Doing my first truck

[SpoolMe]

Doing my first truck soon... i have a few weeks to prepare.

So far i only do small cars, so this may be a world of difference. Any advice, tips or info you can supply would be great.

My biggest worry is the chrome, and the bed of the truck. Never worked on either of those materials... Also, this will be the first vehicle i cant reach over.




Restocking my supplies soon so if you think i need anything special for the outside, let me know!

[JGdetailing]

I did some trucks before. If your gonna be working with chrome I would make sure u get some chrome cleaner/polisher. What does the bed of the truck have? A bed liner. If so I wouldnt use any silicone on it.

[Bruce Devilbiss]

Re: Doing my first truck

Just wash the truck bed and nothing more. Wax will make the paint slippery and If it has a liner ( like mine) any type of dressing will also make it slippery.
I just use APC and a good brush to clean mine.

[wifpd4]

Re: Doing my first truck

This will sound simple, but you need the truck on a slight slope to drain out the bed. I use a piece of carpet scrap to stand on while staring in the bed working on the roof of the cab. If an extended cab or four door, you may need a ladder to reach all of the roof. If a tall truck, the windshield will be difficult to reach too.

Agree with the other comments, don't using anything to make the bed or the step rails, if it has them, slippery. Remember all that chrome may not be metal, but chromed plastic. It scratches easily. When waxing the door jambs, don't forget the edges of the tailgate.

If the bedliner, if it has one, overlaps the edges of the truck bed, be careful not get your compound or wax on the textured surface, very hard to remove.

Be sure to tape off the decals on the fenders, scratch easily. Also watch for paint protective film. Newer vehicles have it factory applied near wheel wells or rocker panels to protect from rock chips.

If you dress the tires, they are often big and knobby, so you'll need extra product and time. A few different sizes of foam brushes from a paint store makes working dressing into the recesses easier, if you use a liquid dressing. Spray dressing is easiest.

You'll need some brushes to clean the tires and the wheel wells. And another set to clean the rims, be careful of chrome rims. So many varieties of finishes, some scratch easily.