# Cleaning your van. How often and how long does it take?



## SwampThing (Mar 9, 2012)

We recently purchased a 3 year old A class Rapido which I decided to clean last weekend.
Working on the same basis as I do for the car, I worked through washing from the top down, drying and then polishing using autoglym caravan cleaner and gloss polish.
Overall I'm really pleased with the result but was surprised at just how long it took - most of the weekend 8O 
I was wondering how frequently others clean their vans and whether there are any tips and tricks to get good results in less time.....?


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## sander4709 (Feb 17, 2008)

Probably not much help, but I've a 1991 Hymer B694 and I've never polished it and I last washed it quickly in an Austrian campground (when no one was looking) in July 2010.

It looks a bit dirty but as much as I'd like a clean and shiny van I am now firmly of the opnion that life really, really is too short.

S


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## csmcqueen (May 12, 2010)

I have only had mine for a few months and have only cleaned it once.

I think I lost two days of my life and was totally knackered afterwards, it was all such a blur... wax on, wax off, cramp on :lol: 

I shall clean it again... maybe never :roll:


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## thegamwellsmythes (Jul 29, 2008)

A quick wash every few times we use it. This probably works out to maybe 5 or 6 washes a year.

This is only ever a quick wash using motorhome black streak removing shampoo stuff. Never polished it and probably never will.

Little and often seems easier than occasional thorough washes.

OK maybe I will the day before we take it for a trade in quote.


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## Mark993 (Jul 1, 2007)

Typically every couple of times we use it, depends on how grubby it looks. A good coat of wax once a year and it makes the cleaning quick and easy.

Takes me less than an hour. But agree it's a weekend to do the full wax job.


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## Invicta (Feb 9, 2006)

Mine, a 26 feet RV, is cleaned about twice a year by eastern Europeans at a car/van wash, including the roof, for the sum of £25 a time. It takes at least 4 of them at least 20 minutes to do the job with the jet washer and elbow grease and a very good one they make of it too. Well worth the price in my book !


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## DTPCHEMICALS (Jul 24, 2006)

Gave ours a good clean cut n polish. Took all weekend but it shines, even the dulled grp looks nice n shiny.
Then i went against all my previous advice and purchased a cover.  
It will get washed next spring when the cover comes off.

It does not look as conspicous in a grey cover

Neighbour has a wood burner and our mh gets covered wih all sorts of black sticky goo.

Dave p


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## locovan (Oct 17, 2007)

I wash it everytime we go off for the weekend and everytime we have a holiday I will wash it on site.
It hasnt needed to much of a wash when it rained so much though


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## Blizzard (Sep 21, 2009)

I would wash and wax the roof of the old MH twice a year.

The rest of the van would get waxed on those occasions too, however I would go round it at ground level virtually every other trip giving it a quick wash with Autoglym and rinsing off with the hosepipe.

Like Locovan, I too have been seen washing the van down on site, especially when we've travelled through atrocious weather and road conditions and then the sun comes out. 8) 

The new MH hasn't had the pleasure yet !


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## shedbrewer (Jan 6, 2007)

*washing M/H*

I usually drive to a local hand carwash, where they leap up and down with a pressure washer, on the roof, down the sides, windows everything, lovely job,, me I just watch them doing it and part with £15 for a job well done, simples


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## Mrplodd (Mar 4, 2008)

Hadnt thought about the local hand car wash !!!!

What a cracking idea, and for about £25 (or whatever deal I can negotiate) I for one would consider it a bargain.

has anyone been bored enough to work out how many square metres of bodywork there are in, say a 7m MH ???

Now wheres my calculator? Nah forget it, I'm really not THAT anal !!


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## rayrecrok (Nov 21, 2008)

Hi.

The only thing about the Car wash monkeys is the use of a pressure washer on the seals, could cause some problems if the pressure is too fierce..

They just blast away to get their 25 quid.. :roll: 

ray.


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## ned (Dec 12, 2006)

*van wash*

hi guys,

I must say that I used to wash and polish the van about 5 times a year easpecially when coming back from skiing. This used to take most of the day each time and ended up with me getting quite damp. I now use a dry wash from the range (£8-00). It really is good at getting all the black marks off and polishes up like new. I recon to clean the whole van in an hour and a half and it is not too hard work. So I still do 5 cleans a year

Cheers ................ Ned


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## RichardD (Sep 14, 2009)

If you can get up on the roof then I've found it takes a lot less time and you get a good clean roof.

