# Washing a trailer



## knightrider (Jun 27, 2014)

We power wash our trailer . . . carefully. Also, my equine dentist friend suggested I wash mine with Awesome All Purpose Cleaner, which is only $1 at the Dollar store, and that did get it amazingly clean. I don't know about tree sap. I park mine under trees to keep it out of the sun, and the trees drop oak stuff that turns it black.

We climb on a ladder to power wash or spray Awesome on the roof, which gets the most black tree stuff on it.


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## TrainedByMares (Jun 5, 2021)

ACinATX said:


> Can I say blankety blank blank blank blanking blank?


Hahahaha


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

Probably going to need some sort of soap to get the "sticky" off from the sap.

Yes use a pressure washer. Just don't overdo it on the seams or the windows.

Although, not sure that tree sap is going to hurt your trailer. A good downpour rain might wash it off too. Rain water seems to magically wash many things.
I just very recently pressure washed the inside of my trailer. I only do it once every 2 years because I despise pulling the mats and going it. I should do it more often but it is what it is. It's a job I hate to do.
But I did quickly do the outside too. With the horrible drought, the outside of my trailer looks terrible for all the dust, and gravel roads I drive. I'll be taking it in the get it acid washed but I do have a lot of white painted which looked terrible. I pressure washed it a bit but it really didn't seem to help clean it up at all.
Then thank heavens we got a little bit of rain last weekend, and I had the luxury of driving 3 1/2 hours in a good rain.
Magically, the white painted aluminum on my trailer looks pretty danged good now. Rain water is magical. (still need to get the rest acid washed though)


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## COWCHICK77 (Jun 21, 2010)

We have show trucks and if we hand wash at home or spot wash at a show the best thing to use is Dawn dishsoap and microfiber towels. Wash small areas at a time in the shade while the paint is cool, don't allow the soap to dry between rinsing and hand dry with a PVA drying towel. (All items can be found at a dollar store).

If you decide to go to the coin-op wash, I still recommend buying a PVA towel to hand dry. Careful using the power washer on the vinyldecals.

For the tree sap try (test spot first) Goo- Gone Auto spray. Or even WD- 40. Do NOT use on your decals! It'll peel them off.


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## Horsef (May 1, 2014)

I saw one lady leave a lawn sprinkler inside a cattle truck. It was so dirty I could smell the photo. A few hours later it was sparkling. Maybe you could try something like that? Wet it down, soap it up and leave a sprinkler on top of it. Nothing much to lose.


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## ACinATX (Sep 12, 2018)

Horsef said:


> I saw one lady leave a lawn sprinkler inside a cattle truck. It was so dirty I could smell the photo. A few hours later it was sparkling. Maybe you could try something like that? Wet it down, soap it up and leave a sprinkler on top of it. Nothing much to lose.


LOL I like that idea! Especially the idea of putting the sprinkler INSIDE the trailer! Genius! Putting the sprinkler on top is a good idea, too. But now I'm wondering if I shouldn't just leave it for a bit and hope for rain, per @beau159 's thoughts. I am generally lazy and prefer a solution that requires the least amount of work on my part.


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## bobrameters (Nov 4, 2019)

knightrider said:


> We power wash our trailer . . . carefully. Also, my equine dentist friend suggested I wash mine with Awesome All Purpose Cleaner, which is only $1 at the Dollar store, and that did get it amazingly clean. I don't know about tree sap. I park mine under trees to keep it out of the sun, and the trees drop oak stuff that turns it black.
> 
> We climb on a ladder to power wash or spray Awesome on the roof, which gets the most black tree stuff on it.


Awesome is great for the bare aluminum parts, but if you have a white painted aluminum skin with any oxidation at all, Awesome will take the paint off :-(


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## ACinATX (Sep 12, 2018)

bobrameters said:


> Awesome is great for the bare aluminum parts, but if you have a white painted aluminum skin with any oxidation at all, Awesome will take the paint off :-(


Yikes that's good to know. I do have a white painted aluminum skinned trailer. Not sure about whether it's oxidized -- it's only a few months old. But maybe I will steer clear of the Awesome, just in case.


