External Motorhome Cleaning

andromeda

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What do people use to clean the outside of their vans?
Just been told not to use car stuff as it can dammage seals and bodywork?
Also just been told you shouldn't do it when temperature high?
Thanks for reading.
 
I use a kitchen sponge thingy on the roof standing at the top of a ladder.

For the sides etc I use an extendable pole with a brush on it (cheaply available on Ebay, Amazon or your local market for around £10-15) with common or garden car wash liquid in 2 buckets of warm water

Regarding the temperature its also to do with direct sunlight as the suds may well dry before you have a chance to rinse them off I guess.

A chap on another forum recommended this...


...which I thinking about getting. I thought it would be useful when away in the MH and it needed a bit of a spruce up.
 
Henchman Traingular 2.4m Ladders [all 3 legs height adjustable, so no problem with 1 leg in the gutter, and 1 on the pavement etc. Leiheit Window Wash Extending Poles x 2 with fibre heads - the longer version just stretches across the roof width, so handy if washing the M/Home in the street. Turtle Wax Car Shampoo to clean, but start with pouring 3,7Ltr watering can of clear water over van roof to wet the surface and the sides, then wander around the sides flicking the Leifheit shorter pole from the fresh water bucket to ensure the surfaces are all wet, then start to lather the panels. Rinse with more freshwater from the 3.7L Watering Can, poured over the roof to run down the sides, and Leifheit 2nd fibre head used to flick more freshwater to rinse the panells [2 x 9ltr bucketfuls minimum]. A fresh Leifheit fibre head used to dry the rinsed panels [The Leifheit is brilliant or cleaning behind the bike rack - just slide it between rack and the M/Home Rear panel, and gentle rubbing will clean all the road film with no real effort

Steve
 
I just take it to Venture caravans and motorhomes on the A5 and the next day it’s glorious job done.
 
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With a Fiat of a certain age?

How do I wash mine? Very carefully. A high pressure hose will take even more of the paint off.
Going off piste, I emailed a company last night re, wrapping the area above the windscreen and also the bonnet. I’ll report back when I know more.
 
Trotter said:
With a Fiat of a certain age?

How do I wash mine? Very carefully. A high pressure hose will take even more of the paint off.
Going off piste, I emailed a company last night re, wrapping the area above the windscreen and also the bonnet. I’ll report back when I know more.
Click to expand...
Wrapping can be just as expensive as having it painted as it will need the peeling paint removed and any imperfections on the panels repaired before wrapping, otherwise the wrapping will just magnify the imperfections, people seem to think that wrapping it will hide faulty paint work but this just isn’t the case.
Personally I would get it repainted
 
It’s been repainted. That’s peeling again. The problem is with whatever Fiat used to galvanise it originally.
ATM, it’s all theoretical, as they haven’t replied to my email.
 
With a Fiat of a certain age, like my 61 plate Burstner, the problem is actually the undercoat. When repainting it, it must be sanded down past the glossy undercoat in order to key the new paint coat. Otherwise the paint will once again start to flake off.
 
Trotter said:
It’s been repainted. That’s peeling again. The problem is with whatever Fiat used to galvanise it originally.
ATM, it’s all theoretical, as they haven’t replied to my email.
Click to expand...
Renault Boxers of the same age too. I had my bonnet repainted a few years back but it all peeled off again. Now Paul is being a total star and respraying mine after sanding it back to bare metal... bonnet and wings done last summer, doors sometime this summer. I think it's the only way.

Back on topic, I use Fenwicks motorhome cleaner on the body, often finishing off with Fenwicks bobby dazzler stuff for shine. A spray of Wet'n'forget once a year keeps the roof pretty clean and free of nasty green stuff. I can't get to the roof on my sloping drive... not now that I don't have someone to hold the ladder on the slope! 😱 Hence the quick and easy spray at an opportunity when it's on the flat.

Not sure about the temperature problem but it makes sense that the suds will dry too fast... just do one side at a time and rinse. Oh and I had one of those wash matic brushes back in 1970 when I got my very first car!! Now I really feel old 😭😭😭
 
Minisorella said:
Renault Boxers of the same age too. I had my bonnet repainted a few years back but it all peeled off again. Now Paul is being a total star and respraying mine after sanding it back to bare metal... bonnet and wings done last summer, doors sometime this summer. I think it's the only way.

