Washing the van (1 Viewer)

Angelwitch

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Feb 5, 2015
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Been fulltiming for 3 months and its everything we expected.My problem is I hate a dirty van (I'm the one who actually likes doing this) .Now I don't have my own driveway how the hell do I wash my dirty girl ?
 

GWG

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Oct 15, 2015
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? Not sure I understand problem. Park on any roadside, or Carpark, wherever you top up your water.
Bucket, Car wash/Wax, long handle brush.
Fill bucket with clean water to rinse . Same as in your drive, but maybe no hose pipe. Or am I missing a problem .
 

scotjimland

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Jul 25, 2007
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some sites have van washing bays.. usually those that have storage facilities ..

when full time I used a small Karcher pressure washer, used it on aires when it was suitable.

when no tap or 230v mains, you could use a trug and small pressure washer run off an inverter.. or genny

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icantremember

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Sep 2, 2010
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Take it to one of the hand wash setups, usually run by Eastern Europeans ... just keep an eye on them with the pressure washer so they don't take off the trims and decals.
My local one charged me £20 not including the roof.
 

FJmike

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Jul 17, 2014
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Several of my customers full time and share your problem. Most campsites don't allow washing vans on site especially if it's a club site. Please remember that if you are cleaning the van yourself to use lots of water as being stingy will result in damage to your van. I would not recommend taking it to the East Europeans as you may end up with a large bill for repairs like a customer of mine who thought he was saving money but ended up forking out for a new fridge/freezer as the east Europeans filled his with water. I would also not advise to use any of the waterless systems as this can damage your van.
 

Charlie

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Several of my customers full time and share your problem. Most campsites don't allow washing vans on site especially if it's a club site. Please remember that if you are cleaning the van yourself to use lots of water as being stingy will result in damage to your van. I would not recommend taking it to the East Europeans as you may end up with a large bill for repairs like a customer of mine who thought he was saving money but ended up forking out for a new fridge/freezer as the east Europeans filled his with water. I would also not advise to use any of the waterless systems as this can damage your van.


Agree completely.....
 

FJmike

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Eèeeeeeek
I have seen it all now,today I was passing an East European car wash and saw an Auto trail with a bloke on the roof and he was stood on the overcab
 

Badknee

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Coin op wash gets my vote, rinse, foam, brush, rinse. (y)

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pigginchilli

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May 17, 2015
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I can see your problem, take your hose with you to a friend or family and wash! seems like your putting on folks but don't worry about it.
 
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Angelwitch

Angelwitch

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Did it!stayed at a britstop and discovered a lovely landlord who allowed me to attatch my hose to his hot tap in the gents!2 hours of crawling around on the roof finally saw the end of all the tree sap that had been there since October:xThumb::xThumb::xThumb::xThumb::xThumb::xThumb::xThumb::xThumb::xThumb:

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pigginchilli

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Did it!stayed at a britstop and discovered a lovely landlord who allowed me to attatch my hose to his hot tap in the gents!2 hours of crawling around on the roof finally saw the end of all the tree sap that had been there since October:xThumb::xThumb::xThumb::xThumb::xThumb::xThumb::xThumb::xThumb::xThumb:
Brilliant you did well there:xThumb:
 

PeteH

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Washed a 32ft R-V on a Spanish camp site, Chucking it down with rain, so I went out with Hi viz / leggings etc and Long brush! 30 min later one clean Van!. German Audience, decided to join in and in the end there where 4 of them doing likewise!!.