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

Tree sap, or pitch as I call it is nature's glue. Goo be gone will work, but so does peanut butter and hand sanitizer. I would try the peanut butter first since it's the alcohol in the hand sanitizer that removes it but might dull your finish. I have a trick to wash the roof , I park next to sundeck and take the hose up there and look down on the trailer roof, easy to reach. I hand wash the rest, even the inside. Once a year, I pull the mats & wash everything on a hot day. Sometimes I use child labor for the interior


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## ksbowman (Oct 30, 2018)

I have Maple trees that weep on the truck and trailers. I use a garden hose and a RV brush with an extended handle and Car, Truck and RV wash from Walmart. Does a real good job and no chance of loosing paint.


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

Maple is a deciduous tree, that sap comes off easy! We have coniferous trees, that sap, or pitch is way different! It doesn't come off with soap. @ACinATX if you have sap from a tree that loses it's leaves in the fall, just wash it with whatever auto wash you have. I keep forgetting about different tree species and climates, doh!


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

_*Might I strongly suggest you call the trailer manufacturer & local dealer it came from and ask what to do...*_
What product to use that is safe for your trailers finish it will not strip the clear coat, nor peel any paint right off the trailer.
Unless you know how to use a power washer...._don't.  This is not the place to experiment!!_
Done wrong you just lifted your paint job and being the trailer is "new", do you know if it is a baked finish or just painted and left to air-dry the damage you could do is tremendous.  

I might just take the trailer to a truck wash and ask them what they can do...
Remember they do over the road rigs with caked on road sludge and not damage a paint job and some of those graphics on rigs are tens of thousands $$$$ easily...you don't just let anyone touch your mural so it shine in beauty...
🐴.... _jmo..._


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## livelovelaughride (Sep 13, 2011)

There might be a RV dealer or commercial truck wash coin-op in your area. We have two. They both have an elevated stair type thing that gets you better access to the roof. On the other hand, I just used a mobile RV/trailer company who washed, polished, and cleaned my aluminum Circle J from stem to stern - returned it to looking brand new. Was worth it to me and much faster than my own slow self


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## Zimalia22 (Jun 15, 2021)

Do you have painted or aluminum? 
If you have aluminum, you can take it to a truck wash, and ask for citrus to be used, if I remember right. They come out looking like the day you pulled it off the lot new. You can ask the guys at the truck wash to be sure it's citrus you want. Or any trucker, they will know.


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## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

Depends on the sap and the paint/finish on your trailer. RollOff works wonders. Non toxic, stable biodegradable marine cleaner. Light pressure washing or a good auto brush that extends can work too. And a ladder that you can set next to the trailer


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

_Please, *please* speak to the trailer manufacturer _as this is a recently made trailer and what you could/can do for older and set paint you may not be safe to do to a new trailer and paint applied...

We all mean well, but....you do what someone writes of and have a bad result.... 
_*Please*_, _consult the trailer manufacturer what to do..._
We *don't* know your trailer finish, brand of paint used, prep of surface used and how certain "removers" may interact with your trailer. 
The internet is great for some things, and for others a phone call, text or email sent is the smarter choice as only _you_ will pay the price in horrors seen if you use the wrong product. *Fact!!*
🐴....


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## ACinATX (Sep 12, 2018)

@horselovinguy I did. They said pressure washer was fine, and any soap.


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

ACinATX said:


> @horselovinguy I did. They said pressure washer was fine, and any soap.


_Great!!_

Not sure how much pressure washing you've done to automobiles.......
That is _not_ on a straight stream but as a wider pattern used and caution as pressure washers can come in different PSI, one size is not fit all...
My husband has actually _intentionally_ stripped paint to bare metal with his pressure washer hence my "Caution" being relayed..
🐴....


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## ksbowman (Oct 30, 2018)

Like @horselovinguy I strip paint on my trim when I'm painting the house and have accidentally stripped trim off my truck with it so stay back and be gentile. You can always get closer.


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