My name is Bill…and I am afraid of car washes….Seriously, at some point we will need a new truck. I would love to go dually. One of my concerns is the ability to go through the local drive-through car wash in winter. For those of us that live where we actually have winter, it is imperative that you clean your vehicles whenever you can sneak in a day that is above freezing. I try to wash our vehicles once/week (or every other week if the temps do not cooperate) with a good wash/wax for the topsides and chassis bath underneath. If you do not blast the road grime off you can be sure your vehicle will be a pile of rust in short order. Using a drive through car wash is not only convenient, but also gives you the option to wash underneath easily. As we have to close off outside spigots at home to prevent burst pipes due to freezing, the local car wash is the only real option mid-winter.For those that have duallys and live in the snow-belt, how do you deal with keeping your truck clean in winter? Car washes in our area do not accommodate duallys, and the "hand wash" booths does not do as good a job as the drive through.Thanx for feedback, Bill

Our weather isn't that bad. You could wash better if the drive though gets your car cleaner. ;). I think if you runway the salt/chemical of off, you should be good even if it doesn't look as clean as you want.

LOL!This is what we do to keep our vehicles clean, safe and away from corrosive chemicals dumped on our roads 3 inches thick:1) we drive ourselves and our SUV to Florida for a big chunk of winter;2) we store the other vehicle & camper in a climate-controlled facility until winter is over (up here: 6.5 months)...additionally, I flood the undercarriages and inside body panels of both vehicles with anti-corrosion materials several times a year. I drive to get groceries locally ONLY on days when the roads are clean and dry (usually, about one or 2 days every two weeks); we don't visit anyone during the period when we aren't in the south, they come to see us.:B :BMy advice: IF you have to actually drive "a vehicle" during winter up here in the corrosion belt (to get to office; shopping; visiting; etc), buy a crappy 4x4 you can afford to sacrifice.

When I spent a couple of winters in Cleveland I made up a chassis wash rig. Some PVC pipe, a few irrigation sprinkler heads and a hose fitting did the job. Basically a cross bar with the sprinkler heads teed to a long enough section to get under the vehicle easily and a hose connector on the end. Yep, know you'll still have to deal with finding a hose bib to hook into.

Yah, I was trying to figure that one out too.I currently have SRW truck and take it to the wash all the time. I wrote them (Brown Bear in WA) and they can't do DRW trucks.When driving around in other states, at the U-Wash they seemed to have the Washer move around the truck.So I'm wondering if that might work.You just pull the truck in to a marker and then sit. The washer brushs etc, move around you. I'm thinking it might work, haven't been to one recently to ask but looks like the sensors will account for the Dually??Dunno know.Otherwise, will plan on using the U-wash stalls.. Wx over here, PNW/West it's not as bad as the East with the Salt/mud etc, but still like to keep'er clean.Watching for solutions, thanks..

What about using those 24 hr truck wash stations in R.I. google locations . At my house I personally added a hot/cold outside winter spigot and use an oscillating sprinkler under the truck to clean off the salt. Plain warm water a long handle brush and dry it using the ABSORBER cloth (Absorber at Walmart) which dries the whole thing before it has the chance to freeze.

Fear of car washes | Good Sam Community

25 Replies

bobndot
Explorer III
Jul 15, 2015
What about using those 24 hr truck wash stations in R.I. google locations .

At my house I personally added a hot/cold outside winter spigot and use an oscillating sprinkler under the truck to clean off the salt.
Plain warm water a long handle brush and dry it using the ABSORBER cloth (Absorber at Walmart) which dries the whole thing before it has the chance to freeze.
fpoole
Explorer
Jul 15, 2015
Yah, I was trying to figure that one out too.

I currently have SRW truck and take it to the wash all the time. I wrote them (Brown Bear in WA) and they can't do DRW trucks.

When driving around in other states, at the U-Wash they seemed to have the Washer move around the truck.

So I'm wondering if that might work.
You just pull the truck in to a marker and then sit. The washer brushs etc, move around you. I'm thinking it might work, haven't been to one recently to ask but looks like the sensors will account for the Dually??
Dunno know.

Otherwise, will plan on using the U-wash stalls.. Wx over here, PNW/West it's not as bad as the East with the Salt/mud etc, but still like to keep'er clean.

Watching for solutions, thanks..
DougE
Explorer
Jul 15, 2015
When I spent a couple of winters in Cleveland I made up a chassis wash rig. Some PVC pipe, a few irrigation sprinkler heads and a hose fitting did the job. Basically a cross bar with the sprinkler heads teed to a long enough section to get under the vehicle easily and a hose connector on the end. Yep, know you'll still have to deal with finding a hose bib to hook into.
silversand
Explorer
Jul 15, 2015
LOL!

This is what we do to keep our vehicles clean, safe and away from corrosive chemicals dumped on our roads 3 inches thick:

1) we drive ourselves and our SUV to Florida for a big chunk of winter;

2) we store the other vehicle & camper in a climate-controlled facility until winter is over (up here: 6.5 months)

...additionally, I flood the undercarriages and inside body panels of both vehicles with anti-corrosion materials several times a year. I drive to get groceries locally ONLY on days when the roads are clean and dry (usually, about one or 2 days every two weeks); we don't visit anyone during the period when we aren't in the south, they come to see us.

:B :B

My advice: IF you have to actually drive "a vehicle" during winter up here in the corrosion belt (to get to office; shopping; visiting; etc), buy a crappy 4x4 you can afford to sacrifice.
jimh406
Explorer III
Jul 15, 2015
Our weather isn't that bad. You could wash better if the drive though gets your car cleaner. ;). I think if you runway the salt/chemical of off, you should be good even if it doesn't look as clean as you want.

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Fear of car washes

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