How often do you need to wash your Runner?

More like 2-3 months in the Southeast

 

I used to live in Yuma, Az. It's tucked down in that little corner where California, Arizona, and Mexico all meet. You go west to Mexico, North to California. Go figure. I lived within 1/4 mile of the Mexican border, maybe 1/2 mile to Cali.
Anywho, that method of washing wouldn't work in Yuma. Unless you can take washing once or twice a year. It don't rain much there. Normal max, about 3" per year. It all falls in one or two rainstorms a year. Often, thunderstorms during monsoon season. Still not a lot of rain! Almost always nice and warm, too. The kids loved it when it rained in Yuma. Strip down to a bathing suit, and it's PLAY TIME!
Not only that, it's a dusty place. All the time. The dust gets into everything. EVERYthing. Cars, engines, fuel tanks, houses, you name it. It gets dusty.
Relying on the rain is a bad system when you live in Yuma!

I wash my 4Runners when they get dusty, now that I'm in Oregon. I live on a dirt road, about 1/2 mile from the pavement, so just going in or out gets a layer of dust on the truck. Thankfully, it actually rains a bit more here, too. Saves a lot of washing. I actually do wash my trucks here, though. Maybe once a month? Maybe a little less, but not much less.
I read someplace on the net, in one of those "nifty hacks for your..." places, that hair conditioner, just like what my wife uses, will take the place of a wax job. Cut it way down with water, they said. I'll let ya know how it works after I give it a try next wash. It's due to rain tonight, tomorrow, and Sunday. Maybe I'll condition my truck once it gets done

Have fun, all!
Pat☺

 

If you happen to be interested(all of SoCal & from the S/Sea to Phoenix should be, if they're not currently) and have the time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rE_t9vFxH4c

 

Car wash? I don't do no stinkin car wash... that carwash place does it.

 

I remember my folks taking me there when I was a really young lad (we lived in La Jolla at the time). It's very sad to see what's happened to it since. A few years back 60 Minutes did a feature on it. They also did a feature on Glamis and the dangers of the now defunct 3-wheeler..

 

Three wheelers were insane. Then to add to that insanity there were guys like my BIL who hung 250cc engines in them.

 

I know, right? I was a seasoned dirt biker when one of my buddies insisted I try out his 3 wheeler - jumped on it and immediately engaged about a 6" berm and was instantly on my backside. I gave him the "thanks but no thanks" - got back on my TT500 and drove off somewhat humiliated...

 

The Spyder three wheeler rides much the same. Once you're used to it and if you posses the skill? It takes a very skilled 2 wheeler rider to drop you in twisties.

 

I go through Terribles drive through car wash about once a month. Amazing that I’m on original paint after 30 years and she can still look pretty good cleaned up .

 

damn.....call Batman!

 

The Salton Sea is a big deal to LA ......their water supply depended on it for years, but now it's a HOT mess.
I've seen a lot of documentaries about the people that bought waterfront property with boat launches, now they live in a desert.

 

If you're on either side of the Salton Sea, and look roughly due east, up in the sky you should be able to see the Aerostat, a 71 meter long balloon that floats up in the sky, tethered to the ground.
Anywho, when I worked on it, we were out looking for places to put some reference beacons, to keep the radar on it oriented correctly. Myself and one of the guys that worked for me. I was the lead e-tech on the balloon. We stopped on the west side of the Sea, at the restaurant/motel that was (is?) still there. We wanted to grab some chow, and see if it was a good place for a beacon. We had a welder in the bed of our truck, for power, and a beacon unit. We fired up the system, and my assistant waved the antenna around to see if the balloon could "see" it on their radar. We had a cell phone in the truck. This was in the days before they were so universal. It was a big box. Huge. Those days. We both were wearing US Government badges. just ID required on the site.
After we got done, and shut it all down, we went in to get our food. The locals were whispering up a storm all around us, trying to figure out what we were doing. My assistant, being as much of a smart-alek as I am, went up to pay, and the waitress asked him flat out what we were doing. With a straight face, he looked her right in the eyes and told her we were looking for UFOs, then we left for the next possible site.

I understand the story of a couple of government agents looking for UFOs made the rounds in that little town, or what was left of it, anyway, for a long time. We still laugh about it to this day.

Sorry, I just had to mention this story. It was just so funny the way they were all so serious...
Pat☺