RV wash/detail suggestions November 12, 2007, 05:38:35 pm Yahoo Message Number: 85843Hi all While parked at Lewisville Lake Park near Dallas a couple of days ago, poor Green Thumb got speckled with lots of tiny drops of sticky stuff from the trees (or dwellers) overhead. Then I drove through a mild dust storm in west Texas on my way to Roswell. Needless to say, a good cleaning is in order. My itinerary takes me to Pancho Villa State Park for a few days (so I'll pass through Deming NM) and on to Tempe AZ for Thanksgiving. I was planning on taking US-70 through Globe to get there. So much for background. Can anybody recommend a decent RV wash/detail service (hand wash only) in the Deming or Tempe area or on the way? I will take a hose and bucket of soapy water to it at Pancho Villa, but it really needs a good wax job. And, last but not least, what product do you full or long timers use to care for the exterior? I was a "take the car through the car wash" kind of person so have no experience of hand washing a car to carry over to here. Also, I'm a full-timer so the product needs to be easily available in less than gallon sizes (no room). Andy, what do you use to care for Skylark? And how do you reach under the cabover? When I washed the front a couple of weeks ago, I simply could not reach that area with the rag in my hand while standing as high as I dared on the ladder. (I tried searching the archives for wash or clean, but the number of messages returned was astounding. So I'll ask the question again.)Mary Lou KnackGreen Thumb (1996 23.5' TK)http://skip2mlou.us[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Re: RV wash/detail suggestions Reply #1 – November 12, 2007, 08:24:05 pm Yahoo Message Number: 85848"how do you reach under the cabover? When I washed the front a couple of weeks ago, I simply could not reach that area with the rag in my hand while standing as high as I dared on the ladder."I've seen various tips posted. One that I liked was to wrap a microfiber cloth around anything with a long handle--broom, window squeegee or whatever you have on hand--and use that to scrub off the dirt.Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels/
Re: RV wash/detail suggestions Reply #2 – November 12, 2007, 08:30:57 pm Yahoo Message Number: 85850Thanks for your technique Chris, Actually, I was trying to avoid the hose method since I rarely park in campgrounds with hookups. And I don't know where I would store a long handled brush. My outside compartments (23.5 TK) are pretty full already; even getting the ladder out is painful enough since its size requires it to be "bottom-back". Actually, washing isn't too much of a problem (except for the under nose area which hasn't been washed in over a year and has lots of bug juice) - at least it's straightforward and only two buckets. It's the waxing that has me hesitant. The instructions I read on the car wash/wax products make it sound like I first have to completely wash the side I'm working on, then put the wax product on, rinse it off, dry it before it dries itself, then buff 'til it shines. Ugh. Is there a decent cleaner/wax that can go on and get wiped off after it dries with only a little buffing?Mary Lou
Re: RV wash/detail suggestions - try "Finish First" Reply #3 – November 12, 2007, 09:04:51 pm Yahoo Message Number: 85852The instructions I read on the car wash/wax Quoteproducts make it sound like I first have to completely wash the side I'm Quoteworking on, then put the wax product on, rinse it off, dry it before it Quotedries itself, then buff 'til it shines. Ugh. Is there a decent cleaner/wax Quotethat can go on and get wiped off after it dries with only a little buffing?Quote Mary Lou Years ago, members on this forum suggested a product named "Finish First" for a wax substitute. I tried it and like it very much. It gives a smooth finish that is easy to rinse dirt and bugs off.Application is pretty easy too. Clean surface. Put it on the shady side. Let it dry to a haze. Use a microfiber towel to buff it out. If you miss a spot you can buff it out later. My experience is that it does not get hard like wax does.Various mail order vendors for it have been listed on this site at different times. My last order came from "See it Shine" Ph 856 424- 0267. It is $18.95 for 16 oz. My opinion is that this is expensive, but worth it when you consider the labor it saves.I will check the link to the website and post the link.Best wishes,Ken in San Diego
Re: RV wash/detail suggestions - try "Finish First" Reply #4 – November 12, 2007, 09:47:28 pm Yahoo Message Number: 85855I agree! And you can buy it here for $17.50. That's where I got mine.http://snipurl.com/1tjycNow if only they would apply it for us. . . Hope that helps, Tessa
