Can I go through car wash with solar panels on my roofrack?

Naio wrote:
In the driveway, sure. But most cg's and RV parks won't allow washing, right?

What do fulltimers with solar do?

Wash their solar panels like they do windows at home on their stick and brick.

In the driveway, sure. But most cg's and RV parks won't allow washing, right?

What do fulltimers with solar do?

I wouldn't use the water from a commercial car wash on my solar panels. It is usually recycled and I would worry about loss of insolation on the acetate top layer of the module.

Washing a minivan should be easily accomplished with two small buckets of water. I've hand washed my cars in the driveway and that's about all it involves.

PatrickA51 wrote:
I have run my RV thru the Blue Beacon Truck Wash
I have Solar panels on my RV have never had a problem with them.

Don't believe Blue Beacon washes roof.

Jim

Bob/Olallawa wrote:

Naio wrote:
I've seen some hand wash businesses in cities, though.

Most likely not 5 bucks though

It takes about $11 of dropping quarters in the box at the DIY to get my truck clean.. really clean.

There are two types where I am, the ones that have the spinning, flopping foam rubber brushes, then the high pressure wash type that just use an arm that moves over/around the car and sprays it.

Brushes... no. They clean better than the "touchless" type... but I wouldn't risk my panels on it.

With solar panels, I'd be wary of the high pressure ones, just because they might force water in through a seal.

I'd just hand wash it. That way, I have control of where the water goes, and I can use some form of deflector on/near the top (a bucket for example) so I'm not stressing the seals on the roof.

Naio wrote:
I've seen some hand wash businesses in cities, though.

Most likely not 5 bucks though

Naio wrote:
Not being able to take the truck through a car wash would be a problem,

So, the DIY pressure washes are out?

I do not have solar panels at this time. I am CONSIDERING getting some. Not being able to take the truck through a car wash would be a problem, as I do not usually camp in places where a hand wash is practical/possible. I've seen some hand wash businesses in cities, though.

How much time and money would it cost to replace the panels and any other damage? Is it worth saving time on a hand wash?

At the very least use a self serve car wash where there have the high pressure hoses. That's what they mean by pressure wash. There is also a brand name touchless wash system called "LaserWash" that use high pressure jets. We have one near us and I prefer it over the brush type washes.