Motorhome Washing with Deionizer or Water Softner

The no spot car washes do work. If you have bad bad water like Decatur Indiana, the only solution is a water softener.
Wash with their water and it will look like heavy salt deposits around crew heads crevices and on windows etc.
Around here we have lime in the water but not bad. I wash early of the morning, fast, and into the garage to towel dry.
Not able to do the Mh. They wash it inside though. I am going to put a whole house filter on the faucet where the hose connects though. We now have city water, the worse. If I find the where with all I'll put in a pump. Or grvity system since there are springs everywhere.

p.mcclure wrote:
We all know washing the RV is a pain. Have any of you used either a portable water softener or deionizer for the final rinse to eliminate the need to dry the thing after the wash? Does it really work to prevent the spots? Which of the two (deionizer or water softener) works best? What brand do you recommend?

Yes deionizer systems work to eliminate water spots. The CR Spotless Water System seems to be popular with RV owners.

Installing a whole house water softener with a single hose spicket included for washing vehicles was one of the BEST things I ever did. In Florida we have VERY hard water and with the high heat the water would evaporate very fast, even in the shade, leaving terrible water spots.

Now, I can final rinse with soft water and very little to no spots.

p.mcclure wrote:
We all know washing the RV is a pain. Have any of you used either a portable water softener or deionizer for the final rinse to eliminate the need to dry the thing after the wash? Does it really work to prevent the spots? Which of the two (deionizer or water softener) works best? What brand do you recommend?

Ah the old "spot free rinse". I know it well, I managed multiple large car washes for a single owner back in my collage years and did all repairs.

Anywho. You can have the 100% mineral free (distilled) water and still have spots. Why? Because you are not in a controlled atmosphere. The air is dirty! Dusty! And water droplets are magnets for dirt in the air. When they dry, its the same as having hard water. Sometimes worse, sometimes not too bad.

Short story, it makes no difference if you wash and rinse with hard water. What matters is you blow dry and/or towel dry.

Use a leaf blower to help blow out the in between areas water gets trapped in and wipe dry again to eliminate run marks.

p.mcclure wrote:
We all know washing the RV is a pain. Have any of you used either a portable water softener or deionizer for the final rinse to eliminate the need to dry the thing after the wash? Does it really work to prevent the spots? Which of the two (deionizer or water softener) works best? What brand do you recommend?

p.mcclure,
Yes, I've used the Costco CR Spotless Dionized water washing system for a few years now. If you live in a hard water area, and you do your own motor home, car, boat etc, washings, this system is a life saver. We used to live in San Diego County and, the water there was pretty hard. My CR system would last maybe around 4-5 RV washings and an additional 4-5 pickup truck washings before the water would begin to leave spots.

Now, we live in Lake Havasu City AZ where the water here might as well be BRICKS and, my new CR system has lasted only 2 RV washings, 6 Jeep washings and 2 truck washings and, it's now showing water spots. CR is based in San Diego and, has a pretty good plan for replenishing the resin that get's contaminated with the use of Hard water. You need to call them for details.

But, suffice to say, as you well know, washing with regular hard water, rinsing the coach, and then trying to dry THE WHOLE THING before any water spots start to take effect, especially IN THE SUN, is one pain in the A$$, FOR SURE!!!!!!!

While this CR system can be a bit costly to initially purchase, the reduced human effort and physical relief encountered by just rinsing a monster sized coach and WALKING AWAY, DRIPPING WET, IS PRICELESS!!!!! I'd recommend it in a heartbeat.
Scott

https://www.costco.com/CR-SPOTLESS-De-ionizing-Spotless-Water-System.product.11751987.html

DutchmenSport wrote:
This may sound a bit strange, but if you live in hard water country (wherever that may be), how about a rinse with dishwasher spot remover. You know, not the dishwasher liquid soap or tablets. But the liquid you pour in the door and then close the cap, the rinse additive? If it works on clear glass in a dishwasher to remove spots, It would work everywhere.

Actually, talking about dishwashers? Do you know if you use automatic dishwasher soap to wash your glass shower stalls, it will remove the calcium and lime spots and leave the glass spotless too? Even with just a normal water rinse.

Next time, instead of washing with a traditional soap, why not get a bucket of water and add a few squirts of automatic dishwashing liquid and the spot remover. I bet it will work!

will not work here where we live. If no soft water then the spot removal does not work, leaves everything white filmy .

I do use soft water to wash, but still have to dry.

This may sound a bit strange, but if you live in hard water country (wherever that may be), how about a rinse with dishwasher spot remover. You know, not the dishwasher liquid soap or tablets. But the liquid you pour in the door and then close the cap, the rinse additive? If it works on clear glass in a dishwasher to remove spots, It would work everywhere.

Actually, talking about dishwashers? Do you know if you use automatic dishwasher soap to wash your glass shower stalls, it will remove the calcium and lime spots and leave the glass spotless too? Even with just a normal water rinse.

Next time, instead of washing with a traditional soap, why not get a bucket of water and add a few squirts of automatic dishwashing liquid and the spot remover. I bet it will work!

I purchased a duel cartridge deionizer several years ago and I've washed my rig 7 times and the gauge is still reading 0.00. I do hook up my water softener ahead of the unit which I'm sure prolongs the life of the resin. After the rinse, even sitting in the hot sun, there isn't one water spot on the coach.

That's because you live in Oregon; land of soft water. Soaps don't fix the rinse unless you leave enough wash water on that it might coat the vehicle. These are used everyday in aviation and marine.

OP- yes they do work. I have a little Water Stick that I plug into the pressure washer for a final rinse. There are certinaly better ones out there and I'm sure you'll get a name before long

Never heard of that before. The washing solution usually has a no spot additive and I wax anyway.