Man I love this rig

[Davinger]

When you apply wax to a car or RV you need to start from a clean surface. For an RV there is generally a great deal more surface than is on your Smart car. To wash an RV I highly recommend that you invest in a gas powered pressure washer. Caution read all instructions that come with your washer and follow them for safety reasons. When washing your car or RV you will ONLY need 2 of the many nozzles that come with your machine. You will need the delicate (usually white) and the soap (usually black or pink) applicators.



Most gas powered pressure washers will come with a soap holding tank. You can go to your favorite auto parts store and get some concentrated car wash. Fill your soap tank 1/3 full of soap and 2/3 with water. (Do not use dish washing soap as this will remove your clear coat!) You can go to your favorite mega mart and get a car wash brush with an extendable pole. Using the delicate nozzle wet down a small section. Never get your nozzle closer than 3 inches to the surface. Once your work section is wet you will pop on the soap applicator. Soap up the area you just wet and then using the brush clean the dirt and bugs from the surface. Then pop the delicate applicator and rinse. I generally try to do it in 10 foot long sections.


A quick note: do not use the green, yellow or red applicator on your RV. They may remove the paint. You don’t need the 5000 GPM unit. A mid to low range gas powered unit will do the trick. The reason I suggest a gas powered unit is that the electric units aren’t as strong as the gas powered washers and generally you will spend more time on the job with an electric. You can buy one at your local home store or even rent one. If you are really budget conscious you should be able to find one at a local pawn shop. You will love the other uses you will find for one once you have it.

Once your RV is clean you will have to let it dry completely. Apply Armor-All or a like product to the rubber gaskets and plastic surfaces that surround your windows and the like. You will need a buffer for this job and several applicators along with several buffing pads. The good news is that they are machine washable and inexpensive to replace. Since we are working with an RV I would recommend a 9 inch or larger buffer that can be bought in most department stores. Using a ketchup dispenser you will put a bead of the wax on the buffer applicator pad. Generally I will make two circles one about an inch from the edge and one about three inches from the center of the pad.



Apply in sections generally I go from front to back and make sure that every part of the RV is covered even the bumpers. You will need to add more wax as needed during the job. Once every part is covered you will replace the applicator with the buffer pad. Then you buff the wax to a wonderful shine. You do not need to apply a great deal of pressure to the pad and do not hold it in one place too long as it will damage the finish. Come back with a terry cloth towel and get any of the places the buffer wouldn’t reach or that you may have missed they will stand out. If you have a microfiber towel that is even better. If you drop the towel on the ground you will have to get a fresh one. (Dirt scratches) It is always best not to wash or apply in direct sun light but my RV won’t fit in my garage.



Generally speaking washing my RV alone will take me about 2 hours since I start on the roof and work my way down and around. Waxing and buffing will take me 4 to 8 hours. You don’t wax rubber, textured plastic like the cowling where your windshield wipers are an application of Armor-all or a like product will prevent the wax from sticking to these surfaces. If you want to wax your wheels I only use Mothers wheel polish. This isn’t a job that is mentally demanding but it is physically demanding and requires a little skill. I learned to do this when I used to show cars in my ill spent youth. You will need a ladder to reach the top areas.


Now this is just the basics of waxing an RV so if you feel you are physically able to do it and confident enough with your skills you can go for it. I have seen places that will in many cases charge anywhere from $12 to $15 per foot to do wash and wax job on most class C RVs. So if you have a 32 foot RV it will cost from $384 to $480. Waxing it once yourself you will almost have paid for your equipment.

[aspengirl]

Originally Posted by Davinger

When you apply wax to a car or RV you need to start from a clean surface. For an RV there is generally a great deal more surface than is on your Smart car. To wash an RV I highly recommend that you invest in a gas powered pressure washer. Caution read all instructions that come with your washer and follow them for safety reasons. When washing your car or RV you will ONLY need 2 of the many nozzles that come with your machine. You will need the delicate (usually white) and the soap (usually black or pink) applicators.



Most gas powered pressure washers will come with a soap holding tank. You can go to your favorite auto parts store and get some concentrated car wash. Fill your soap tank 1/3 full of soap and 2/3 with water. (Do not use dish washing soap as this will remove your clear coat!) You can go to your favorite mega mart and get a car wash brush with an extendable pole. Using the delicate nozzle wet down a small section. Never get your nozzle closer than 3 inches to the surface. Once your work section is wet you will pop on the soap applicator. Soap up the area you just wet and then using the brush clean the dirt and bugs from the surface. Then pop the delicate applicator and rinse. I generally try to do it in 10 foot long sections.


A quick note: do not use the green, yellow or red applicator on your RV. They may remove the paint. You don’t need the 5000 GPM unit. A mid to low range gas powered unit will do the trick. The reason I suggest a gas powered unit is that the electric units aren’t as strong as the gas powered washers and generally you will spend more time on the job with an electric. You can buy one at your local home store or even rent one. If you are really budget conscious you should be able to find one at a local pawn shop. You will love the other uses you will find for one once you have it.

Once your RV is clean you will have to let it dry completely. Apply Armor-All or a like product to the rubber gaskets and plastic surfaces that surround your windows and the like. You will need a buffer for this job and several applicators along with several buffing pads. The good news is that they are machine washable and inexpensive to replace. Since we are working with an RV I would recommend a 9 inch or larger buffer that can be bought in most department stores. Using a ketchup dispenser you will put a bead of the wax on the buffer applicator pad. Generally I will make two circles one about an inch from the edge and one about three inches from the center of the pad.



Apply in sections generally I go from front to back and make sure that every part of the RV is covered even the bumpers. You will need to add more wax as needed during the job. Once every part is covered you will replace the applicator with the buffer pad. Then you buff the wax to a wonderful shine. You do not need to apply a great deal of pressure to the pad and do not hold it in one place too long as it will damage the finish. Come back with a terry cloth towel and get any of the places the buffer wouldn’t reach or that you may have missed they will stand out. If you have a microfiber towel that is even better. If you drop the towel on the ground you will have to get a fresh one. (Dirt scratches) It is always best not to wash or apply in direct sun light but my RV won’t fit in my garage.



Generally speaking washing my RV alone will take me about 2 hours since I start on the roof and work my way down and around. Waxing and buffing will take me 4 to 8 hours. You don’t wax rubber, textured plastic like the cowling where your windshield wipers are an application of Armor-all or a like product will prevent the wax from sticking to these surfaces. If you want to wax your wheels I only use Mothers wheel polish. This isn’t a job that is mentally demanding but it is physically demanding and requires a little skill. I learned to do this when I used to show cars in my ill spent youth. You will need a ladder to reach the top areas.


Now this is just the basics of waxing an RV so if you feel you are physically able to do it and confident enough with your skills you can go for it. I have seen places that will in many cases charge anywhere from $12 to $15 per foot to do wash and wax job on most class C RVs. So if you have a 32 foot RV it will cost from $384 to $480. Waxing it once yourself you will almost have paid for your equipment.

Thanks for all the great info. We have a power washer, and my husband is very handy and can do and fix almost anything, so I'm thinking with your great advice, we can tackle this ourselves!

[Maddawgs]

Originally Posted by ralphb

here's a few pics.

Very nice, Hope you many happy times camping in it.
Todd