Back on topic, I use Fenwicks motorhome cleaner on the body, often finishing off with Fenwicks bobby dazzler stuff for shine. A spray of Wet'n'forget once a year keeps the roof pretty clean and free of nasty green stuff. I can't get to the roof on my sloping drive... not now that I don't have someone to hold the ladder on the slope! 😱 Hence the quick and easy spray at an opportunity when it's on the flat.

Not sure about the temperature problem but it makes sense that the suds will dry too fast... just do one side at a time and rinse. Oh and I had one of those wash matic brushes back in 1970 when I got my very first car!! Now I really feel old 😭😭😭
Click to expand...
Henchman Tripod Ladders with 3 independently adjustable legs will give you a flat and safe working platform, and they weigh only 10kg! Makes cleaning the roof simple

Steve
 
Got to agree Steve, I bought my Henchman a few years ago and wouldn't be without it.

I'm nothing like as detailed as you with my costings, but even I know that it's paid for itself time over. 👍
 
Hello Ann,
We have used Smart valeting, every two years so i get the roof done. Meantime I use a brush on a long pole for the sides.
They charge £160 are pretty thorough.
Book thro' their website.
 
I remember my Dad washing the car using a "clack valve" in a bucket of water when I was a boy: has the technology improved?

I got my MH ceramic coated and they provide "special" shampoo etc: will I buy more once the bottle is empty?
 
Went mad this morning and bought a pistol head spray and a 30m hose from Toolstation. Both will double up for watering the garden, but the pistol grip has 3-4 mist settings, so ideal for wetting the M/Home body panels and rinsing, without having a 'blast' setting that could damage the seals. Time spent on the Henchman Ladders should be much reduced and the swollen ankles risk also lowered.

Steve
 
marchie said:
Henchman Tripod Ladders with 3 independently adjustable legs will give you a flat and safe working platform, and they weigh only 10kg! Makes cleaning the roof simple

Steve
Click to expand...
I've often looked at those but my nextdoor neighbour won't let me use a ladder! I was standing on a solid old Workmate bench one day to reach the overhead and he came running out and confiscated the workmate 🤣 🤣
 
Minisorella said:
I've often looked at those but my nextdoor neighbour won't let me use a ladder! I was standing on a solid old Workmate bench one day to reach the overhead and he came running out and confiscated the workmate 🤣 🤣
Click to expand...
Henchman tripod is about 120cm wide and all 3 legs are adjustable. In addition, the top standing rung [about 3 below the actual top rung] has a platform, so that you lean your hips into this area, leaving you both hands free to work, and that is working above the van roof height, instead of peering over the roof junction and flailing about with a mop ...

Thr neighbour would be told politely to keep his nose out of something that is none of his concern, and something he doesn't understand. His action re the Workmate is not confiscation; it is theft ...

Steve
 
GMJ said:
I use a kitchen sponge thingy on the roof standing at the top of a ladder.

For the sides etc I use an extendable pole with a brush on it (cheaply available on Ebay, Amazon or your local market for around £10-15) with common or garden car wash liquid in 2 buckets of warm water

Regarding the temperature its also to do with direct sunlight as the suds may well dry before you have a chance to rinse them off I guess.

A chap on another forum recommended this...


...which I thinking about getting. I thought it would be useful when away in the MH and it needed a bit of a spruce up.
Click to expand...

That washmatik in your link is quite neat.

It’s been around a long time and definitely useful in a hosepipe ban 🤔

 
I wash it with Autosmart G101 and then polish.
I also initially used thinners on various areas to remove stains on seals and some white unpainted trim as it seemed to remove the black / ageing stains (it is 18yrs old) especially on hatches and the likes.
I also bought some cheap scaffolding off Ebay in order to work on roof safely , I will also use scaffolding to reseal / tape all the joins on roof later in year as some look a bit skanky although not leaking.

IMG-20250502-WA0011.jpgIMG-20250502-WA0010.jpg
 
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