Washing the trucks....

[SHED376]

Just wondering how everyone washes their rigs? Specifically, what do you use to wash the rigs?

My dilemma: My volunteer Chief states that Pierce instructed him to was the rigs with dish soap. I have been told time and time again by many automotive types that the dish soap will strip the wax! Makes sense to me once they describe the chemicals to me.

Dilemma #2: My career dept. uses an automotive soap that contains a wax which is pretty good. The problem is that we use these scrub brushes(with broom handles attached). I have notice that the older trucks paint is dull, and scratched to hell. So now we approx. 12 newer rigs (2 years and newer) and what to we do to them. use the brushes which scratch the hell out of them.

The volunteer rigs are completely waxed once per year (and thanks to me we now use an automotive soap), and they look great even after 15 years. I think this is due to the hand washing with mitts or sponges.

What do you think and/or do?

[DeputyChiefGonzo]

Brother Shed...

Here is a website that can answer a lot of your questions about ther care and maintenance of any car or truck...

www.autopia.org

It is a web site for clean car fanatics. It may seem like informational overload, but there is a ot of great information there. I post on their forums as Gonzo 0903, there is also a Phoenix jake who posts by the name of Bunkers and a few other firefighters on that site.

[FlashOver12]

washing is fun! until you have to do a 2100 gallon stainless steel tank. =)

Anyway, we use the brushes at our department too. The only thing with them you have to watch is that when you do tires, either spray it out or swish it around well in the bucket. We have them to make it easier to do the trucks. We also use a car wash instead of dish soap. The dish soap also lets alot of streaks on the trucks if you dont rinse it very well

[dfdex1]

I have notice that the older trucks paint is dull, and scratched to hell.

Me thinks that the fadeing has less to do with washing and more to do with UV rays breaking down your paint over time.

At the railroad museum I work at cars that were repainted in the 70's-80's are up for repainting because they have faded so much. But in 1995 they finally decided to come into the modern world and use Dupont's Inron railroad paint on every new repaint they do because it will last and last and last.

[KParker]

We use wash brushes to wash all of our trucks, and they are not all scratched up, but we rinse them out real good after we wash the tires...and we are now using a high sud, high foam wash, we used to use a car wash/wax that was pretty good also.

[ADSNWFLD]

Zep O Shine, we use Zep Truck Brushes also.

The brushes don't scratch the paint the dirt caught in the brushes when not taken care of does.

Also DuPont IMRON paint doesn't need waxing

[SHED376]

Thanks to everyone for the info. I'm not sure if the older trucks were painted with the Imron paint or not. I don't think the U.V. rays are that much of a problem. We do run alot, but we are "night fighters" so all of the long hours outside working are usually at night. I forgot to mention the gold leaf problem. Ours is almost gone on some trucks. I know the gold leaf is not as tough as paint, but how does my volunteer dept. trucks look so nice after a longer period of time? It's interedting that the Imron paint does not need to be waxed. My grandad being an old Jake believed that everything painted had to be waxed! I guess I got that from him!

[SCOOBY14B]

Your volunteer chief doesnt know what he is talking about. Dishsoap WILL strip wax. When I detail cars I use regular blue dawn to strip them of old wax and oils.

We use brushes on roll up doors and where we cant reach.

Otherwise we use sheepskin wash mitts.

Also usully dry truck with absorber.

[Weruj1]

we use 55 gal drum of auto wash soap with the brushes ........our brushes are made for windows ?> and we do not scratch the paint either .....DISH SOAP is a NO NO ! all trucks get waxed twice a year ...

[SCOOBY14B]

Wax twice a year???

ALL our apparatus gets waxed once a month.
1st Saturday - Engines
2nd Saturday - Ladders/ Rescues if no ladder
3rd Saturday - Rescue
4th Saturday - Squad/ special teams units

[Weruj1]

Scooby we are a paid on call dept with 7 or so apparatus ......so thats why only twice a year ......

[NJFFSA16]

Originally posted by Weruj1
Scooby we are a paid on call dept with 7 or so apparatus ......so thats why only twice a year ......

Hey Weruj1...are you the guys I hear on 153.890MHz, in Rossford?

[dfdex1]

SHED376 next time I go up to the museum I will ask the restoration/maitnence people about Imron paint. I am more in the operations side rather than the maitnence so I couldnt give you all the tech specs.

-dfd

[KParker]

Weruj1: Scooby we are a paid on call dept with 7 or so apparatus ......so thats why only twice a year ......

We are a volunteer fire dept. with 7 trucks, and all of them get waxed about once a month as well....

Kris

[WFFD490]

Our rigs (9 of 'em) get washed atleast twice a week. Not sure on when the waxing is done.

Just make sure all that soap is EPA Approved . Wouldn't want to get into that whole mess would we??

[SmokeEater661]

On my department we try to wash the trucks after each call. We at least spray them down and dry them. About once a month we have a wax party and wax all of the rigs. Our ambulances are washed twice during the day shift. We aren't a very big department apparatus wise all we have is: 2 750 gallon Pumpers, 1 Telesquirt Ladder, 1 medium duty rescue, 1 light duty rescue, 1 brush truck with 350gpm pump, and 2 ALS squads (Ambulances).

[WannabeintheFD]

INFOMERCIALS!!! once in a while i will catch one with some power washing stuff thats great. but really there are some scrubber things that are prtty much mops used to take the polin of your car. just use thoes and a bucket of mcguires (spelling) car wash, good stuff.

[Weruj1]

Ed,
Are we "skippin" all the way over there ? cause that is us ! let me know more either here or PM or email ......WOW