Using a good shampoo such as Meguiars every time we use the van does make it easier. It seems to build up a resistance to the dreaded black streaks or makes them easier to wash down if they do occur.

Using a hand pump sprayer with a solution of shampoo you can spray the side and then with a long handled cleaning brush, does it in a jiffy.

A good wax, again Meguiars, I used their paint cleaning solution first followed up by Gold wax produces an excellent finish. Am about to try their wash and wax shampoo which should add to the protection.

Wash and wax will take a weekend, but once done it should be 2 or 3 hours max. for wash down and dry.

Richard


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## JIMY (Feb 24, 2011)

See the avatar that was Charlie at two , this year he is three and got hold of the hose during the annual wash, Granny and Grandad got drenched, charlie a bit damp .
Jim


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## aikidomo (Jan 8, 2008)

The roof is done every Autumn.(cuts down on the old black streaks) The Winter I dont touch it but I wash it in the Spring and a couple of times in the Summer, and when it basically looks dirty.
We go away in it all year round so we try to keep up appearances.
And yes it has taken all week end, in fact I once took a whole week, in between showers. 
I am off to do the business this weekend actually.


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## DTPCHEMICALS (Jul 24, 2006)

Pressure washers on motorhome and caravans is a no go.
Do you want damp problems.

Dave p


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## SNandJA (Aug 22, 2008)

*Re: van wash*



ned said:


> hi guys,
> 
> I must say that I used to wash and polish the van about 5 times a year easpecially when coming back from skiing. This used to take most of the day each time and ended up with me getting quite damp. I now use a dry wash from the range (£8-00). It really is good at getting all the black marks off and polishes up like new. I recon to clean the whole van in an hour and a half and it is not too hard work. So I still do 5 cleans a year
> 
> Cheers ................ Ned


I clean and polish the roof twice a year. Use a normal mop to clean off and a couple of replacement mop heads to apply and finish off polish. I use MER. Do the whole van sides (7m long) with MER once a year but use "Drywash" when out and about. (We have commercial reasons for making sure we turn up at campsites as clean as possible!) I think the key is keeping the roof as clean as possible to reduce the "black streaks"

If the body could stand it I'd say the best part of a day would do roof, sides and bumper and other trim. More realistically a more comfortable two day task! Drywash entire van less than 1 hour.

Steve


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## WildThingsKev (Dec 29, 2009)

I'm doing ours at the moment; apart from the intermittent rain I have another distraction...


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## Christine600 (Jan 20, 2011)

Thank you guys for the drywash recommendations. I've just ordered a bottle.


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## RichardD (Sep 14, 2009)

Be careful and don't use MER too often as it contains an abrasive. OK if you need to get really stubborn black streaks off, but once clean try and use a good quality shampoo regularly.

I don't use it anymore as I found that it left chalky deposits which is what it is made up of and gradually built up a dull layer which I eventually removed using the Meguiars paint clean system.

Richard


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## Spacerunner (Mar 18, 2006)

Hmmm. So who's buying all these long handled brushes then. 
Mine gets cleaned after every trip or once a month, roof as well.
Usually takes half a day or all day if waxing. 
Its much easier and faster if you do it at shorter intervals.


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## kaacee (Nov 29, 2008)

Just spent the best part of 8 hours cleaning mine. Good shampoo wash with long handled brush and rinse off well with power washer set on widest spray, which is little difference between ordinary garden hose, then dry with old terry towel. 

Must admit, I left it too long between cleans this time so memo to self clean at least 3 times per year.

Keith


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## Remus (Feb 10, 2011)

Ours gets cleaned at the start and end of the season plus once or twice in season if it looks too grubby. All I use is water. Hands and knees job on the roof with a cloth and a hose (not high pressure) to rinse off then extendable brush on a hose for the sides. This gets most of the dirt off. Any stubborn marks such as road tar or black streaks get left until the end of season when I have the time to get rid of them. A normal clean takes two to three hours.


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## wp1234 (Sep 29, 2009)

Ours is new .... One wax job so far and one quick clean . That wil do it till I have free weekend around Xmas


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