Just trying to work out best option for cleaning whilst traveling , pressure washer set low with foaming wash and rinse or wash and wax all system . As usual thanks for all advise
Wash Wax All says that the system can be used on a coach without washing first. Found that hard to believe so I tried it. Sure enough did a good job as you can see below. Just make sure there is no grit on the coach.
Keith
The grit and crud are my concern , we almost always head west over vail pass and coach is filthy when we get to west coast , the w&w looks good for clean up whilst parked but unsure about heavier deposits of road grime
I've been wondering how folks are keeping their coaches so clean looking while traveling as it's rare to find a campground that allows wet washing. So, in using the wash all wax all, how much of the stuff does it take to do a coach? Do you spray it on the coach or on the cleaning pad? How do you get the grit off beforehand if you're not using water?
I had wondered if a Swifter wet cleaning pad would work...
Thanks, Chuck
when you travel in a FT, the bugs and dirt just avoid it! So you never have to worry about cleaning! It always looks great!
I wish! Wash and Wax All for us!
I use two buckets and a brush the wash wax all
Thought the wash wax method involved spaying product onto custom mop , no water or buckets involved ?
I only wash our coach if it REALLY gets dirty, which is rare. Otherwise I use Wash Wax All. Just spray it on and wipe it off with a poly cloth. Do this about every 2 weeks. Works amazingly well. Use it on the car too. The most dfficult thing about Wash Wax All is finding a place to buy it. I think we bought it through Amazon the last time.
Wash & Wax ALL Waterless Car Wash and Wax Gallon : Amazon.com : Automotive (http://www.amazon.com/Wash-Wax-ALL-Waterless-Gallon/dp/B003WM9RZW/ref=pd_bxgy_auto_img_y)
George
you can get the entire kit and instructions, videos, from Aero Cosmetics Co. and cheaper than Amazon by about 10%.
I use it without pre-wash coach except if I see grime/grit on it, I wash it off first. Probably overkill but even in the WWA instructions there is attention and instructions to that circumstances.
Yes, Here is their website:
Aircraft RV Cleaner Waterless Wash Wax Detailing Products Supplies (http://washwax.com/)
Nice people to talk to.
Keith
I purchased one gallon, an empty spray bottle and a nifty extension pole with two microfiber pads. One side marked "Wet" and the other side marked "Dry". I did lightly wash the exterior b/4 I used the product. I applied the product as per the instructions and it appeared to work well. It does take off the black streaks and does a nice job on the windows as well. It certainly removes all of the water marks. I used about 1/2 of a 16 oz. spray bottle or 8 ozs to do our coach. There is a marked difference b/w the uncoated surface and the coated surface. The finish is quite smooth as was the Gelcoat cleaner/wax I used to use on my previous travel trailer and boat. This process was much faster as it took me two easy days to do our coach with the Gelcoat cleaner/wax I used about a week before I used the wash and wax all. It also does a nice job taking bug stains off of her nose. I do not know how it will work when we get to a spot that does not allow wet washing but we will find out. The product looks good to me so far. Is it worth the expense? We shall see.
Don't forget that George lives where it never rains.
The coach is on the drive for a couple of days of cleaning. I haven't made it to NAC to get the roof coating yet, so today I washed the roof. Tomorrow I'll use Wash Wax All on the roof. Doesn't take much effort to apply once it is clean. Have done this before and it works fairly well with streaking for awhile at least. But I really do need to get to NAC...
Jimmy,
When you are travelling, you will accumulate fine "grit" or worse. Much of it may be microscopic (a grit based particulate film), rather than being readily visible sand or gravel particles, but it is still there if there is any road film that can be seen. From my experience, Wash and Wax (W'nW) has no magic ingredient that prevents hard particles (sand, mud, gravel, asphalt dust, microscopic gritty road film) from scratching your paint or gel-coated areas. Thus, you will leave fine scratches behind, if you try to scrub the grit off with W'nW.
W'nW does have lubricants and surfactants (detergents) in it, but using it to remove hard particles is inviting trouble and will definitely leave microscopic scratches unless the coach has accumulated just light dust and pollen.
So when you are traveling, you are usually not off the hook with respect to having to wash before applying W'nW.
So, other than the "light" lubricants and detergents that work well in lifting and removing airborne pollution film, dust, pollen, water spots,
what does W'nW have that makes it all worthwhile?
What I don't see being discussed is the protective polymer layer that is left behind when using W'nW.
