The Dirt On Keeping It Clean

by Dave Bessmer

Five years ago I moved with my new wife to Grand Rapids, Michigan, her home town. Talk about culture shock!

If Grand Rapids is anything, it is neat & clean. People here clip their lawns with manicure scissors, a blade at a time, so that the angle of the cut is uniform. I swear I've seen them do it.

My neighbor across the street has made himself a giant snow scraper out of plywood – it's three or four feet across and shaped like a windshield scraper – so he can get rid of the little traces of snow his snowblower doesn't remove from his driveway.

I have seen my wife spend and hour and a half cleaning (car guys would say "detailing") the kitchen – 36 hours before our housekeeper arrived to do the same thing. In fact, one of my chief duties as a home-based worker is to make sure the house is clean enough to receive the cleaning service without embarrassment.

My wife is in the advertising business, and her favorite ad slogan is Bissel's: "Life's messy, clean it up." Bissell, of course, is headquartered in Grand Rapids, as is Amway, which founded a worldwide direct-sales empire on cleaning products.

My wife has an aunt who vacuums her living room carpet after anybody walks on it – not to get rid of any imagined dirt, but to smooth out the footprints.

Several weeks after my father moved to Grand Rapids to be near us, he commented that he had yet to see a dirty or rusty car, other than mine. My dear mother-in-law, who is retired and in her 60s, regularly volunteers to wax my wife's car, and would if we let her.

So, when they asked me to do a piece on cleaning your RV's exterior, I told them they'd come to the right place. Not necessarily the right guy, but certainly the right place.

Talking to the Experts
Todd and Dawn Corlew aren't from Grand Rapids, but they probably should be. They run a business called AALL*BRITE that specializes in getting RVs very, very clean. Monaco Coach Corporation hires them to clean units for rallies and trade shows around the country, and if they show up at your Holiday Rambler rally, they'll clean your coach, too, for a fair price, I'm told.

I reached Dawn Corlew on her cell phone recently (full-time RVers, the Corlews travel with their 2 year-old daughter Erica, who will soon have a new brother or sister) and we had an interesting chat about dos and don'ts for keeping your rig clean and shiny.

Dawn's first advice: "It's easier to maintain your RV's exterior than to get it back after you've let it go for a long time."

Okay, so what do I have to do to maintain my Holiday Rambler's beautiful finish? Dawn says to wax it at least every eight months. (The current Holiday Rambler owner's manual recommends twice a year, spring and fall.) The Corlews use a wax they bottle and sell themselves, but Dawn says Turtle Wax and Meguiar's products are excellent, too.

Your owner's manual also says to wash your rig about every three weeks with mild soap and water, but Dawn has some special advice here. "Some people use things like dish soap, but you really should use a car wash product like Zip Wax by Turtle Wax. Dish soap is made to cut grease, and it strips off any wax protectant." Most washes formulated for cars will leave your wax job in place.

Holiday Rambler also recommends using a car wash product to help remove tree sap, insects, tar and industrial fallout that can damage your rig's finish.

Turtle Wax also offers a bug and tar remover that has an enzyme-based formula that won't strip wax, according to the manufacturer. Dawn says that when using conventional tar removers "you should limit them to the immediate area. They're very harsh."

Dawn says that AALL*BRITE's procedures are the same for aluminum and fiberglass sidewalls, but added that aluminum is, in their experience, easier to maintain. "We recently tackled an '85 Holiday Rambler that really needed some work, but in a few hours we had it looking like new."

Up On the Roof
As for keeping your roof clean, the procedure depends on how old your Holiday Rambler is. If it has a rubber roof, the owner's manual suggests you rinse the roof with water, then apply CR100 Dicor Synthetic Roof and General Purpose Cleaner (mixed with water) using a scrub brush, then rinse again. Bleach is recommended for stains; mineral spirits are not such a good choice as they can damage the rubber material if you let the fluid soak in.

Dawn also mentioned RC100 as a product of choice, but added some alternatives. "Some people just use Spic and Span, but if it drips onto the side of your coach you have a problem with stripping off the wax again." She also recommends a product called 303 Aerospace Protectant, which she says is a UV protectant that helps prevent chalking and helps keeps the rubber material supple. (The 303 website, describes how to use this product on EPDM rubber RV roofs.)

If you have a 2000 or 2001 model Holiday Rambler, your roof imay be covered with a material called RV 2000. This product doesn't have the tendency of rubber to chalk (which causes streaks on the side of your coach) or to streak the way older aluminum roofs do. You should do fine with a a mild soap solution or car wash product – the same stuff you'd use on your sidewalls.

Underneath
I asked Dawn about cleaning the undercarriage of an RV. AALL*BRITE uses a low-pressure power washer. "A garden hose isn't enough," says Dawn. So this is one area where you might especially consider professional help. For sprucing up metal frame and suspension parts, your owner's manual recommends spray enamel, which is available from your Holiday Rambler dealer.

A Good Time to Check Seals
Holiday Rambler suggests that you check out all the seals and seams on your rig twice a year. Since that's how often you should wax your coach, "wax day" is an ideal time to check seals, too. While you're waxing, take a good look at the seals around the doors, windows and vents and at any seams. You can save yourself a lot of trouble later by replacing any cracked, peeled or dried out sealant now. Check with your Holiday Rambler dealer, they can sell you the right sealant.

Clean Your Own or Hire it Done?
Not every neighborhood car wash can handle a motorhome or travel trailer, and those that can charge a bit more than the normal tariff for sending your Toyota through the Tunnel o' Suds. But the cost of professional cleaning can be worth it. Your time is valuable. A professional service has all the cleaners and equipment on hand, including a power washer for the undercarriage. And, let's face it, a lot of us aren't quite up to the job any more. That's when professional cleaning becomes a real value – an investment in keeping your trailer or motorhome looking like new.

Normal, regular washing and waxing can save a lot of reconditioning cost years down the road when your untended coach begins to look faded and dull. And a shiny, new appearance can be especially valuable at resale or trade-in time. (Which is why I try to ignore my wife's pleas to keep myself spotless, shiny and new-looking. I'm afraid she might try to trade me in.)

And, finally, keep your coach clean and you'll always be welcome in Grand Rapids.

Links
In case you want to read up on some of the product mentioned here, I'll give you some internet addresses. Turtle Wax is www.turtlewax.com. There's a full line of automotive finish care products at www.meguiars.com. For 303 protectants try www.303-products.com. And if you're interested in knowing when Todd and Dawn Corlew, the AALL*BRITE team will be in your neighborhood, call 1-800-CLEAN-RV.

Dave Bessmer is a freelance writer living in East Grand Rapids, Michigan. He has spent 25 years in or around the RV business. He has authored several features for Holidays magazine.