Demossing the roof

Hi fellas, I have just cleaned the top of my Rienza.   It goes absolutely green every year and I usually get up there with a mop and bucket, but it gets so slippery its a hazard to life and limb.   One of the main problems is getting past the skylight window at the back by the ladder, there is so little room and you cant put any weight on it.   Recently I am using a cloth and bucket and kneeler, it makes a spiffing job and is nowhere near so slippery.   When I had finished and took a worms eye view, I noticed the thwartship brushed alloy bars are green underneath! A job for another time.  Just wondered how others tackle the task.   I think that Autosleepers should have green roofs on their vans, it would save us a hell of a lot of work.   Jerico

With a micro cloth and bucket.

Peter

Hi jerico,

I have the good fortune to only be 60, so I still get on the roof and give it what for with a hose, soft brush and a pot scrubber. Sometimes I use Fenwicks motorhome cleaner, sometimes not.

I find my hand is the best tool for cleaning under the roof bars.

I have used step ladders on occasion to do the roof from the side, but find that slightly unstable and I can't reach the whole roof.

Luckily my wife is a few years younger so I hope eventually to get her to take over responsibility for the roof, but I may be deluding my self.


Davy

I tackle the roof on mine with this, ok it takes a couple of mins to set it up, but its well worth it as it makes the job 'almost' enjoyable   

There's actually a safety rail as well, but its not shown in this pic.

Interesting system modelman,is this your own idea or can these steps/? be purchased

The scaffold system behind the conventional step ladder can be bought online. I have a previous version which is similar but the fixings are slightly more primitive (basically just wing nuts, so harder to install/remove than the ones shown in the photo).

Here's an example, though you can get bigger and smaller versions:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/231075622619/

I have the 7m version so that I can do the upper windows and guttering at the back of the house. At that height the "flex" of an economy system feels a bit scary until you get used to it!

If I had to buy again I would be tempted to get a Youngman system, but the cost is about twice the economy ones, and I can't justify £1k for something I use once or twice a year...

Its just a cheapo work platform from E-bay that I bought to get up to the guttering to clean them out, worked out perfik for the van roof as well    
What you see in the pic is ordinary alloy steps in front of the platform behind, which incidentally, is only half-height, it goes up double that, with another section on top.
THIS is the complete unit.

Hi there,

We like to keep "Petal's" roof moss-free by taking her to a place where the sun burns it off!!        

But, should I ever decide to do more to "Petal's" roof than giving it a quick scrub with a brush dipped in Flash ……   

…..  and having seen the cost of some of the home platform systems …..   

….  I think I would buy something like this.   

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/The-Gardeno-Mobile-Work-Platform-/331068979526?_trksid=p2054897.l4275

With a maximum working height of 1.4m and a safety rail I think it would easily let me see "Petal's" roof and do the work.

Best regards,
 

Karcher and ALDI Caravan Cleaning fluid. The Karcher sucks up the fluid into the waterstream and soon takes it off in 15 minutes  

Dutto wrote:
…..  and having seen the cost of some of the home platform systems …..   

….  I think I would buy something like this.   

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/The-Gardeno-Mobile-Work-Platform-/331068979526?_trksid=p2054897.l4275

Agreed - if you want it for just the one job then something like that is ideal, but the mini-scaffold systems are much more flexible. I initially baulked at over £400, but it covered 3 jobs at significant height, none of which I wanted to do from a ladder. Paying someone to do them would have cost nearly as much, and I have garage space to store the parts (they just hang from the roof) so it made sense.

Hi Ian , i like that one you suggest. My wife is getting tired having me use her shoulders to stand on .
regards
mike

I took my winter cover off on Saturday. There was no moss on the roof! Brilliant!

Put the key in the ignition and, what a lovely feeling, first turn, and the engine fires up.

Went out for a run in the sun.

Came back in the afternoon and the weather had changed with suddenly large gusts of wind.

I didn't like being on the roof with the cover thinking that any moment I was about to be 'sailed 

away' dangling from my parachute into the skies above and over to Skegness coast.

My wife was on the ground below holding on to the ties that are fixed to the cover.

All of a sudden a huge 'gust' lifted the cover and it opened into an enormous canopy.

It then flopped back down over the whole motorhome !!!!

Hard to believe...but I swear it is true. Job Done !

There is a God. 

Cheers Ian