Need Some help...

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08 GTI

New member
I have a good customer that wanted a little clean up done on two cars...
I was over yesterday getting is Z06 and ZL1 Camaro cleaned up for their winter rest. While there...he asks me to detail his 38' motorhome and a few of his dump trucks.

I have no idea what to charge him for either one of these big jobs?? The motorhome is almost 14' high and 38' long!

We will wash the motorhome together...and since it lives inside other than when they are using it,the paint is in good shape. He would like it polished and waxed...so I think I can 1 step this as well?? Thinking of using the new Car Pro Essence on it. I have used it one other time with good results.

The Dump truck will be washed for me...this will need some paint correction and then I suggested using Gyeon Ceramic Coating. This will help with keeping the paint in better shape and less fading as it it outside all the time/year round. The interior is gonna be a full day as well...

So...any suggestions on what to charge for these would be appreciated!
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$12- $14 Per foot Motorhome/Truck plus coating cost...
If you're going for AIO? For Motorhome maybe take a look at HD Speed topped with HD Poxy. Unless you want to coat it too?
 
I'd talk with the owner and let him know it's new territory for you but you're willing to accept the job. Make sure he understands there is a level of uncertainty involved and you want to make sure both sides leave happy.

id figure a fair hourly rate and do your best to give an estimate. That's a lot of real estate on both of those vehicles and could easily take more than a day. Actually it probably will take more than a day. The motor home is probably be saying at minimum $500 for the outside. Probably more since he wants it polished. The dump truck may be tricky. But if you're doing inside and out id probably be in the same ballpark for that too. It's hard to really say without talking to the owner infront of the vehicles personally.
 
ShaneB said:
I'd talk with the owner and let him know it's new territory for you but you're willing to accept the job. Make sure he understands there is a level of uncertainty involved and you want to make sure both sides leave happy.

id figure a fair hourly rate and do your best to give an estimate. That's a lot of real estate on both of those vehicles and could easily take more than a day. Actually it probably will take more than a day. The motor home is probably be saying at minimum $500 for the outside. Probably more since he wants it polished. The dump truck may be tricky. But if you're doing inside and out id probably be in the same ballpark for that too. It's hard to really say without talking to the owner infront of the vehicles personally.
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Im a novice with paid details but that would absolutely be my approach, if that job came to me.
 
He is a business man so he will fully understand that everything has an hourly rate so set one with him at the start,and as ShaneB has said give him a rough timeline, he can do the math for himself,theres obviously no issues with you being able,so it simply comes down to time spent and what result he wants,do your best to get the best price,40-50 dollars per hour.
 
None of these vehicles could ever be done in one day, by yourself.. Its just physically impossible, if you are going to really Detail it..

And not to Concours levels either; but to get it really clean inside, paint cleaned which means decon and clay towel or something to get all the gunk out, and then an AIO to help speed up the process (if this is what he is looking for), is going to take hours and hours of machine work, lots and lots of product and pads, towels to wipe it off, etc...

And if you have to go around it again to apply an LSP of whatever level, there goes more and more time...

If you end up using coatings, you absolutely need to have the vehicles inside and the floor clean so as to not raise dust that will get on the paintwork...

I think $500 is way too cheap for anything that big and I did not do the math on the price/sq. ft. either..

I would never tell a Client "I am new to this and not sure about it either"... You just lowered your price a huge amount - is that what you want to do?

You are sure you can do it, you have the skills, products, machines, supplies, time, and discipline, to see this from the beginning to the end because you have been thinking about it a lot and have a plan going in your head...

If this is "Im just Detailing this for a friend" kind of project, then ignore everything I have said.. :)

If this is "Im stretching myself and putting everything I have at my disposal into this to move myself and Business forward, then read this and Jerry R's, Detail Impressions, and Shane's posts again...

Absolutely be prepared for anything and have more than enough of everything before you start - no - "Oh-Oh, I forgot to get more _____________ and I cant finish ______________" ...

I would look very carefully at about every square inch of the vehicles noting what may take longer and what the rest of it will take, so I can mentally start figuring out how I will be able to do it to the level the Client wants...

You want to be totally confident, in control, and so sure of yourself, that it will show from a distance...

Make total eye contact, be knowledgeable, approachable, and learned about the vehicle's interior and exterior surfaces already because you did your research in advance..

You enjoy your work, love Detailing, and think about how great these will look AFTER you are done.. :)

Good luck , we are all here for you !
Dan F
 
Couldn't have said that any better Dan. Kind of like Ron said, these would just be out of my league. I look at those monsters and recognize the way I'd move and see weeks passing. ;) Don't think you'll be doing yourself any favors at the $500 range. Like I said, I'm beyond my depth but I can see prices well beyond that simply to get well protected and shiny, nothing more.
 
The motor home I would charge by the ft. You need to figure out what you need, materials, what you want for your time, that kind of thing. Do not short change yourself, nor undercut yourself. Charge what you need to charge. If he is business man, he will understand. Call around to some detail shops and ask what they would charge, and make up your mind from there.
 
The dump truck, I would charge by the hour. Again, what do you need to make a good days wage. It is probably urathane paint on it and it is very hard. If it need correction, you will take a long time. If your are just putting some shine on it, not so bad. I did a 97 Peterbuilt and posted it here, look it up and see what I mean. It took about 7 hours just on the hood. Are you using a rotary or da?
 
That Motor Home with 1 person is definately a lengthy job. I do my own 32' fifth wheel and it takes a few weekends depending if oxidation has set in or not. There appears to be quite a few awnings on that monster not to mention the roof. I use a Boars hair brush with a painters pole to do the wash then another brush with a drying towel draped over it for the wash part. The waxing is on a ladder with my reaching span being in the 6' range and going down far enough to do the lower on the ground. That means I am moving the ladder at least 6 times per side. I bought a MF apron with pockets that I can stuff wax, applicators and other miscellaneous things into to alleviate the constant up/down routine. The body on there appears to be in great shape so it does not look like compounding is involved so maybe a good cleaner wax and possibly a long lasting LSP is involved although that is 2 trips around that real estate. Does he want the roof cleaned ?. If he does that will be your starting point and a boars hair or sponge mop with a good vehicle soap that leaves nothing behind is in order. What type of roof is it ?, rubber, fiberglass other ?. Mine sits right outside the house so I can start/stop when I feel like it which helps a lot. In your case you will travel back and forth quite a few times. Good luck and don't forget, Motor Homes have engines, is that part of the deal also ?.

Dave
 
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