Pete

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Apr 25, 2012
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We have a large bay jet wash in the village so if it gets really dirty I use that, but when we are away I try to keep on top of the job so I either wash a bit at a time or if the weather is right, polish the whole van. It has worked so far. I hate to see a dirty van and I believe in the old saying that a clean van runs better! @Angelwitch, is that an Allegro 96 you have? We had one before our current van. Same colour and decals. Ours was a 2008/58 2.3 Fiat. Gary
 
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Angelwitch

Angelwitch

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Hi Gary its a 94 not 96,also 2008/58.what is the difference? Absolutely love it spent 18 months research to find perfect lay out for us ,and still feel we made the right choice for us.........we just hate the upholstery,going to get a revamp in spring

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Apr 25, 2012
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Hi, well on what I can see from your avatar they look the same from the outside so I'm guessing it must be inside. As you step in there was a single seat to the right of the hab door, next to the drivers seat and around the extending table an L shaped lounge big enough to seat five. Two forward facing travel seats.
On the left of the hab door as you enter, a large fridge freezer with a cooker above. Opposite that a decent size L shaped kitchen.
Aft of that two electrically adjustable single beds and across the back a large bathroom with full shower on one side and wardrobe opposite.
A great layout but it didn't have enough payload or externally acccessible storage for our needs so we swapped a two yeSr old Chausson for a five year old Hymer! Gary
 
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Angelwitch

Angelwitch

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Hi, well on what I can see from your avatar they look the same from the outside so I'm guessing it must be inside. As you step in there was a single seat to the right of the hab door, next to the drivers seat and around the extending table an L shaped lounge big enough to seat five. Two forward facing travel seats.
On the left of the hab door as you enter, a large fridge freezer with a cooker above. Opposite that a decent size L shaped kitchen.
Aft of that two electrically adjustable single beds and across the back a large bathroom with full shower on one side and wardrobe opposite.
A great layout but it didn't have enough payload or externally acccessible storage for our needs so we swapped a two yeSr old Chausson for a five year old Hymer! Gary
 
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Angelwitch

Angelwitch

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Ah,ours is fixed transverse bed at back over a garage,so our bathroom is on left as you go in (where your fridge was)......we up plated to get over the payload prob :)

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Photo4x4

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I used the waterless wash when we were away in France for October. Brilliant stuff, great for the door shuts and cab area as well. I have used it on all of our vehicles (4x4 truck, Smart Car, Suzuki Burgman scooter) and find it really good for those times that you don't want to or can't use a hose.

I usually wash them with water and vehicle shampoo and then polish and wax them. The waterless is a good 'in between' method. I keep some in the MH locker along with a couple of microfiber cloths.

I know that the road film remover used in car washes is not something that you should use too often as it is corrosive.

KH
 
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9526

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Washed ours on an Aire in the Pyrenees and got a right bollocking.


From the bloke in the next van who's SWMBO told him that I was a good example and he should follow suit. :xrofl:
 

FJmike

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This thread reminds me that I should book my spring wash and wax early to get the day I want.
I use http://www.motorhomevalet.co.uk/ every year to call it a "wash and wax" does him a discredit as he spends all day at it and does a proper job.
Thanks for the recommendation. As you say it's best to book early as my diary is filling quite rapidly for Spring.
 
Apr 25, 2012
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Ah,ours is fixed transverse bed at back over a garage,so our bathroom is on left as you go in (where your fridge was)......we up plated to get over the payload prob :)
I guessed you must have upped the payload, otherwise you'd have been touring Europe in your birthday suits! Of course, for all I know you may do that anyway! Having a garage under the bed means you must have easy access to to storage from the outside too, which was our second problem.
 

Charlie

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No wonder you are against anything that might make the cleaning of a van easier and far less expensive for the owner.......... Isn't there anything on this forum to stop advertising or benefitting from a persons involvement?

With respect you comments are totally wrong .

There are a couple or three who when these subjects of valeting / detailing come up spend quite some time writing sometimes long and complex replies to sometimes questions that are asked time and time again. Mike is one of those that advises on a regular basis and as far as I have seen does Not promote the fact he is a well respected Valeter/Detailer.

Feel free to venture into the Detailing section where much advice has been written specifically to show everyone how the job of cleaning and maintaining these large vehicles can be done not only with ease but with the products and equipment that will aid the process.

The rules on this forum are quite relaxed. That is a good thing. Relaxed rules mean open and free speech.

No rules have been broken here as far as I can see . ;);)(y)(y)

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