What would you charge for this RV?

[T3 AutoDetails]

Hello geeks,

A gentleman called today and wanted to know if I was interested in doing an RV that he is getting ready to sell.

I have never done an RV but have read about a good 100 hours or more on the difference between RV's and autos. So that being said i'm very confident in my abilities to do one I just haven't done one yet.

The guy wants

Exterior:
Wash & Wax
Aluminum wheels polished to new again
Wheel wells and tires dressed
Storage compartments cleaned
Back ladder polished
Windows
Engine detailed & dressed
All jambs

As far as the interior goes
Steam everything (as I told him I used steam)
Shampoo carpets
clean everything (different surfaces more like home appliances and the like)
Clean up the dash and dress dash area
Bathroom

It is in very good condition minus the exterior which he informed me is faded (oxidized) from the San Diego weather where he purchased it 3 years ago. He has some potential buyers coming to look at it early next week and wants to know if i'm available this weekend...I guess he heard about me from another clients vehicle I worked on so they must have put the good word in because IMHO it seems as if he is sold and I haven't given a price yet.

Here are some pics from his ad on CL so hopefully you can get a better idea. Again this thing is already in great shape and has no imperfections or stains as it sits currently. Thanks for taking the time and reading my post its greatly appreciated.

1997 Fleetwood Storm Class A Motorhome LOW MILES! Priced to Sell

[VP Mark]

Hard to give advice without actually seeing it in person but just from what you've said I would not touch it for less than $800 from his description of what he wants done. Were talking 2 full days here to hit every nook and cranny.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using AG Online

[T3 AutoDetails]

Hard to give advice without actually seeing it in person but just from what you've said I would not touch it for less than $800 from his description of what he wants done. Were talking 2 full days here to hit every nook and cranny.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using AG Online

I was thinking $1000, Mark your right with 2 days. I figured 1 day exterior 1 day interior. I figured that was pretty accurate trying to time my processes. I just didn't know if that price would make him cringe or not.

With the $1000 I priced everything I would do and put a time frame on it (if all goes right) including cost per hour as well as product cost and some other cleaning supplies not made for detailing per say.

[Anthony@zerboautoworks]

Just like Mark said, I wouldn't do it for less than $800. If and when you do it make sure you post some pics.

[rmagnus]

If it were me I'd pass on it. Assuming you have the right equipment to do it I'd price it by the foot. It would have to pay somewhere around $1,000-$1,500 for that level of detail. Waxing over oxidation doesn't work. AIO with RB and a wool pad will still be time consuming and labor intensive.

Just figure youe hourly rate and estimate how many hours the job will require and you have it. I'd still convert that into a price by foot conversation. I've seen many suggest $20 per foot for exterior alone.

Someone said one day each exterior and interior and I think it could be done in that timeframe. For a one man detail I bet you would wish for another day to get it done right.

Seems like a good price on the RV.

[civdiv99]

That may not have been a "shiny" finish originally. Looks to me like it was a matte finish, and polishing/waxing is not applicable.

Can't tell from pics, but that was typical by many mfr in the 1990s. If so, and the guy is thinking shiny result, there may already be a reality disconnect.

[Vegas Transplant]

Oxidation
Stainless hubcaps
Graphics will bleed
Wall to wall felt headliner
Topping it all off, asking price probably won't allow $1000 detail that a dealership will do in the less than $1000 range.

[scrubs147]

I do RVs just about every day, all day long. This is a gelcoat finish which means oxidation. It's a 1997 so if he wants it to shine again you're looking at some heavy compounding such as "Presta Super Cut Compound" with a rotary and wool pad. You have to stay away from the graphics by doing this. Two days for one person? Seriously? On Gelcoat finishes it takes me up to 3 days just for the exterior alone, and that's just me doing it.

If you're to do this job correctly and professionally, it should take two people at least 3 days to do the job right. Do you have wax specifically formulated for gelcoat? What are you going to clean and protect the rubber roof with? What are you going to use on the graphics? How are you going to make the bathroom shine again like it was never used?

[VP Mark]

I do RVs just about every day, all day long. This is a gelcoat finish which means oxidation. It's a 1997 so if he wants it to shine again you're looking at some heavy compounding such as "Presta Super Cut Compound" with a rotary and wool pad. You have to stay away from the graphics by doing this. Two days for one person? Seriously? On Gelcoat finishes it takes me up to 3 days just for the exterior alone, and that's just me doing it.

If you're to do this job correctly and professionally, it should take two people at least 3 days to do the job right. Do you have wax specifically formulated for gelcoat? What are you going to clean and protect the rubber roof with? What are you going to use on the graphics? How are you going to make the bathroom shine again like it was never used?

I appreciate your expertise on this but would like to ask the serious question: I'm not an RV expert but I have done tons of boats with Gel Coat and have used automotive sealants and waxes on them for years with great results. How is a gelcoat specific wax and a car wax all that different? It seems like the results I have had speak for themselves...

[scrubs147]

Here's an article I came across:

Carnauba wax Vs gel coat sealant, which is better?#
No one debates the need to seal and protect gel-coat finishes but there is disagreement over how best to do it. Many will only use a natural carnauba wax, but RV manufacturers are increasingly recommending only gel-coat sealant.

There are a number of valid reasons for this. While carnauba waxes may be fine for RVs that are covered 9 months out of the year, the limitation of carnauba wax durability is 60 days or less. Carnauba waxes start to melt around 150 degrees f. Direct and reflected UV and thermal radiation is literally melting the wax off the finish.
#
Synthetic sealant on the other hand, have better bonding characteristics than carnauba waxes, better abrasion resistance and melting points in the thousands of degrees. Synthetic sealant#will#outlast carnauba waxes and will typically produce a brighter shine. Sealant should last 180 days or more.

Rule No. 1:
Don't use#automotive#sealant or polishes on gel coat finishes. There are exceptions but if the manufacturer doesn't specifically recommend their product for gel coats, don't use it! Use only polishes and sealant that are designed for gel coats.

Another problem shared by both carnauba waxes and automotive sealant has to do with the very nature of gel coats. Gel coat is porous. Seen under a#microscope, your RV’s flat, smooth gel coat surface is millions of tiny holes! These holes, or pores, fill with microscopic grime, which promote gel coat oxidation. Think of this oxidation as "plastic rust".

The contamination in the pores is eating away the gel coat from the inside, filling the pores with a dull, chalk. As the chalk fills more and more pores, the entire gel coat surface will take on a dull, whitish finish. Carnauba waxes and automotive sealant do not remove pre-existing micro-contamination in the pores. Worse, they seal the contamination in place where it continues to oxidize from the inside, under the protective wax.

Gel coat is a totally different animal then paint... it is porous so it sucks up product like crazy… when oxidized like that any and all automotive products are a waste of time and money... and conventional ways of detailing go out the window.