Yes Spring is here and I have a whole weekend of Spring Maintenance to do! Maintenance is so important to ensure your huge invest in your camper is protected! So today, we will be talking about washing your camper.
Tools for the job:
- You will need a good RV wash that is labeled safe for gelcoat. I suggest Meguiar’s M4360 RV/Boat Wash.
- Dawn dish soap for the roof
- Good microfiber car mop on a pole (Who wants to have to get up and down off a ladder right?!)
- Water access
- Soft bristle brush
- Bucket
First the roof!
You will see many campers with the black streaking coming down the sides. The main cause of this is run off from a dirty roof when it rains. I highly suggest doing this first so your hard work is not quickly ruined. Many people use different cleaning products labeled for RV roofs, but I have found Dawn dish soap works great and safe on all the roofing materials. Finally I recommend hand washing it with the soft bristle brush and NOT using a power washer. The high pressure water can damage the Dicors sealant on your roof. Finally rise it completely off when you are done.
Roof Protectant
This would also be a good time to spray the roof down with an UV Protectant. This done regularly will extend the life of your roof which are $1000’s to replace. There are many products available but the biggest thing is to make sure they are labeled for your type of roof. I personally love Aerospace 303 protectant which is safe on all RV roofs and it has amazing reviews! Once the roof is pretty dry I mist it with the protectant and wipe down. Now our roof is not only clean but usable life shall be extended with regular UV treatments.
Side of the RV
First thing you are going to want to do is a good rinse down to get loose dirt and wet down the surface. You want to do a selection at a time so the soap you are mopping on does not dry before you can rise it off as that makes it less effective. Than apply the RV wash of your choice following the instructions carefully. I do NOT recommend a power washer unless you are extremely careful. Again like the roof, it is easy to damage sealant, decals, and accidently spray water into vents. Personally I use a Microfiber car mop so I can give a good scrubbing being careful of the gel coat. Then of course rise the RV off but just with a water hose.
Now the most important step which is stand back and admire your beautiful RV! Nothing is like your RV looking brand new all washed up. But it isn’t all about looks! Whether your rig’s siding is aluminum, fiberglass, or painted, regular cleaning is extremely important to the longevity of the finish.
Washing General Tips:
- DO NOT use a power washer as it can create more problems
- Do one selection at a time
- ONLY use products labeled for the surfaces like fiberglass and/or roof
- If you have really stuck on bugs on the front cap, use Drier Sheets that are slightly damp. They are great for scrubbing the really stuck on bugs.
- You have gotten a lot done today but Spring is also a great time to hand wax your RV.
Other recommended maintenance tasks:
- Checking all seams on the roof to re-chalk.
- Checking all the items on the sides such as fridge vent, around doors, running lights, and etc. for re-chalking. (Check out our post on it)
- Greasing any fitting such as Suspension (Wet bolts), landing gear, and any other moving parts with proper grease or spray lubricate.
- Spraying Slide seals with conditioner/protectant. There are many different good products labeled for this but I use 303 protectant just like on the roof.