Traveling through the dusty states of Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas, can really dirty up an RV! We pulled into a campground in Amarillo, Texas, and saw the motorhome next to us being washed. The people doing the RV washing were professionals and shared some secrets with us. Of course, we had the road dust washed off ours, too.
Previously we had our motorhome lightly scratched by brush washing it in Yuma, AZ. This time, I insisted that they use the lambswool wash pad we had on hand. The former brush scratches in the clear coat are still visible in the sunlight but at least no more were added.
They said the biggest reason the cost was so low, $100, is that they use deionized reverse osmosis water to rinse and didn’t need to dry the coach.
Here are their pro RV washing suggestions:
- Any Meguiar’s product is good for RVs. Since some people don’t want wax products on their RV, they asked us if it was okay that they used it. We said yes, so they used Meguiar’s Wash and Wax.
- Soft, soft brushes only! In our case, because we asked, they used lambswool. It takes a bit longer but doesn’t leave any brush scratches. It’s worth the extra time.
- Rinse with reverse osmosis deionized water for a spot-free rinse. While their tank was huge, smaller options are available for home/RV use from Amazon. One of our neighbors at an RV park told us about using deionized water, too, for washing RVs and cars. Several products are available on Amazon, but this is a professional-grade one. Get this and you can start charging for RV washes in your park!
- Use Simple Green on the windshield and front cap. It will dissolve the bugs and not harm the paint.
- Avoid truck washes if possible. They don’t rinse spot-free and they use harsh detergents that might wash away existing wax.
##RVDT1994
One more suggestion! If you are parked under any evergreen Trees and you get sap on your rig, or your Car, simply take some rubbing Alcohol on a Micro Fiber Cloth and it removes them with ease. I was both surprised and amazed at what a good job it did. It is also not harmful to your paint finish! Rubbing Alcohol is also great for washing your windows. It does not streak!
A few more tips…
Wash in the shade or on a cloudy day. The sun’s rays are concentrated through the water drops like a magnifying glass and will etch the finish of your coach.
A light to no wind day is best since blowing dust will get trapped in the water drops before they dry, leaving the dirt behind.
Happy washing!
Thanks for sharing, Barry Meguiar has a great story, (prob on you tube) and always had good results with their products! didn’t know about the deionized water!
McKees 37 Paint Sealant and related products are easy to apply and long lasting! We take our RV through Truck Washes and it never has deteriorated the shine. It is a Nano-ceramic base and we did it ourselves, my grandson and I, to our 40 foot Newmar and 3 years later the water just beads right off. Go to their website or Amazon and consider trying it, you too will be amazed and pleased as we are.
My advice is, “go easy on the Simple Green,” if used too strong or if allowed to dry on paint, it can etch the paint. However, if repainting anything, using simple green to wash the surface will remove oils and wax so the new paint will adhere better.