whah the......?

T

Target P/W

Guest
I am doing a few trucks on Sundays for a local farmer. The turbo blew on a Volvo and there is crud every where, on top of that these trucks look as though they have been through hell and back every week.
Hot water and a soap/degreaser do not seem to be cutting through.
I need a soap that kicks ass.
Are there any soaps that require less that .5 of an hour of brushing to get semi-clean?. Alkaline, .................................
Plus, how do you guys get the rims and frame clean when there is either sand or grease or both on there to deal with. I go to one side to clean the frame and the dirt blows everywhere and after the truck is semi-dry, it is still sandy and dirty.
Yes, I am using hot water but the heavier muck is still there after I power wash it?. These guys want a clean truck and not a detail job, I need the $$$$$$$.

HELP................................!!!!!!!!!
 

Dan S

New Member
If there is that much i would probably not even put soap on it untill i pre-wash it with just water .then i would apply the soap with a pre-spray method...... it will cut the greese.
big-boy will give you a more detail answer.... he is goooooooood.
 

Larry L.

PWN TEAM - Moderator Emeritus
My q'tion to you is why are you leaving them dirty,in your final rinse all the sand should be off nomatter if you have to go around it 100's times blowing it back and fourth.The only reason its drying with sand still on it is b/c your not getting it all off in your final rinse
 
T

Target P/W

Guest
After my rinse, I will continue on to the next rig that is parked beside it, mabee the dirt is blowing onto the ones that I have cleaned to some degree.
Bigboy, I do try to get these jobs done right the first time, however, I have also found myself beginning to lose it after 1 hour on the rig. I probably am not following a formula, cleaning highway trucks is tricky.
 

Scott Stone

New Member
Try this,
Those dirt haulers can be really dirty. If you use high pressure you will blow dirt on the truck next to it. Try using lower pressure to rinse the dirt off. In fact, rinse the dirt off two or three trucks at a time. Then just wash as normal. That will probably help you to keep the dirt from blowing around.
Scott
 

Larry L.

PWN TEAM - Moderator Emeritus
Farm trucks or highway trucks??

What kind of trucks are you washing,dump dirt hauler,dump rock hauler,or box 53 footer or grainhauler,Are all the trucks the same color,what about the beds are they painted or alumu?

I agree with Scott blow dirt off 3 or 4 before you start washing.

When you say soap/degreaser does it already come that way or are you mixing degreaser with your soap?

Give me a hint as to how your appling your soap.

Its hard to tell someone what they are doing wrong without knowing what and how they are doing it.
 
T

Target P/W

Guest
These are standard highway tractors that have sleepers in them.
As they are used for hauling vans down country roads, there is an unusual amount of dirt on them.
To app;ly the soap, (premixed), I use hot water and about 2000 psi from a 4 gallon per minuite unit. Then I rinse with hot water at the same pressure.
I am finding the frames of these tractors to be stubborn as there is many little crevasses for the dirt to blow into then later it will seep out and dry there.
I have not, as yourself and Scott mentioned, presoaked them before applying soap, as the label reads apply to a dry surface.....

Also, what do you guys do about windows??
They seem to have a film on them that brushing won't remove. You can see the wiper pattern on them. Windex?.

Thanks for your input.
Chris.
 

Larry L.

PWN TEAM - Moderator Emeritus
Guess my mind has been in the gut'ter again b/c it just now seen your last q'tion.

I do not have that problem with the windsheilds,it may be b/c I up stream soap.
But would advise ya to try another soap b/c of the windows and you said something about the frames being stubborn,a good suding soap will carry out some of the finer dirt in the crevasses with its foam.
Around here they are several powerwashers and none of us use the same soap,I don't like theirs and they don't like mine as to say find one that you can clean with,the one you have is not cleaning or or your not mixing it right or or not useing it right or or you say your useing a premix huh hmmm try a powered soap and don't read the ladel as to so may lbs. to so many gals. of water...mix it until it starts cleaning for you.Just b/c the label says mix so much to a gal. of water to clean and apply to dry surface doesn't mean you have to try to clean with what it said,you can add more to the gal. of water and apply to a wet surface......I use the ladel for a starting point and have not found one yet that I didn't have to add more then what it said........guess if you washed your truck everyday the ladel would be right.
 

Greg Rentschler

New Member
When we did fleet accounts we ran into the turbo issue quite often. The turbine blew through most of the turbos causing oil to shoot everywhere (the C-12 Cats were good for this) including out the exhaust and all over the trailer. We used a Zep truck was in a red powder form (cant remember the number..440 or something) and mixed it strong for a presoak. As far as the dirt we used turbo nozzles to knock off the heavy stuff (except on the cab) then applied the detergent followed by the acid. These were transfer trucks for the landfill..... I dont know that they get much worse!

Greg
 

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