The cladding is what gives an Avalanche away. There is a pile of plastic on these things — the whole three-piece bed cover, the side skirting, the tool box lids, the cowling from the rear door down to the box, and the roof trim — and the cover and roof plastics sit flat to the sun all day, so they go chalky grey long before the paint looks tired.
Mine is a 2007 and the cover was well past due: flat, dry, grey, no depth left in the black at all. So instead of just grabbing my usual bottle I put four products I already run onto four sections of the same cover on the same afternoon, and left the far side untouched so there was original cladding sitting right beside the treated panels to compare against. Everything got cleaned first.
Full video:
The four, quickest to longest lasting
Black Magic Tire Foam — the easiest thing here by a mile. Spray it on, walk away, come back. No gloves, no rag, and it does not attract dust the way most foams do, which matters on gravel. The catch on judging day is that it takes a while to dry and was still looking wet when I lined the four panels up, so it did not get a fair shake in the same-day comparison.
A graphene tire dressing — the bottle I used is the Simoniz one from Canadian Tire. Spray and wipe with a clean rag. Went on dead even, no streaking, and it has genuine depth to the black rather than sitting on top of the panel. Best-looking of the low-effort options straight out of the gate.
SOFT99 Tire Black Wax — built-in foam applicator, works almost like a dye. You dab it on and spread it, then wipe it in. Awkward to apply, wear gloves, and it is easily the worst smelling thing in the test. Covers the grey fine in one pass, but the finish is flat. No depth, no shine.
Carworx Refinish Restorer — oil-based, most work of the four, and sticky until it dries. I skipped the gloves partway through and regretted it. Needs multiple coats: one pass was clearly darker than the untouched section, two passes was still a shade lighter than I wanted, and I was going for a third when I ran out. Upper fairings and the roof trim are still waiting on another bottle.
Which one looked best on the day
The Carworx, and it was not close on depth — it is the only one that made the panel look like black plastic again instead of dressed grey plastic. The graphene dressing was the best result per minute of effort.
No durability is proven here. Everything above is how they looked right after application. I have my own history with these products, but that is history, not this test — I am going back at one, two and three months to see what actually holds.
Full write-up with the comparison table and the application notes:
https://fullsizechevy.com/restore-faded-chevy-avalanche-tonneau-cover/
Products
Affiliate disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, FullSizeChevy may earn from qualifying purchases made through the links in this post, at no additional cost to you.
- Black Magic 36201 Tire Foam Cleaner, 510 g — Black Magic 36201 Tire Foam Cleaner #1, 510g, Tire & Wheel Care - Amazon Canada
- Adam’s Polishes Graphene VRT — Amazon.com: Adam's Polishes Graphene VRT 16oz Vinyl, Rubber, Tire & Trim Dressing - Durable UV Protection and Water Repellent - Graphene Ceramic Infused Formula - Dress Tires or Trim Without Worry of Slinging : Automotive (same product type as the Simoniz bottle on camera)
- SOFT99 Tire Black Wax, 170 g — Amazon.com: SOFT99 Tire Black Wax 170g - Matte Tire & Trim Dressing | Restores natural black finish. Hydrophobic & UV protection. Hard wax formula with applicator sponge. : Automotive
- Carworx Refinish Restorer — Amazon.com: Carworx Refinish Restorer, Silicone-Free Automotive Plastic Trim Care, Faded Plastic Color Renewal, Professional Body Shop Grade, 500 ml, 2-Pack : Automotive
Your turn
I want to hear from people who have had something on their cladding long enough to know how it wore, not just how it looked on day one. That is the part I cannot answer yet.
- What have you used on the factory Avalanche tonneau panels?
- How long did the restored finish last before fading again?