Re: RV wax substitute - "Finish First" - one website Reply #5 – November 12, 2007, 09:57:19 pm Yahoo Message Number: 85856The manufacturer for "Finish First" is Liqui-Tech. I have not noticed "Finish First" in auto supply stores like Pep Boys, etc.One website that sells it, iswww.seeitshine.comFrom their home page, click on "products" and then "LiquiTech" and then you should see "Finish First" in the lower left corner.The website's home page presently features a product called "Ace It." I do not know anything about that product nor the biker babes in bikinis pictured there.Best Wishes,Ken in San Diego
Re: RV wash/detail suggestions Reply #6 – November 12, 2007, 10:55:12 pm Yahoo Message Number: 85860Is there a decent cleaner/wax that can go on and get wiped off after it dries with only a little buffing?Mary Lou I suggest using a polymer wax such as Mother's or Meguiar's. They are easy to use and not too expensive. Carnuba waxes have traditionally been considered the best 'show car' wax. They produce a great shine but, in my experience, do not hold up as long as the polymer waxes.It is probably more important to keep the paint clean and apply wax once or twice a year than to get stuck in a debate on the merits of any particular brand. Most, if not all, RV products are not subjectively tested so all recommendations should be taken with a grain of salt. One thing I learned long ago, there are no 'miracle' products but there is plenty of snake oil out there.Larry
Re: RV wash/detail suggestions Reply #7 – November 13, 2007, 06:51:18 am Yahoo Message Number: 85869On Tue, 13 Nov 2007 04:55:11 -0000, "Larry W" lw5315us@...> wrote these inspiring words:QuoteMary Lou I suggest using a polymer wax such as Mother's or Meguiar's. I have used Meguiar's and agree that it is good stuff. We bought "Big White" from the Mothership figuring they had some level of expertise with what worked well with the paint they use. It goes on easy, and is easily removed with a micro-fiber rag.QuoteOne thing I learned long ago, there are no 'miracle' products but there is plenty of snake oil out there. Is that ever true!Home is where you roam Don & Dorothy Koko & Pelli
Re: RV wash/detail suggestions Reply #8 – November 13, 2007, 07:57:44 am Yahoo Message Number: 85872Mary Lou:I managed to get one of Costco's excellent $25 extending brushes into BabyBlu's rear pax side compartment with little trouble. When extended it easily reaches everything and blasts water thru itself by attaching to a hose. Or you can (and I often do) just use it as a brush, unconnected. The easiest to use, longest lasting, and most "tolerant" wax I have found over several decades of trying many brands is NuFinish
Re: RV wash/detail suggestions Reply #9 – November 13, 2007, 08:26:27 am Yahoo Message Number: 85874Quote Is there a decent cleaner/wax that can go on and get wiped off after it dries with only a little buffing?Mary Lou I suggest using a polymer wax such as Mother's or Meguiar's. They are easy to use and not too expensive. I second that on the polymer wax, I used Meguiars NXT with great results on a family car (not the LD yet...). It doesn't get hard like the carnuaba based, comes off easily.Regards, Adam
Re: RV wash/detail suggestions Reply #10 – November 13, 2007, 09:14:25 am Yahoo Message Number: 85877Just have the factory send you what they use. Lazy Daze sent me their 2180 A. S. Ultra Polymer Sealant. Clean your RV, wipe it on, wipe it off. I then just use a hose to clean the dust off after that(no soap). I don't remember the price, but the 31 ounce container will last a LONG time if you use it twice a year. You can do sections of your LD at a time, you don't have to do it all at once. FYI, I try to wash my LD when its raining out, continuous instant rinse I also use a soft bristle extendable brush that you connect a hose to at the base for washing to reach those tall places. You can find them at Wally World.Chuck Myers 97RB Skye
Re: RV wax substitute - "Finish First" - one website Reply #11 – November 13, 2007, 09:41:50 am Yahoo Message Number: 85881QuoteThe website's home page presently features a product called "Ace It." I do not know anything about that product nor the biker babes in bikinis pictured there. We used Finish First on our LD. When it came time to reorder, See It Shine included a small sample of Ace It. We liked that even better than Finish First! One thing we liked about Ace It is that it can be used as a waterless wash...as long as you're not talking about heavy dirt. And, unlike Finish First, it doesn't require going back after it's dry and buffing. We ended up ordering a larger bottle of Ace It.Linda Hylton http://map.datastormusers.com/user1.cfm?user=1167 http://earl-linda.blogspot.com/
