top and plastic bumpers still look good - almost as if the dirty water didn't settle on those portions. I'm sold. I'll use the last of my Formula 2001 on the interior.

I can't testify regarding the UV protection the product claims, only time will tell, but considering how long I keep cars, I might have an answer for you in 10 years.
 
I"ve posted this before but I'll do it again. I have a vinyl top on my Jeep (from Bestop, the biggest maker of jeep tops) thats about 14 years old now. I used 303 on it from the very beginning at least twice a season (its off during the summer) and it still looks like new. Nice and flexible and should last many more years (if I don't rip it to pieces on a tree branch or something). I've seen many untreated tops and after a few years they become so brittle they just crumble away when you touch them.

So yeah, I use 303 heavily on the camper and truck. If its vinyl, plastic, rubber it gets 303'd as often as I can get around to. I know Ben says you don't need to do the interior but I do it anyway.
 
i bought a bottle from Stan, a camper came with it. sure was expensive but it does seem to work.
it is not supposed to "exclude moistrue" like armorall.
 
The first thing I realized when I started using 303 was I should have bought the bigger bottle.

I'ts been about three weeks since I applied 303 to new tires, bumper trim, window rubber, and camper sides. I cannot believe how good everything looks today as I give the truck a wash. the bumper trim has that slippery just waxed feeling when dry.

Dropped the front skid plate to chase some rust today. When I put it back on, the plastic trim that connects looked kinda crapy. Took them off, washed, worked in the 303, put back on...looks brand new!
Is there a limit??
I'm now obsessed
 
Just for the record, will someone post the full name of the 303 product? I was in a marine store this week and there were three different 303 products, one was a "cleaner" on was "conditioner" and I forget the other. I didn't know which to buy.

Second, do you clean the liner (inside and out?) before applying and if so, with what?
 
Generally I'll hose off the outside, and maybe wipe the inside with a damp cloth if its gotten dusty. Haven't need anything more aggressive than that yet. Probably just soap and water would do the job unless you got something really nasty on there.
 
Just for the record, will someone post the full name of the 303 product? I was in a marine store this week and there were three different 303 products, one was a "cleaner" on was "conditioner" and I forget the other. I didn't know which to buy.

Second, do you clean the liner (inside and out?) before applying and if so, with what?

my thoughts also. Should a guy use the cleaner also?
 
303 cleaner........
303 aerospace protectant.....
when I picked up my camper i used the cleaner first. waited awhile then I used the 303 A.P. I will hit the inside later.
 
303

You want to buy the 303 Aerospace protectant. The cleaner works well also. Here is a link directly to the page.

http://www.303products.com/tech/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&Product_ID=428

To clean the liner, just wash the outside of it with some mild soap and water. Let it dry then apply the protectant every six months. If you will do this, the liner will still look like new in 15 years. I have seen this myself. The 303 product protects against UV like no other product and also keeps the liner alive, moist, whatever you want to call it. I don't know the technical term for it but it works. You don't have to treat the inside of the liner. The outside of the liner is what takes all the abuse of sun and dirt. Just protect it and it will server you well for years to come.

One other note about caring for the liner. When you are storing the camper, pop it up at least once a month and let it air out. When you bring the top down, ALWAYS poke in the corners of the liner at each corner of the camper from the side where the fold is. DO THIS EVERY TIME. This will prevent the liner from rubbing on the edge of the trim and creating holes in the corners. If you have already succeeded in getting the holes just give us a call and we can send you the patch for them.

Armoual does nothing but make things look bright and dries them out. I can show you car dashes that people have used it on for a few years that I can poke my finger through because they are so brittle. They might look good buy they will eventually just crack apart over time.

Unless someone else comes up with something I have seen nothing that will outlast and out preform the 303 products.
 
When you bring the top down, ALWAYS poke in the corners of the liner at each corner of the camper from the side where the fold is. DO THIS EVERY TIME. This will prevent the liner from rubbing on the edge of the trim and creating holes in the corners.

Thank Ben. By the way, this is a little confusing. Which is the side "where the fold is"? For example, if we are talking the right rear corner of the camper, should I be pushing the fabric in from the rear or the side?
 
fold in liner

You should be pushing in the fold from the side of the camper. Not the front or back, just from the side at each corner. This will prevent those wear holes that I see from time to time in the campers. Normally the fist owner of the camper is told these tips and tricks to take care of a camper, but by the time you get to the 2nd, 3rd or 4th owner, none of them were passed on.
 
You want to buy the 303 Aerospace protectant. The cleaner works well also. Here is a link directly to the page.

http://www.303products.com/tech/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&Product_ID=428

To clean the liner, just wash the outside of it with some mild soap and water. Let it dry then apply the protectant every six months. If you will do this, the liner will still look like new in 15 years. I have seen this myself. The 303 product protects against UV like no other product and also keeps the liner alive, moist, whatever you want to call it. I don't know the technical term for it but it works. You don't have to treat the inside of the liner. The outside of the liner is what takes all the abuse of sun and dirt. Just protect it and it will server you well for years to come.

One other note about caring for the liner. When you are storing the camper, pop it up at least once a month and let it air out. When you bring the top down, ALWAYS poke in the corners of the liner at each corner of the camper from the side where the fold is. DO THIS EVERY TIME. This will prevent the liner from rubbing on the edge of the trim and creating holes in the corners. If you have already succeeded in getting the holes just give us a call and we can send you the patch for them.

Armoual does nothing but make things look bright and dries them out. I can show you car dashes that people have used it on for a few years that I can poke my finger through because they are so brittle. They might look good buy they will eventually just crack apart over time.

Unless someone else comes up with something I have seen nothing that will outlast and out preform the 303 products.

I'm using 303 on my FWC because it's recommended. I will say that I
have also used ArmourAll on my '88 Land Cruiser since it was new with
great results. It's a daily driver, sat in the sun for twenty years, and
the dash still looks like new. All the rubber trim was also treated and
it also looks like new. Ben, have you ever seen an unbiased comparison?
 
They must have changed the formula since I used it and it cracked everything. That was years ago. I dont like the shiny finish either. I just keep the Fiat in the garage and out of the UV when I can.
 
We stopped using Armour-All after it left a very thick and dirty build up the wife's last car. It acted like a magnet for the winter road grime around here and 303 has never done that. Just our experience.
 

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