Spring cleaning the roof and sides, best options

[pk1023]

Hey all, 3 yr old rig. Kept outside at a lot with other units on either side in Central Indiana. That's my setup.

With Spring coming I am thinking about cleaning the outside. I have never with this unit or the last cleaned the roof. But I am guessing that I need to start there.

The sides are all aluminum. They aren't terribly stained, but enough black streaks that I want them gone!

I have a Karcher gas powered power washer. I want to do the lion share of the work with this and soap/cleaners. I don't want to do a ton of hand scrubbing basically.

What are your recommendations? What works well for you and what has failed you?

[FLY_4_FUN]

On a rig that hasn't seen cleaning for a long time I would leave the pressure washer in your garage and prepare for a more thorough wash with a brush on your hose. As mentioned above too much pressure in the wrong area will do damage to decals, seals etc. Get some good soap in a bucket, some black streak remover and go at it. The roof manufacturers have recommended products based on the material on your roof. I have used simple green with good results...just please take care up there and take notice of any seams needing dicor. Some 303 aerospace protectant on tires and decals will really protect them well. I just don't think there are many shortcuts to the labor involved unless you pay others to do the work for you.

Daryll

[westend]

Pressure washing can be touchy. There are a lot of sealed areas on the roof and sidewall, around the windows, and around doors and hatches. If you know what you're doing and use a fan tip, first letting the soap do most of the lifting, you may be OK. If you use a circle tip and decide to blast out seamed areas, you'll create problems.

I'm not afraid to use a pressure washer on any surface but I don't blast away at dirt and I know when to back off. It is an art.

If you have a lot of oxidation on the surfaces, buy a gallon of Jasco prepaint conditioner. Mix it at the 50% rate and spray it on your painted surfaces with a garden sprayer. Rinse well and before the Jasco dries. If you want gloss, spray or apply wax at your convenience.