Keeping Your Caravan or Camper Looking Mint After a Big Trip

I cannot stress this enough. If you try to wash a caravan in the direct midday sun, the soap will dry before you can rinse it, leaving nasty streaks. If you haven't got a big enough shed, do it early in the morning or late in the arvo.

Check every window, hatch, and door. Give the seals a quick wipe with a damp cloth first so you're not trapping grit in them when you shut them.

Blast the whole thing with a hose first. Don't go crazy with a high-pressure washer near the decals or the fridge vents, though. You just want to get the heavy loose stuff off.

Always start at the top. If you do the sides first, all the filth from the roof will just run down and ruin your work. Use your ladder and the long-reach mop. Be careful around solar panels, don't use harsh chemicals on them, just plenty of water and a soft touch.

Chuck some snow foam over the whole van and let it dwell for 5-8 minutes. This is the secret to getting red dust out of the rivet lines and trim. Don't let it dry, though!

Starting from the top of the walls, work your way down in sections. Dunk your mop in the soapy water, wash a 2-metre section, then rinse the mop in the clean water bucket before going back for more soap. This keeps your wash water clean.

Roll the awning out fully. Spray it with your cleaner and use a soft brush to agitate any bird gunk or mould. Whatever you do, don't roll it back up while it's still wet, or it'll smell like a locker room by next weekend.

Most caravan windows are acrylic (plastic), not glass. They scratch if you even look at them funny. Use a fresh microfiber cloth and heaps of lubrication. Honestly, I wouldn't even use the mop on them; do them by hand.

Use a bit of degreaser on the hitch and the chains. If you've been on the beach, spend extra time spraying out the box sections of the chassis to get the salt out. I've seen brand new trailers start pitting after one trip to Fraser Island because they weren't rinsed properly.

Rinse from the top down. Make sure you get all the soap out of the window tracks and the awning arms.

Use those big microfiber towels. If you let it air dry in the Aussie sun, you'll get water spots that are a nightmare to remove. (Trust me on this one, I've spent hours polishing spots off a black camper trailer that the owner let 'sun dry').

Once it's dry, apply a spray sealant. Gtechniq C2 or Meguiar's Ceramic Wax are great. It makes the next wash ten times easier because the dust won't stick as hard.

Go around every window and door seal with a rubber protector. This prevents them from sticking and tearing when you haven't used the van in a while.