Is ceramic coating worth the money?
Is ceramic coating worth the money?
That’s a question often asked and the answer truly is, “It depends.”
Are you planning on keeping your vehicle for several years?
Does exterior oxidation, dulling paint, filaform corrosion, minor scratches and peeling decals bother you?
Do you want a hassle free exterior experience?
If you answered yes to the above questions, then Master Applied Coatings protection is for you.
Online forums have become the Wild West of communication. One of our customers, who has had our coating for well over a year, was sharing his experience with a glowing review and got this response:
“On an Airstream? IMHO...$$$$ wasted. Airstream travel trailers utilize Alcoa aluminum panels, specifically Alcoa's Alclad 2024-T3, which is known for its exceptional strength and corrosion resistance. Ceramic is neither strong nor resistant. There are many products available that will apply a 'ceramic coating' as you wash your vehicle. Griots Ceramic Wash Coat is the one we use.”
Interesting perspective … Especially because this commenter is comparing apples to oranges.
Let’s break down how Master Applied Coatings is different from other products on the market:
Our coating isn’t technically ceramic. We call it ceramic because it’s industry nomenclature and most people are familiar with the term “ceramic.”
Master Applied Coatings is a proprietary formula that was developed and continues to be manufactured in the United States without inert ingredients.
Our coating is PERMANENT and that means you never need to come back for reapplication or a touch up. It’s a once and done process.
You’ll never wax again. In fact, wax just balls up on our coating because it can’t adhere to it.
Our coating is so slick and hydrophobic that drying is a breeze … You can blow it dry with a leaf blower or wipe off what water is left with a microfiber towel.
How is Master Applied Coatings different than something like Griots Ceramic Wash or another company’s ceramic product?
There really is no comparison. Griots is literally a car soap that contains some ceramic properties. It’s not a bad product and it does a fine job of removing dirt, but it doesn’t provide the protection our coating offers. Same point with other ceramic products: They just can’t provide the same level of protection as our coating. To drill down on this point, we’ve had three RVs come back to us that were badly scratched and the owners were told by insurance that they would be totaled. Because our product forms a molecular bond with a vehicle’s original foundation and it’s so hard that it needs to be wet sanded off, the skin of the damaged RVs remained unscratched. Even the original clear coat was untouched. No ceramic wash or other ceramic product on the market can offer this level of protection. (A link to a video of us restoring one of the stolen trailers is at the bottom of this blog.)
What about the strength of a car, RV or boat finish? Is something like Alcoa's Alclad 2024-T3 impervious to corrosion?
Unfortunately, every brand has their own unique strengths and weaknesses. Airstreams, for example, are known to form filaform corrosion. This corrosion looks like little worms or filaments that spread out underneath the coating on the surface of the metal. Filaform corrosion occurs when imperfections in the clear coat allow water to penetrate through to the metal and that sets up conditions ripe for corrosion to form. If not mitigated, the corrosion will continue to spread. Aluminum and steel are two of the metals most commonly affected by this type of corrosion, and are the most commonly used in the RV and automotive industry.
The proprietary coating that Master Applied Coatings uses forms a molecular bond with a vehicle’s original foundation and prevents water from penetrating any imperfections in the finish, effectively protecting against corrosion.
Not only does our product protect against corrosion, it keeps other finishes from fading, cracking, peeling and keeps decals looking new. We tell customers to remove any stickers or decals they don’t want permanently sealed under our coating.
Will your vehicle’s finish never fade?
We’re not ones to oversell our product. Yes, your finish will fade due to UV, but the wear you’d typically expect to see in 5 years you won’t witness for 10+ years.
The bottom line is that Master Applied Coatings has the best product in the industry and we are known as the industry standard, but you need to decide if it’s right for you.
If you want permanent protection for a vehicle that you expect to keep for a number of years and you want that investment to continue to look new; then, yes, Master Applied Coatings is the product for you.
And how did our customer who gave us the glowing review respond to the comment about Griots Wash being a suitable ceramic? Here’s his response,
“Thanks for your comment! I want to clear up a few points about Master Applied Coating (MAC) product compared to something like Griot’s Ceramic Wash Coat. First, MAC product isn’t a ceramic coating—it’s just called a “coating” to align with industry terms people recognize. It’s a specialized, high-performance formula built for serious protection. Regarding filiform corrosion, if Airstream’s Alcoa Alclad 2024-T3 aluminum panels were as corrosion-resistant as claimed, filiform wouldn’t be the persistent issue it is for owners. MAC coating tackles this head-on by forming a robust barrier that blocks moisture and oxygen, stopping those corrosion threads before they start. Griot’s wash, while convenient, doesn’t provide that kind of long-term protection.
On scratches, MACs coating is in a league of its own. Check out this video of an Airstream that smashed through a chain-link fence—insurance was set to total it! The customer already had the MAC coating, and when it was wet sanded it off, the scratches from the metal fence hadn’t even penetrated. A quick reapplication, and the rig was good as new. Not sure that Griot’s would hold up to that kind of damage.
No shade to Griot’s—it’s just not designed for the same heavy-duty needs unless you have evidence otherwise. If you’re looking to protect your Airstream from corrosion and serious damage, our coating’s proven it can handle the challenge.”