103
Cleaning The Exterior
To protect your recreation vehicle’s exterior nish, wash it often and thoroughly.
For recreation vehicles with painted exterior graphics, if desired you may wash and wax
your vehicle 60 days after purchase. The exterior paint needs time to cure before any wax is
applied to the exterior surface. Careful maintenance for the rst 60 days will assure a long
lasting durable nish.
Your recreation vehicle is exposed to many environmental conditions that have an adverse
aect on the paint nish:
Road Salt and Sodium Chloride
Road Tar / Bugs
Bird Droppings / Tree Sap
Industrial Fallout / Acid Rain /Pollution
UV Exposure and Moisture
The most common problems resulting from these conditions are corrosion, staining, and
chemical spotting. Generally, the longer the foreign material remains in contact with the
exterior nish, the more extensive the damage. These problems can be minimized by regu-
larly scheduled washing and polishing. Wash your recreation vehicle as soon as possible if
it becomes contaminated with foreign material.
Avoid parking under trees or near ocean sea salt. Ice or snow should be brushed o, not
scraped, from the painted surface.
Gravel roads should be avoided.
Anti-freeze, gasoline or washer solvents if spilled on the painted surface should be rinsed o
with water immediately. Bugs and bird droppings should be rinsed o daily.
Commercial washing should be avoided. Wash with cold water using a mild liquid soap.
Dry wiping with a dry cloth is not recommended.
Make sure the RV’s surface temperature is cool, under 90 F, and out of direct sunlight. A
shaded area is ideal for washing your vehicle as direct sunlight causes water spotting. Use a
mild soap, detergent or car wash shampoo. Try to avoid combination wash-n-wax products
as these waxes can cause build up and are designed for smaller surfaces. Have two dedi-
cated sponges or wash mitts: one for the exterior walls and one for the wheels and under
carriage. Brushes or wash mitts made of plastic bristles are acceptable for use on tires and
wheel wells, but are not intended for use on the exterior walls. Avoid using such items on
painted surfaces as they will damage the nish. Wash the wheels and wheel wells rst as
this removes heavy dirt and debris and prevents it from splattering on panels. Wet the entire
area down to remove loose dirt and grime, then hand wash one area at a time using your
dedicated paint nish sponge or wash mitt. Wash from the top and work your way down,
rinsing frequently to minimize grit abrasion. Follow with a nal rinse of water. This process
will remove most contamination from the recreation vehicle’s surface.
For stubborn stains such as road tar or bug stains, use an ammonia based glass cleaner or
a small amount of rubbing alcohol on a damp cloth followed immediately by warm soapy
water, and rinsing with clean water. This may not dissolve the road tar, but it will loosen tar
and bug stains and remove them from the surface. Do not use solvent based cleaners on bird
droppings or tree sap as these are water based stains. They can be dissolved using ammonia
based glass cleaner, warm soapy water and a little “elbow grease”. After removing stubborn
stains immediately rinse with clean water.
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