Washing your class A

[frankiebIII]

I purchased my rig in March. I enjoy taking care of the things I love. I have washed the outside about 6 times already. I love it looking clean and glossy before a trip and like to clean the gunk off after a trip. I also have it in storage at an outside facility so whenever I pick it up it usually has a good coat of dust and dirt on it. However, it is time consuming to wash and I really hate having to dry it.
Sometimes I give it a full wash and sometimes just a good rinse. I've scrubbed the roof to start the summer and always rinse it at the least when I do wash the rig.

How often do you wash your RV?
How often do you wash the roof?
Does anyone have any tips to make it easier?
Is there a soap that will leave it streak free if I don't dry it?

Thanks for any advice

[RayChez]

I wash mine before any long trip. If it is just dusty, I give it a dry wash with Solution dry wash. If it is real dirty then I use my electric power washer and use a little non detergent liquid soap, and power wash it with soft water. Then I put some Blue Coral liquid wax and soap on the power sprayer and spray from top to side, front and back of the coach. I then wipe her down with big beach towels except the roof. I just let the Blue Coral just dry up so that it protects the fiberglass roof. I do not wipe off the excess off the roof.

The paint job on my coach looks as good as the day I bought it ten years ago. Check it out on my profile.

[VinCee]

My rig never leaves the driveway without a wash, whether it looks dirty or not. I use any car wash with wax in it product I can find on sale. Long extender pole with soft large brush I bought from Wal Mart six years ago for $20 and still going. To dry I use a squeegee on a broom handle to get most of the water up above reach level, then I wrap a cotton towel around it to get the rest of the high spot water. I don't care much for the micro fiber towels so many people like. They don't seem to soak up much water and leave streaks or smaller water marks. Wax once a year with Nu Finish with touch ups, especially the front with a quality spray on wax like EagleOne's Nano Wax or just cheap dollar store spray furniture wax. Before season I used Mop n Glo, two coats on my fiberglass roof. I do not wash is during the year figuring rain takes care of that.

[Blackdiamond]

wny_pat wrote:
Wash Wax All with their exclusive mop! It is the easiest way.

I use that as well, works great.

[wny_pat1]

Wash Wax All with their exclusive mop! It is the easiest way.

[ferndaleflyer]

I wash mine pretty often---I waxed it with Red Max last year and it still shines but I had to re-do the front cap awhile back because of washing off the bugs so much....At 72 I can relate to the back and knee pain but so far I have been able to overcome that. Big DP is like washing your house.

[Mr_Mark1]

I think on average I either wash the coach myself or have it washed at least once a month. I use a microfiber towel and get on my hands and knees on the roof and wipe'r down with a bucket of soapy water. I bought a pair of velcro knee pads which are so comfortable and save my knees from the hard roof surface.

I spray off the roof after soaping it up and let it dry on it's own. Then I start on the sides (shady side first)....then by the time I get to the other side it's usually in the shade or the sun is more overhead. I wash one side, then dry it off with a microfiber towel (yellow ones from Costco) then continue around the coach.

To wash and dry the whole coach, wash and dry the wheels, put 303 protectant on the tires, it takes me about 2.5 hrs. And, I'm exhausted afterwards! LOL! But I love doing it!

I usually let the guys in Las Vegas wax the coach as I go there 4-5 times a year. But, I do have a couple of bottles of Maquires 'spray on, buff off' wax that works well. I use my super-duper Malm's pure Carnauba wax (too expensive for the whole coach) just on the front cap. It makes the front stick-free for most bugs, easy clean up at each evening stop.

MM.

[wa8yxm]

Each Spring and fall I take about an 800 mile "hike" from either Michigan or South Carolina to the other one.,.... I wash and wax just before leaving.

Wash: I usually use Spic & Span on the roof, And "Car wash concentrate" on the sides, both diluted with water (on the sides I use a car wash "Gun" that does the dilution automatically)

On both I use a long handled "Van wash" brush This telescoping handle brush has "Flow through" but I do not use that.

Wax, (NOT ON THE ROOF) is any good cream, liquid or Foam wax. Meguilers (I can not spell that name worth ... deleted...) is a good brand but Turtle Wax works nearly as well.

Suggestion.. Before you wash and wax take a trip note MPG
After: Same trip, and note.

Compare notes. Post

[zmotorsports]

I wash ours before each trip along with a chamois drying. I wash the roof two-three times and it gets a coat of polish once or twice a year.

