Ultimate RV Spring Cleaning Checklist

Spring is here! It’s Time To Get Your RV Ready For Summer Adventures

The blossoming of spring has RVers excited about the coming travel and camping season. It’s time to start thinking about getting the RV ready for summer adventures. Spring is a perfect time to do a thorough Spring cleaning. A thorough spring cleaning not only gives your RV a fresh and clean seasonal start. It also offers the opportunity to inspect all the RV systems to ensure the coming camping season will be trouble free.

If all of this seems a little overwhelming, not to worry. The key is to stay organized and spread tasks over a few days. For example, set aside a weekend to do exterior spring cleaning jobs. The next weekend you can focus on the interior. Spring cleaning can be a family event too with older kids gaining skills as they accomplish tasks like applying dressing to tires or dusting RV furniture and cabinets indoors. This easy RV spring cleaning checklist is designed to streamline seasonal tasks to make it easy to keep track of what needs doing.

Exterior RV Spring Cleaning Tasks

1. Roof

Start by cleaning your RV Roof. That way you’ll avoid having to wash the RV sidewalls twice.

Tools and Supplies

• Nalgene gloves
• Rubber Roof Cleaning brush
• Small brush for cleaning gutters and crevices
• Hose with spray attachment
• Mild detergent based cleaner
• No-sag lap sealant (for around roof edges)
• Self-leveling sealant (for around rooftop extrusions)
• 2 caulking guns
• Mineral spirits
• Clean rags

**Always use caution going onto the roof of your RV. Wear appropriate footwear and maintain three points of contact at all times when you’re on a ladder.**

1. Inspect, reseal, and clean roof

• Inspect roof membrane and seals
  • Look for pinholes or tears in the membrane
  • Look for shrinkage or cracking in roof seals
• Seal Roof Before Washing
• If necessary, use the appropriate sealant to reseal any cracked or worn-looking seals. This is an easy job. Learn more about roof sealants and how to use them.
• Seal any pinholes and/or small tears in the roof membrane
  • Wear protective gloves
  • clean area with mineral spirits
  • Seal with self leveling lap sealant
  • Allow to cure as specified by sealant manufacturer.
• Wash the roof using a soft brush dipped in a mild detergent solution starting at the front and using the hose nozzle to rinse as you go, so that the roof doesn’t become slippery.

2. Clean Gutters

• Remove any large debris
• Gently scrub RV gutters with a small crevice brush or old toothbrush dipped in sudsy water and rinse.

3. Clean awning

• Extend awning
• Scrub the top of the awning using the soft brush used on the roof and mild detergent
• Gently scrub any mildew using 10% hydrogen peroxide or vinegar and rinse thoroughly.
• Allow to dry thoroughly before retracting

Exterior Walls

Now it’s time to inspect, reseal and wash your RV sidewalls. At the end, use an RV specific wax to help protect your RV’s glossy exterior.

Tools

• Gloves
• Flexible silicone sealant
• Mineral spirits
• Caulking gun
• Clean, soft rags
• RV wash or Waterless wax kit
• Soft brush or mop on an extending pole.
• RV wax
• Hose and spray nozzle for cleaning

1. Inspect seals around windows, door and siding

• Inspect seals around joints, windows, and doors
  • look for cracking, gaps or sealant shrinkage
• Reseal with silicone sealant
  • Dampen a rag with mineral spirits and clean area you’re going to seal thoroughly with a soft cloth dampened with mineral spirits.
  • Seal affected areas with a 1/8 inch bead of flexible sealant, working in sections
  • Wipe gloved finger on cloth dampened in mineral spirits and gently smooth the joint.
  • Allow to cure as specified by sealant manufacturer.

2. Wash and wax RV sidewalls

Washing and waxing the sidewalls of your RV is possibly one of the most satisfying and rewarding jobs when it comes to RV spring cleaning. In order to preserve your RV’s glossy finish, always wash with an RV wash and avoid using dish detergent or car wash products on your RV. Finishing with a UV resistant wax will help preserve and protect your RV’s exterior finish.

Pro-tip: Many RV enthusiasts swear by the Aero Cosmetics Waterless RV Wash and Wax System. It’s a kit that allows you to wash and polish exterior RV sidewalls without the hassle of washing, rinsing, drying and waxing. It can be a real timesaver, especially on a large RV.

3. Slideout maintenance

• Dress all slideout seals with foaming RV slide out seal dressing
• Lubricate slideout mechanism with silicone lubricant. SIlicone doesn’t attract dust and dirt, unlike oil-based lubricants.

4. Basement storage door maintenance

• Lubricate hinges and locks with silicone based lubricant
• Dress the rubber seals with silicone based dressing to keep them supple.

5. Lubricate entry steps door locks and hinges

• Lubricate movable parts of entry steps with a silicone lubricant
• Lubricate entry door hinges with silicone lubricant
• Keep locks functioning well by spraying with silicone lubricant

6. Wash windows

Use glass cleaner and paper towels to make windows sparkle.

7. Inspect and clean up house battery terminals

• Inspect the terminals on your house batteries for corrosion
• Clean corrosion with baking soda and a wire brush
• Apply dielectric grease to terminals to prevent corrosion

8. Wheels and tires

RV wheels and tires need a little attention, too. Spring is a good time give them a thorough cleaning with sudsy water. Using a UV-resistant tire dressing will help give a well polished look while helping your RV tires to last just a little longer.

Spring Cleaning for the RV Interior

1. De-winterize RV plumbing

• Drain and flush all RV antifreeze from the RV plumbing system
• Return bypass valve to original position

2. Inspect RV cabinet interiors

Inspect for signs of rodents and/or other pests who may have squatted in your RV cabinets over the winter.

3. Vacuum furnace ducts

Vacuum all dust and debris from furnace ducts

4. Wash or replace air conditioner filters

5. Sanitize and flush RV freshwater tank

Fill your water tank and add a cup of bleach per 50 gallons of water. Allow to sit 8-12 hours. Drain and thoroughly flush freshwater tank.

5. Wash windows

6. Clean and polish cabinet doors

7. Vacuum and wash floors

Final Thoughts About RV Spring Cleaning

Spring cleaning is a great time to inspect your RV so you can take care of little problems before they turn into big problems. Spring cleaning requires doing numerous small jobs, but if you aim to do them systematically over a few weekends, it spring cleaning can be satisfying, with the reward of having a problem-free RV you can be proud of.

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