Thought you left your chores behind when you joined the RV lifestyle? Easy steps to motorhome roof care.
Sell your home and hit the road in an RV. No more lawn cares or house maintenance. No more trips to the hardware store for those pesky things that break around the home. Wrong!
One of those things that need to be done as regular maintenance is cleaning and protecting your roof. How often you need to do this depends on where you are and what your surroundings are. For instance, your roof will need cleaning much less frequently if you are in Arizona rather than in Florida. The other side of that - your tires will dry rot quicker in Arizona rather than in Florida.
Most RV roofs are relatively flat and made of rubber. Because there is very little slope to the roof dirt and debris tends to stay where it lands leading to a very dirty roof.
There are several thoughts on how to clean your roof including:
- Hose the roof off with plain water every couple of weeks. Again this depends upon your conditions - parking under an oak or other similar tree may require you to do this more often.
- When it’s time to wash the roof again, hose it off first then a second time with some detergent of your choice. (A disclaimer: check to see what your roof manufacturer recommends). One suggestion is: Soft Scrub (with bleach) - it’s not abrasive and the bleach kills any mildew and whitens the rubber. Use a soft brush or broom to lightly scrub the roof, to get the grime up and spread the bleach. Let it sit for a few minutes to let the bleach do its thing and then hose the roof with cool water.
- Allow the roof to dry. Then coat the roof with an UV/rubber protection. (Again check with your manufacturer) Use a cheap mop and cover the entire roof. It doesn’t take a lot to do the job - just a light coating will do.
Before you start this project, be sure you have enough time for the protectant to dry before it rains.
Another point here you will note that your RV has no overhang on the roof like your brick house did. Whatever runs off the roof runs down the sides of your rig. While you are waiting for the roof to dry after washing it, spend this time hosing off the sides of your rig to prevent what you washed off the top becoming black streaks on the sides.
