By Nanci Dixon
Our RV looks as good as new! We had our motorhome professionally detailed and, wow, does it look good! It looks even better than when sitting new on the dusty RV sales lot!
We have been keeping up with it for the last few years, sometimes hiring someone to wash and wax or just doing it ourselves, but we have never had a detail job done. These tips from professional RV detailers are helpful for every RVer.
The folks at Fowler Detailing in Belmont, Mississippi (formerly in Red Bay, Alabama), are professional detailers and had a team of eight people working all over our motorhome: washing, scrubbing, buffing, waxing and drying. These are the tips they shared with us.
Use the right products
These are the products they, and Tiffin Motorhomes, recommend using to clean RVs.
- Tires and rims: Dawn Powerwash. (One of our writers, Gail Marsh, likes this product so much that she wrote a whole review about it! Read it here.)
- Body: Baby shampoo.
- Diamond Shield: Baby shampoo and 100% cotton cloths.
- Bugs: Baby shampoo and a small amount of alcohol on a rag for the stubborn ones.
- Fogged headlights: RUPES D-A coarse cutting/polishing compound.
- Roof: Baby shampoo and 303 Aerospace protectant.
- Wax: Nu Finish: The Once A Year Car Polish.
- Windows: Sprayway glass cleaner.
Cleaning tips from professional RV detailers
Fowler gave us these tips for getting the best results:
- Roof: Clean with lambswool pad and baby shampoo, and then dry with a leaf blower. (See, we told you leaf blowers can do more than just blow leaves!)
- Tires: Use a soft brush and Dawn. Rinse. Protect with 303 Protectant.
- Rims: Use Mothers Mag & Aluminum Polish.
- Body: Wash with a lambswool pad
- Rinse each section immediately after washing
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- Squeegee off most of the water
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- Dry with 100% cotton towels
- Wax
- Diamond Shield/Front cap: Wash and scrub. Use elbow grease! A small amount of alcohol will dissolve bug goo and tree sap without dissolving paint or Diamond Shield but it can strip the wax. Rinse immediately after.
- Fogged headlights: Buff with a polishing compound by hand or with a wool buffing pad.
The best tips they shared with us
- Wipe off and clean the Diamond Shield or front cap every time you stop. In time, the bugs can permanently stick and can destroy the Diamond Shield or paint.
- Only use baby soap to wash, and that will preserve the wax.
Professional detailing is not cheap, but neither is our RV. Protecting it is key to keeping it for years to come. The mud flaps are even polished! Hmmm… they do interior detailing too…
RELATED
- How to wash and wax an RV, plus pro detailing tips
- Can I use pressure washer on RV? What about decals?
- How to protect your RV’s decals from fading and sun damage
- We had our RV custom painted. Here’s what the process was like
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Know the difference between a polish and a wax. Both will shine. A polish has a mild abrasive to remove imperfections in the clear coat by removing a tiny layer of clear coat. A wax may not hide finish imperfections as it adds a protective layer to the clear coat.
If necessary, use a polish then apply a wax.
Has anyone used the Meguiar’s hybrid ceramic wax vs polish or wax vs longevity? If so, what were or are the pro’s and cons? I have both painted, decals and fiberglass surfaces as well as a Dicor white roof coating. (I recall a comment from Dave Solberg a while back on the use of Dawn and that it shouldn’t be used). “Simple Green” works well for cleaning, however, it will remove the wax.
Imagine what a herd of detailers would cost you…but then if one is rich enough to own a land yacht…they can afford a herd. Wash my own thank you….if something gets broke I know who did it.
Thank you for links to the products as well as directions for use, Nanci! Have a great day and safe travels!