Pressure washer

[Ian.perry]

Hi
I was just looking for peoples opinions on using a presure washer to clean the 'van? would you recommend it or not? are the seals around the windows strong enough to take the pressure...or any other comments you may have on this matter?
Many thanks

 

[Dustydog]

Ian
Caravans and pressure washers don't mix. A big no no!

Use a bucket and sponge with a proprietory cleaner eg fenwicks caravan cleaner. Rinsed off with Fenwicks Bobby Dazzler.
Once or twice a year polish with Autoglym or similar

 

[Phillipcharnwoodforest]

Hello Ian, I personnally would NOT recomend using a pressure washer on your caravan the reasoning behind it being

The seals around the caravan panels are basicaly mastic and the power of a pressure washer (in my limited experience ) will remove the mastic and allow the ingress of water. The door seal may let in water and do the same thing only letting the water into the caravan itself. I had a caravan myself that had been washed with a pressure washer and it fetched the mastic out of the joints around the panels, and the sky lights too. The graphics were a problem aswell as it had got behind them and they eventually came off . We were very dissapointed as the caravan was so nice and had everything but alas. It caused me loads of problems and work to reseal it, and to be honest I got rid of the caravan.

 

[GrahamDerby]

When i picked up my van after having some work done it was in the was bay being washed with a jet washer. This was not at a small dealership, and they contract out their cleaning and valeting. I would have thought they should know what they are doing but if i get a leak from a seam who is to blame and how will my warrantee stand up if the manufacturer finds its had the sealant blown out by the dealership cleaners.

 

[Damian]

It is certainly not recommended to use a high pressure jet washer on a caravan.
Low pressure varieties can be used, but great care is needed to avoid seams, grilles etc .

The safest methods are bucket and sponge or one of the flow through brushes where very limited water pressure is used.

 

[forestgump]

you can get a washer with a car wash lance its low presure i use a cheap multi function rose on a hose. As i wash my van at storage i use a bucket and brush and rine of f with a garden spray 5ltr type i also use the spray to aply the bobby dazler it also uses less water .

 

[AlanJ]

Hi Ian
I always have used my pressure washer on the car & caravan. I have one of the T-Racers which is great for cleaning the roof.
My main dealer uses a pressure washer all the time to keep their stock sparkling.
Obviously care is required around the mastic seals but other than that have never had a problem.

Alan J

 

[Surfer]

We have always used a pressure washer to clean our caravan. Obviously avoid spraying near seals at full force. Dealers use pressure washers more powerful than the one we use.

 

[WoodlandsCamper]

If dealers use pressure washers then perhaps that's the reason why so many vans have damp problems within their early life!!!!!!!

 

[forestgump]

i dont see the plus side off power washer a good soak with fenwicks or a like and a brush or sponge and then a rinse there is no gain in blasting the surface it needs to be worked in and a gentle rinse a small paint brush for the rails ect.I think the dealers use them for speed and the amount of vans they need to do power washer will not clean the surface just remove dirt on the surface.

 

[Ian.perry]

Thank you all for your comments and advice - though sometimes contradictory. I think I will air on the side of caution and stick with my bucket and sponge and Muck Off which I've always used. Just thought the pressure washer would save me some time.

 

[Dustydog]

Both Bailey and Swift state categorically in their Owners Handbooks the use of pressure washers will invalidate the guarantee. Why oh why do people know so much better than the manufacturers??

 

[chrisbee1]

The manufactures say don’t use a pressure washer because you can be sure if they didn’t some idiot would use the “jet” setting on seals and sealant then complain of water ingress. If used sensibly on “spray” setting to rinse off I can’t see it causing any problems. The wash facility at my storage compound doesn’t have an ordinary hose, only a pressure washer. There’s usually a queue to use it at week ends.