Power Washer vs. Hand Washing Alum Exterior

[babycampers]

I haven't seen anyone mention on here their use of power washing the exteriors. We spend the entire day hand washing and waxing our North Country which has the aluminum siding. Those ribs make for a lot of extra time spent cleaning and wiping. We know we let too much time lapse between cleanings and that doesn't help shorten the job! Is the impact too rough on the paint or decals? Our front decal has already begun lifting so I imagine we will be eliminating it within another year. Should the roof material be cleaned with anything special to slow down the decay? I notice that it leaves a chalky residue on your feet and knees after crawling around on top. Any advice?

 

[bighorn3370]

I do not not have aluminum on my trailer, but I do use a power washer on it. Power washers are not all the same. Depending on how many PSIs it puts out and if you get too close to the trailer, you could dent the aluminum. As far as the roof, there are a lot of different products to use. I do not know of anything that will get rid of the chalky residue. I hope this helps. -Ernie

 

[Sandpirate69]

I hand wash my RW & wax it by hand also. I detail it about every three months or so, and just before I store it for a few months. I don't use a power washer, even though I don't have the aluminum sides. My previous RV had aluminum sides and one time I noticed that some water had gotten inside via the slats. After that I was very careful not to shoot a hard stream of water directly under the aluminum slats. As far as the roof, I use the Dicor roof cleaner & then seal it it with the same companies sealer. It works good and keeps the chalkiness to a minimum. I hope this helps.