Help!!!!

[kjimpressions]

Ok, so I have a client with two 35 foot rv's that he wants me to detail the outsides of. Now i have never done an rv and have a couple questions.

1. can i buff it like a regular vehicle?
2. what pad and products should i use for oxidation removal. i will be using the flex pe-14.


Any advice helps. i just dont wanna mess up some expensive RV's.

 

[kjimpressions]

please. can someone give some advice?

 

[jamores23]

i believe you can buff it like a normal vehicle. you can use bigger pads for large flat surface . do a test spot to see how aggressive you got to go to remove to oxidation you should be good with a orange pad but i'd have to see pics. try a orange pad with a compound if that doesnt work use a more aggressive pad with same compound. and then as always follow it up with less aggressive pads to remove buffer marks! hope this helps. btw, what products/pads do you have?

 

[kjimpressions]

I honestly have basically every products you can think of. I usually stick to 3m compounds and menzerna polishes. i just wanna do a 1 step to the rv. the owner isnt looking for a show car kind of finish. just oxidation removal.

 

[James K]

Mike put a thread up a week or so ago about an rv he did. I will try to find it.

 

[kjimpressions]

Thank you so much

 

[Kristopher1129]

Well for starters...you can not treat it with auto detailing products.

Yes, some may work...but you are dealing with soft gel coat on RVs. I've done many RVs before.

Hopefully your not dealing with any oxidation. If you are...then you're gonna need a couple days, ha. 90% of the RVs I do, I just do a one step polish/sealant.

You want to use a fiberglass wax or sealant. Use a soft pad like the LC white pad, and apply your wax with a DA. Then just wipe clean. You should be able to this all around. You will run into uncoated fiberglass most likely. You can tell by its chalky appearance. I typically do a one step polish on that with Meguiars Oxidation Remover, then slap some sealant/wax on.

Also, most RVs tend to have aluminum rims. If you don't have it already...Flitz Aluminum Pre-Clean makes quick work of those rims, and looks fantastic. Hope this helped!

And oh yeah, you're gonna need either scaffolding, or a ladder of some sort. I use a portable scaffold I got from Home Depot. Here's a picture of me using it...

 

[Bates Detailing]

It also depends on what surface you run into - Do you know if they are painted/gel coat/fiberglass/aluminum siding?!?!?! These all have different procedures obviously and outcomes. Best thing to do is go to a "local" RV repair and sells shop and check out their products on their shelves. Also, be sure to charge accordingly man! If he wants you to clean and seal the roof..... that is a tedious job! The sealing is cake.... but cleaning a rubber roof can be a pain.


Got my first sun burn of the year cleaning a rubber roof about a week ago lol!

 

[Bates Detailing]

Ok, so I have a client with two 35 foot rv's that he wants me to detail the outsides of. Now i have never done an rv and have a couple questions.

1. can i buff it like a regular vehicle?
2. what pad and products should i use for oxidation removal. i will be using the flex pe-14.


Any advice helps. i just dont wanna mess up some expensive RV's.

Did he specifically ask for you to polish them?!?!?!? 99% of the RV/trailers I get just want a thorough wash and wax cleaning/ awnings cleaned and protected / and roof cleaned and sealed. And this isn't cheap!

 

[jamores23]

so kris what products would you use on a rv other than the megs ox removal ?? what sealant and wax?

 

[CrownKote]

Well for starters...you can not treat it with auto detailing products.

Yes, some may work...but you are dealing with soft gel coat on RVs. I've done many RVs before.

Hopefully your not dealing with any oxidation. If you are...then you're gonna need a couple days, ha. 90% of the RVs I do, I just do a one step polish/sealant.

You want to use a fiberglass wax or sealant. Use a soft pad like the LC white pad, and apply your wax with a DA. Then just wipe clean. You should be able to this all around. You will run into uncoated fiberglass most likely. You can tell by its chalky appearance. I typically do a one step polish on that with Meguiars Oxidation Remover, then slap some sealant/wax on.

