Washing the exterior of your camper

Dakota 1120

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Aug 30, 2011
Messages
3,757
I spent a good share of this afternoon washing down the exterior of my FunFinder XT 276. It was pretty dirty as it got cold early last fall and I didn't have an opportunity to wash it before going into winter storage.

As before, I used a soft wash brush on a pole, Zip car wash/wax combo and lots of water on the sides. It came out looking very nice with a shine again.

Do you wash yours the same way ......... or would it be OK to use a power washer? I have a hot water power washer with a soap injector I would like to use to make it easier and quicker. Also would that be OK to use on the awning as the underside is quite dirty & has bug spots or looks like bug spots anyway. There is some concern the power washer would peel the decals off but ???

The roof will is always cleaned with a brush and RV roof cleaner and since the rubber membrane is very thin, I don't think I want to use a power washer on it.

Any thoughts?

:?:
 
Good 'ol brush on a pole for me. I've never tried to power wash it. The pole & brush has always worked well enough & quickly enough that I never felt I needed anything else.
 
Just washed mine with a bee mop and siding cleaner and it worked real well. However I guess over the years the FunFinder labels peel and off it comes in curls as you wash each year
 
I use my pressure washer to apply the soap (it's very low pressure) and a truck wash brush on a pole. The brush can also be hooked up to a garden hose to apply soap and water and works well also.

I follow up with 303 Aerospace protectant. It works really well at leaving a shine and protecting the fiberglass and graphics.
 
Tandem2 said:
Just washed mine with a bee mop and siding cleaner and it worked real well. However I guess over the years the FunFinder labels peel and off it comes in curls as you wash each year


?? bee mop ?? Never heard of such.

I use a "wash brush' like found in the do it yourself carwashes and can be hooked to a garden hose for water flow w/regulator on the handle.

Works fine.

Also, it's really tough to clean squished bugs/ants from the underside of the awning. Have to scrub it by hand with stiff bristled brush. :(
 
303 is not only a great UV protectant but it leaves surfaces so slippery that dirt has a hard time sticking to it again. I've never used it on an RV but have used it for a decade on our boat (once a year). I swear by it :D
 
Kafn8td said:
Try it on the trailer Yoly. I'm still amazed how well it works.

I might try that .... my only issue is cost. The stuff is pricy and there's a lot of surface area on our 214. It really makes sense to at least do the front cap since that will really help when you have to wash off stubborn bugguts :D
 
Used 303 for the first time prior to our recent trip to Utah and Northern Arizona parks. Just applied with a spray bottle filled from a gallon jug and wiped on with a soft cloth. During the trip, the red dust stuck to the surface as always, however, it definitely came off easier when washed. Following the wash, it was "silky smooth" as they say. I bought a gallon on Amazon for $37 w free shipping. I thought that price is in line with other products which are typically sold in much smaller quantities. I used it on the roof also. Be careful walking up there afterward because the 303 creates a dangerously slippery surface.
 
I wasn't familiar with 303 until Yoly mentioned it above.

I wonder if applying it to the front/sides/rear would keep the entire unit cleaner and easier to wash?

Does it smear if on the window glass?
 
It would smear unless you wiped it off :LOL: I don't remember doing it so can't reply really.

It would be good for the vinyl awning material as well. It would preserve the material and minimize stuff sticking to it .... might be a difficult task however.

$37 for a gallon is a great deal ... about 1/3 the price of the smaller containers and it's not going to go bad :D
 
I use it on the outside of the windows also. It takes a couple of extra wipes, but the come out spotless.

It definitely helps future washings, as most dirt comes off with just a spray of water.

It is a little pricey, but so is our trailer. I might as well spend a little more and protect it.
 
Thanks for the reminder! I had a gift certificate for Cabelas and a few weeks ago picked up some 303 and 303 Speed Detailer that I had never tried before.

We drove through the rain yesterday afternoon to get to the campground, so it's a good time to test it. I just did the front cap and it removed all the bugs, road spray and water spots. It is also silky smooth again.

Is it any better than any of the other detailers? Probably not, but it is probably formulated to work with the 303 aerospace protectant.

I used to detail a few show cars and did it as a side business for a while. There are a lot of good products out there, but 303 is one that will stay in my arsenal and I will recommend.
 
Travels with Yoly said:
It would smear unless you wiped it off :LOL: I don't remember doing it so can't reply really.

It would be good for the vinyl awning material as well. It would preserve the material and minimize stuff sticking to it .... might be a difficult task however.

$37 for a gallon is a great deal ... about 1/3 the price of the smaller containers and it's not going to go bad :D

Yes, the awning would be good. Not that hard to do the 'underside' but no idea how one would treat the 'topside' without removing the awning from the camper.
 
Maybe if you sprayed the underside with a liberal amount and then retracted the awning while it was still wet. The rolling motion would tend to spread out the 303 more evenly and the pressure of the two surfaces when they roll up next to each other would then also coat the top (somewhat). It may not spread out evenly though and over time you might see the difference.

That's why they call it "theoretical" :LOL:
 
For the awning, I just spray it on, wipe the entire width, then roll it in a little and repeat. When it gets too tall I use a step stool.
 
Kafn8td said:
For the awning, I just spray it on, wipe the entire width, then roll it in a little and repeat. When it gets too tall I use a step stool.

Hadn't thought of doing it that way ~ but I would need a step ladder, small stool far to short.

Thanks for the :idea:
 
Can the 303 be used on all surfaces of the trailer. I have custom aluminum checker plate up the the front corners to match my truck. Could it also be used on the paint of my truck.
 

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