These guys were washing and hand waxing the RV next to us so I asked them about washing ours. It was $65 for a wash and $250 for wash and wax. This hasn’t been cleaned since the in-campground wash I did in Edmonton, AB, last June to get some of the Alaska Highway mud off. I had washed off the roof back in May before we left town on that trip. To me, the $65 seemed like a good deal. The campground doesn’t allow you to wash your RV. You have to have a professional service come in to do it. And this was the only company that was allowed into the park since since they are bonded and insured.
They did a pretty good job and I noticed that the current from the solar panels jumped up by over an amp after they had washed them off. I guess we need to clean them a bit more often. It still looks like a seventeen year old trailer but it’s shiny again. I think that I may pick up some automotive spray wax for at least the front cap to help it shed some of the bugs. For future reference, they are River Sun RV Washing from Bullhead City, AZ. (928)219-0574.
The new solar panel arrived this afternoon. The panel is about 20” longer and 6” wider than the original Renogy panels. This actually comes out to almost twice the area which shouldn’t have surprised me as they are almost twice the output current. It’s kind of late to start the installation process as it was a bit breezy. I need to seal the screw holes for the brackets and Eternabond tape with Dicor self-leveling sealant. I would prefer there to be at least 24 hours of no rain which is in the forecast for next Thursday. So my current plan is for installation on Friday.
The mounting brackets for these panels are composed of a metal “J” that wraps around the end of the panel. They have a threaded boss which fastens into the angle bracket that attaches to the roof. It came with knobs instead of screws for the angle bracket to the “J” bracket on the panel. This allows you to tilt the panels with no tools.
Not a bad price at all....considering the issues of moving the unit, finding a wash bay big enough and tall enough.
ReplyDeleteI thought that it was pretty reasonable. They spent quite a bit of time scrubbing off the mud and bugs and it looks better than it did. And, they came to the RV.
DeleteIts a big job, I've washed, polished (w/orbital) and waxed our RV's a couple times in each's time with us. Besides protecting the fiberglass from oxidizing they look much better afterward. But its a several day process with lots of up and down the ladders. (and takes a couple weeks to work up the mental resolve to do it...lol)
ReplyDeleteNo kidding! I tried to clean the front cap of at least the bugs but didn’t have the long-handled scrubbing tools to reach more than about 2/3 of it. In Edmonton, the RV park let me rinse off the mud and grime from the highway. At that time, the bottom 1/3 was mud colored and the lower front had a lot of mud caked on. I really wanted to get that off before it set up like concrete. They spent all afternoon waxing the fifth wheel next to us using a paste type wax but no orbital buffer.
DeleteGlad you had a good experience with the mobile wash guys and that seems like a great price. Dirty RV is always an issue, it seems!
ReplyDeleteIt really needed it. After the Alaska Hwy last June, I sort of rinsed it off at the campground in Edmonton but it hasn’t been really washed while we owned it.
Delete