SuziesDad
Calgary, Alberta
Full Member
Joined: 09/24/2007
View Profile
 Offline
|
During a year of living aboard and travelling over 50,000 km throughout Canada and the US, we used truck washes regularly -- maybe once a month or more. Never a single problem. The coach is now seven years old and looks shiny and new, other than the odd scratch from backing into forested campsites ("No way you'll ever get that monster in that little site"). I suppose if you are paranoid about keeping your motorhome looking like it just drove out of the showroom, you'll avoid truck washes and just use DIY places, but in my experience you won't get it as clean as a bunch of guys do who wash 100 rigs every day.
|
MARK AN DAR
El Cajon, Ca (San Diego)
Senior Member
Joined: 03/26/2007
View Profile
Offline
|
Had ours done at a truck wash in the Yuma foothills. Job was OK. When I do it my self it just takes 2-3 hours. I do dry it off & wash the roof. Up and down that ladder is a work out.
|
trashman66
Nocatee, Fl
Senior Member
Joined: 07/04/2006
View Profile
Offline
|
They wash the roof too. they do it all. We are not saying that good old fashioned tlc is not good but when your on the road sometimes you dont want to find a place to DIY. alot of campgrounds have rules against it.
|
BroncoRVer
8,600 feet elevation, Colorado
Senior Member
Joined: 07/22/2005
View Profile
|
Blue Beacon doesnt wash your undercarriage, so they are useless to us up here in Winter......
2006 Winnebago Voyage 35A, W-22
Brake Buddy, Aventa II tow bar, Protect-A-Tow
2005 Hyundai Elantra toad
|
UltimaRV
USA & Europe
Senior Member
Joined: 04/13/2006
View Profile
|
We use the occassional truck wash and even though a bit expensive they do a good job. One warning: we had a water leak develop that came in through the front running lights. I suspect that being the original 8 year old seals, a brush or high water pressure loosened it up.
We onced used the mobile wash guy who does Gulf Resort and Top Sail in Florida. He had a great set-up in the back of his truck, unfortunately they do not dry either and it shows up in spots. I was thinking using one of these small vans (toad) would be a great business for a fulltiming couple who would provide quality and price.
The greatest wash is to pull into the Featherlite lot in Sanford. They automatically wash your coach and detail it, even ask if you want the inside cleaned, everytime they touch your coach or you overnight for service.
Dian, Robert & Precious - Presently RV'ing in Europe!
2000 45' Featherlite Vogue 5000, tag, slide, Detroit Series 60
2006 19' Towcorp enclosed trailer w/60" tongue
2004 13' Ultima GTR (9.9 seconds standing quarter mile)
|
|
|
Southern Sun
Tampa, FL
Full Member
Joined: 01/02/2005
View Profile
Offline
|
The Texan wrote:I was going to use them until a good friend who is an OTR driver warned me about the acid they use to wash big rigs with, so I checked. The 2 different truck washes I spoke to both said the same thing, yes they do use a mild acid to wash most OTR trailers and that even tho the water is filtered between each wash, they could not and would not guarantee that there was NO ACID in the water. So no, even though it's only a $1/ft, I will not use a truck wash.
Are you saying that Blue Beacon uses acid? The two that I have used have specifically stated they use no acid. Who is right here? Or are you just lumping all truck washes to include Blue Beacon together for a negative generalization.
Southern Sun
2007 Winnebago Journey
|
NoGoSlo
Walnut Creek, CA, USA
Senior Member
Joined: 03/22/2002
View Profile
Offline
|
I've had good luck with Blue Beacon and the truck washes at Lenwood Road in Barstow at the I-15. One bad experience with the truck wash at the TA Travel Center off I-10 at Dillon Road in Indio. They used recycled water that left bad streaks.
B & B
Yellow Labs: Rusty & ZBar
Monaco Dynasty DP
|
oRV
Lexington, Kentucky
Senior Member
Joined: 06/01/2001
View Profile
Offline
|
This past Spring I used the Blue Beacon on I-40 at Kingman, AZ. They did a reasonable job, charged $40 and, of course, did not dry. The desert winds were blowing, as usual so my MH was soon covered with more dirt than I took it into the wash with. oRV
Orvil Hazelton
|
RV-Bill
Oregon
New Member
Joined: 10/10/2007
View Profile
Offline
|
While in Indio we used Exotic mobile wash. They came to our site with 15 people. First 3 woman cleaned the inside top to bottom. Then 12 guys did the outside in less the 45 minutes by hand. Great job, even washed my tow. Total cost was $145 including the tow. I understand they do a lot of coaches at Outdoor Resorts if you ever stay there.
|
Oremus
USA
Senior Member
Joined: 05/13/2005
View Profile
|
In our area, there is a young business man . . . college age . . . who has a mobile RV detailing service. He brings his own reverse osmosis water and uses a pressure washer. He washes the entire coach, including the top . . . he applies the "soap" by hand and uses the pressure washer for initial rinse and final rinse. He does a great job, and the coach is spotless when dry. We've washed our coach ourselves (UGHHH!), and we think his charges are reasonable: it was $45 for our 24ft Class C, and now that we have a 36ft Class A the charge is $65. He also offers a complete wash and hand wax for around $200, and he will use his wax or ours.
Since we are the third owners of this coach, we're hoping a couple of additional washes will remove all the old wax. Then we will have him apply Rejex to the entire coach, instead of wax.
|
|
|
