The Countdown has begun, T- minus about eleven days and counting until The Great Departure commences. We have not decided on the exact day and time yet, that may be determined by weather more than anything as last years was. That was when H-Ida blew into the area, and we holed up down the shore in Ortley Beach with Paula’s cousin Carol for a day.
One of the RPD’s (Rituals of Preparation for Departure) is ensuring that our house-on-wheels is ready for the road. This entails several procedures, not the least of which is giving her a good bath. You would think that checking the oil and tire pressures would be Numero Uno, but no, making her look pretty for the Ride takes the top spot. Sure, I check that other stuff, but so far that’s been the easy part as the mundane mechanical necessities have always been A-Okay.
So that leaves us with a trip to the Beauty Parlor.
Which there are.
They are called Truck Washes and are usually found along the Interstates, close to major trucking routes. They are gigantic pull-through facilities where the Gang of Ten attack said vehicle with giant hoses, brushes, and soap and water. It only takes about fifteen minutes to complete this activity and then you’re on your way! We have used this service only a few times as the lines to get in are usually quite long. The wash is not expensive. Actually, when you think about it compared to a car, it’s downright cheap! The average cost is about $55.00, well worth it all things considered.
This Bathing Ritual is kind of a guy thing I guess. I find it nearly impossible to embark on a trip with a dirty vehicle. It seems that all of the other Motorhomes look brandy-new when they pass us on the highway. I guess that I’m jealous, Maybe those others are kept in garages, never get driven in the rain, and have so few miles on them that they can be considered “New” at several years old. We live in ours and drive it incessantly!
I really don’t care.
All I know is that they all look clean and shiny and mine looks dull and dusty.
Washing this Baby by hand is not difficult, the process is the same as a car, only much larger. My issue is how to wash it and NOT have it in the sun. With your car you can just pull it up under the tree by your garage and keep it cool as it gets its bath. For me, I need to find a Giant Sequoia to park under to get the same effect. So, my solution is a Morning/Evening undertaking which allows me to just work on one side at time (the one not facing the sun). To make matters worse, a good portion of the Motorhome is black.
Boo!
You know how black absorbs the heat of the sun, well just try and wash this thing without having all of the soapy water dry into streaks of ugly foam. I don’t care how small of an area you work, it’s downright impossible.
Yesterday the rains came. It was the day we were all waiting for around here. Most folks welcomed this event with open arms because of their lawns, the farmers, and much needed aquifer re-charging.
Not me! My reason was totally self-absorbed and sinfully self-centered. I wanted to wash the Motorhome!
You may think that this was a bad thing for washing a road vehicle.
Wrong you would be!
Borrowing that old line from the Hair Conditioner commercial from long ago…. “Rainwater Soft…..” Yup, that’s what I want! So armed with my soap and water, a grey sky, and the threat of imminent rain, I was now prepared to do battle with my nemesis, the Baking Sun.
It was a wonderful experience here at Yetter’s Diner, RV Resort and Motorcoach Wash yesterday! The sun never came out, the wash was completed and when it was all done, the Heavens opened up and drenched us with that proverbial Rainwater Soft Rinse that lasted for hours. This enabled it to dry itself in the cool of the evening without as many of the dreaded “Water Spots” cropping up all over as rainwater is essentially distilled water and therefore lacks any dissolved minerals in it.
Success!
As I sit here and write this I can see a wonderfully dreary day outside, clouds and everything! With any amount of luck, I will be able to start the second phase of this beatification process and that is the Polishing Part. This is really where the battle is fought as there are still some areas on here that defy a cleaning process and refuse to give up age-old spots and streaks. I’ve procured one of those two-handed buffing wheels with the big fluffy pads to help me with this. The only issue here is that I did not spend enough on this particular apparatus. You know, “Well, this one should do, I’m not using it every day like a professional would. “
Big mistake!
It is now slightly off-balance, the motor is getting tired, and when I use it its like trying to hold on to a washing machine during an off-kilter spin cycle.
Oh well….
Maybe someday I’ll wake up like the Shoemaker in the Brothers Grimm story and the Washing Elves will have paid me an overnight visit and I will have bright and shiny vehicle in the morning!
Yea, right.