Stealth PPF - carwash?

[HokieBird7980]

I have never tried the foam cannons, so can't provide context there, but pretty much every mobile car wash/detailer I've ever seen come by someone's house to do their cars/trucks uses one, so they must be worth trying...or you can get one of the mobile detailers to come wash your truck for you as the other option (suspect that's quite expensive and more painful than hand washing!).

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[JamboF4]

I have never tried the foam cannons, so can't provide context there, but pretty much every mobile car wash/detailer I've ever seen come by someone's house to do their cars/trucks uses one, so they must be worth trying...or you can get one of the mobile detailers to come wash your truck for you as the other option (suspect that's quite expensive and more painful than hand washing!).

Oh, it’s not my truck or washing technique that’s in question..I was responding to another post
in this thread. I hand wash…period. Agree on the mobile washer-dudes…but is that for the quality of the outcome or to expedite the process? Still curious about the impact on the lawn, once the foam runs off.

 

[SwampNut]

I have to assume it would be bad for plants, but don't really know. I live in the AZ desert, so no grass and the lizards don't seem to care.

 

[bigsky]

I always microfiber hand-wash my EVs waterlessly. One bucket of water with a little bit of Opti-Coat Rinseless Car Wash solution and spray Opti-Coat Hyper Seal. The latter makes my cars more hydrophobic than anything else out there ever could.

In the end, PPF is for the discriminating buyer, which implies a little bit of extra work maintaining it.

 

[boosted20v]

Given it sounds like you are not going to do it yourself, your best bet is going to be to find a car wash that does hand washes. Not sure where you are located but they're fairly easy to find in my neck of the woods. I would absolutely not take it through an automatic car wash and by no means once that is not touchless.

 

[tjrivian]

Just wanted to post an update on my thread. I've taken the car through an automatic car wash place in SD called "Soapy Joe's" a few times. It's a traditional place, not touchless. I go for the most basic wash without any of the extra "waxes" or whatever they call them, in the hopes that that's what will keep the car looking the most matte. Comes out looking great to me the few times I've been through. I'm sure hand washing would make it look even better, but this is the right amount of $$/time I want to invest in keeping my car clean, and seems to work for ME. As always, YMMV.

 

[bigsky]

Perfectly fine if that is what you wish to do.
By any chance, when going through the carwash, do you hear the ticking peeling bomb from your PPF warning you?
For it will happen. Just a matter of when.

 

[SwampNut]

Saw my neighbor with a Model Y at the wash when I was going through. The bomb has failed for three years so for, but any day now.

 

[JamboF4]

Saw my neighbor with a Model Y at the wash when I was going through. The bomb has failed for three years so for, but any day now.

I’m sorry, what?

 

[screamace]

I don’t have a Rivian yet but I have Xpel Stealth PPF on my 2020 X5M for five years now. I have used automatic car wash all the time and the film holds up just fine. It definitely shows its age after 5 years but I still get a lot of compliments on the matte finish.

I actually do quite a bit of detailing myself on my wife’s Taycan (ceramic coated only) and I have the complete Obsessed Garage setup at home. The reason I went for full car PPF is 1) for the looks; 2) I don’t have the time to meticulously maintain two cars. IMO you don’t need to baby the PPF - it’s a sacrificial layer after all.

 

[screamace]

Oh, it’s not my truck or washing technique that’s in question..I was responding to another post
in this thread. I hand wash…period. Agree on the mobile washer-dudes…but is that for the quality of the outcome or to expedite the process? Still curious about the impact on the lawn, once the foam runs off.

The purpose of pre rinse foam is to lift and remove as much dirt as possible before contact wash, to reduce the chance of marring. Modern solutions are mostly ph neutral so I wouldn’t worry too much about runoffs unless you do multiple washes a day.

 

[bigsky]

What kind of age is your XPEL showing?
My Model S, like my MY and my R1S, has 10 mil XPEL with OptiCoat ceramic coating. 5 years in, it shows no issues other than two or three small nicks up front from road hits, expected.

I parked my MS next to another Tesla three years younger last weekend, same color. The other owner was amazed at how much shinier, brighter, and just more vivid mine look. He thought mine was a different color.

 

[bigsky]

From my vantage point, I have seen neither wear nor tear, nor peeling, nor yellowing, nor anything bad about PPF 5 years and two months in.
Exhibit A here. My 2020 Model S with XPEL 10-mil PPF and OptiCoat Pro+ ceramic coating, over 5 years later. Looking as good or actually even better (mighty shinier) than on day one when I took delivery of it.

No DIY job here, though. PPF and ceramic coating installed by professional installers with years of experience on mostly high-end motorcars. You get what you pay for applies here, indeed.

My R1S will look just as awesome 5 years from now, too.

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