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Annual RV Maintenance & Spring Cleaning

Annual RV Maintenance & Spring Cleaning

When you’re full-time RVing in many different locations, the seasons often get confused, especially when you’re a snowbird. But somehow it just seems wrong to do Spring Cleaning at any other time of the year than Spring.

Taking good care of our RV, both mechanically and cosmetically, involves a long “honey do” list. Even though we take our rig into some pretty remote spots, we try to keep it looking good all year.

But there’s always something special about that deep cleaning we do once each year that makes the rig feel new again. And what better time to hit all the required maintenance and service items on the list than when we’re cleaning… in the Spring.

This video summarizes all of the service items we address each year, although not every item on our checklist is due annually.  If you’d like to see a detailed tutorial video about any specific task, we’re including a link below to our “Previous Related Videos,” each of which covers one topic in detail.


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Dave

Sunday 24th of February 2019

Wondered what you use in your pressure washer to clean your rv.

TheRVgeeks

Sunday 24th of February 2019

Hi Dave. We don't actually put any cleaning fluid in our pressure washer when we wash the RV... we just use it to wet and rinse. We wash the motorhome using a bucket of water and car wash (usually whatever we can get at Costco) and a soft-bristle brush on a pole.

Dan

Tuesday 27th of February 2018

Have you ever considered using a Cleaner Wax product for cleaning and waxing the RV. I have found some links on the web which recommend a cleaner wax product to address the oxidation that can occur on gel coats while I wondered if you had any experience or comment on this approach.

Thank you,

Dan

TheRVgeeks

Tuesday 27th of February 2018

Our paint has never oxidized, so never needed a cleaner/wax. The older the finish gets, the more likely it will need that type of product.

Dan

Tuesday 27th of February 2018

Hi, You recommend a good quality wax for you painted RV. My 5th wheel has a gel coat finish. DO hyou think I should use a wax that is specifically for a gel coat finish? Thank you in advance for your input.

Dan

TheRVgeeks

Tuesday 27th of February 2018

Hi Dan! Our RV is fiberglass too, but painted with an automotive paint, exactly like a car. If you have that type of high-end painted surface on top of the fiberglass, you can use the same type of high-end wax we do (and even if your RV isn't painted, you should consider using this AMAZING Meguiar's wax on your car! You can get it here: http://amzn.to/2EYZxHO. If you DON'T have an automotive painted finish, and the surface is more like a fiberglass boat (less shiny, and not usually painted), you'll want to use something designed specifically for waxing fiberglass, like a good boat wax. Boat products are generally more expensive though. Sorry we're not experts on bare fiberglass sidewalls, as we haven't had an RV with them in 13 years. However we do love and Meguiar's products, so something like this might do the trick, especially if your RV isn't brand new, and the surface could use a light cleaning when being waxed: http://amzn.to/2FB2sHG Hope this helps!

Ron G.

Sunday 21st of January 2018

Hi Guys, In looking at your maintenance videos, I was looking for some advice about restoring the exterior finish of the RV. We purchased an older model; the interior was in great shape, but it looks like the exterior never saw a coat of wax. The decals are all faded and cracked. Is there a way to restore them; or remove them without harming the underlying paint job? Any suggestions? As always, thank you for your great information. -Ron

TheRVgeeks

Sunday 21st of January 2018

Hi Ron! Faded and cracked decals may be best removed entirely, with some gentle help from a hair dryer. Our friend Brian, of RV With Tito, recently made a video about that: http://www.rvwithtito.com/articles/how-remove-rv-decals

Whether your rig is bare fiberglass, or painted, like ours, we'd suggest that you start by looking into commercially available finish restoring products available at every auto parts store and in the auto section at Wal-Mart. Having an automotive-type paint job, we always look to high-end automotive paint care products from companies like Meguiar's. If you have unpainted fiberglass, we'd suggest visiting a marine store, since the finish is very much like a boat.

Either way, always try the most gentle product first, and then get more aggressive if needed. It sounds like your finish may be bad enough that you should consider some input/opinions from professionals. A good body shop knows how to deal with old paintwork better than anyone. A non-professional can only go so far to try to rejuvenate old paint, and then the skills of a good paint person with a wheel, and the professional-grade restoration products and knowledge of how to use them might be in order.

If you want to try to restore the finish yourself, be sure you research products and techniques thoroughly. That's especially true if your finish is bad enough to need a wheel put to it. An amateur can easily burn the paint by using the wrong technique with a wheel. Orbital buffers are safer for non-pros, since its a lot harder to harm the finish with one of those. If the finish is so bad that you can't make a difference in it on your own, don't get discouraged. It's amazing what a professional paint shop can do to restore an old faded finish. And that route is still a LOT cheaper than a new paint job.

Elizabeth

Friday 23rd of June 2017

Oppps! Sorry forgot the link

https://www.protectall.com

TheRVgeeks

Friday 23rd of June 2017

Hi Elizabeth,

Thanks for your kind words! We haven't ever used Protectall (we use Aerospace 303 instead, which is similar, though not exactly the same). We have some friends who have used Protectall and seem to like it, though.

Sorry we don't have more advice on it.

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PLEASE NOTE: We're handy RVers, not professional technicians. We're happy with the techniques and products we use, but be sure to confirm that all methods and materials you use are compatible with your equipment and abilities. Regardless of what we recommend, consult a professional if you're unsure about working on your RV. Any task you perform or product you purchase based on any information we provide is strictly at your own risk.

We participate in affiliate programs from many companies (including the Amazon affiliate program), which provides a means for us to earn a small commission by linking to products there. But our opinions are our own and we only link to products we can recommend to friends with complete confidence. And using our links won't cost you an extra penny!