Washing question for truck owners

[Blackmirror]

Its winter in NJ and I got a chance to wash the F150 Harley. Man was it dirty! I don`t get to wash often when its winter time and I don`t have garage to put the truck in. So it stays out 24/7(that sucks!) First started with the tires, then wheels then wheel wells. Then washed the whole truck afterwards. I think it took me 2 to 3 hours to get the whole truck thoroughly cleaned! I had to go over each panel twice because of winter weather. Also its a big truck to wash. How long does it take you truck guys to wash your trucks?

[)4BlackGmc]

All depends on how i feel.

Yesterday i worked over 2 hours on my truck just power washing it at home to get all the mud and salt off the frame.

[imported_CBX Carl]

I kill a good 4 hours to wash and detail my 02 Supercrew.

[MongooseGA]

It only takes me about 2 hours to clean the wheels/tires/wheel wells/ glass and wash the paint on our Super Duty crew cab with a long bed and cap on the back.



But, I also have a pretty well practiced routine to do it :)



BTW, this is with mitts, not brushes.

[buldog]

Just got my first truck and I`ve washed it twice so far.

I noticed the the roof is the most difficult to reach. Don`t want to use a brush and can`t open the doors and stand on the sill while washing. Ok to stand there to dry so I`m looking for a step stool,

something plastic so it can`t scratch. Any ideas?

[MongooseGA]

Originally posted by buldog

Just got my first truck and I`ve washed it twice so far.

I noticed the the roof is the most difficult to reach. Don`t want to use a brush and can`t open the doors and stand on the sill while washing. Ok to stand there to dry so I`m looking for a step stool,

something plastic so it can`t scratch. Any ideas?



You can look for a soft rubber/plastic one, but I just use our folding metal one and set it far enough away from the paint that it won`t scratch.

[imported_Sullybob]

I feel your pain! I have an Expedition and it takes me a while to wash it.

If I do the following:

Tires, WW, wash (roof included) with mitts, glass, door jambs, interior, vacuum, interior glass and dress every thing inside and out, it takes me about 3 hours.

I need to use a ladder to reach the roof so that takes up a big chunk of my time. I split the roof into six sections and move the ladder to reach each section. I have tried dividing the roof into quarters but I have to lean pretty far out on the ladder to do that, I don`t think that the time savings would be worth it if I fell and got injured or fell and the ladder scratched up the side of my vehicle. Then I have to move the ladder to dry the roof.

Any advice on how to get the roof done more efficiently would be greatly appreciated.

[Stratous]

Wow, thats a long time. I have a `02 Dakota club, and I can go to the self serve and have the outside done in an easy 20 minutes. Then when I get back home, a vacuum, run with the Swiffer duster, and a splash of Stoner I.G., and I can be done in an hour flat including the drive home.



And to get the roof. I open the door, lay down a towel, and stand on the sill. It doesn`t hurt anything, you just have to be carefull with the water. The top rubber seal should keep water from draining it.



Here is how I do the outside...

The self serve give us 2 minutes with the sprayer.

I plunk in a buck and fill my bucket. By then I have an easy minute and a half and walk around the truck spraying top to bottom over and over, until it stops. Then I take a folded, soaked, soapy, wash mit and begin rubbing. With a total of 4 turns of the mit (all clean sides) I get the entire cab done. Re-dunk the mit and re-fold it, then do the box.

I then plunk in another dallor and rinse the entire truck...no more than 2 minutes has gone, and a fine mist is going through the air from the other people. Then I give the truck a farely thorough drying.

Then I take my second mit and do the wheels, since the paint is clean, I am not worried about the dirty water. After I finish the wheels, I do the wheel wells and under the rocker panels with a third mit.

Being carefull with the sprayer I give the wheels and underbody a final spray...Take the first towel and dry the wheels. Then I take a clean towel and dry spots I may have gotten with the sprayer. Then out the door I go.



Easy thorough winter wash for $3. Can`t go wrong.



In the summer...It easily takes 4 hours to wash my truck...Funny how that is.

[TW85 HHI]

If I do a hose wash (instead of QEW), it takes me 60-90 minutes to wash and dry our F-150 SuperCrew. If I had salt and anything else winter related to deal with, I could easily see 2-3 hours to thoroughly wash.



BTW, QEW takes me 30-40 minutes on the same truck. Quite a time saver but I am not sure I would want to use it on salt encrusted paint (though I know plenty on here do).

[Stratous]

For $3 a detail guy can afford to do a quick was twice a week, thats not enough time for salt to really settle. Just make sure you rinse well with warm water, and dry thoroughly before driving in the cold again...Hasn`t failed me yet.

[buldog]

What do you guys use to protect the plastic bedliner?

Being that it has ridges for strength what is the best way to apply. I`m thinking a spray, any ideas?

[imported_Sullybob]

Stratous I will try standing in the door sill.

When I lived in Pittsburgh and I would take it to the spray and wash it would take me much less time to wash it. Funny how that works.

[DaGonz]

When I bring my truck and the wife`s into the firehouse to wash it (after the Chief`s office closes, nights and weekends) it takes me an average of two to three hours to remove winter`s wrath, road salt, etc.

[C. Charles Hahn]

2 hours easily to do a "real" wash. QEW takes about half of that.

[III]

Takes me about 1 1/2 - 2 hours to wash my Z71.