Also, most RVs tend to have aluminum rims. If you don't have it already...Flitz Aluminum Pre-Clean makes quick work of those rims, and looks fantastic. Hope this helped!

And oh yeah, you're gonna need either scaffolding, or a ladder of some sort. I use a portable scaffold I got from Home Depot. Here's a picture of me using it...

Did he specifically ask for you to polish them?!?!?!? 99% of the RV/trailers I get just want a thorough wash and wax cleaning/ awnings cleaned and protected / and roof cleaned and sealed. And this isn't cheap!

Just curious as to your guy's charges for RV's I have a few clients that have called me asking about the pricing and I have yet to give them a price as I have been searching for some info on this... I was thinking about $500-600 for the wash, wax, and awnings, all the glass, and the wheels/aluminum trim.

Is this a good starting point or am I way out of the park?

OP sorry for the intrusion on the post...

 

[Kristopher1129]

Just curious as to your guy's charges for RV's I have a few clients that have called me asking about the pricing and I have yet to give them a price as I have been searching for some info on this... I was thinking about $500-600 for the wash, wax, and awnings, all the glass, and the wheels/aluminum trim.

Is this a good starting point or am I way out of the park?

OP sorry for the intrusion on the post...

I charge $12 a foot for just polishing in a sealant. I should be charging a lot more, so I don't think you are out of line. I'm actually going to change my prices around for RVs really soon. I think $500-$600 is good considering your doing the awnings, windows, wheels, etc. You could even ask more if you wanted to. When I do my exteriors I don't touch the awnings.

 

[Bates Detailing]

Just curious as to your guy's charges for RV's I have a few clients that have called me asking about the pricing and I have yet to give them a price as I have been searching for some info on this... I was thinking about $500-600 for the wash, wax, and awnings, all the glass, and the wheels/aluminum trim.

Is this a good starting point or am I way out of the park?

OP sorry for the intrusion on the post...

I start my basic at $5 a linear foot, wash and wax (soap and bucket/no hand wax) $7 a linear foot, goes up from there for adding awnings - roof - etc.

I wing it most of the time but always start with the minimum of $5 a linear foot. If I know I will have one of my guys with me I may charge 250 to 300 for a wash n wax , awnings, and roof - only because with 2 people it takes about 4 hours to do +- an hour depending on size and or class. Which makes a descent morning or afternoon profit. If Im by myself - I charge a bit more. Ive got an exact price list somewhere laying around from last year but never use it lol.

 

[kjimpressions]

The rv's have severe oxidation and i sold my DA polisher and bought the Flex pe 14-2. Its an older rv and i have no idea what kind of coating it has. im charging $400 for the outside which is about 12 per linear foot.

Im nervous i wont get good results though. i bought some stuff at my local stor for oxidation on rv's but im still not so sold its gonna work.

 

[Kristopher1129]

The rv's have severe oxidation and i sold my DA polisher and bought the Flex pe 14-2. Its an older rv and i have no idea what kind of coating it has. im charging $400 for the outside which is about 12 per linear foot.

Im nervous i wont get good results though. i bought some stuff at my local stor for oxidation on rv's but im still not so sold its gonna work.

One thing you may want to do. Is just stress that this will take an undertermined amount of time to the customer. The very last thing you want on a job like that...is the customer breathing down your neck.

Don't be nervous. They are easy to work with. Much easier than working on clear coated paint, cause it's not as hard. If it's oxidized...I highly recommend Meguiars Oxidation Remover. It also leaves oils and protection for the fiberglass. So you could do it in one step if need be.

Anytime I get an oxidized RV, that is my go-to product. It works great with a soft finishing pad, and finishes really nice. Customer will be psyched! You'll need more than one bottle though. I always buy the case of 6. You can even use it on the uncoated areas. BUT, like B&B mentioned....we don't know what finish we are working with. I'm just assuming it's like most RVs I've done and have a soft gel coat over the fiberglass.

We are here to help you out, I'm sure B&B will be watching this thread as well. I check the forum throughout the day.

