Question.. how do you price out a 5th wheel travel trailer?

3

35TH LE

New member
Hey guys.. its been a while since Ive posted. Started a new job and barely have time to detail anymore. :aww:



I did get an inquiry today though... a 5th wheel travel trailer. Ive always wanted to detail one but never had any interest.



So my question is.. do I price it out per foot? What if they just want a wash n wax, no polish? Any info and/or help would be greatly appreciated.



THANKS IN ADVANCE! :spot
 
A good way to price rv detailing is to figure it per foot. You can usually work at a pace of about two feet per hour to wash, polish and wax. So a 30 ft rv would require about 15 hours of labor. Multiply your estimated time to complete by your hourly rate and you will establish a base price to charge. Below is a link to an interesting article that was recently published in Professional Carwashing & Detailing Magazine about pricing large detailing jobs.



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A wash and wax is probably going to be more profitable than polishing on gelcoat - polishing out a big trailer like that is going to take *days*. Consider hiring a day laborer - you can apply wax via PC, and have him follow behind you and remove the wax with a MF. This will nearly double your speed for $75-100 per day.



I'd get a PC, 7.5" pads, and some sun-friendly liquid wax (Clearkote comes to mind here). Pour the wax into a spray bottle, and keep it clipped into your belt - turn the sprayer all the way out to stream, and you can keep the PC moving while spraying the occasional bead of wax on the trailer. Lift one side of the pad, and "trap" the wax under the PC before spreading it out. This is how I used to cruise through planes - we used Megs #66 and me and a friend could wash and wax a Seminole (twin engine, 4 seater) in 3 hours.



For the wash, I'd use a strong mix of Meg's NXT (it's harsh) with a little APC in it. This will take a lot of crap off that a regular wash won't. A pressure washer and a foam lance is nice, but a bucket and a hose will do fine. Rinse it down, and let it dry in the shade (or early morning, so the waterspots won't be so bad).



If you're going to polish it, you really need a rotary and a ton of pads. I'd charge around 350 dollars to wax a 30 foot trailer and 700 to polish it out well and wax it. Some of that is headache charge (like an extra 10 an hour over my rate), because I hate ladders.
 
Thanks guys... much appreciated! He sent me some pics of the trailer and it looks to be in decent shape and pretty new to boot. Ill go for a wash/wax/trimmings.



Once again... thanks!
 
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