Having a campervan or a caravan may look fancy and charming on the outside but in reality, it comes with its fair share of problems. It is true though that abandoning the traditional lifestyle and switching to van life has its perks. For instance, it can help you cut on major expenses such as house rent, electricity bills, and mortgage. But that being said, there are times which may cause you to rethink your decision.
One such moment, which may compel you to revisit your decision is the time when you may have to clean the roof of your caravan. As simple it may seem on the outside, but cleaning the roof of the caravan is anything but. You will need to have a ladder, long brushes. Having said that, before we jump to solutions, let us discuss some of the reasons which may cause the roof of your campervan to get dirty.
Why is your campervan’s roof dirty?
One of the reasons due to which your campervan roof may get dirty is because it consists of a large flat surface that is generally levelled. When the biological residue from surroundings such as those of trees falls on the roof, they generally tend to reside there. You might think that rain may help in this regard but to be fair, it does not unless it’s heavy rain. On the contrary, the rain and sunlight just feed it to grow more and more. This eventually results in the surface becoming rougher due to the building up of moss and algae
As time passes, dirt builds up due to moss and algae will increase. Also, you must be aware of the fact that dirt attracts dirt, which is why it is advised that you don’t leave it for longer intervals. It is because the longer you will leave it, the harder it will become for you to remove it. Also, it is much more difficult to clean the roof than the sides of the caravan.
To clean the roof of your campervan, follow the following steps.
1. Using the Jockey Wheel:
The usage of jockey wheels when it comes to cleaning the caravan roof at times makes the job quite easier. Irrespective of whether you slope the caravan roof backwards or forward by lowering or raising the jockey wheel varies from person to person. If you have a large sill around the back of the caravan roof that may stop the dirty water running off, therefore slope the caravan roof forwards by lowering the jockey wheel.
On the contrary, if you don’t have a large sill around your back, then you should slope the caravan roof backwards by raising the jockey wheel.
2. Ladder:
Choosing a suitable ladder for this purpose is of trivial importance. For this purpose, always choose the ladder which can be used as an extending ladder. This is because they can be used against the top support rail around the caravan roof.
The only problem with using ladders in this way is ladder slippage and potential caravan damage. Let’s assume that you are at the top of the ladder and cleaning away with the brush. You come across some hard to remove algae and moss. Seeing this, you try to remove the stubborn algae and moss. Doing so may cause the foot of the ladder to keep moving backwards until it reaches a point of no return and the ladders fall, taking you along with them. This is why, it is important that if you are going to use extending ladders to clean your caravan roof, make sure of the fact that you always have someone else there to support you.
3. Climbing on the caravan roof:
To avoid falling off the ladders, you may think of climbing on the caravan roof to clean it. In all fairness, it is a practical option but before exercising it, make sure to exercise necessary precautions. This is because climbing on the roof while cleaning is a risky option in itself because the surface of the roof can be slippery which means that there is a chance that you may fall off the roof.
This leads us to the realization that while climbing on the roof may sound like a more feasible option, as it would not cause any damage to the campervan, but it may still leave some small dents.
Therefore if you are attempting to climb on your caravan roof for cleaning purposes, make sure to displace your weight as much as you can. Also, you would need to be very careful not to scratch the surface. On a personal note, I would advise you not to climb on the roof as the cons outweigh the pros.
4. Brush for Cleaning Purposes:
If you are done contemplating whether it is a good idea to climb onto the roof or not, it’s time now for you to gather some essential tools which may come in handy in this entire process. For cleaning purposes, you can use a long non-telescopic extending brush to clean in the centre of the caravan roof. Having said that, this may not work for cleaning around the edges. To counter this problem, you will have to get a second shorter brush. This way, you would be going up and down your ladders more often
By now, you may wonder why the telescopic brush is better than a conventional brush. One of the main reasons is that it will stop you from overextending and reaching over to try and clean the centre of the roof. This way, you can avoid falling off. This is because, with conventional brushes, you will have to overreach to clean the roof thoroughly. With a conventional short brush to clean in the centre of the caravan roof, there is a high chance that you would have both arms off the ladder and only one of your feet will be most likely in contact with the ladder. The moment you attempt and stretch a bit further, push back on the ladders which then fall over. You will likely fall off the slippery caravan roof, which may cause you injury. This is why it is highly recommended that you get yourself a telescopic bush and potentially also a telescopic sponge. This will help you get rid of dirty water off the caravan roof surface.
5. Avoid Using Jet Pressure Washer:
It is true though that it is difficult to access the roofs at times. This is why many people resort to using jet pressure washers in such a situation. They have a perception in mind related to jet pressure washers that it will quickly clean all that dirt off the caravan roof even from the centre. Well, in all fairness, it is true. A jet pressure washer can easily do the cleaning of the roof, but in the process of doing so, it can also damage the seals of your roof. It is normal for a human mind to get to the most convenient source to carry out a certain task. But, truth be told, the number of risks attached with jet pressure washers outweighs the convenience it offers.
6. Sequence:
When you decide to wash the roof of your campervan, make sure to do so in the following order.
● Raise or lower the Jockey wheel: Start by lowering or raising the jockey wheel. Lowering or raising the jockey wheel depends on the sill present on the back of your campervan. If you have a large sill around the back of the caravan roof that may stop the dirty water running off, therefore slope the caravan roof forwards by lowering the jockey wheel. On the contrary, if you don’t have a large sill around your back, then you should slope the caravan roof backwards by raising the jockey wheel.
● Wet the surface: Start by making the surface of the roof wet. To do that, start by rinsing the caravan and make sure to remove any debris. If you have a hosepipe, make sure that you don’t get too close to any of the vents or roof lights. Instead, use the spray to eliminate any debris off the roof. Once you do this, dilute some shampoo and spray it all over the surface and wash it over. To do it more efficiently, you can divide the roof into segments. This way, you can focus on each of the segments individually.
● Final Touches: Before moving to final touches, make sure to clean roofs and light. Once you are done with it, simply rinse off and dry.
Conclusion:
Campervan life looks tempting and appealing on the outside but when it comes to maintaining it, the situation can get tricky at times. This is why it is important to exercise precaution and plan your maintenance accordingly