Again after (several years of) experience with W'nW, the greatest benefit is that routine application of W'nW to a clean surface renders that surface much less likely to catch and hold contaminants. I don't know the science behind why it works. I do know that rain on windows/windshields routinely treated with W'nW acts just as though Rain-X had been applied. Water just doesn't stick to the glass. Recently, driving out of the Florida Keys in a downpour, it would have been (and was) possible to drive without windshield wipers operating at all, except that I didn't want to invite any LLE attention. It works the same on paint and gel coats with black streaks and dust. They simply accumulate at a dramatically slower rate. Then, when washed, the contaminants adhere much less strongly. When streaks do appear in areas where any roof runoff concentrates, if the pink W'nW degreaser doesn't work, the removal of the streaks is
very easy with W'nW's light polish. Once one uses the W'nW polish in a small area, just lightly treat the area again with the W'nW blue solution and it starts to rebuild its polymer protective film all over again.
I have found that the protective polymer layer becomes more apparent with repeat applications.
Because water and power were not readily available, I initially tried W'nW applications each six months on the trailer. I found that it was significantly less protected than the coach which gets a quick cleaning at least monthly when not traveling.
I haven't buffed out the coach since December of 2009 and most observers comment that it must have just been polished. It does need to be buffed again, but only because "ghosting" is beginning to faintly appear where the original decal sites were not covered by the Extreme Level 1 paint work.
When we travel, I use a bulkhead fitting spigot, right off my Shur-Flo 5.7, to feed an electric pressure washer (uses much less water than a pure hose) to wash (in a pull out or parking lot) before we get to campgrounds that don't allow washing (ask when phoning ahead for availability and registration). That way, we arrive clean, fill tanks and remain hassle free.
I've also found W'nW to exhibit all the same benefits on car, motorcycle, countertops, mirrors -- basically any hard, nonporous surface and, to a slightly lesser extent, even on lightly porous surfaces. Applied to a clean surface, W'nW seems to have all of the benefits of a good wax, but the beauty is that W'nW application is as easy as "wipe on, wipe off". The double headed mop makes it even easier, but is not mandatory. So that water spots aren't left behind, I always wipe down the coach/bike/car after washing, so I just use the W'nW moistened mop as my wipe down step .
Being known (ragged-on) as a very particular person when it comes to the care, maintenance and appearance of our coach, I have found W'nW to make my life much easier.
No known affiliation with W'nW, but I sure wish that I had invented it. I could become passionate about marketing it, if it were mine! :D :D
Happy Travels,
Neal
Neal
I was thinking along the same lines, small power washer using chemical guys body wash with brush bucket and gritgaurd . Then the W&W system for weekly campground cleans .
Any advise on small washer or body wash
Neal, what kind of Pressure washer do you use? That idea of washing before you get to the campground makes a lot of sense. How much water does it typically take with the power washer?
Kent, there is an article that covers this topic in fairly good detail. At home I give a not too high pressure power wash to remove grit, followed by a heavy suds application per the article, then wash wax all treatment. I know this more than some want to do, but many times folks ask me how this could be a 140k mile twelve year old coach. The prior owners I think were the key. As for being at a camp, I just do the front cap with bucket of suds, then WWA.
This article is good help on brands. I have the WWA kit, as noted before I got it online direct from Rudy's buddies at Aero Cosmetic.
The article was May 11, Mothorhome. I did not realize, until Michelle pointed it out, it seems an adgazine. Still, this article gave me helpful info to supplement the Forum. I can scan the article, send to a few if someone wants it.Mike
Used WWA this AM to remove all streaking that has accumulate over the last few days from dew drips and A/C condensation. Four places around the coach. Used the pole applicator and in 5 minutes all was gone. I sprayed directly on to streaks let sit for 5 to 10 seconds and wiped off. Worked great. Before I would have had to get out the ladder, climb up and down and move it around while using my Gelcote cleaner/wax with applicator pad and clean cloth. So far so good. Life is tough. :D
After our Christmas/New Year trip through MO, KS, CO, WY, MT, NM, we took the coach and Jeep (hooked to the coach) through the Blue Beacon Truck Wash in Amarillo, TX. Added the "Salt Away" option to the standard wash job. I was pleased with the result. Cost was less than $60 to wash the coach and Jeep. The waiting line was long, so we had lunch in the coach while waiting in line. :)
We keep Wash Wax All and use it to "top off" a wash or spot clean. I bought the WWA "kit" on line and some refills from an airplane maintenance outfit within a reasonable distance of our home. Our coach is usually dirty because of the habits of the owner. ;)
Jimmy/Kent,
I have specific tastes so I may not be of much help to you.
