Tips on washing big rig?

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Obsessive1

New member
Guy I have been doing some detailing for wants to know if i'm interested in washing his Kenworth about once a week. He said the truckstop does it for $36 but it is a little drive there and back. I figured if I tell him $40 that will be kool with him. My question is: What would be the best technique/process? Should I get one of those telescpoping flowthrough wash brushes? If I can knock it out within an hour and a half, i'd be happy. If I knock it out in less, i'd do some extra detail work for him. Any suggestions?
 
Cab only or cab and trailer?



For a cab only, I would foam it with a strong soap and foam cannon, use a boars hair brush, and pressure wash off with DI water. If you don't have the proper setup for it, it's hard to make money on.



For cab and trailer... let the truck wash do it lol.
 
Just the cab. lol. I have a pressure washer but that's it, no foam fun and such. If I was to buy the products you mentioned they'd probably pay for themselves after a couple jobs though a? He's talkin weekly so.......... Also: what is DI water?
 
I saw a boars hair brush w/ 5ft pole at Top Of The Line but it's $80. What would be wrong with the flow through wash? Hardest part would be getting up above the cab.
 
Well I wash semis everday ("detail" semis at our semi autobody shop). Im not sure if I'd do it for $40. What all are you doing, just washing, or cleaning paint, or rims, etc? Also is it a day cab or sleeper? A pressure washer is a good thing to have as you already have one. If your cleaning the rear frame, theres no way I'd do it for $40, most frames I get are COVERED in grease. Most back walls of trucks are covered in road tar/grease as most don't have full rear fenders, only 1/4's, so some cleaner for that would be necessary and possibly for the gas tank bottoms/fronts as there usually soaked in grease also. You may want to invest in something to clean the front end, visor, and bottom front roof (either a strong bug remover or something), as most trucks I see coming from down south and central are COVERED in bugs. And I use a brush with like a 6-8' pole on it to clean the roofs and some of the sides. To get the roof, just open the hood and stand on the motor, just don't stand on the water run off thingy below the windshield, they break easy, lol. You may need to get a couple wash mitts, one for the top half/hood of the truck and another for the bottom. Also a strong tire cleaner. Sorry for the ramble/no order of anything, just wrote as it was coming to my head, lol. Have fun!
 
Thanks man. That was very helpful. Wouldn't be any "detailing" on it. No polishing, no frame. All I basically planned on doing was washing it and washing tires and wheels. It is a sleeper also. Thanks again for your insight. I appreciate it.
 
Well then if your washing it weekly, I would say probably the "dirtiest" you'll see it is when you first get it, except for bugs. But I would most likely get a strong APC cleaner for the tires. Are the rims polished or painted? If polished your not going to get them looking nice with just a wash. Maybe see if he wants them polished? (easy, but time consuming). Also make sure you have a nice ladder, may seem stupid, lol, but I hate see people climb up some old junk ladder. Also are you doing this in a barn or just out in the open? Also invest in some good drying towels as if your washing it outside and its sunny, you can never keep it watered down enough so when it comes time to dry you want to do it fast. Hope I helped some.
 
I am supposed to be polishing the tanks on it here soon. It has aluminum wheels also I believe. I will be doing it out in the open. I usually use full strength Simple Green for my APC. What about the flowthrough brush? I saw Chemical Guys had some car wash for bugs or something. He would probably laugh if he saw me drying it, he's not real picky. Yesterday he brought me his wife's old Buick Century. She just wanted the interior cleaned. Well the outside was a total mess. There son said probably never been washed since she got it lol. I talked him into letting me give it a quick bath. It still had tar and crap all over the bottom but it was better than it was for what I charged him. I just couldn't see cleaning the interior all up and have it looking so nasty on the outside. I wouldve probably washed it for free if he said no which with what I charged I practically did lol. Thanks again buddy. I used to live in Michigan myself. Detroit!!!! UGGGH!
 
Well good luck. I use an aluminum bright (acid stuff) that I spray on the wheels and tanks after I've removed all the grease and messy stuff. Its going to stain the tanks, put acid "lines" but your polishing so it doesn't matter. It gets them so much cleaner, but leaves them dull. Theres probably better aluminum polishes out there, but working in a bodyshop we only really got 3M stuff. I usually start with the aggressive compound, then light compound and then glaze. I find it very hard not to get buffer trails and marks when doing this. I try every time to get them to disappear more, not sure if its something to do with aluminum?. I do the same procedure for wheels, jut a little harder as you have all the holes/lug nuts, thats when I remove the rims/tires. And as for a brush, I just use one from my local store. I know theres better brushes out there, but the price is nice. And yeah I can't wait to leave, being 20 years old I am still saving to leave, lol.
 
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