After so much traveling, your RV may be looking a little worse for wear. A clean camper is not just nicer to look at and ride in; it’s also easier to maintain, since you can more easily see problems when there isn’t a lot of grime covering them up.
Below, you’ll find a cleaning guide to help you wash and scrub the exterior of your RV to get it shiny and ready for storage or travel.
1. Get Ready & Gather Supplies
Park your RV on a flat surface with good drainage, such as a gravel or concrete driveway. Don’t try to wash your camper in the backyard as the soap and debris could damage or kill your grass.
Go through your house or garage to gather up all the supplies you’ll need to thoroughly clean the outside of your RV. These supplies should include:
- A source of fresh water (a garden hose or pressure washer will do fine)
- Soap (car-wash soap will work)
- A few large buckets for soapy water
- A long-handled telescoping brush to get to those high-up places
- Hard-bristle brushes for detail work
- Sponges for smaller areas
- Glass-cleaning wipes
- Wax or polish
- Large, flat sponge to apply polish
2. Wash Your Roof
Begin your cleaning process with the roof because all the grime from it will cascade down the sides and you don’t want to ruin your hard work by cleaning those first. If you can walk on the roof, you’ll want to have a spotter down below who can keep an eye on you and help you get up and down the ladder with the tools you need.
Clean the roof in a grid section by section with the proper cleaner for the type of roof it is, rubber or fiberglass. Rubber merits a bit more careful attention and the use of special products. Give the entire roof a thorough rinse before you climb down.
3. Scrub the Sides
Now you can move on to the sides of your RV. Begin at the top and clean from top to bottom in vertical columns using your telescoping brush and a bucket of soapy water that you change out as it gets dirty. Use the pressure washer to rinse off the soap promptly and give the whole vehicle another rinse when you’re done scrubbing.
4. Detailing Touches
Going over a few spots on your RV can really give it that fresh-from-the-factory look. Use your hard-bristle brush to scrub any areas that were harder to get clean with the first pass. A tire shine applied to your wheels will make them gleam black in the sunshine. Use a glass cleaner and paper towels to clean your windows and windshield on the inside and outside to remove water spots and other debris for improved visibility.
5. Apply Wax or Polish
Finally, it’s time to apply your wax or polish to keep your camper cleaner and looking good as new. Make sure the outside is completely dry and cool so that the wax doesn’t dry out and try to avoid applying wax in direct sunlight. A large sponge dampened with liquid wax can be applied in large circles over your camper, and it will look hazy at first until you polish it with a rag into a shine. Once you’re done, you can stand back and admire your handiwork!
For more information or to explore RVs for sale, visit Pete’s RV Center. We are a dealership located in Schereville, Indiana.