Re: RV wash/detail suggestions Reply #12 – November 13, 2007, 09:50:30 am Yahoo Message Number: 85882'FYI, I try to wash my LD when its raining out, continuous instant rinse "ChuckWhat is rain? The only thing that falls out of the sky is ash (and a occasional airplane).Larry Southern California
Re: RV wash/detail suggestions Reply #13 – November 13, 2007, 10:26:30 am Yahoo Message Number: 85888Hi Mary Lou
RV wash/detail suggestions Reply #14 – November 13, 2007, 12:01:14 pm Yahoo Message Number: 85899In all the suggestions I've read so far, none included DriWash Solutions. It came highly recommended on the AllaboutRVing mailing list past year. Even though I do not have an RV yet, I bought some and am quite impressed with the ease of application as well as the results. The link is: http://www.driwashsolutions.com I am in no way affiliated with this company or business. Just want to share. Melinda
Re: RV wash/detail suggestions Reply #15 – November 13, 2007, 01:14:07 pm Yahoo Message Number: 85904mmmm, its manna from heaven for fire fighters Chuck No rain in three weeks Iowa/What is rain? The only thing that falls out of the sky is ash (and a occasional airplane).Larry Southern California/[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Re: RV wash/detail suggestions Reply #16 – November 13, 2007, 01:26:03 pm Yahoo Message Number: 85905"am quite impressed with the ease of application as well as the results." The link is: http://www.driwashsolutions.com======================= K.C. has been using this product for a couple of years and loves it. No pre-washing required makes it easy to use whenever. It's pricey but worth it.Anne JohnsonLovely La Verne, CA
Re: RV wash/detail suggestions Reply #17 – November 13, 2007, 10:46:33 pm Yahoo Message Number: 85921No offense, but part of the reason DriWash prices are so high is due to the multi-tiered marketing system used to move their products. For less the 1/4 the cost, I'll stick with Protect-All, available both in a dry wash style and in a no rinse low water use version (one capful to 3 qts of water does a car or airplane nicely.bumper----- From: Melinda To: lifewithalazydazerv@yahoogroups.com Sent: Tuesday, November 13, 2007 10:01 AM Subject: [LD] RV wash/detail suggestionsIn all the suggestions I've read so far, none included DriWash Solutions. It came highly recommended on the AllaboutRVing mailing list past year. Even though I do not have an RV yet, I bought some and am quite impressed with the ease of application as well as the results. The link is: http://www.driwashsolutions.com I am in no way affiliated with this company or business. Just want to share. Melinda[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Re: RV wash/detail suggestions Reply #18 – November 14, 2007, 09:17:43 am Yahoo Message Number: 85927On Tue, 13 Nov 2007 20:43:04 -0800, "bumperm" bumperm@...> wrote these inspiring words:QuoteFor less the 1/4 the cost, I'll stick with Protect-All, available both in a dry wash style and in a no rinse low water use version (one capful to 3 qts of water does a car or airplane nicely. This is new to me. I am going to believe you and try some. But, it gives me pause to think about "grinding the dirt into the paint". Cheers, Don
Re: RV wash/detail suggestions Reply #19 – November 14, 2007, 10:15:21 am Yahoo Message Number: 85929Don, The gel-coat finish on my ASH26E glider is far softer (and a whole lot more expensive to replace) than the finish on a motor vehicle. There's no magic to avoiding scratches. It is always better to flush with water if dirt is caked on. Absent that, and absent a ready supply of water, using a very wet (wetted with Protect-All low-water type wash) does the job. I use these micro-fiber cloths exclusively, and always use a clean one on the Plexiglas canopy. Microfiber towels are available on-the-cheap at Costco.bumper Yonder Minden (soaring capital of America) "If flying were the language of man, then soaring would be his poetry." (unknown)
Re: RV wash/detail suggestions Reply #20 – November 14, 2007, 02:14:02 pm Yahoo Message Number: 85933Thanks for all the suggestions. Now I have some brand names to look for when I get to a store. I've never heard of Mother's or Meguiar's before. I wold like to buy what the Mothership sells, but I won't be in that area for a long time yet. For you DriWash fans - I've occasionally seen a vendor, but always wondered about sealing the dirt in or scratching the finish if it wasn't washed first. Sounds like that's not really a problem and might be worth trying a small sample just to see.Mary Lou
Re: RV wash/detail suggestions Reply #21 – November 25, 2007, 06:52:26 pm Yahoo Message Number: 86307This may be a solution, depending on your location. http://pics.uncommonpics.com/elephant-car-wash.php Cheers, Don
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Topic: RV wash/detail suggestions (Read 13 times)
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