Going through a car wash

[Desertdweller]

I've never owned a pick up truck before. Can you put it through an automatic car wash? Does it matter if you have a tonneau? Thanks

Took my KR with tow mirrors thru a touch less yesterday. It was a tight fit, but had no issues. My Retrax XR had a minor leak at the tailgate, but nothing I feel compelled to do anything about here in AZ. The one troubling concern was the PVD wheel finish. I just bought a new soft boars hair brush to clean the wheels with and I always spray them with wheel cleaner and give them a quick brush prior to going into the wash. When I wiped them dry I noticed they had fine scratches from the brush? I've never seen wheels with such a delicate finish. One might say the finish is defective?

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[daemonic3]

Ford has a tailgate seal https://accessories.ford.com/weatherstrip.html but you can get other brands also from most truck accessory shops. You can even do it your self with foam weather stripping

I'm talking about the "top" of the tailgate where it meets the tonneau. The edges of the tail step leave two small gaps. That's where rain came in on me. I haven't done the carwash yet but I would expect the sides of the tailgate to leak without the seal for sure.

 

[diesel97]

Took my KR with tow mirrors thru a touch less yesterday. It was a tight fit, but had no issues. My Retrax XR had a minor leak at the tailgate, but nothing I feel compelled to do anything about here in AZ. The one troubling concern was the PVD wheel finish. I just bought a new soft boars hair brush to clean the wheels with and I always spray them with wheel cleaner and give them a quick brush prior to going into the wash. When I wiped them dry I noticed they had fine scratches from the brush? I've never seen wheels with such a delicate finish. One might say the finish is defective?

they are painted with clearcoat use the same thing you would use on the painted body

 

[Eric]

What about power tow mirrors? I am thinking I would fold them for any wash because I don't want them broken. But maybe they are built to withstand? Has anyone risked leaving the tow mirrors unfolded (not telescoped, obviously)?

I go through an automatic car wash almost everyday(membership) and I fold my mirrors in before every wash.

I didn’t always do that but after about a year the passenger side mirror(glass and plastic it’s attached to only) decided to fall off and shatter.
Bought an oem replacement glass piece for about $50-60 and fold them in now. Always.

This is in reference to my 2018 XLT with regular mirrors, not the tow variation.

 

[JGS]

I'm talking about the "top" of the tailgate where it meets the tonneau. The edges of the tail step leave two small gaps. That's where rain came in on me. I haven't done the carwash yet but I would expect the sides of the tailgate to leak without the seal for sure.

Yes on mine that does not cause a big leak I think most of the water runs in side the tailgate. No mater what you do it will never be 100% waterproof by the tailgate, a few drips are not a big deal to me

 

[Scotty]

I've never owned a pick up truck before. Can you put it through an automatic car wash? Does it matter if you have a tonneau? Thanks

Make sure you turn off your auto hold

 

[Jim Bandy]

Never go through a car wash down South. Do it all myself. When I lived in Michigan - during the winter my truck almost lived @ the car wash. Had to clean @ every opportunity I had. Michigan = "SALT"

 

[JGS]

Never go through a car wash down South. Do it all myself. When I lived in Michigan - during the winter my truck almost lived @ the car was evry opportunity I could. "SALT"

Yes up here between the salt and the anti-icing spray they put on the roads, my black truck gets white very fast. I make alot of trips through the cash wash in the winter...with my tow mirror extended...

 

[JakeFlorida]

I prefer to not use the car wash if I can avoid it. However, a truck is too big to hand wash so I started using the foam cannon with good results.

 

[Jus Cruisin]

I prefer to not use the car wash if I can avoid it. However, a truck is too big to hand wash so I started using the foam cannon with good results.

While I lived in Florida for almost 30 years, I never used an automatic car wash of any sort on anything I owned. Hand washed 100% of the time. Impossible / impractical up in Michigan. I don't like using them but they're a necessary evil. In Florida it was unusual for me to go more than a day without washing my daily driver. I won't leave the house for the day without showering and brushing my teeth, I won't drive a dirty vehicle if possible for the same reason. It's an extension of me and I hate to be seen looking like a slob.

 

[flatag]

I use an automatic car wash at the dealership about once a week. They give you free lifetime washes when you buy from them. I always fold in the mirrors and I have a stubby antenna. I do have a bed cover and it causes no problems

 

[Whoosh]

I take my truck through the wash all the time especially to get the salt off in the winter. It is a touchless wash with underspray and works great. I always leave my power trailer mirrors out and put down my power running boards manually to get them cleaned off. I have a trifold cover and some times a little water will leak in but nothing serious. I have been taking them through for years and never had an issue

To piggy back on JGS' reply, the carwash that I use is not touchless, I don't remove the stock antenna, the porters fold the mirrors in before they put it through and my Xtang full tilt tonneau keeps my tools dry during the weekly trip to the carwash as well as the wash machine at the dealer

 

[Knickell]

Since moving to Michigan from Florida, I've had to use drive through car washes for nearly 5 months a year. I'm not crazy about the touchless type. I think they are harder on paint because of the soaps/cleaners they use have to be more caustic and the pressures are higher. I use a brush/flap type that literally slathers the truck with soap before anything touches it. Yes, I had to take the Porter Cable to my Ram last year and I fully expect to use it on the F150, even though it'll just be 2 months of auto washes. I did get a short antenna so that I didn't have to remember to remove the long factory one.

I’ve seen the Porter Cable referred to a few times on here for washing. What is it, and what does it do?

 

[Whoosh]

I’ve seen the Porter Cable referred to a few times on here for washing. What is it, and what does it do?

A random action, orbital buffer
https://www.portercable.com/product...in-variablespeed-random-orbit-polisher/7424xp

 

[Whoosh]

How are you sealing the 2 gaps the tail step leaves? I have ideas but may just leave it

I use armorcell foam tape (I use it for work but I'm sure you can find it at the big box stores) under the edges of the tailgate step, and extang tailgate seal on the bottom of the tailgate and cut off pieces of the seal in the gap where the gate meets the body and the tonneau .
https://www.armacell.us/products/armaflexinsulationtape/
https://extang.com/maxseal-tailgate-seal

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