RV Detailing - Pricing for RV Detailing

RV detailing and washing pricing guide
By Renny Doyle
from Attention to Details

Read other articles in Renny's Detailing Library

As we discussed within the opening article, the RV world within the US is not simply alive and well, the market is growing at a steady rate which could be good news for a few of us detail professionals.

Let me qualify a few things about RV detailing before we dive in. RV detailing takes skill and knowledge of products and techniques. Using one incorrect product or technique can cause damage that could cost thousands to repair so this article is intended for those professionals that have the knowledge or skills needed to perform at this high level.

A caution to many:
Before we dive in, allow me to caution those reading this article. While conducting studies for this series, I was amazed at the lack of knowledge within our industry about RV detailing. While most shops showed great interest in offering services, few had the needed knowledge or experience to work on these expensive vehicles. Most had no clue on the correct products to utilize and few had any knowledge on how to price such service.

RV's have a host of sizes, styles, services needed and values that all play an active roll within the pricing structure. Knowing your business and your related cost will assure you are operating within your means and pricing a job correctly. For those that like to be the low bidder to assure you get the job�the RV industry may not be the place for you as these owners are not looking for the cheap options, these vehicles can be very valuable, many being worth well over one million dollars.

Many skilled detailer's have found out the hard way just how difficult RV detailing can be when not educated�I would highly advise anyone looking to offer these services to be very sure of there knowledge and skills before jumping into this line of service.

Pricing out Rv services
Like any vehicle we service as detail professionals, RV owners will have specific needs and desires. Some will desire a simple wash, others an interior detail, many will want you to perform a complete exterior detail while a few will desire the entire coach be decked inside and out! Size, type and value will play a huge roll in the pricing structure on RV's and having a vast knowledge of RV's will assist you greatly.

Airstreams:

A common trailer type is the Air Stream type of aluminum trailers. These owners are very faithful about the upkeep of their investment. We see many services with these units ranging from basics washes to full interior and exterior details. WARNING: This aluminum skinned RV takes special care in detailing. While many of the older units are a "polished" aluminum, the newer units are more of a machined finish that requires a special polish be used.

Prices on this type of RV are varied greatly with the wash being the only balanced item. Washing these units range from $2.00 per linier foot to $5.00 per linier foot. The shorter the unit, the higher the cost. Some of these units can be very small so at times a flat rate fee will need to be established.

Detailing the outside of these units can be very time consuming and artistic. A fully polished finish on the older units can require 50-100 man hours to complete and the owners of such collector pieces will desire a true mirror finish that is very hard to achieve and takes a true craftsman to accomplish. The price on this service can reach as high as $5,000.00 for a mid-large sized Air Stream.

Fifth Wheel
The fifth wheel trailer represents a great number of the RV's on the road today. The pull behind style can also be in a standard trailer form instead of the firth wheel style. Most commonly the owners of these types of RV's perform their own washes and will call in professionals for a full exterior detail. A full exterior detail on these units will run anywhere from $8.00 to $12.00 per linier foot depend on the condition and the location within the country. Within communities that have a healthy economy, we are seeing numbers within the $10.00- $12.00 per foot range.

Small to Mid Sized

This is a very common RV for detailing and can range from 10 feet in length to over 35 feet in length. Across the country this type of RV is very commonly detailed. Services offered vary from basic washes to full detail service.

Wash prices for these units range from $2.00 - $4.00 per linier foot. We found fixed locations that specialize in RV's and work on volume are on the cheaper side of the spectrum. Also truck washes can charge as little as $1.00 per foot but the quality is usually questionable at best.

Full exterior details on these units range from $8.00 per foot to as high as $12.00 per foot. Again we found that truck washes and RV dealerships can offer what many professional detailer's would call an "express" detail for as little as $125.00 for any size. This is usually a poor quality detail that is not much above what we offer within our wash service.

Interior details on these common RV's are basically a combination of auto detailing, aircraft detailing and the efforts of cleaning a home all combined. Many detailer organizations we have spoken with were overwhelmed at the volume on RV interiors. Many different materials are present and caution must be used on the products and materials you utilize on these interiors. Interior details on these types of RV are in the area of $5.00 - $10.00 per linier foot. In special cases where an RV is clean or very dirty, the price may change as needed. Again, we have witnessed RV interiors being cleaned for as little as $2.00 per foot but the results were armature at best.

Common Large RV

As the RV sizes grows so does the amount of work. Not only by length and square footage but by obstacles found on the surface and roof. Once we get into this size of RV, the materials can change drastically. Usually more bright work such as chrome and aluminum can be found and the number of air conditioning units and storage doors along the bottom of the RV. All of these items can slow your progress and should be considered when pricing out a unit. We have witnessed all to many detail businesses price out a RV such as this and then cut corners once they realize the amount of labor involved in correctly detailing such a vehicle.

With our talks with successful RV detailers, few if any were performing washes for less than $2.00 per foot and full exterior details on these units were hard to find for less than $10.00 per linier foot. When you add chrome or aluminum, that price climbed greatly to as high as $15.00 a foot.

High End

Now we are getting into the luxury RV's or coaches as many call them. These large land yachts can get very costly and the materials found on these RV's will start to test your abilities. Again we found that few detailers that are knowledgeable with RV's are washing these units for less than $2.00-$3.00 per foot and offering full exterior detailing for less then $10.00 - 12.00 per foot. In the event that bright work is present, that price climbs higher as the labor involved can increase by 50%!

The interiors on these coaches can start to get very elaborate and should not be attempted by those that do not have a very high skill level. Within most shops we have interviewed, most were charging in the area of $5.00 - 8.00 per foot for interior details on these coaches.

Ultra High End

More and more often, we are seeing these very high-end coaches within our shops. When you get to this level, perfection is simply a must and the skills it takes to properly detail such a vehicle are varied. As you can see in the pictures, some of these coaches have vast amounts of polished aluminum that requires the highest of skill to properly polish.

Wheels are usually a high point for these owners and will also test your skills. The time needed on such a vehicle can be tremendous. As for pricing, we determined that so few detailers understand such a level of work that few were able to properly price these beast and many undercut to simply "get the job". The folks that undercut are the same people we see cutting corners to save time and money and end up with a very dissatisfied customer. Pricing an exterior detailing on one of this large custom RV's is difficult. Again within the shops we feel are in the know, most priced washes at $3.00 per foot with all the bright work and details started at $12.00- $20.00 per linier foot depending on the condition and the required amount of work!

The interiors on these units are over-the-top! Ultra Suede silks and soft leathers everywhere. Granite counter tops and floors are common along with wool carpets and other plush amenities. One word to describe what is needed to service these extreme machines�skill!

Like the exteriors of these coaches, the interiors are difficult to price. Most we have noted are in the area of $5.00-$15.00 per linier foot depending on condition and the amount of detail the customer desires.

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