jconner00
Active member
i do, but this is why i buy white cars. You can only see swirls if you're looking for them!
Car wash?
- Thread starter fcaramadre
- Start date
sanny651
Active member
I'm a MN guy here, so I'm with ya on the salt. That's a nonstop battle between the salt and that super corrosive brine they use like they are getting paid to use it. We are fortunate and have a very nice brushed car wash here where I live. The maintenance they do to keep it not only operational but clean to the point that I don't have to worry about it is ridiculous. I ran my 2018 Silverado through it for its entire life, and the paint still looked great with no swirls.
If you aren't fortunate to have such a facility, I would at minimum run it through a brushless just to hose off a lot of the salt. We ain't talking car show quality washes, but it does get a lot of that harmful stuff off the metal/paint. Just my opinion.
If you aren't fortunate to have such a facility, I would at minimum run it through a brushless just to hose off a lot of the salt. We ain't talking car show quality washes, but it does get a lot of that harmful stuff off the metal/paint. Just my opinion.
NDKoze
Member
I have a truck not a show car and live in the Midwest so am not handwashing in the winter.
I have a ceramic coat and a black truck that goes through a brushed wash 1-2 times a week. I buy a monthly pass. I haven't noticed any swirls yet, but I'm not drying it with a diaper either.
I have a ceramic coat and a black truck that goes through a brushed wash 1-2 times a week. I buy a monthly pass. I haven't noticed any swirls yet, but I'm not drying it with a diaper either.
Same here, I'd rather have swirls than rust. My truck wash accommodates big butt's and has undercarriage wash.
I will hose down the large crap and wheel wells by hand, in between washes.
Koolbreezeya
Active member
I agree, wash don't wash, wax don't wax, whatever.. it's a truck not a public show competition, So what!!. Lol
NDKoze
Member
I agree on the swirls versus rust. I had a 2013 F150 for since new prior to my new AT4 last Fall and had some swirls, but only if you looked up close and that one didn't even have the ceramic coat. When washed up it still looked really sharp!
My carwash does a prespray with a pressure washer which is really nice to get the wheel wells and hard to get off stuff off in the winter and bugs in the summer.
I pay about $40/month for unlimited washes and sometimes will go through a couple of times a week.
milkman8643
Member
This….ceramic the truck…you will never have any issues.
PNWpineapple
Member
I have a white truck and don’t give a damn about swirl marks. I go through car wash once or twice a month. During our winter months I go through it when the rain breaks since I live near mt. hood in Oregon that’s not very often.
It is, it is!
TheBottomFeeder
New member
All who live in the north east have to deal with the ice melt chemicals they spread on the roads all winter. These harsh concoctions rot everything under the vehicle. You can hand wash all the painted surfaces constantly but if you neglect the undercarriage you'll just end up with bubbles of rust forming under your painted surfaces in a few years. Yes, their that aggressive on the underneath of vehicles. If you have the ability to use a power washer with an undercarriage attachment that'll be your best weapon for most DYI's washing their vehicles at home.
They use the same nasty chemicals when we driverto BC, Canada across the border. Fortunately my AT4X AEV edition is quite high off the ground and provides easy cleaning access to everything below and using a high pressure hot water hose helps a lot; I just got to do it the same day I get home while its still sort of wet else it can take longer to melt the grime.
kobra357
Active member
I was thinking I was the only one.
pigpen23
Active member
I run my trucks through the touchless carwashes weekly or as needed to maintain in between handwashes. Try to handwash them once a month, but life happens, and it gets done when it gets done. Definitely not worth handwashing when it's cold AF and there are shitty roads all winter.
First, to answer the OP's question, I ran my Raptor through the brush type car wash all the time. The Raptor is the widest truck out there.
I live in So Cal and I'm 68 years old. Between water shortages, a bad back and liking my truck to look clean, I put it through a car wash about every ten days, I have these 18" x 30" heavy duty microfiber towels I found on Amazon. I keep them rolled up and stored in the rear door pockets. I run the truck through the wash and then use one of the towels to wipe down the door frames and dripping areas. I did ceramic coat my truck.
I live in So Cal and I'm 68 years old. Between water shortages, a bad back and liking my truck to look clean, I put it through a car wash about every ten days, I have these 18" x 30" heavy duty microfiber towels I found on Amazon. I keep them rolled up and stored in the rear door pockets. I run the truck through the wash and then use one of the towels to wipe down the door frames and dripping areas. I did ceramic coat my truck.
PNWpineapple
Member
I take mine through the wash tunnel quite a bit. The truck fits through fine just make sure you take your antenna off before you go through. I switch my factory antenna out for a stubby. I just fold the mirrors in and go through.
