5 Steps on RV Roof Maintenance

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Give your RV Roof some Lovin'!

For many of us, we get lazy at maintaining our cars let alone a huge RV. Sometimes the only thing holding us back is an unclear idea of the work ahead. Well, I hope to give you some inspiration and take the guess work out of maintaining your RV Roof.

1. First, give your whole RV a nice wash:

 A lamb hair cloth/glove works well. You will also need an extending cleaning brush to reach the unreachable areas. (You can find these at any hardware store). For RV Wash, I like to use the Thetford RVWash and Wax. It removes black streaks, dried bugs, bird droppings, dirt and road film. It’s just a good all-around cleaner. It takes a little time to clean a large RV, but remember you’re loving on your RV right now. If you are too busy or just cannot get yourself settled on the task, you can always bring your RV to a local RV Dealer or Service shop. They will charge you roughly $7.5 a lineal foot. (For a 31ft Motor home your total will be roughly $235). Yes it is a cost but understand that routine care and inspection will save you a lot more money in the long run.

2. Next, clean the Roof Sealant: 

You will need Gloves (Nitrile gloves will do), mineral spirits, a rag and a toothbrush. Pick the back or the front and slowly move from one end to the other (I like using a left to right pattern to carefully reach every inch of the roof). You will see black or green grime on the sealant and in crevasses. You will want to remove all of that or as much as possible. Mineral spirits can be used directly on the sealant. The toothbrush will help with smaller spaces and hard to reach areas). You want to carefully get every space on the roof clean.

3. Investigate your Roof Sealant:

Now that the roof is clean and dry, inspect your RV roof thoroughly; start from either the back or the front and slowly move to the other end of the RV taking care to inspect every inch of the Roof (Like I said before, I like to move in a left to right pattern). It’s always good to bring a marker with you so you can mark any smaller cracks that are not as noticeable but need to be dealt with. Keep an eye on attachments. Anything protruding out of the roof or attaching to the roof you want to inspect thoroughly.

4. I see cracks! 

If there are cracks. You can seal it yourself or take it to your local Service Shop.

5. Get it Covered!

 If your RV is stored outside, get a really good RV cover. This will help protect it from the heat which can cause cracking in your sealant and moisture which can seep into your RV walls and roof. A good brand is ADCO Aquashed.

Author: R.C. Norman