How often do you wash the exterior?

[darklordlarry]

Just a word of caution. Before washing, check all seals, especially those on the roof. If any seal looks cracked, don't wash, have it re-sealed first.

We purchased a new Melbourne 24L in late 2016. We kept it under a roof so it was never exposed to rain. It was only exposed to moisture when I washed it.

In fall of 2017 we took it in to the dealer for an unrelated warrantee service. While there, they let it sit under the rain for several months. Then they informed us that the seals had failed and the interior had flooded.

At first we thought our 2-year bumper-to-bumper warrantee would cover it, but there's fine print in the paperwork that says we have to have the seals checked every 6 months. (Which they never offered to do whenever we took it in for service, including this time.) So they said it was our responsibility.

But, I replied, it happened on your watch, while you had it out under weather! Then they said they thought (due to the amount of mold in the walls) it had actually been leaking longer. Mostly I think this is a load of BS, but I suppose it's possible (if unlikely) the seals failed before the unit was 18 months old and my washing was what caused at least the initial water damage.

They repaired the seal (cost = $1,800) and water damage (cost = $400, insurance paid $300 of this latter cost after my $100 deductible). But that total cost of $1,900+ didn't reflect the fact that it sat unused for four months on their lot, while I still had to pay insurance ($80 per month) and taxes (about the same) on the unit. The whole misadventure therefore cost me at least $2,500 and a lot of frustration. Lesson learned.

[twdenman]

Our rig is white, to avoid washing. I “wash” front window hourly!!!😃

[preceptjoe]

Not often enough.

[souschef01]

I camp 10-12 times a year and wash it every time i go camping.

[Longleaf]

I wash off the front cab prior to each trip, but only do a full rig wash about once each year. In FL, during Love Bug season (May & September) you must clean off the bugs after each trip !!

[Midnightmoon]

Originally Posted by preceptjoe

Not often enough.

X2. I just washed ours yesterday and I couldn't believe how filthy it was. I don't have a set schedule on how I wash it.

[Dgibbster]

Well we are about to wash our new 29xk for the second time since purchased on 5-18-18. This time i will have to send the wife up on roof to wash that down first, not really allowed near ladders anymore :-(. Considering ceramic exterior paint coating, anyone esle here with any experience with that? Been watching a lot of posts from Matthew Moses in Az. and everyone seems to love it.

[Dgibbster]

And yes i am anal about my vehicles and toys also. I spend a lot of money to have fun and want it all to look good doing it too.

[norty1]

We are out camping mow for a few weeks. I washed the roof and the camper last Wednesday and thursday. Left home on Friday and promptly had to drive thru a thunderstorm.

Back to square one!

[MLaffoon]

We also payed extra for a coating on the outside at the dealership which guarantees the finish and decals for five years. We'll see how that goes. I've washed it twice since 01/06/18. Keep it covered when I can. The Adco cover has a 3 year guarantee, so about $125 a year if I get 3 years out of it.

[A7thson]

Originally Posted by Turtle Tim

Wow, I must be anal! I wash mine after every trip, and sometimes before I leave if its been sitting in storage for a while.

Me too! We're not anal, we just like our stuff to be ready to go. It's also makes you inspect your unit while your cleaning it.

[Turtle Tim]

Originally Posted by A7thson

Me too! We're not anal, we just like our stuff to be ready to go. It's also makes you inspect your unit while your cleaning it.

Exactly!
And another residual benefit of taking good care of the appearance is resale if/when you choose to sell.
I have sold all my previous units myself, and the strongest selling point was the condition of the units. Maximizes return.

[Octopus Prime]

We decided we would wash it before storing it away at the end of July each year, but I think I'm going to wash the passenger side before we leave for our next trip. We've had it parked by the house while we work on our next rebuild stage (due to Hurricane Harvey), and the bugs have flocked to the passenger side since I leave the LED strip on at night.