I know this isn't the body forum, but I am thinking there is more traffic up here.
We have all heard about ceramic coatings, I am reading up on it, but I am looking for any real world experience with them. I live in New England so road salt and dirt road life is a reality.

How many have tried them, what brand do you use, how is it holding up. Whats the washing procedure in the winter. and most important, does it take care of water spots.
This spring I am going to do a complete detail. I am keeping the truck, so doing a ceramic coating seems like a great way to keep the truck looking great longer.
Thanks.

 

I have a new 2021 and put 2 coats of chemical guys hydro slick ceramic wax on it at Christmas time. Wash it nearly everyday with just a rinse from my power washer. I’m really impressed with how well it repels the dirt and the water beading. It was $60 Canadian and super easy to apply

 

The market is flooded with "ceramic" products, many of the off the shelf sprays and liquid "ceramic" wax infused products are fine, easy to apply, but dont really last more than a couple months. A few months maybe for some. They don't give the same benifits of a professionally applied ceramic coating either.
You can find endless unbiased reviews and comparisons of many products online, particularly on YouTube. Personally, I don't consider any of the spray/liquid hybrid ceramics to be a true ceramic coating.......and because a real, professionally applied ceramic coating costs so much, I don't have one haha.

Here is a video from a shop in the Chicago area(wish they were in my area). They are a top notch shop that has some entertaining videos as well as some information on detailing. Ignore the title. Also, he doesn't mention it, but I've read that hard water spots can still be an issue, even with a ceramic coating.

 

Agreed, particularly the part about off the shelf ceramic products compared to a professionally applied system. A proper ceramic coating begins with prep consisting of paint correction (orange peel removal as well as other paint flaws) and then jeweling the paint through cut and polish. I’ve used AvalonKing Ultra Shield IX on several vehicles including my 2019 F350 SBCC. The factory orange peel was awful. I spent close to 20 hours behind a DA buffer on the brand new paint then applied two layers of ceramic on it. That was about 15 months / 12,000 miles ago. Today it looks and performs like the day it was applied, albeit I hand wash and it’s garaged 90% of the time. I highly recommend it if you’re not concerned about investing some time and effort to do it right.

 

Thanks guys. I think I watched that video a while ago. I also agree that a professional application is the way to go. I am not worried about putting in the time to get it right. I just want to make sure that all the effort is going to be worth it.

 

I had Crystal Serum Ultra applied to my 2021 F350 a few weeks after it was purchased. It was done professionally by a local detail shop. I also had their ceramic coating for windows applied as well, which is a different formula.

The coating on the paint has been working very well so far. The hydrophobic properties are clear as day. Washing is simple and easy with just soap and water. Very light pressure is all it takes to remove the grime and dirt.

The coating on the windows is not as hydrophobic as I had hoped. It's probably a lot like you'd expect from rain-x. Water beads, but it doesn't actively just slide off the window unless you're traveling at speed. So you're still going to need wipers, unless you're on the highway, then most of the water will easily wick away.

The professional coating I applied had a "9 year warranty", which I find hard to believe. I've only had it on for a few months so I can't really attest to how well it works long term.

 

I applied Adams Graphene coating over the Christmas holidays. Day one, strip washed, clayed, strip washed again and dried. Day two, machine compound and polished. Day three, applied the coating, about 3 hours. I closed up the garage and let it cure for 48 hours. The kit was about $100 from Adams and three days of doing something that I enjoy vs paying $2000 someone else, I think I'll do it myself.

 

Looks great! You described the process exactly. It’s a labor of love but with the right product(s), time and technique the results are well worth it. It cost me about $150 in Avalon King ceramic kits plus the cost of chemicals to strip, clay and polish. Maybe another $100, tops. 2 year manufactures guarantee and I see it going measurably further.

 

I used to love detailing, now it's more like a chore, no longer enjoy it. I wanted to cut down the amount of applications, or worse paint corrections. Using Insulator wax I would get 3-5 months out of a coating. As a test I switched two vehicles over to ceramic coatings last year. Not a spray, but more robust DIY type called armor shield ix by avalon. One vehicle was sold (F150) but the other is still here. It has been over a year now, the coating is still strong, beads like it did when first applied. When it rains, it almost looks as if the car was washed. Road salt washes right off with light garden hose spray. It picks up less dust too. Never going back to wax ever again. I see no reason why I won't get 2 years out of this coating. Ceramic has saved me 5-8 waxing "events". I'm sold, now a believer.

You no longer need to pay a pro, some of the DIY (non-spray) coatings are very robust.

 

Wax your truck with turtle wax twice a year and rinse the undercarriage after driving in the salt and it will be beautiful for 20 years. Mine was.

 

I couldn’t bring myself to pay almost $2k for a professional ceramic coating. I have all the stuff needed to do a semi-professional detail and paint correction job so I just do that, use good sealants and keep up with hand washes and quick detailing over the summer. I’ve been having liking Chemical Guys products lately.

 

If you are willing and able to do the prep and application of a ceramic coating yourself then it's a no brainer, the cost is minimal. No wax or sealant will last as long, not to mention a good ceramic provides a harder, more durable protective layer.
It's when you don't want to or can't do it yourself when it becomes a bigger decision. Possibly costing thousands for a professional correction and application of a multi year coating(5-9yr.) on a truck this large.

Great results can be had from a good wax or sealant, but it requires redoing it every few months.

 

...,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

The way I understand the reapplications is you are building up the ceramic further. So could it be safe to say you could pay for the correction then do the yearly build up yourself for some savings.

 

I'm in Ma. I used to hand apply Brazilian carnauba, then synthetics came out (tougher, longer between apps.). I was doing Mequairs Ultimate, full synthetic, no problem touching plastic or rubber when applying, do the whole truck and comes off easy.

I'm afraid of the pro ceramic products, the better and longer lasting they are the less forgiving they are. My roof contractor uncle tried to pour his concrete pool patio with his son and to this day it sits so messed up (35 yrs ago), lesson learned, it can really get away from you if you don't know what your doing and think you do.

So the paints for awhile now with the fed eco mandates are thinner. I would not want to take the orange peel off and level my paint cutting the thickness down no matter what for. The truck is like a mirror now, I think the paint job is great. The truck is my work truck (doesn't mean it can't look great) I am a one horse and dog operation so I can keep my equipment nice. I also plow streets for the town, we can't stick magnetic sign material on anymore for protection.

Griots has a ceramic 3 in 1 coating that I can handle which I like and also have a booster I can put in my wash pail (hand washed once a week, and after plowing) I like it. After plowing I think the salt all over the truck eats the coating after a couple of times. I do use a deionized water system which in my opinion is a no brainer (no spots).

So ceramic is the most durable, it's not the money for the pro applied, the stuff once on has to be totally stripped to reapply down the road. I'll keep using my wash/wax wash product and doofus proof ceramic coating and the booster every other or so wash. I just threw a coat of the synthetic Meq. Ultimate on today also because of it being winter and I thought it needed it. The rest of the year the truck practically washes itself with my routine, just that the winter it sticks on it more. Love the foam too before a wash if it's real dirty.