I have used many different pressure washers and have found few that I liked. I looked for and found individual components, to build my own, but that would be costly. I wanted to permanently mount it in the coach utility bay. However, one could buy a complete unit and disassemble it at less cost. I wanted one that was electric motor driven, QUIET when in use, QUIETER when idling, industrial grade, ceramic multi stage, repairable in all respects (pump/motor/HP hose/wand/etc), adjustable both in nozzles and in pressure regulation, etc.
Northern Tool (Northern Hydraulic) had one but it was costly, until I found that it periodically goes on sale. Then, during a sale, I found one that had been returned (cord had been ripped out of it). So > $500, became < $350 on sale, became < $200 as a returned, used item. SOLD! I've had it for eight years now. Rated at 1500 then, 1700 psig now, but same exact pump today.
http://tinyurl.com/6pjnco9 (http://tinyurl.com/6pjnco9)
I find that I like the portability, so I haven't disassembled it and permanently mounted it in the utility bay of the coach (another advantage of having the trailer).
It is nearly silent when idling, has very minimal noise when spraying, it is infinitely adjustable in pressure intensity and spray pattern (from 1500 to 0 psig) through a variety of interchangeable nozzles (6) and the pressure regulator, I've extended the hose to 50' so I don't have to move the unit to wash the roof and all sides of the coach. Because one only uses short bursts to wet and rinse, I use less than 25 gallons of water, including suds bucket, to wash everything.
I have used McGuire's No. 62 Professional car wash for years and haven't found anything that I like better in terms of degreaser, lubricant (suds), not damaging protective film (wax) on surface, heat (sun) tolerance, leaving no film, etc.
I do not like the self contained electric pressure washers because they are counter to all of the above characteristics that I was looking for: ie - they are (obnoxiously?) noisy all of the time, single stage, non repairable, too little flow in too high a pressure pattern, have non interchangeable nozzles, few if any repairable parts and can easily damage or "mar" a surface.
Let me know if I can be of any further help,
Neal
I had a customer who had run out of things to put on his ored in the 80's so we built in a pressure washer into the coach and a set of tanks the dealership used to eliminate the minerals in the water. Mounted them on there sides on a compartment wall. Slide out of mount for replacement. Set if you kept the amount of soap down would do the coach 10 times or so. No drying. No water spots. Like the blue beacon final rinse.
Plenty of room under a unihome or unicoach to mount a set of tanks for most of us.
I gave the Apollo wash guy a deposit on the tanks for jack. They exchanged them for $30 a pair in those days. They use large reverse osmosis setups anymore I think. Wonder if the tanks are still available. Cathode and anode? The Mercedes dealer told me he had a third tank setup for his personal black Mercedes to get to zero Ppm.
Not hard to wash these. The drying was always the problem with the spoting.
Anyone know if the systems are still around? I see big tanks from the culligan man in the road but I do not think the ppm is low enough for no spots.
If you just cut to the chase and wash and wax the coach with Wash Wax All in the first place, there will be no water spots, no extra equipment to carry and maintain, no hose, no bucket, no ladder, just clean, waxed and UV protected and shiny.
Works for me on my coach and cars. I have not water washed in years.
Just checked the water from the kitchen faucet in our coach. 20 ppm. That's from the whole house RO on our coach. Don't get much spotting on stuff inside the coach. Haven't tried washing the outside of the coach with water from the fresh water tank.
Water from our well at home is > 400 ppm.
I forgot to add, that if there is concern about grit build up on the coach and one is at a RV Park that does not allow washing first, you can get a microfiber towel soppy wet and "Caress Off" the grit and then finish with WWA.
The soppy towel will hold a lot of grit and can be rinsed and re-wetted as often as necessary. Just remember the grit is caressed off and not rubbed off.
Hope this helps.
I use Dri Wash 'n Guard when I have it. I started using it on my vehicles, including our Class C in the mid-90s, and continued to use it on our '94 GV U280 when we purchased in in 2004. Use it in the shade.
James
James,
Dry Wash 'n Guard is a good product. But at over $100 per gallon it is way more expensive than the $28 per gallon for Wash Wax All and of course WWA is the choice of the Air force One Squadron planes.
Do use the one that you feel is best for you.
Rudy, thanks for the information. I believe that I need to start using WWA, and soon!
James