Washing a new trailer

[B&J]

We recently washed our new trailer for the first time and we didn't use any soap. As a result, there was some film and dirt left on the trailer and for all our hard work, it didn't look that great. A caution to other owners of brand new trailers, be on the lookout for small pieces of metal in your washing rag or mitten. These metal filings(?) we think came from around the windows. Our question is can we use a car washing soap on our trailer and not harm the finish. We are thinking about taking the trailer to a local car wash (self wash with wands). There is an outside birth for trucks and RVs and it looks ideal for washing a trailer. Any tips would really be appreciated. Thanks

[Ed Keyes]

Try Turtle Wax Zip Wax Car Wash. Works great. I usea soft brush with a 3 or 4 ' handle and it only take 30min or so to do my 25'. I do not dry mine but if you are fussy, get a soft rubber squeeqee to wipe the sides dry.

[Turtle]

Tip: Be aware of the soapy brush at the carwash. I used one on the road once and it left a swirling pattern on the aluminum. First time I'd used a carwash. At home I'm cautious to rub with the grain. I don't know why I didn't do the same with the brush. I blame it on the clock ticking away my quarters. Fortunately it's only noticeable when clean and in the right lighting. Seems the only time our trailer is clean is when we just hit the road and before it goes back to storage.

Jamie

[Silvertwinkie]

Armor All Car Wash and a soft cloth....go with the grain, then Walbernize (agian with the grain) and all will look great!

[flyfisher]

Originally Posted by Silvertwinkie

Armor All Car Wash and a soft cloth....go with the grain, then Walbernize (agian with the grain) and all will look great!

That advice is right on! I'd also go with the Armor All, and by no means ever use a harsh soap, such as liquid dish detergent.

Walbernize is OK, but in my opinion some of the more modern car waxes are much better.

If money is no problem, there is a wax called "No-Wet" which is a car wash, wax, cleaner and sealent all in one. If you use it one time, you'll never want to use something like Walbernize again. This is sold in the Airstream company store and I think you can get it on the internet as well.

No matter which wax you use, it's important to put a good quality wax on after you do get it clean and this will both protect the finish and make subsequent washing so much easier.

John

[baldeagle]

My .02$ worth. I use Mr Clean Auto Dry, mild and 85% self drying. I use Walbernize three times a year.

Airstream said anything which works on clear coat is just fine.

[Silvertwinkie]

Yea, I too Walbernize more than I have too. We talked about other waxes around here in depth and I thought that I remember reading that we shouldn't use waxes or cleaners that have petroleum distillates on the finishes of the trailers.

[jcanavera]

Lets take this one step further. After a trip that was in a high pollen area and lots of stuff falling from the trees, I need to clean the awnings. I used the Zip-Dee awning cleaner product which I picked up from Airstream. It's good stuff but it comes packaged in a single use packet. Airstream wants $6.00 postage and handling for shipping one packet.

Now after reviewing things the folks at Zip-Dee tell you not to wash with a detergent. So the last thing I remember as far as pure soap goes, was the old Ivory Snow flakes that used to be in the grocery stores. Of course that stuff isn't around anymore, at least not where I have looked so far, so the question goes out, what do you guys use to wash your awning, when its pretty dirty?

Jack

[B&J]

Thanks to all for the helpful tips and product recommendations. We are moving our trailer tomorrow to a new storage facility that will be a much cleaner environment than the current place we are using. A lot of dirt is being blown around and it is building up on the trailer. I think we will temporarily do a quick wash at the self wash place and avoid the brush/wand. We will use the soap and rinse thoroughly. I know we can do a better job at our house, but we are limited on time. In the future we plan on cleaning the trailer more thoroughly, and then waxing it. We will keep reading for any new posts regarding washing and waxing. Thanks again everyone.

[Porky Pig]

Originally Posted by davesamuelso

My .02$ worth. I use Mr Clean Auto Dry, mild and 85% self drying. I use Walbernize three times a year.

Airstream said anything which works on clear coat is just fine.

Ditto ... I'm with Dave.

[Silvertwinkie]

I (will) use the zip dee cleaner when it gets dirty. But I won't be using Mr. Clean on my coach. I might be old school here and busting my back for nothing, but in life there are no real short cuts....I've used things like this before and though some folks swear by it, others in equal or greater numbers don't. I know that after a bath and a Walbernize, the Safari is a blinding light when th sun hits it on the highway.

[Tinsel Loaf]

If you got it, use soft water or better yet RO water. You won't have to wipe it down because there will be no spots after it dries.