When we pull in after a trip, weekend or longer, I wash the bugs off of the front cap before parking in the driveway. If the coach got rained on or we drove on wet roads the entire coach gets washed before pulling it in the driveway and parking.

I pressure wash the engine/transmission and undercarriage five or six times per year along with the generator as well.

Mike.

[smlranger]

I wash mine when it is really dirty with Turtle Wax Zip Wax car wash. I use a Swobbit on an extended pole as most brushes, even those advertised as 'soft' will put small swirl marks in the clear coat. Roof gets washed at least 3 times per year and coated with 303 twice. I use a squeege on a pole to get most of the water off after washing and a synthetic chamois to wipe the lower sections and any chrome and the windows.

Aluminum wheels get polished with Wicked Metal Polish at least twice a year.

Between washings (if it is not really cruddy/muddy and primarily dusty, I use a waterless product called No Wet which is a dry wash and wax that is best used with microfiber rags/towels. It does not scratch and leaves a really nice shine.

Now as I get older, I am hating to drag the ladder around the coach so I just ordered the kit from Aero Cosmetics that is recommended by many on this forum. It uses a reversible microfiber mop and Aero's own blend of waterless wash/wax formula. It was developed for the aircraft industry. I am anxious to try it.

[Community Alumni]

I wash mine about 6 times a year unless we've been on the road in the rain; I'll wash it wherever we arrive (or try to).

I also use Ultimate Quik Detailer® if it's just been sitting for a few weeks. The product just sprays on then buffs off with a clean cloth. Works really well on the full-body paint.

[Devonm2012]

Executive wrote:
I wash mine when I can but usually once a month. The roof gets washed too..you wash your hair when you shower don't you...:S..the coach, including the roof, gets waxed twice a year. Takes me a couple hours at a campsite to do the wash. Some CGs charge $10 others don't care. If it's going to rain, simply lather it up and let Mother Nature rinse it for you. It still needs to be wiped down with microfiber towels. Make sure you wet the microfiber towels before drying...washing your coach gets you up close and personal with your rig. You will be surprised at other things you find while washing it. Things that you can easily repair/fix that you might otherwise miss.

Unless you use soft water, you will get water spots if you don't wipe it down after hosing it off......Dennis

One last comment.....we have a portable dionizer that we use for the final rinse and it dries 100% spot free. You know when you go to a car wash and the dial includes a final rinse setting? That is dionized water and our coach dries spot free and I like the look of the finish just that much better!

[GENECOP]

The roof 4-5 times a year.....it all starts with the roof IMO, keep the roof clean and waxed, the entire rig will require less work....The sides get 303 section by section, I am always doing it...

[lizbard]

My husband has made the comment when the HS cheerleaders, etc. are having a car wash, that we should take the RV and let them do it. Like Diplomat Dan the knees and back are getting worn and it is hard to get around. Diplomat Dan when I heard what you were doing on your coach made my knees hurt, so I think I will go to bed with the heating pad and Tylenol.

I don't do high places and neither does he anymore (when he was younger he was on the top of his UH-1H (or D model) and did what needed to be done. This was in his "wild oats" days. I just look up and shake my head.

In the remodeling I am doing, I want to get the decals removed - they are peeling off, were that way when we bought her in 2009 - and have a solid color painted all over, white, off white, something like that - then have some of the artists around here do some painting on the coach. One thing I want is a Huey with his Black Cat nose art like it was in Vietnam, across the back. Then other stuff celebrating his time in service and Ohio. Part of it would be for me, Texas, the WAC emblem and other stuff. Then I would take it to the paint shop to have a clear coat or whatever they suggest. I will have the word Brave painted on the nose with a small black cat emblem on the nose.

Then, I would save money to let someone else do the washing and polishing. I do good to at least keep the windows clean.

[Canadian_Rainbi]

J-Rooster wrote:
I wash my coach 3 times a year. Or should I say I have my Grandson (16 yrs.) wash it. I do the roof first after rinsing the whole coach. I use Simple Green (soap) and a power washer on the lowest settings. I do not power wash any seams or caulking. I apply 3 coats of Nu Finish paste wax to the front end of the coach only. The rest of the coach I use Aerospace #303 Protectant with UV protection very easy to work with and adds luster to the coach.

Can I borrow your Grandson? We're not THAT far from Port Orchard. I'd even pick him up at the ferry! :B