Washing Motorhomes

[Raining Star]

We had a nasty dust storm followed by rain in Phoenix this week. Looks like someone painted my RV tan. First time we are washing it. I want to hand wash it, but DW wants to bring it to a truck wash. (Guess who wins)
What's the general opinions on using the automatic truck washes? Do all truck washes allow MH's?
We have a Bus Washer at work and it does a mediocre job at best. Of course I'm not allowed to drive my MH through it.

[KSCRUDE]

We have had RVs some 1994. Only wash them at the Blue Beacon truck washes. They do it by hand with touch less wands. Good job for the price and keep you rig looking like new. They even have undercarriage wash with jets in the floor!

[Wayne M]

I have always washed mine by hand, but I use the microfiber extension cloth sold at Walmart. I also use only a polymer based soap, as it drys with less streaking, and I rinse with a fine, fine mist like the rinses at car washes. For those window corners that leak and leak down the side after washing, when they dry I use Turtle Wax Detail spray wash and a microfiber cloth to remove any streaks I see. I have never had a brush of any type applied to the side of my MH. No brush signs at all. And as long as my clear coat lasts, never been waxed. Still as shiny as the baby's....my bald head.

So it's wet down, soap up, rinse off - in sections. When dry look for signs of streaks and buff them out.

There are other products out there that require lots of elbow action that I have used on motorcycles. The best I have ever used is "Captain Best's" product. I have used it on my MH when we had some water restrictions, but it is like $32 a quart - goes a long way.

For the roof - I send DW up there for that job. (She doesn't trust me up there and she's a year younger.)

[Cat320]

I always wash it myself. Just don't trust the other guy to do it the way I want it done or as well as I'd do it myself. If you let somebody else do it, don't let them use a pressure washer, it can drive water where you don't want it and can peel back your stickers if not careful.

[PyrateSilly]

Thom uses BB, or any wash place, to just "get the first layer off" then he likes to hand wash to get the rest off ...... He also does that with his bike, gets some work done on it like new tires, they wash it and then he rewashes it to finish the job right ... yea I just let him baby his babies.

[D M]

I use to take mine to a truck wash, the job they did was ok but not the best. Then I decided to wash it at home but the water was very hard and would leave spots so I bought the Spotless System and now I can wash at home with a great job, better than any truck wash and no spots.

[Arch Hoagland]

I went through a truck wash once. Never again.

My refrigerator quit working for a day as they power washed the venting area.

Some truck washes use extremely harsh chemicals so that can be a problem also along with blowing water through any seals, joints, etc.

[JohnRR]

I hand wash starting from the bottom and work my way up by sections, the size of the section depends on the weather the warmer/sunnier the weather the smaller the section.

[DutchStar38]

I wash mine at home using mild car wash and a big soft rag. I start by rinsing each area before soaping it down. I start on the roof from the front to the rear then I do the rest of the coach washing from top to bottom and rinsing with a fine spray. It sits in the shade under a huge oak tree at home when not on the road.

[njs42]

Personally I have not found washing by hand to be that big of a job. Long handled brushes, wet, soap rinse, dry. I go basically in panels do one area then move to the next. I have a routine I developed over the years and just go by the numbers. One thing that helps, because you need to get the unit dry to avoid water spots, is a floor squeegee to remove most of the standing water, Then a quick follow up with a towel draped over the squeegee and it is done. I suppose it helps that my rig is mostly off white, a darker color may be more difficult.

I vote for hand washing, if you are counting.

[Davdeb1]

Blue beacon for me, $35-$40 every couple months. If I find myself out in the boonies next year, I also have the Aero wash system. No water at all.

[tomwalt]

I agree, use a long handled soft wash pad or brush and do it at home.

[cabin man]

I always wash at home using a soft brush and lots of suds from car wash soap. I rinse well and towel dry what I can reach. I read somewhere that a guy was using a garden sprayer with distilled water to rinse off the windows and left them spot free. He said he uses about 3 gallons to do the job. I'm going to try it next time I wash.

[CLIFFTALL]

I've seen this MH twice in two years. It looks good. I do mine the same.
( wont be going to Assn Island this year Jim )