Van Scrub in between passing showers

[SternWake]

Our first 'Winter type' storm has made it to San Diego.

Generally these are the tailing edges of cold fronts that might, or might not make it this far south with their moisture intact.

If they do make it here, there is usually a Line of solid, light to moderate rain for about 45 minutes as the front passes, then the next day or two there are scattered showers following the front.  Very small little patches  of thundershowers move in from the NW.  Can be a full on rain event and a sunny 2 miles away.  

They show up nicely on radar.

So Tonight, I check, there's a cell coming, looks good for my location.  I bust out the sponge and the gas station type of window washer, but on an 9 foot extendable pole.

For the first time in like 7 months I am wearing pants, not shorts, and my shrunken black wool watch cap, and I figure I'll just soak up some  weather energy outside, but right after the main downburst.  I do the quick pole scrubbie squeegee thing over my roof and sides and watch the black water recede from  white paint on the backstroke, and another stronger downburst drives me back inside.

It has been far too long since I washed the Van, and it is dirty.  I was able so see some streaks were resisting the gas station windshield squeegee, and out comes the  dollar store carwash sponge and some dawn dishsoap, but check the radar first to see if there are any more orange marshmellows tinged with green heading my way.  I want to soap up the strategic areas right before a good downpour, So I wait a bit for the blob to get closer.
Some lightning, mild thunder and i decide it is finally time to defrost my fridge as I let the ice build up to intolerable levels.

A while passes, and out comes the soapy sponge to get into the roof gutters and all the tight spots the squeegee/ sponge cannot. then another good downpour drives me inside.

Now it's time to do the rims and tires.  Hope another green tinged yellow orange and red blob is on its way for the rinse cycle.

 

[janncoo]

First I was smiling, then I was laughing. Sterwake, thanks for a great start to my day!  Jan

 

[LeeRevell]

Same kind of rain we get here in sunny Florida.  Short showers, and sometimes we can see the line of falling water as it moves down the road.  It can literally rain on one side of a highway and be bone dry on the other.  Weird.  I live about ten miles from my Mom.  Sometimes I can get a real "frog strangler" of a rain storm, while she gets nada, or vice versa.  And the online "Weather_dot_com" lies to us.
I too have washed a vehicle in the rain a time or three.  Helps prevent the soap drying too quickly on the body.

 

[dhawktx]

Several years ago there was a video posted where folks made fun of a latino guy washing his car in the rain. At the time I thought he was brilliant for getting a free car wash out of the storm. Still think it's brill!

 

[MikeRuth]

I did the same yesterday in the valley north of Los Angeles, we had a pretty good down pour for about an hour. After it cleared up and got sunny, went out and washed down the van and my car with the water left on them. Love taking advantage of Mother Nature when I can.

 

[LeeRevell]

Several years ago there was a video posted where folks made fun of a latino guy washing his car in the rain. At the time I thought he was brilliant for getting a free car wash out of the storm. Still think it's brill!

Last week I spent eight bucks in quarters at the self serve car wash....     :-/

Vans take more washing than cars.

 

[akrvbob]

What is this "washing your van" that you speak of? I'm not familiar with that concept.

Are you saying your vans don't look like this?

Bob

 

[msbarth]

Sometimes mine looks worse than yours! But it gets me there and back home,

 

[masterplumber]

I often wash my KLR in the rain, by going faster! ; )

 

[LeeRevell]

Haha......    One time at a DS Rally in a motorcycle-only campground, we KLR and DS guys left our bikes out in the rain.  The other group there had Hardleys, Goldblings and other fancy chrome-dripping road bikes.  They were scrambling to get their fancy rigs under shelter!  We just let Mother Nature wash our bikes. 
Even the small hail later didn't bother us.

The only chrome on a KLR is the mounting for the foot pegs......

 

[Patrick46]

I've only washed my chopper twice in the past 5 years...and that was because I was going to perform major surgery on it. (not much fun working in grease all the way up to your elbows!!)

My riding pardner leaves his bike outside his house. (We live on the coast, where it rains salt water!!)