Most people will agree that RV maintenance isn’t the most fun way to spend your weekend. When life keeps you busy elsewhere, RV chores are easy to avoid. But since common sense dictates that bad things happen when you delay this important part of RV ownership, last Sunday my husband and I tackled two of our twice-yearly RV moisture maintenance chores: bathtub caulking and rubber roof cleaning and conditioning.
RV Moisture Maintenance Duties Keep Water Out
The best thing you can do for your home on wheels is to take the proper measures to keep water out of cracks and crevices. Doing it from the top down is the best place to start. Look up and ask yourself: when was the last time you got up on that roof and cleaned it? Whether you have a stick house, an RV or both, the roof is one of the easiest things to forget about. Until it isn’t, when the rain starts falling inside your kitchen or ruining your mattress.
The bathroom is another common area for water damage to occur. What other part of your RV is constantly subjected to water? Take a close look at the growing gaps between the wall and the shower pan or tub where you bathe. If you see cracks, it’s time to re-caulk.
Quick and Dirty RV Bathtub Caulk Job Tips
Re-caulking the bathtub is one RV maintenance job that anyone can do, but it’s a real pain. Unfortunately, there’s no other chore that will give your bathtub the best cleaning it’s had in months. My husband cringes whenever it’s time to re-caulk our RV bathtub because removing old caulk and laying a new sealant takes time and effort. Through the years he’s tried all sorts of ways to make RV bathtub caulking easier, and here’s what he’s learned.
- Get the right tools for the job. A couple of tubes of 100% white silicone bath sealant, caulk removal tools, rubbing alcohol and paper towels are all you need.
- Give the bathtub or shower pan and walls a thorough cleaning to ensure the new caulk will stick. Then chip away at the old caulk with the removal tool.
- Use small tubes of silicone. They’re easier to handle than an unwieldy caulking gun.
- Although store-bought caulk removal tools come with an applicator tip, you may find it easier to just run a moist finger along the seam to smooth and straighten it out.
- Clean up excess caulk and smears immediately by using a dry paper towel. Rubbing alcohol will remove dried caulk from your fingers.
- Allow it to dry overnight. Then enjoy your new bathtub!
Common Sense RV Rubber Roof Maintenance Tips
It’s hard to believe that a layer of rubber (well, ethylene propylene diene terpolymer or just EDPM to be exact) is about the only thing keeping water out of our home on wheels. But it does and we’ve learned that when you treat it with respect, the thin EDPM membrane will keep water out for as long as you own your trailer. Last weekend was my opportunity to show it some love, so while Jim was below me in the bathroom taking care of the caulking job, I was up top doing double duty: getting a tan and conditioning the roof. Here’s what I’ve learned about this job:
- Do this when you wash your RV–or at least start with a clean RV. We washed ours just a few weeks earlier at a truck wash but didn’t have time for a thorough roof cleaning. Starting with a clean RV made roof maintenance easy and relatively fast.
- Wear good shoes with plenty of traction to keep from falling off.
- Inspect the seams and other caulked areas for separation. Note which ones need re-caulking.
- Clean and wash every exposed area. Use care around wires and plastic items that could easily break.
Even though I had to hand-clean the roof with rags because we don’t have storage space for an RV cleaning brush, it only took me about an hour and a half to thoroughly clean a small section at a time. Using a simple Roof Cleaner and Conditioner product by Camco, I hand-washed and rinsed every exposed area. In the process, I discovered a potential mildew issue in development. I also accidentally broke a cable tie that will need fixing before we roam again. Unfortunately, the moment I crossed roof maintenance off our Honey Do List, I added these other two issues that need attention for the next sunny day.
Hauling a home on wheels around the country is the best kind of freedom there is, but it comes at a cost. Even the best RVs aren’t as durable as stick houses, and you’ll need to pay close attention to annual RV maintenance chores if you want your rig to last as long as your adventures do.
About the author: Rene Agredano
Rene Agredano, a Coach-Net member since 2015, is a self-employed full-time RVer who enjoys writing, jewelry design and animal advocacy. Her adventures with a three-legged dog and husband Jim are chronicled at LiveWorkDream.com
David B. ~ ” I have just renewed my membership and it reminded me that I was way past due thanking Coach-Net for your excellent service. We are first time owners and our Airstream Interstate came with a Coach-Net membership. It was one of the best parts of our purchase. We had an incident on our first cross country trip and your staff saved our trip. They were professional, courteous and helpful in every way. They kept me calm, assured us of the help we needed, and provided it. Thank you!”
Among the many items in your RV, there is one that is often neglected due to the messy stigma attached to it. Fixing your toilet when it fails is an important part of RV do-it-yourself (DIY). In this two-part article, I will provide some simple tips for resolving more common toilet failures.
The water valve is responsible for controlling the flow of water into the bowl. From time-to-time, you may find this component springs a leak or fails to function properly. Fortunately, water valves are inexpensive and relatively easy to source. Just be sure to identify your make and model of toilet. A water valve is shown at left, but yours may look different. The valve is located near the flush mechanism at the inlet water line termination point. Before removing the valve, verify whether the leak is simply coming from a loose fitting between the valve and water line. In this case, tightening the hose clamp or threaded fitting may alleviate the issue. If not, you will need to replace the water valve. The attachment method of the water valve will depend on your toilet mode but is often two bolts, as shown in the picture. You will have to disconnect the supply line hose from the valve, which may be easier after the valve is removed. Note that if your commode is a porcelain model, it will have a spring cartridge mounted behind the water valve, so be careful during disassembly. Be sure to have rags handy to clean up the residual water spill.
Also check for damage to the toilet mounting surfaces, missing nuts, etc. After securing the toilet, check to see if the leak has been stopped by repeatedly flushing the toilet. If not, you will need to remove the toilet from the closet flange and replace the flange seal. Be sure to purchase a seal specifically for your toilet, and do not use the standard seal rings available for residential toilets, as they are different. The photo below shows the water valve at the lower left of the toilet, the closet flange on the floor, and the mounting bolts.
Stay tuned for the next segment where we will discuss other leaks that may occur on an RV toilet.