Motorhome Cleaning - Who does it?

[Barry-QDCC]

I did a search here on MB and was a tad surprised to not really find any info out about cleaning motorhomes.

I've cleaned a few over the years so I have a bit of experience. Enough to know that there is a lot of nooks and crannies that equipment is hard to get into to clean.

My inlaws have a RV and they and a lot of their friends are constantly calling me to clean. So I need a bit of help on the pricing end of things.

Do you price by the size/length of the motorhome?

Do you just figure it'll basically take an hour to do whatever and so you just have a basic charge of whatever you want to make for an hour of your time? Do you think an hour is enough?

Any other comments/questions answered will be GREATLY appreciated!

 

[Jim Martin]

I used to do a bunch of them...even bought a 3 foot wand from Greenie way back when just for motor homes...but the place I was doing them at packed up and moved out of state...now I do about 3 or 4 a month.....

I can normally do one...in about an hour..that's all the detail work up around the seats and everything...I have a flat rate that I charge just for the carpet...and UPH is extra........

 

[Barry-QDCC]

Thanks Jim, I was thinking about doing the same thing you do. A minimum for the carpet cleaning, based on 1 hour for most RV and the another minimum if they want upholstery done, again based on time usage.

I guess with more experience it gets easier estimating time needed.

 

[Buck1955]

I've cleaned several for race teams here, most now just have carpet in the bedroom. Use the upholstery tool in real tight spaces. Even did a water damage on Penske's one May. Just bill by the time

 

[hogjowl]

I have a local RV repair place that won't stop calling me .

I hate cleaning motor homes!

 

[Shorty]

$Marty, have you tried raising your prices since 1970 ??

This generally stops them cold.

 

[Scott S.]

ive cleaned a few. most I charge $175 for whole thing. but I can do the whole thing in about an hour and a half. upsell carpet protectant, they always get dirtier than houses.
must have upholstery tool for them, and have them run ac while you clean or you will have a heat stroke.

 

[BradFenstermaker]

I do several a yr. we let them know the minimum charge and anything beyond that is priced by time.

We are RV's so We can estimate a pretty accurate price.

Some are lightly soiled and some are trashed. So time is the only way to go.

Not to mention some are plugged in and it's a sweat box.

 

[Barry-QDCC]

ive cleaned a few. most I charge $175 for whole thing. but I can do the whole thing in about an hour and a half. upsell carpet protectant, they always get dirtier than houses.
must have upholstery tool for them, and have them run ac while you clean or you will have a heat stroke.

Is that $175 just for the carpeted areas or do you also do some upholstery cleaning too?

 

[Barry-QDCC]

I do several a yr. we let them know the minimum charge and anything beyond that is priced by time.

We are RV's so We can estimate a pretty accurate price.

Some are lightly soiled and some are trashed. So time is the only way to go.

Not to mention some are plugged in and it's a sweat box.

Is your minimum just for the carpeted areas?

 

[Scott S.]

Usually that's whole thing. But really it's priced by time involved. $100+ per he.

 

[BradFenstermaker]

Our minimum is for anything I can do in an hour.

Small 1 rm carpet and love seat may fall into my min charge.

Basically charge for your time. Min + 1/2 hr or whatever time it takes.

The bigger and nicer the more I charge. Mahogoney trim is slower to work around. Verses the run of the mill Travel Trailer.

 

[Barry-QDCC]

Our minimum is for anything I can do in an hour.

Small 1 rm carpet and love seat may fall into my min charge.

Basically charge for your time. Min + 1/2 hr or whatever time it takes.

The bigger and nicer the more I charge. Mahogoney trim is slower to work around. Verses the run of the mill Travel Trailer.

That's advice that is good to remember. Pricing isn't always about the size of that you're doing, it can be about all the restrictions/obstacles to overcome too. Thanks!

 

[Desk Jockey]

We clean 6-8 a year, actually we should probably market them. They are much easier to clean than auto interiors. Hot, but at least most of it is standing up work and fewer of them have carpet up from by the driver and passengers feet. Upholstery is easy stuff too but it can add up if the bed has cushions, dinette and a loveseat, divan. Some of the cushions are only one sided.

We charge $150.00 for carpet and the upholstery can easily be another $100.00-$150.00.

 

[BradFenstermaker]

Barry always be on your toes also. I try to clean them slow and steady. LOL

Never in a rush! Most will pay your rate. If not I won't clean it!

You can't buy wall board and trim at the hardware store either.

Your welcome!

 

[Barry-QDCC]

To be honest.... The reason why I asked this question is due to a conversation I was having with my wife last week. I have a RE license and it's up for renewal later this year. I only did RE for a little bit 3 years ago for a short time after I closed down my CC company back in 2008. I never sold a property and I didn't really enjoy the work.

That's why I'm back in the CC biz, but now as a one man band. So as the retirement years get closer and closer I know I need something to do and while RE might be physically easier to do in my later years I'm not digging the idea of doing that. So as we debated our future retirement and whether I should renew the RE license a "brainstorm" hit me. (or maybe it was a brain fart?) We talked before about buying an RV and doing some traveling. I GOT IT!! As we travel around and camp, I'll clean the carpets/upholstery for someone in the camp and make a couple hundred whenever I feel like it. (That's the brain fart part!)

It sounds like a workable plan at least for now.

 

[Desk Jockey]

That sounds like a great plan.

Especially if you have a compelling offer for them, I bet you might even get more work than you'd want.

 

[Barry-QDCC]

That sounds like a great plan.

Especially if you have a compelling offer for them, I bet you might even get more work than you'd want.

My mother-in-law and her husband spend probably 5-6 months a year traveling around avoiding their home in Idaho during the cold months. They've spent a lot of time in Quarzite AZ. Have you ever seen that place during the winter months? Thousands of Snow birds show up and live there during the winter. There is A LOT of "home grown" business transactions going on between owners. I think you are right about having more than I want of work to do.

 

[GCCLee]

Twice a year the guys bring a Herd of these to our Rifle Range for the Tn State Match!


Not yet, but I am workin em hard this year!

 

[Buck1955]

Sounds like a plan Barry, ask em for cash only. I've seen a truckmount on a pontoon before.

 

[dgardner]

I GOT IT!! As we travel around and camp, I'll clean the carpets/upholstery for someone in the camp and make a couple hundred whenever I feel like it.

Just a heads up, a lot of places (national parks, state parks, etc.) will not allow you to operate a business in their jurisdiction without being one of their concessionaires (meaning you give them $$$ for the privilege of doing business). Something to think about.

 

[dgardner]

I did meet a guy in Las Vegas (bought something from him off Craigslist) who made his whole living off cleaning RV's and doing minor repairs on them. This was 7 or 8 years ago - he had a little open trailer with what we would now call an ETM (homemade). He lived in a pretty nice house too....