When you get the vehicle...give us some photos! That will help us give you solid advice on how to get the vehicle done right the first time, in a timely manner so you're not digging yourself a hole. :dblthumb2:

 

[kjimpressions]

I appreciate it. ill have to get some of the oxidation remover you mentioned. im not a huge fan of meguiars, but ill take your advice. The guy is giving me alot of work and as always i want it to look perfect.

Is a rotary gonna be to powerful to use on a soft finish like that? ill buy another DA if i need to. the last thing i want to do is burn the finish. my insurance will probably sky rocket if i did that lol.

 

[Kristopher1129]

I appreciate it. ill have to get some of the oxidation remover you mentioned. im not a huge fan of meguiars, but ill take your advice. The guy is giving me alot of work and as always i want it to look perfect.

Is a rotary gonna be to powerful to use on a soft finish like that? ill buy another DA if i need to. the last thing i want to do is burn the finish. my insurance will probably sky rocket if i did that lol.

I've done most my rvs with a rotary. Just keep the rpms below 1300, and use a foam finishing pad. Might want to look into the bigger pads for this job. I use 8" on my Makita cause it just covers more space. Plus RVs are very flat and boxy...it's not like your gonna burn a body line or something.

I also am not much of a Meguiars fan. But this stuff really works. It's one of 2 Meguiars products that I really like. It's up there with 205 IMO.

 

[Bates Detailing]

Well for starters...you can not treat it with auto detailing products.

Yes, some may work...but you are dealing with soft gel coat on RVs. I've done many RVs before.

Hopefully your not dealing with any oxidation. If you are...then you're gonna need a couple days, ha. 90% of the RVs I do, I just do a one step polish/sealant.

You want to use a fiberglass wax or sealant. Use a soft pad like the LC white pad, and apply your wax with a DA. Then just wipe clean. You should be able to this all around. You will run into uncoated fiberglass most likely. You can tell by its chalky appearance. I typically do a one step polish on that with Meguiars Oxidation Remover, then slap some sealant/wax on.

Also, most RVs tend to have aluminum rims. If you don't have it already...Flitz Aluminum Pre-Clean makes quick work of those rims, and looks fantastic. Hope this helped!

And oh yeah, you're gonna need either scaffolding, or a ladder of some sort. I use a portable scaffold I got from Home Depot. Here's a picture of me using it...

Do you remember the weight limit on that scaffolding?

 

[Kristopher1129]

Do you remember the weight limit on that scaffolding?

Says each step can hold up to 500 lbs. It only cost me $99. Only problem I ever have with it...is when you use the top bar. For me, it's no big deal cause I'm fairly light. But it can be a tad unstable when using the top bar. I wish they would have made it a little bit wider for better balance.

But, I get things done MUCH quicker by being able to do a 5-6 foot section at a time, then just jump down and roll to the next spot. Sure as hell beats moving a ladder every 2 feet, ha.

A little trick that works for me too with this thing...is that I only leave two wheels locked. So when I jump down I can lift one side and instantly roll it. I just use a stopper of some kind to chalk the side that isn't locked. It's much quicker than dealing with the little cheap plastic locks every time. :dblthumb2:

 

[Bates Detailing]

Says each step can hold up to 500 lbs. It only cost me $99. Only problem I ever have with it...is when you use the top bar. For me, it's no big deal cause I'm fairly light. But it can be a tad unstable when using the top bar. I wish they would have made it a little bit wider for better balance.

But, I get things done MUCH quicker by being able to do a 5-6 foot section at a time, then just jump down and roll to the next spot. Sure as hell beats moving a ladder every 2 feet, ha.

500 lbs is good....... I have gained so much weight since the pregnancy that I have gone over the weight limit on my ladder . Pretty pathetic actually lol! A scissor lift will be going down when I can consistently pull large jobs like this (4 or 5 a week). Would make a huge difference in time and effort! Thanx for the info - may be grabbing one of those deals soon :dblthumb2:. I have done 54 RVs/trailers so far this year lol - and that would have made it ALOT easier!!! (47 being at the RV show).