Whoa, how much to wash my rig again...???

[Jim]

Here in Fairview, Oregon at a nice park and often saw a local RV washing service in the park. Usually took a couple workers a couple hours to do a rig as big as mine. So called them up to get a quote to wash my 35' Winnie Class A.

I expected the price to be a little higher than the $2-$7 per foot I'm use to of course because everything RV related in this area is too darn high and it's certainly not Mexico prices. I was thinking near the high end of the scale, so $245.

The guy comes out to give me a quote and launches into a phoney, "You have oxidation!! Oh, no!", he says as he rubs his finger through the dirt on the side of the RV showing me that it comes right off with his finger.

Yeah, OK, I have some minor oxidation, big deal (and what he was showing me was just dirt). So how much, I ask? He grabs his gallon jug of liquid oxidation remover to show me, as though I'm suppose to be impressed or something. Using a liquid product is like the reverse of hard. Splash it on a brush and just brush off the oxidation. Not like you have to rub every foot of the RV by hand anymore.

He wanted $550. I laughed at him a little, told him no way.

Wow, $15.71 per foot, or $137.50/hour. For washing a RV. Not exactly skilled labor so it's hard for me to justify paying that much when I could pay a high school kid $25/hour to do it.

What do the rest of you pay these days? Does $550 seem a little high to you too?

[Bill_Carry]

Commercial truck washes generally charge abut $1.00 per foot in my experience.

[KeninAZ]

Electrics just did not have the pressure I needed and also needed a dedicated 15 amp outlet (nothing else on the circuit.
I can also use the gas for many other functions that the electrics would not touch, but you may not need those services.
And, in reading reviews of electrics from users they did not seem to be as dependable as the gas units.

[msmith1199]

KeninAZ wrote:
I got tired of washing mine by hand with the extension pole and brush. Hard on my older injured back too. And car washes that can accommodate our Class A are few and far between in our area.
I picked up a gas powered Simpson pressure washer. At $425 at Tractor supply it will not take long to pay for it considering the costs to drive to a car wash and pay for the wash. http://www.pressurewashersdirect.com/Simpson-MSH3125-S-Pressure-Washer/p6598.html
This unit comes with 5 nozzles which determine how much pressure is applied. I only use the soap/siphon nozzle to apply soap and then the lowest nozzle which is recommended. The highest nozzle etches concrete from 4-6' away and will most likely harm the finish on cars and such.

I bought a much cheaper electric power washer that has plenty of pressure for cleaning the motorhome. But even using a pressure washer it is still a lot of work to wash and wax it.

[KeninAZ]

I got tired of washing mine by hand with the extension pole and brush. Hard on my older injured back too. And car washes that can accommodate our Class A are few and far between in our area.
I picked up a gas powered Simpson pressure washer. At $425 at Tractor supply it will not take long to pay for it considering the costs to drive to a car wash and pay for the wash. http://www.pressurewashersdirect.com/Simpson-MSH3125-S-Pressure-Washer/p6598.html
This unit comes with 5 nozzles which determine how much pressure is applied. I only use the soap/siphon nozzle to apply soap and then the lowest nozzle which is recommended. The highest nozzle etches concrete from 4-6' away and will most likely harm the finish on cars and such.

[2oldman]

big jim 2 wrote:
.. I do my own, about three hours for 38 ft. sometimes I spread it out over two days

My 34' fiver took me a week to apply NuFinish. Hard work, rubbing all that out, and it only lasted a year.

Good thing I can afford to have it done now.

[msmith1199]

2oldman wrote:

rsn48 wrote:
..multi level polishing to bring it up to snuff. It ain't cheap but it isn't me doing it. So this thread was helpful to me.

Good. 'Real' wax jobs, including buffing (as opposed to wax-on-wax-off-before-it's-even-dry jobs), are expensive.

Yeah, lots of comparing of apples and oranges in this thread. I've paid $100 a few times for a wash and most recently I paid $525 for a complete wash and buffer wax job. Two completely different things.

