Washing Your RV

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Patrickh60

Member
Joined
May 13, 2005
Posts
17
Location
Anaheim, CA
Hi, Folks!

This IS NOT a Protect All product ad. 

We spoke to a gentleman on the phone this morning and my partner, Ken Neuman, gave me a great analogy that I wanted to pass along.  I think it may put an exclamation point on the need for washing/maintaining your rig.  (I just looked up the word analogy.  I think it does fit the situation.<BG>)

Anyway, this gentleman emailed me with some questions.  I passed him along to Ken--I thought Ken might be able to answer his questions more effectively.  The man called.  Ken explained the facts of life about an RV.  Ken was able to pinpoint the age of the man's coach by the conditions he described.  Ken went on to ask him how often he washed and how often he waxed.  Well, he rinses it off occasionally and waxes it "probably" once a year.  So, in reality, he rinses it off once-a-year, maybe washes it once-a-year and he waxes it every 18 months or so.  For a 2003 model coach...it hasn't received much care. 

But that's not the point of this story.  When I pass someone along to Ken, I like to check with him later to see what wisdom he imparted,  what tips I can pick up.  This is how I got the info I passed along in the Brite-Tek vs. Fiberglass roof thread elsewhere.  If my info is wrong, I can blame Ken.<G> 

So, here's the analogy:  Ken was telling me how he helped a different caller, not the one today, realize he needed to maintain his coach on a regular basis.  He asked that caller how much his coach was worth.  It was a $200,000 coach.  Ok, how much is your car worth?  It was a $20,000 car.  How often do you wash your coach?  Once-a-year or so.  How often do you wash your car?  "Oh, I take it to the car wash every week!"

So, you wash a $20k car once-a-week but you only wash your $200k coach once-a-year?  Your coach is worth TEN TIMES what your car is worth.  Don't you think it deserves equal, if not better, care?

So there's some food for thought.  Whether you are using Protect All products or not, establish a regular schedule for washing/waxing/maintenance and stick to it.

Pat
 
Pat

Let me play devil's advocate here.....

We live in the middle of the California Delta, surrounded by lots of farmland that gets ploughed pretty often. Add to this the Delta breezes, and nothing stays dust-free for very long. We also sit in some punishing sun throughout the summer months. We all know that waxes providing good UV protection are essential, and they also make life a lot easier when it comes to wash or rinse time.

If I choose to not wash my RV, boat or car, they get a pretty good layer of dust which can actually act as good protection from the sun. So, why should I take the coach out of storage when it's not being used, wash it to remove the protective layer of dust, and expose it to the damaging effects of the sun?
 
Tom said:
If I choose to not wash my RV, boat or car, they get a pretty good layer of dust which can actually act as good protection from the sun. So, why should I take the coach out of storage when it's not being used, wash it to remove the protective layer of dust, and expose it to the damaging effects of the sun?

Tom,

I agree.  There is absolutely no reason to wash the RV except to keep up with the  Jones'.

OOPS!  ;D

Phil
 
LOL Phil you won't need to wash it very often to keep up with me  ;D
 
Tom said:
LOL Phil you won't need to wash it very often to keep up with me  ;D

Tom,

I think we should have a new award to hand out at the Moab Rally for the rig with the most dirt on it.  ;D

Phil
 
How about a Protect All party and Pat supplies the Protect All.
 
Phil said:
I think we should have a new award to hand out at the Moab Rally for the rig with the most dirt on it.

I doubt I'd win that one Phil  :)  Our rig was spotless when we left home and spotless the day after we returned.
 
Phil,

The Lassen's would have received the "dirtest RV at the Moab Rally" award.  We were covered with dust and crud from traveling through New Mexico's "red clay".  Tim wanted to check out Gallup, and we brought some of it home with us.  In fact it's still on the coach.  We are leaving June 13th for Northern Californian, hope Tim washes it before then....(grin)

Marsha~
 
I don't know about motor homes (yet) but I do know this about my  old 13' SCAMP trailer (If anyone needs a guest room to pull behind their Motor Home it's for sale... www.generalrv.com  choose the Wixom/Novi, Michigan location)  I'll tell you it sure looks SMALL on their lot :)

It "Wintered" under a pine tree..... By spring it was black... . Of course,,, It's white
 
After all this I went out and washed the Tradewinds last night. 8) 8) 8)
 
Oh, man!? Do I step into something EVERY time a send a message around here?!? There IS a CON to every Pro, isn't there? <G>

>>why should I take the coach out of storage when it's not being used, wash it to remove the protective layer of dust, and expose it to the damaging effects of the sun?

Ok, ok.? If your rig is in storage, I'm not suggesting you drag it out to wash it.? What I am saying is frequent/regular care of that multi-thousand dollar vehicle is going to help it retain it's value.? A lot, A LOT, of people we speak with on the phone have no clue about this. It really is almost, "I have to wash this thing?"? ?Some people really are clueless.

>>How about a Protect All party and Pat supplies the Protect All.

I'll tell you what....I have two gallons of Quick & Easy Wash and a gallon of Protect All if someone wants to pick it up.? All I need is the date of the rally and pictures afterwards.
 
Patrickh60 said:
Oh, man!  Do I step into something EVERY time a send a message around here?

LOL Pat, I was just trying to play devil's advocate.

Would you concur that a layer of dust provides at least some protection from the damaging of the sun? I'm not advocating this as a new way of protecting your RV  :) , but just trying to validate some things I've observed over the years with RVs and boats.
 
Patrickh60 said:
I'll tell you what....I have two gallons of Quick & Easy Wash and a gallon of Protect All if someone wants to pick it up.  All I need is the date of the rally and pictures afterwards.

Patrick,

I think you should bring it to Quartzsite in January or Moab in April.  It's been a LONG time since we have seen you in person.  In fact, you could show up without bringing it and that would also make us happy.  :)

Phil
 
Phil:

The ?washing your RV? thread trap.

John:

I could not find anything listed for Scamp.  Is there an ID number or something?

Jeff:

LOL!  ;D

Patrick:

Welcome to the thread trap club!  :eek:
 
>>Patrick:? Welcome to the thread trap club!? ?

I had a flashback to the old RV Usenet newsgroup.? ?:D

Would you concur that a layer of dust provides at least some protection from the damaging of the sun?

I guess that could be true.? Ken sez:? "It works for hobos, bums and the homeless."? Seriously, you have the dust plus moisture, heat and sunlight.? Those last three act beyond the dust to degrade the surface.? They oxidize the dirt into the surface of your coach in the form of black streaks or other problems.? Ken went on to make a number of other comments while laughing uproariously.?

Or it might have been an evil laugh.? Sometimes I think he passes things through me just to get me in trouble.

I think you should bring it to Quartzsite in January or Moab in April.? It's been a LONG time since we have seen you in person.? In fact, you could show up without bringing it and that would also make us happy.

Really?? I don't even get that here!? ;)

(And now Pat will duck behind his desk...)
 
Pat:

excellent point about dirt being oxidized into the surface.? Sometimes I wish certain guys here would just be helpful and not show off so much lol!? They have a lot of knowledge to offer when they get serious.? :)
 
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