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Do you use a waterless wash system on your bus?
I just watched a video on “Spit Shine Waterless Wash & Wax” and you guys have probably seen or heard of others. Have you used any of them and if yes, which ones did you use and how did you like the performance?I don’t have water available where I park my coach and I want to keep it clean. I have a KOA campground not far from me and maybe they’d let me wash it there?
I stopped at a detailing place in town yesterday and they would charge $550.00 for a full wash and detailing of the exterior of the coach. How does that compare to what you’ve paid?
Thanks guys,
Harry
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39 Replies
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Harry,
Wash Wax All is the waterless product that is used to keep the 18 plane fleet that includes the Air Force One planes. It is made in San Antonio, Tx, at the main airport.
Call my friend Brian Phillips at 800.927.4929. Ask him about his shiny 06 Parliment XL or shiny 64 V-tail Bonanza or shiny Robertson 44 chopter or shiny pickup truck.
Brian loves talking to RVers and can answer all of your questions. I will see him Thursday of next week. Hope to go to lunch in the chopter.
And you should see my shiny white gelcoat plastic Foretravel coach. Just remember, if your surface needs repairing (has oxidation on it), there is no polish in Wash Wax All so the oxidation will still be there. But Polish All will remove the oxidation and Wash Wax All will keep it off. Wash Wax All cleans, waxes and UV protects the vehicle.
Call him.
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After talking with Jeff at the no Rally Rally in Hot Springs about how he keeps his bus so clean, he said that all he uses is Hardwicks Triple Play, which is a waterless wash and his bus is spotless. I’ve used a lot of Chemical Guys products and gave their waterless wash a try and have liked it so far. That said it is a lot of work spraying and wiping the whole bus by hand, not as easy as the foam cannon and wool mit on a 12 foot pole. One last thought, it did seem to be a little easier to get the bugs off the nose.
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Another vote for wash-wax-all. Have used it on our coach for nearly 5 years now. And on our previous coach as well. Fast, easy application, great results, and made in America. Don’t get much better than that these days, IMO.
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I wash with water. The dirt on the coach acts like an abrasive unless it is loosened and flushed away a little bit.
I have no way to measure if it actually removes or scratches the paint, clear coat or polished stainless, but in every single owner’s manual for every single car I have ever owned the instructions are always to use water, and flush from the top down so the soil on the finish is loosened and carried away.
Having said that I rarely use a hose. I can and have washed my coach in about 2 1/2 hours, (not the roof) with a soft brush and a 5 gallon pail of water. I wet the brush, use it to loosen the soil and use a lot of soft bath towels to dry the coach.
When we lived in western NY the roads most of the year were covered with salt and sand to melt snow and provide traction. There is no way in the world that coating of salt and grit was going to be safely removed from the coach without loosening and flushing with water, often lots of water was required. I know failure to wet and flush that crap off the coach with anything other than a large volume of water was going to damage the finish so lesser amounts of dirt have the potential to do the same, just at a slower rate.
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Ahh this is great news… I’ve only used the old tried and true soap and water but as I said, water is not available where I park my bus. I didn’t realize these no water wash items also waxed. I’d expect the wax part of it may not be as good of a stand alone wax but certainly better than none at all. This is great news and I thank you for your input.Have you found the information on the bottle to be accurate about the amount of volume it will cover? I’d not want to order the amount the bottle says and come up short. By the way, can you get the products you recommended at NAPA, Walmart or other such places?
Thanks again,
Harry
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Harry,
Wash Wax All is on line, not at stores.
Do not assume, call Brian. Let him explain how well the wax part works vs carnuba wax or other waxes. He is very knowledgeable and can answer your questions and concerns.
He will tell what it will and will not do. You will not get a bunch of BS from him.
Brian sells a patented mop head and pole that allows one to work the whole bus standing on the ground, no ladder needed. This includes the Bug Buster head to get the bugs off of the top of the front, no scratching.
Brian is the Jeff of the waterless wash world.
Oh, by the way, on the Wash Wax All bottle, are instructions on how to use it with no water AND instructions on how to use it if you prefer to soap and water wash first. Like I said, no BS from Brian.
Hope this helps you.
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I’ve never used a waterless product, seems to me it would grind in the dirt like Jon said. Maybe with today’s clearcoats it’s not a concern.
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Tom,
If one will take the time to call Brian, he can get the skinny on grinding in the dirt.
You do not grind in the dirt on Air Force One or $60,000,000 biz jets and stay in business from 1987 till now.
Having said that, I can train you to grind in the dirt using Wash Wax All or using soap and water. Poor technique can do a world of harm using soap and water.
Assuming that if I have a Liberty, I can only get service at Liberty or Prevost cheats me out of using Jeff. Jeff is one of the very very few that can stand equal or exceed the above. Maybe Brian’s knowledge and his willingness to share it is the exception like Jeff is also.
But, one of my favorite friends said “Do what makes you happy”.
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Hey Tom, RE: “Maybe with today’s clearcoats it’s not a concern.”What about we-ins with the, shall we say, “less than today’s clearcoats”? Surly you’re not in the Jon flip phone, whoa-be-gone period of Never-Never Land are you? I apologize for mentioning you and Jon in the same sentence, we all have our standards. :). But are you saying the new waterless technology is not conducive to the older paints/clearcoats?
Maybe I should ask the question this way? Is there a waterless system more oriented to the older paints?
Harry
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Rudy,
With all due respect I cared for my planes for 35 years. Let me assure you the surface of a plane does not get soil or dirt or any of the stuff that comes off the highway on it. What planes get is sooting from the jet exhaust at airports and after flying through a heavy rain they end up with light black streaks. Those streaks are more oily than abrasive.
They cannot compare to the solids our coaches pick up from the highways which include rubber dust, gritty fine sand, salt, and grease and oil spots.
Tom and I are from the rust belt of western NY so I know what we have seen on our coaches, cars and trucks may be a little worse than what might end up on a coach driven in the rain down south but I can tell you after a day in the rain my coach has a lot of dirt and solids I would not want to rub against my stainless or clear coat.
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Jon, are you saying you would not use a waterless product on your coach if water wasn’t available to you? -
I use water on my coach. I wax the painted surfaces occasionally.
That’s it.
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I have always had access to water so I haven’t tried a water-less system yet. I do enjoy washing and drying the coach/wheels myself and dressing the tires with 303 Protectant. I’ve also had the coach washed by a service where a park disallows self washing.
It takes me about 3 hours to get the whole job done. I never get on the roof but I just hose it off. Surprisingly, the roof has not looked dirty so far. The next day I’m sore but feel I’ve had a good workout.
Safe travels,
Mark
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i prefer washing with water from my onboard pressure washer using a soap foam sprayer with a microfiber pole mop. In parks where they do not let you wash with a hose I use optimum no rinse wash wax using the two bucket method described in their video. I use a micro fiber mop to wash. When drying I mist Adams detail spray on wet surface and then dry. End result great shine with no swirls. You can learn more at http://www.autogeek.net/no-rinse-car-was-with-carnauba.html. Highly recommend.
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Jon,
I concur with you, especially when the stuff is caked on. I have had conversations with Brian about using water to not rub dirt into the surface because there are situations that demand that to properly care for the paint and stainless. Using Wash Wax All correctly will not rub dirt into the surface. Like wise, poor technique water washing will rub dirt into the surface for sure. You practice good technique so no problem with your washing.
So you all are correct. I cleaned my coach that was not messy with Wash Wax All at Bella Terra over several days, a little at a time. But the guys that hired it water washed got a fine job too. Those folks understand the correct way to water wash for sure.
I am done as “Do what makes you happy” works for all of us.
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