Pontoon Boat & Deck Boat Forum

Preparing for our new 2017 Harris, we're also wanting to prepare for interior and exterior care. The dealer was trying to push this Vantage Protection system for $1,000 which covers damages or stains to the point of interior replacement and no deductible. They were looking for $1k for the service which so far we've declined. Does anyone have any experience with that or do you recommend cleaners, sprays, waxes or interior cushion protector products?

I use "Liquid Glass brand" mink oil protectant for the seats and console, and Liquid Glass polish for the toons. I polish (wax) the toons in the spring before putting in the water, and the power washer cleans them up easily in the fall. I use the mink oil on the seats and console several times during the summer as needed. Of course the polish is made for autos and you wont believe how nice your vehicle will look, so use it there as well. Actually makes your car look wet. Check it out, Ive been using both for 20+ years. Great stuff. Available on Amazon.

Our boat has a 5 year warranty from the factory for if the fabric deteriorates or stitches go bad and it's the same company that makes harris. I first used 303 as many do but was not impressed by it. I switched to starbrite vinyl guard and use it every other week to wipe down the boat. The first coat I sprayed on the seats and wiped down then went back with my saturated cloth and wiped it down one more time. For subsequent applications I spray directly on my rag and just wipe down. The starbrite has a pleasant smell too. It has a repellant quality that the 303 didn't have so that drinks, water, etc roll off.

In my opinion, keep your thousand bucks, and instead keep some microfiber rags handy to catch spills. Otherwise, a Harris interior is pretty durable. Or, maybe redirect half the money into SharkHide for your pontoons and under skin instead.

Find an off the shelf brand of protectant for the vinyl. With a new and clean interior, 303 is great stuff. There is a protectant for vinyl and for fabric. Use the fabric protectant on the mooring cover, bimini and the bimini covers. Your Harris bimini zips off it's frame. Just lay it out in the driveway. Or, the lazy approach with a gallon of protectant and a garden sprayer. Yep, been there .. done that.

I've always liked the Orpine Boat Wash since it has wax in it. I still use it on my fence and vinyl floor. It was all I used on my old center console.

I gave up on beautiful shiny pontoons. I keep a lake slip, and the water around here has suspended red mud. Too much work. Scotch Brite scrub pads (large blue) knock the mud and slime off. My boat is black so I've learned to love it's graying patina.

Have fun with your new toon!

[quote="zoom650"]<snip> Or, the lazy approach with a gallon of protectant and a garden sprayer. Yep, been there .. done that.

Have fun with your new toon![/quote]

I've always used the pump up sprayer method for the Fabric Guard for bimini and playpen cover. Only thing is, slightest wind and your eating it!

The only 303 product that I've found that does not work so well is the cleaners. The Protectant and Fabric Guard I buy in gallons. Recently, 303 has changed some things, packaging, marketing and price. Not sure if the product has changed

I never did believe in a dealers "silver bullet" to keep anything clean or waxed. It just takes a little elbow grease to clean mine. Doesn't look showroom new but it's pretty clean, even for being in the water during the season.

LA Awesome Cleaner from Dollar General and Dollar Tree stores. Works great. Dilute it for interior use. Full strength will degrease an engine block. Follow it up with 303 protectant. Also diluted, its about the only thing that removes the black streaks from your walls. Use vinegar and water to remove water spots from your outboard or chrome corner trim. Hydrogen peroxide doppled on a rag will remove blood spots if someone slices a foot open. (I know that one works, found a piece of glass under water, the hard way!) Save your money. Don't buy the dealers package!

[quote="Bryden24shp"]LA Awesome Cleaner from Dollar General and Dollar Tree stores. Works great. Dilute it for interior use. Full strength will degrease an engine block. Follow it up with 303 protectant. Also diluted, its about the only thing that removes the black streaks from your walls. Use vinegar and water to remove water spots from your outboard or chrome corner trim. Hydrogen peroxide doppled on a rag will remove blood spots if someone slices a foot open. (I know that one works, found a piece of glass under water, the hard way!) Save your money. Don't buy the dealers package![/quote]

I found Awesome to be the only thing that'll cut black streaks on aluminum sided travel trailers. But after a few years, the paint started disappearing--very thin. Come to find out, it's got microabrasives in it--very lightly sanding the surface.

So I switched to Zep Citrus Cleaner--the orange stuff--and Mr. Clean Magic Erasers. All Zep products are simply superior to anything on the market. But come to find out, the Magic Erasers also have microabrasives. I continue to use them on my upholstery, however sparingly. I hate those damned spiders in the ceiling of my boathouse.

I will also vouch for many of the citrus cleaners, including Zep. My mother has been in the marine upholstery business for over thirty years and that is her cleaning method of choice most of the time. There are other cleaners that will work better than citrus stuff but that is often due to use of abriasives or caustic stuff that's not great for fabrics. I would advise using those first then if you can't get rid of what's ailing you then move onto something like TA.