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jestal · 10-07-2020, 06:03 PM

I finally got our coach back for good a few days ago. I had the exhaust bellows separate and all the thermal damage to the DEF system. The coach was towed into a Cummins-Bridgeway shop June 5 and I just put it in our storage lot late last week! Never ending delays on parts was the biggest problem. Yes, between the exhaust failure and collateral thermal damage and towing damage it took 3 months to repair.

But, that wasn't the reason for the post. CB kept my coach parked in an overnight spot so I could leave it plugged in to keep the batteries up. It has been in and out of that spot for work in the shot, to the body shop, to the frame shop, For at least 8 test drives to shake everything down, etc. One thing I never noticed was that the coach got sprayed down daily by the lawn sprinklers on the west side of the coach each afternoon in the direct afternoon sun. The post about the spot free rinse made me laugh. The left side of the coach looked like the overspray from someone cleaning out the cement truck trough after pouring your driveway. The water spotting from the untreated sprinkler water was unbelievable. You could literally feel the crust.

It obviously did not wash off with any sort of car wash soap or anything like that. I finally went to Walmart and bought 6 gallons of distilled vinegar and two of the cheapie foam floor mops and some spare mop heads. I went over the whole coach in six foot sections with a 50/50 mix of vinegar and distilled water using the sponge mops. After the vinegar wash then a wash and rinse with car wash soap and water softener water. Rewash with the vinegar mix and then soap. Some parts of the coach took three washings with the vinegar to get all the spots off. I would wet it down with the vinegar in the shade and let it sit for a few minutes before rinsing and washing with soap. I found it worked best if I sprayed the coach with the regular hose water for a few minutes to get the surface cooled and then apply the vinegar mix, etc.

Unbelievable. It all came off with no apparent damage and no extreme exertion and rubbing. It did take me two days of washing like this to finally get it finished and free of the hard water spots. I kept moving around the coach to work in the shade to let the vinegar sit as long as possible.

It is so clean now it is crying for a coat of wax but at least the water spots are gone. CB needs a spot free rinse system on their sprinklers!!

If you do get spotted like this with sprinklers remember the distilled vinegar trick. It does work.

Prairie Dog · 10-07-2020, 06:21 PM

what a nightmare story. Vinegar and distilled water>>>>thanks

cataska · 10-07-2020, 09:27 PM

Water spots sucks our water is so hard i cant wash anything at my home .

brobox · 10-08-2020, 06:06 AM

Good post Al. I also had your experience in a park with well water. Of course it was the drivers side that you don't see while parked. The vinegar does work when nothing else will.

Turbojack · 10-08-2020, 08:56 AM

I use straight vinegar. When I had my boat on Lake Travis after a day of boating the water spots were all over it. I have a spray bottle full of straight vinegar. I would walk around the boat and wet it down with the vinegar. Then go back with a micro fiber cloth and wipe it down. It would shine like brand new.