RV Roof Cleaning Solution

[BillMFl]

I prefer not to do much roof cleaning. Out of sight and out of mind. I do use a leaf blower and a garden hose to remove leafs, sticks and surface dirt. No scrubbing. I also usually only wash the exterior walls when returning home at the end of my travel season in the fall. The coach looks great when washed and never been waxed in 5 years. I just refuse to be obsessed with washing it frequently. I do wash my cars on a regular basis but that only takes a few minutes. And I never wax my cars either. In the old days paint would fade and discolor, but todays paints and clear coats are very durable, Of course no longer having to deal with snow, ice and road salt makes a big difference too. Once while staying near Yellowstone for a week I watched a guy towel the dew off his coach every day. I prayed for rain to see what he would do then. No rain that week. He must have been OC to the max. On another note FR is supposedly getting me new seat material to replace the rapidly shedding "Pleather". It started to peel after 2 years. Just a little at first and a lot in the third year. Happy to say no other major issues and just a few minor ones.

[mrjohnmikel]

Periodical cleaning and exterior maintenance is the owner's choice. There are 4 types roof surface materials and 3 types of side surface materials. EACH of which require different approaches to cleaning and coating.
The roof can have fiberglass, aluminum, vinyl and three grades of rubber. The roof is also the most important surface as it catches 24/7 hell from the elements.
The sides can be fiberglass with vinyl graphics or painted fiberglass & graphics or aluminum and vinyl graphics. ....the chemicals used to clean those surfaces be it roof or sides are different.

The sides: no matter which surface you have, every one of you make the same mistake.... You select detergents that are either acid or alkaline based ( simple green, purple power, orange orange, la's totally awesome cleaner even some car wash solutions). Used at or near full strength will DULL the clear coat of every surface. LA's Totally Awesome Cleaner is a very good cleaner for prepping fiberglass for clear coating, but will strip powder coated aluminum if used full strength. Most RV that have fiberglass sides have aluminum storage doors.
There is nothing worse than dull, dry and fading fiberglass. Wax and polish really do nothing meaningfully to bring back the luster for the amount of time/sweat you put into it. However, you can bring that shine back with Poli Glow clear coating. It's applied by hand with a mitt easily. Last for years with occasional maintenance coats. To dispell a rumor....Poli Glow does NOT yellow unless diluted with water or some other substance or applied too then (not enough coats) see RV Exterior Coatings | for photos and products. This stuff is good for all RV's, Boats, hot tubs, fiberglass signs, ect.. NOT for use on cars or trucks.
The brush: select a sturdy telescoping pole and soft brush head. Get a rectangle Tupperware storage container. You can't push a bucket around. DO NOT wash the sides of a painted or new RV exposed to the sun unless you cool it off with water first or you will scratch the soft surface with the bristles of the brush. Always rinse the brush during use and before you put it up to keep sand out of it.
There is a fix for every exterior surface condition. Choosing the right approach is not easy without a costly learning curve. Just PM me and I will assist if I can.
Topics... What paint to use on what roof type (they will all eventually need it). What to do about curling graphics. How to make my RV or Boat shine again. How to caulk like a pro and what kind of caulk for the surface.