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06-26-2019, 07:37 AM
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#1
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: Philadelphia
Posts: 6,995
Year: 2003
Coachwork: International
Chassis: CE 300
Engine: DT466e
Rated Cap: 65C-43A
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Washing a bus at a car wash?
I'm planning to take my bus to one of those do-it-yourself car wash bays (after I check to make sure my bus will fit). I mainly want to wash the underside of its accumulated dirt and grim before I start de-rusting - is there anything on the underside that I need to be worried about not hurting, or can I just spray away?
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06-26-2019, 09:17 AM
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#2
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Skoolie
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Georgia
Posts: 169
Year: 2002
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: Tc2000
Engine: 5.9 24v
Rated Cap: 27
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I washed mine at a self serve car wash. JUST BARELY fit in the bay. The next time I did it I just pulled it along side the bay and stretched the wand and brush outside. Then got back in the bus and turned it around to get the other side.
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06-26-2019, 11:16 AM
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#3
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: south east BC, close to the Canadian/US border
Posts: 2,265
Year: 1975
Coachwork: Chevy
Chassis: 8 window
Engine: 454 LS7
Rated Cap: 24,500
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Quote:
Originally Posted by musigenesis
I'm planning to take my bus to one of those do-it-yourself car wash bays (after I check to make sure my bus will fit). I mainly want to wash the underside of its accumulated dirt and grim before I start de-rusting - is there anything on the underside that I need to be worried about not hurting, or can I just spray away?
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a truck wash would be set up to serve you better - before you use the brush though, check that some a-hole didn't fill it with grease before you use it - happened to me one time - some of the car washes around here also have an outside wand for larger vehicles
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06-26-2019, 11:25 AM
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#4
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Bus Geek
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Eastern WA
Posts: 6,401
Year: 2002
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: All American RE (A3RE)
Engine: Cummins ISC (8.3)
Rated Cap: 72
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Our local self service car wash does not allow anything larger than a 3/4 ton pickup.
You may want to check yours before taking the bus down?
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09-14-2019, 05:16 AM
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#5
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Cincinnati
Posts: 44
Year: 1991
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: International
Engine: DT360
Rated Cap: 66pax
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Been there, done that. It was a bit of a tight squeeze as the hose was mounted on the ceiling - had to be careful pulling in.
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09-14-2019, 07:04 AM
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#6
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: Philadelphia
Posts: 6,995
Year: 2003
Coachwork: International
Chassis: CE 300
Engine: DT466e
Rated Cap: 65C-43A
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I've found one near me with a clearance of 10'4" which I think will be just barely tall enough. The place I use for my car is only 9' high which of course wouldn't work, although since I'm only going to be cleaning the back end initially I might be able to back up to it and work it that way.
I did find a use for the place when I was resetting my windows. I would take batches of the stripped windows to the car wash in my dad's SUV and give them a thorough cleaning there, something that would have been impossible at home or where my bus is parked, before putting them back in the bus.
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09-14-2019, 07:37 AM
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#7
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Bus Geek
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Columbus Ohio
Posts: 18,758
Year: 1991
Coachwork: Carpenter
Chassis: International 3800
Engine: DTA360 / MT643
Rated Cap: 7 Row Handicap
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my DEV bus which sits on 11R's and is a high headroom carpenter bus sits at 10'6" which includes the hatch and strobe..
I wash my busses in car washes all the time.. my red shorty I pull in my driveway at home and wash..
its tough to get a good solid cheap wash at a pay N spray.. I do a decent job and end up spending about 15-20 bucks on the machine.. most pay N spray hoses arent long enough to reach around a whole bus so it involves some back N forth to get it all done..
when I go to my favorite 24 hour full service truck wash in town they charge me around 35 bucks and i tip the bay guys a 10 spot every time.. and what I get is a sparkling clean bus... I hop on the freeway and run it up to 65 to dry it off and its ready to rock!
-Christopher
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09-14-2019, 09:24 AM
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#8
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Bus Geek
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Eastern WA
Posts: 6,401
Year: 2002
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: All American RE (A3RE)
Engine: Cummins ISC (8.3)
Rated Cap: 72
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cadillackid
my DEV bus which sits on 11R's and is a high headroom carpenter bus sits at 10'6" which includes the hatch and strobe..
I wash my busses in car washes all the time.. my red shorty I pull in my driveway at home and wash..
its tough to get a good solid cheap wash at a pay N spray.. I do a decent job and end up spending about 15-20 bucks on the machine.. most pay N spray hoses arent long enough to reach around a whole bus so it involves some back N forth to get it all done..
when I go to my favorite 24 hour full service truck wash in town they charge me around 35 bucks and i tip the bay guys a 10 spot every time.. and what I get is a sparkling clean bus... I hop on the freeway and run it up to 65 to dry it off and its ready to rock!
-Christopher
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I have seen a couple of pay and spray that had one tall bay, for oversized vehicles, with stairs to a catwalk so you could get the roof. You might check around and see if there is one in your area.
Our local hand wash charges me $70 to wash my pickup and they do a lousy job.
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09-14-2019, 11:40 AM
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#9
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Skoolie
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: 495,270,340,9,7,28,66
Posts: 103
Year: 1997
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: TC 2000
Engine: 5.9 Cummins
Rated Cap: 65?
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If you know someone with a pressure washer it would be easier? Lol maybe make more work for yourself and rent one for a side job, charge enough to cover the rental and some extra change?
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09-14-2019, 02:11 PM
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#10
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Bus Geek
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Columbus Ohio
Posts: 18,758
Year: 1991
Coachwork: Carpenter
Chassis: International 3800
Engine: DTA360 / MT643
Rated Cap: 7 Row Handicap
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PNW look for a truck wash not a local hand wash.. place that does Reefer washouts and what not... those guys usually charge a much better rate than a full service handwash
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09-14-2019, 03:34 PM
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#11
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: Philadelphia
Posts: 6,995
Year: 2003
Coachwork: International
Chassis: CE 300
Engine: DT466e
Rated Cap: 65C-43A
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Stuntmanmitch
If you know someone with a pressure washer it would be easier? Lol maybe make more work for yourself and rent one for a side job, charge enough to cover the rental and some extra change?
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My brother has a pressure washer but I don't want to leave the contents of my underside on his driveway.
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09-14-2019, 04:14 PM
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#12
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Bus Geek
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Eastern WA
Posts: 6,401
Year: 2002
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: All American RE (A3RE)
Engine: Cummins ISC (8.3)
Rated Cap: 72
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cadillackid
PNW look for a truck wash not a local hand wash.. place that does Reefer washouts and what not... those guys usually charge a much better rate than a full service handwash
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I have. The nearest one is about 70 miles away.
I am in a very rural setting. We are not entirely backwards, we do have one stoplight in the county.
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