[big_jim_2]

My wife just finished ours but had go back and do the tires because she forgot them. Cost? Two glasses of wine! Actuality I do my own, about three hours for 38 ft. sometimes I spread it out over two days but I have a very convenient location to do it.

[2oldman]

rsn48 wrote:
..multi level polishing to bring it up to snuff. It ain't cheap but it isn't me doing it. So this thread was helpful to me.

Good. 'Real' wax jobs, including buffing (as opposed to wax-on-wax-off-before-it's-even-dry jobs), are expensive.

[2oldman]

GHOST1750 wrote:
I was in Chula Vista, Ca. last May . Someone came around and washed and hand waxed our 40 ft. including roof for $285.00 . Now that's expensive beautiful Southern Ca.

Cash or check?

[rsn48]

After reading this thread I found a place on Vancouver Island that will wash and polish, multi level polishing to bring it up to snuff. It ain't cheap but it isn't me doing it. So this thread was helpful to me.

[mikestock]

I have my 40 footer parked in a storage lot. After driving through rain Sunday I used my pole brush, bucket and on-board water. Takes me about an hour, including the wheels and tires, to get it looking like new. Doesn't take much drying in 92 degree heat. Fortunately, there's not much black in my paint job. This is something I do frequently. Road dirt is usually concentrated on the lower half of the sides and the rear of the coach gets the most grime. I once even did a 40 minute wash in a rest area after traveling across the country. Not perfect, but looked pretty good.

I only wash and wax the roof about twice a year.

[GHOST1750]

D.E.Bishop wrote:

2oldman wrote:

Jim@HiTek wrote:
"You have oxidation!! Oh, no!", he says as he rubs his finger through the dirt on the side of the RV showing me that it comes right off with his finger.

Not like you have to rub every foot of the RV by hand anymore.

If you do have oxidation, it will be the same color as what he's rubbing. Not dirt color.

I had a complete wash and wax job, and it was machine-buffered over every square inch. A lot of work. Cost more than $500 and looks brand-new. I've had the spray on wipe off jobs, for $400, and they do ok, but not compared to a complete wax and buff.

Compared to Southern CA prices, I think you have a bargain, depending on the kind of job that's done. You can call me a sucker, but I'm also not a sucker for cheap jobs that look good for a couple months. I really don't think a high-school kid is going to do a very good job.

Who mentioned So. Cal. prices, who was it that replied and lived or mentioned So. Cal?:h

I just had the Winnie washed, cleaned, and buffed out, and wax applied. Had some brush scratches on the side and pitch on the roof. Cost, $300, no ups no extras.:B Oh yeah, it was in Simi Valley CA.:p

I was in Chula Vista, Ca. last May . Someone came around and washed and hand waxed our 40 ft. including roof for $285.00 . Now that's expensive beautiful Southern Ca.

[D_E_Bishop]

2oldman wrote:

Jim@HiTek wrote:
"You have oxidation!! Oh, no!", he says as he rubs his finger through the dirt on the side of the RV showing me that it comes right off with his finger.

Not like you have to rub every foot of the RV by hand anymore.

If you do have oxidation, it will be the same color as what he's rubbing. Not dirt color.

I had a complete wash and wax job, and it was machine-buffered over every square inch. A lot of work. Cost more than $500 and looks brand-new. I've had the spray on wipe off jobs, for $400, and they do ok, but not compared to a complete wax and buff.

Compared to Southern CA prices, I think you have a bargain, depending on the kind of job that's done. You can call me a sucker, but I'm also not a sucker for cheap jobs that look good for a couple months. I really don't think a high-school kid is going to do a very good job.

Who mentioned So. Cal. prices, who was it that replied and lived or mentioned So. Cal?:h

I just had the Winnie washed, cleaned, and buffed out, and wax applied. Had some brush scratches on the side and pitch on the roof. Cost, $300, no ups no extras.:B Oh yeah, it was in Simi Valley CA.:p

[J-Rooster]

Jim, I pay my grandson $100.00 he's very happy and so I'm I! And, I agree with you that most of those mobile services charge too much!