Cleaning the High Front Bits

[Bulletguy]

747 - 2010-07-22 11:57 PM

 

Thats good news bulletguy.

 

I am pleased the Romanian and Lithuanian illegal immigrants are being kept busy with an honest living.

 

No minimum wage paid there I bet. *-)

 

Sorry to disappoint you......but they are ALL 'brits'. (lol)

 

Local lads prepared to get off their a**e and DO something. Next time I go i'll get you a photograph!

[747]

Hello bulletguy,

 

I am ashamed to say that there must be a stronger work ethic in your area than round here.

 

there are a number of hand wash places up here and they are all foreigners on the sponges. :$

[fjmike]

Bulletguy - Not having seen these guys I cannot draw any conclusions on the quality of their work. The best that you can do before letting them loose on your pride and joy is to watch how they work, how often do they refresh their water buckets?, how often do they rinse their sponges/ brushes??, get a peak at how clean the contents of their buckets are. Only then let them loose, as I have said before motorhome paint is a lot thinner than car paint so needs a careful and considerate wash

[Bulletguy]

747 - 2010-07-23 6:16 PM

 

Hello bulletguy,

 

I am ashamed to say that there must be a stronger work ethic in your area than round here.

 

there are a number of hand wash places up here and they are all foreigners on the sponges. :$

 

If by 'foreigners' you mean the Paki and Asian community then there are lots of them round here. Most, if not all, are brit born 'n bred and do a pretty damn good job on the hand car wash side. Very competitive too. They HAVE to be as there are plenty to choose from hence the low prices.

 

If you mean EU citizens then they are just as entitled to work here as what we are in their country, and personally when it comes to washing off a tin box I couldn't give a flying fig what nationality the wash is operated by! (lol)

 

 

fjmike - 2010-07-23 6:19 PM

 

Bulletguy - Not having seen these guys I cannot draw any conclusions on the quality of their work. The best that you can do before letting them loose on your pride and joy is to watch how they work, how often do they refresh their water buckets?, how often do they rinse their sponges/ brushes??, get a peak at how clean the contents of their buckets are. Only then let them loose, as I have said before motorhome paint is a lot thinner than car paint so needs a careful and considerate wash

 

My 'pride 'n joy' is nothing more than a Ford Focus. Simply a tin box on wheels as the last thing i'd waste money on is a car!

 

I was impressed the first time I went to this particular car wash. They are all young lads including the guy who runs it and he keeps an eagle eye on what they are doing. But what I liked was the first time I went he came and asked me if I was happy with the finished result and what I thought of his car wash.

 

I told him....."better than the Paki wash!!"

And that IS a compliment! (lol)

[Melvin]

I brought a ladder from Screwfix, it convert to a step ladder (which can be used on stairs etc) and has an adjustable level base for uneven ground.

 

I can now clean all area of the roof including area at the front with great ease and in safety, a bit expensive at £150, but you can work safely.

 

Hope it helps :-D

[J9withdogs]

Brian Kirby - 2010-07-22 10:28 PM

 

Well, well!  And to think, ours just gets cleaned in the spring, and again in the autumn.  It gets the full Fenwick's job both times, and the tin bits get a bit of Auto Glym Super Resin.  Wheel arches always well hosed off, roof usually just once, in spring.  Most of what hits the higher bits comes off in rain, and the wasps etc seem to eat the rest!  Windscreen, side windows, and mirrors, get more attention for obvious reasons.  That's it.  Van is fine, and I get time to do other things!  :-D

 

Yup..I go along with all that..except for the roof..that NEVER gets cleaned (lol)

[Guest JudgeMental]

Basically the same as Brian.....more then enough in my opinion.

 

if you dont clean the roof though, that is what causes the black streaks down the sides IMO :-S

[Mel B]

It is important to clean the roof occasionally, simply because you can then check it for any damage in the process ... if there is some it's the easiest way for damp to get in .... neglect it at your peril. 8-)

[fjmike]

Perhaps this could be the chance for the making of a new film

 

"How green is my roof?"

[Colin Leake]

Mountain_Biker - 2010-07-20 3:54 PM

 

Hello all - I know you all like to keep your motorhomes clean and shiny - so I am looking for ideas on how I can clean the front high bits over the bonnet. On mine it is set back from the bonnet to make stretching off a step ladder too dangerous. I have thought of scaffolding - a bit extreme - or maybe one of those four section ladders that you can use for decorating.

 

Suggestions please... *-)

 

I place a length of pipe insulation along the top of the bonnet. I then have two stout pieces of suitable sized sized ply connected with angle brackets and with a angle aluminum lip on the back of the horizontal top to prevent it slipping off. This then sits with the top on the pipe insulation and the bottom on the ground providing a firm platform when I want to polish the area concerned. For normal washing I simply use a soft long handled brush.

[fred22]

Hi, in my opinion power washers are a no no as far as Motorhomes and Caravans are concerned. Let your concentration drop for a second and you have jetted the mastic out of your seams and forced water in.

Happened to a friend of mine.

[Whiskeymac]

I see that some replies have gone off at a tangent a bit, but that happens here.

 

The answer is quite simple really; just reach up and clean it as with any other part.  I am 6ft 2in and can just do so at full stretch using a two stepped set of kitchen steps.  These are very stable and I need them for all high bits.  I reckon that a three stepped version would enable anyone to succeed.

 

The high part above the windscreen is particularly exposed to what the elements can throw at it and I find that just washing is insufficient.  Occasionally this, in particular, but not exclusively, needs a proper wax type clean to restore shine and build up protection.  That is not something that a third party will do.  Also, on normal cleans, I find that a bit of elbow grease is necessary to remove dead bodies and often some tar remover as well.  A brush on a hose is hopeless for that and always seems to result in me getting soaked.

 

I have to agree with the comments about roof cleaning however.  Even if you have a bare roof, gunge will accumulate and fill your gutters, resulting in overspill and horrid streaks on the sides.  Once accessories are added, roof cleaning becomes essential.  The gap between fitted awning and roof is a leaf trap and soon becomes a compost heap if unattended.  Satellite dish, TV antennas and top boxes all require cleaning.  Also, the very front top that can't be reached from the steps, requires attacking from above.

 

Make sure you use footwear that is non slip when wet and foot supporting.  If you are cstill concerned about skittering off and crashing to the ground, a few strips of grip tape will sort out the problem.  See my other post at

http://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=19493&posts=3  A small outlay which could be a life saver.

 

Finally, and this is a tangent, do look out for rust and treat it promptly.  Motorhomes are based on commercial vehicles that are not finished to the same standards as cars are these days.  Hot spots are radiators, top and bottom, bonnet supports and struts under the body.  Prevention with a wax product such as Waxoyl is well worth the effort.  http://www.motorhomefacts.com/ftopicp-233857.html 

 

Tow bars always rust in time and then look awful.  They are a pig to treat and repaint once fitted.  Two coats of Hammerite undercoat rust protector and two of top coat will, hopefully, protect for life, but best applied prior to fitting.

 

You have spent a small fortune on your motorhome so it's time well spent to lavish love and care on it yourself and also to reassure yourself that all bits are sound.