Owning an RV or trailer is like owning a condo or home. You must invest in maintenance, cleaning and more to keep it in the best possible shape. While it may seem like more work than fun, keeping your trailer or RV roof in good shape is something every owner should do. Let’s look at what you need to know about cleaning your RV roof, the different types of RV roofs, and a few tips and tricks to getting the job done right.
What You Need to Know About Cleaning Your RV Roof
At least twice a year, you need to clean your RV or trailer roof thoroughly. This means scrubbing the entire roof down to prevent sap build-up, mold and weather damage. Inspecting the roof for caulk issues, cracks, tears and more can also help prevent rain damage and other weather-related issues. You might not even realize the damage being caused to your roof over years of use until you look at it for yourself.
Knowing Your Roof
Depending on the RV or trailer, the roof type may vary model-to-model. Knowing what type of roof, you can help determine what you can and cannot do to clean it. This is important so that you don’t use the wrong technique when cleaning and maintaining it. Check the manufacture’s guidelines for your roof type to ensure you’re using the right products, technique, and more to avoid damaging your roof.
Cleaning Your Roof
When you’re ready to clean your RV or trailer roof, the first step should always to sweep the top of the roof with a broom. This gets all the easy stuff off the roof so that you can clean it in different ways. Next, you want to wash the roof off with a hose. You want to douse the roof with as much water as possible, particularly in the nooks and crannies.
Then, scrub the roof with a roof-based cleaning product made for your roof in particular. Take your time to scrub with some elbow grease to get the most out of the cleaning product. When you’re cleaning the roof, it’s much safe to use a ladder than to stand on the roof itself, especially when using the hose and scrubbing.
Rinse the roof as you scrub so that you can see immediately if you’ve missed anything. Then, you can re-scrub to get it. When you’re finished cleaning the entire trailer or RV roof, you’ll want to apply a protecting agent to help prevent oxidation. Again, use an oxidizer made for your trailer or RV’s roof. Follow the instructions to ensure it’s applied correctly.
If you’re not sure you’re up to the task of cleaning your RV, consider taking it to a service center or your RV dealer. They’ll be happy to clean your roof, perform routine maintenance, and take care of any issues that may be preventing you from hitting the road with peace of mind your rig is in tip-top shape.