My wife and I will be taking our first extended camping trip next year , the trip will last a little over two months. My limited camping experience has been long weekend trips which means that I am able to wash my 5th wheel in short order after returning. I have read on this forum as well as others that rv parks do not let you wash your rv or 5th wheel in their park. I am concerned about the bugs drying on my 5th wheel cap and possably staining the fiberglass. How do you all handle cleaning the bugs off your 5th wheel cap or the front of your rv when you are away from home?? Two months is a long time to wait before cleaning.
First there are many RV parks that do allow you to wash your rig. Some charge for this, some don't. Even if they do not allow washing or if they charge for it, some will let you wash the front and get the bugs off for free. Just ask what their policy is when you check in. If they don't allow washing at all, we use a product that you mix up in a bucket and then we use a spray bottle or a brush to apply it. Either way we let it sit for a minute or two after we put it on and then wipe it off with rags. Yucky? Yes, but we do not like to leave the bugs on either. Usually we use the brush and that takes off the bugs so that wiping with the rags isn't too bad.
If it happens to be raining out and your in a warm climate, get your brush and soap bucket out, and start scrubbing. I have done this a couple of times, I have been called nuts, but I get a clean coach. Other times you can get some locals to come out and wash it for you for a fair price. While in Vegas last Sept., the resort we were at does not allow you to was your rig. I had a well recommended detailer come out, wash, buffed, and waxed our 40' fifth wheel and truck for $125.00. And did a great job, well worth it in my mind.
If we have bugs on the motorhome I wash off the mess each day. Most parks have no problems with this item. Ask and if the answer is a hard no then write this campground off and wash it in the next campground. A number of campgrounds have places you can wash the rig for a small fee. Also note lots of casino's do not care if you wash the hold rig. I washed the Motorhome and tow in a K-Mart parking lot in WY one time. We carry a small AC powered Karcher (Germany) pressure washer, we have a large tank of water, and we have AC power. So it was no problem to clean off the road grime and then drive on to the campground for the night. Works for me.
All RV parks and campgrounds will let you wash the bugs off the front of your rig and track! That won't be a problem. I am on the road full time and I have never had any trouble with rig washing in any park I've been in. I also carry a waterless wash product that you spray on and wipe the dirt off with. I use that when I only feel like doing a little cleaning each day. There are many on the market. Use something like that and you won't have to worry about it. But, for only two months, you'll be fine. Especially in the summer months when rain naturally cleans your rig.
QUOTE All RV parks and campgrounds will let you wash the bugs off the front of your rig and track! That won't be a problem. Don't know about all - we have overnighted at a couple that were quite explicit about no buckets allowed. You could use spray bottles. Many we have been to allow rig washing, with some asking a nominal fee to do so. A few have designated wash areas you have to move to for the wash. The waterless and no rinse products work pretty well. I have been known to put on a bathing suit and wash our motorhome during moderate to heavy rain (no thunder and lightening). I get some strange looks (or maybe disgust - me in a bathing suit is not pretty) but it works great.
My RV park has crushed rock and we have city water, so I allow washing here (at no charge). At first I did not because I was concerned that the water would create a muddy mess for other campers, but I realized it soaks in fast. Besides, it's not something folks are going to do everyday. I would rather have a park full of clean RV's instead of dirty ones. A couple of reasons why some campgrounds do not allow washing could be (1) If they are on a private well, they may not want the water used for non-essential purposes due to a shortage. (2) If the sites or roads are paved, they could get into trouble with the local government for allowing untreated runoff to enter the storm drainage system. There have been attempts by some states (Washington) to even prohibit homeowners from washing cars in their own driveway if it is paved and the runoff will enter the storm drain.
QUOTE(bootscooter @ Dec 20 2011, 03:10 PM) [snapback]28446[/snapback] My wife and I will be taking our first extended camping trip next year , the trip will last a little over two months. My limited camping experience has been long weekend trips which means that I am able to wash my 5th wheel in short order after returning. I have read on this forum as well as others that rv parks do not let you wash your rv or 5th wheel in their park. I am concerned about the bugs drying on my 5th wheel cap and possably staining the fiberglass. How do you all handle cleaning the bugs off your 5th wheel cap or the front of your rv when you are away from home?? Two months is a long time to wait before cleaning. thank you so much for yoiur replys, please keep them coming. several have mentined waterless wash products, what are they and where do I get them. bootscooter
The product we use is called "Quick and Easy Wash." I don't remember where we bought it, but it was probably Camping World, or it might have been Walmart. It is not totally waterless. You do have to mix it with water (1 capful to 2 quarts). The directions say to apply the solution with a sponge or cloth to a small section, and then wipe dry with a clean cloth. We usually spray on the diluted solution with a spray bottle and then go over it with a brush. We do it this way just so we are not having to wipe off the bugs with a cloth. Yuck! The brush makes it a little less messy to deal with the bugs. Then we wipe it dry. We've used it for years with no problems.
I would suggest asking the office staff when you check in what their policy is. We are in an area where there has been a drought and water usage is watched carefully. There are days when the wind is so high and the grass and trees so dry that we cannot even allow people to use their grills. Just a mile from us is a car wash that is large enough for any size rig.
