Help - tree sap, very dirty hi-top

[Bramsley]

Hi there,

we've been the lucky owners of a 1990 hi-top Westfalia for 5 or 6 years now. For all of that time it's had to live outside, but for the last two years, since we had building work done that made our driveway smaller, it has had to live on the road, under a tree. Our lovely white van now gets very very dirty from the tree sap or aphid juice, and is very difficult to clean, mainly because it's so difficult to get to the middle of the hi-top roof.

We've had it pressure washed a couple of times, and that gets it nice and clean, but I'm not sure that does the paintwork or seals any good, and on the hi-top itself, the paintwork isn't in the best condition anyway.

So we've reverted to hand washing again, but find it very difficult to get close to the roof with a step ladder (not leaning against the van) and a long handled brush. I find it difficult getting enough scrubbing pressure with the brush when it gets to the middle of the roof.

So my questions are - how do all you hi-top owners clean the tops of your vans, what equipment / detergents do you use, and is there anything I can apply, like a wax or something to protect the roof and make it easier to clean the sap off in future? Preferably something I can spray on as I really can't reach the middle of the roof by hand. I had thought of some sort of cover, but I use the van 2 or 3 times a week, and putting a cover on off that often would be a real pain - having to get ladders out, not being able to pull it over etc.

I really love to know how everyone else copes.
Thank you,

[ELVIS]

Get some TFR (traffic film remover) in a plant sprayer, spray some on , let it soak and pressure wash off. Don't go near seals and you'll be fine. Won't damage them.

Do it a second time but work in with a sponge this time, repeat rinsing off.(if you get worst of it off without rubbing the first time, there is less chance of any fine particles acting as an abrasive when you work it in with a sponge the second time and damaging paint)

Local valeting supplier might sell in by the litre, or somewhere like halfords (but not sure). Make sure it is proper TFR and not pressure washer additive/detergent though.

Sure there will be someone who knows their valeting products who can recommend a wax etc to act as a barrier to stop any further sap sticking directly to the paint.

[Bramsley]

Thanks Elvis. I've just looked TFR up and it seems readily available. Powerful stuff, but the recommendation is to apply wax protection after use, so I'll hang on and see if anyone comes up with a wax product recommendation before using it.

You also suggest a pressure washer. Is that ok to use on such an old vehicle then, provided we stay away from any seals? The paint on the fibreglass hi-top is cracked and flaky. It could probably do with a respray, but I don't want to do that until we've cracked the problem of getting to the middle of the roof for cleaning/scrubbing/waxing purposes.

[Wychall]

My previous experiences with cleaning the roof on mobile sheds have been quite successful using TFR (obtained from a caravan shop or Machine Mart) to remove the crud, then washing over with a soluble wax. Mer was my preferred brand. That left sufficient wax on the roof that subsequent washes were far easier.

[300CE]

Maybe something like this after using TFR:

http://www.force4.co.uk/9699/3M-Fibregl ... tAode0wAYA" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Bramsley]

Thank you both for those recommendations. Wychall - would that be the Mer Hybrid? It looks like it gets good results, but seems to be difficult to apply, which might be a problem, given the difficulty I have stretching out to get near the middle of the roof. The 3M Fibreglass restorer recommended by 300CE looks as though that might be worth a go - made for fibreglass and restores as well.

My other half has just spent the afternoon cleaning the thick layer of grime of the van roof - he's not much taller than me and also has problems getting to the centre, but he leaned the stepladders against the van, which got him a bit closer.

It still needs to be done again though - black streaks running down the side of the hi-top (not to mention a few rust stains on the side of the van ) are proving very difficult to shift. I think we'll give the TFR and 3M Fibreglass restorer a go and see how they work next week end. Might also give it one last time with the pressure washer first too.

Thank you all for your help.

[Wychall]

This is the Mer that I used to use.

http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/mer-mer-pol ... ls-p118620" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

You can pour the wax into your rinse water and just spread it with a car wash brush. No rubbing needed. I used it on a 20 foot caravan and polished the entire roof in 10 mins, despite not being able to reach across it.

[AdrianC]

I did both our Westy hightop and our friends' homebrew hightop the other day. Theirs - white - was sort of dark green all over, but the top was even worse. With a tall enough step ladder, the full width of the top wasn't an issue, and a good scrub with a sponge got almost all of it.

[Bramsley]

Thanks Wychall - that looks much simpler to use and definitely worth a go if it doesn't involve buffing. I'll put it on my list.

AdrianC - our stepladder is pretty tall - the hi-top comes about waist high on me when I'm on the top metal step. Putting it against the van, rather than having it at the side (A shape) seems to help get a bit further. Just worried about it scratching the van though.

Thanks both.

[lefty67]

Daz

[ELVIS]

If fibreglass is cracked/crazed would give the pressure washer a miss IMHO, don't want to force water in if you don't have to.

TFR will do its job anyway, pressure washer just makes it easy to lift any residue off. Garden hose to rinse and as previous, sponge on second application so as not to rub any grime in which might act as an abrasive paste.

Had a shuftie earlier and screwfix sell it pretty cheap

[fairwynds]

The new Flash Magic Eraser sponge thing and a bucket of Flash. Followed by clay barring and wax, two coats. Then the sap will wash off easily once a week with normal car shampoo.. As for ladder, just use a normal single ladder and wrap a couple of pieces of pipe lagging around the aluminium bits that touch the roof. Easy peasy..

[Bramsley]

Lots of things to try there Daz, Flash....and the rubber piping around the ladder is a great idea.
Washing once a week though... . Yesterday's cleaning session has left it looking a lot better than it did, even though there are still some black streaks on it. My partner's car is under the tree at the moment and my van is still squashed onto the driveway which is tree-free! Possession is 9/10ths of the law though - he might not find it easy to get me to move, at least until the tree is bare!

Thank you all for your help.

[getunder]

My vaer old house roof is encrusted with Orange Lichens. If I leave the van long without cleaning the roof I blend in with the house and countryside. Would please the Greens. Once in desperation used the abrasive side of a kitchen pad to clean it off which keyed it nicely for future growth to establish

[Bramsley]

Oh dear getunder. Sounds like the sort of thing I would do.

I have high hopes of the effects of polishing though. Hopefully it will seal and protect the paintwork and make it easier to clean in future. Our poor van has never had a polish since we got it, so it's long overdue, and I am hoping it will work miracles. (Though the pragmatist in me knows that even if we get it clean and shiny, the paintwork on the hi-top is probably too far gone and it will have to be a re-spray.)

Lol!