Maintaining the Exterior of Your RV

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Making sure your RV is full functioning and ready for each new adventure is going to be a key part in extending its lifespan, even if you don’t use it until it falls apart. You should expect to perform thorough maintenance checks and basic repairs and take preventative measures as a necessary part of being an RV owner. And where better to start than with the exterior of the rig? Lone Star RV has provided some basic tips for taking care of the outside of your RV so you can have a nice, strong frame protecting you and your family from the elements during times when you’re trying to relax. If you spot a repair that’s a bit out of your league or something you don’t have the tools to fix, contact our service department in Houston, Texas, near Beaumont and League City.

Washing your RV

The most basic, easiest preventative measure you can take is keeping the exterior of your RV clean. This isn’t just about making your rig look nice when you’re passing through campgrounds. Grime and dirt buildup can wear away at your trailer and pose a risk to some of the more vulnerable areas like seals and slides. You’ll want to regularly wash your RV, at least once before and after storage and before and after every trip.

RV washing is similar to vehicle washing, but make sure you’re using products that won’t damage the finishings on your RV. A gentle detergent should work just fine, but double check your owner’s manual to be sure. Also use soft brushes and rags, and we also recommend a brush with a telescoping handle to clean the spots out of arm’s reach. Power washers are a helpful tool, but you want to avoid leaving the stream in one spot for too long or standing too close, as this can peel paint and finishings.

Sealants

When everything’s nice and clean, do a once over of all your seals. Seals are put in place to close up the areas where the manufacturer had to make a cut in the frame, like a window or door or slide-out. One tear or hole in your seals and you’ll have a damaging leak on your hands. Apply seal conditioner to keep them from drying out and cracking. As you’re doing so, feel around for any problem areas that might have occured naturally over time. Catching an issue early is the key to preventing other problems, like water damage, and this way it might be covered under any warranties you still have.

Lubrication

Also take some time to lubricate all moving parts, especially slide-outs. Slide-outs can be incredibly expensive to repair so you don’t want to let the track get too dry and start scraping against each other. Use dry spray lubricant and cover the bars and tracks. There’s no need to clean them first, as the new lubricant will do that for you.

Coverage

One final important preventative measure you can take is to keep your RV covered when you’re not using it. The exterior, and the roof in particular, can take quite the beating from mother nature. It’s an inevitable hazard when you’re out camping, and the rig will endure most of it, but over time it’ll wear down faster if it’s exposed 24/7. You’ll want to keep the rig covered, ideally with a sturdy roof like in a barn or garage. You can also look into storage units, but at the very least you’ll want to cover it with either a specially made RV cover or tarp when it’s not in use.

This is all the regular maintenance you should personally be keeping up on, especially as you get ready to store your RV for the winter (if that’s your plan). But we know that you can’t solve every issue you run into. If you need a trained technician to assist you or repair a more complicated problem, talk to Lone Star RV and we’ll help you with all your RV-related needs. We proudly serve Houston, Beaumont, and League City, TX.