Forum Discussion

rvshrinker's avatar
rvshrinker
Explorer III
Aug 24, 2018

Annual clean/wax/seal

Between the maintenance guide and the dealer recommendation, it seems I should wash, wax, and seal my trailer at least once a year. I hope to have it garaged by this winter so after that the UV and rain damage should be minimized.

I also have a window lube and slide use which I’ve applied and will do 1-2 times per year or as necesary.

That said, what products or techniques do you recommend?

Do I wash, then wax, then seal? Or wash, then seal, then wax?

In addition to all this is there an additional roof sealant I need to apply?

As for sealant, the dealer will sell me some product I cannot now remember, which they say is what they use to seal leaks. Apparently applied with a caulking gun. Dealer suggested i go around and scrape off all the old, dried sealant and reapply. However, do I really get rid of everything? Or just the cracked, dried bits? This stuff will flow into and fill any gaps, but obviously any really loose junky stuff I should get rid of first.

I’ve never waxed anything this big, so also would appreciate some tips on how to do this.

28 Replies

  • Mine is indoor stored also. Makes a huge difference in natural ageing & need frequency of waxing needed to keep that almost new look.

    With the exception of the front cap, the whole trailer gets the full treatment only once a year & that is in the fall before going into winter hibernation.

    The treatment starts with a top to bottom wash. Once clean the roof gets a wipedown with 303 protectant, not cheap. Front cap gets 3M cleaner wax to remove any bug remains stains then the whole trailer gets Meguiares Flagship waxed, not cheap but lasts longer than anything else tried over my boat maintenance years. This is NOT a one step cleaner wax. It does not remove stains or chalking. That is what the 3M is for.

    The last step is the detailing going around the seals with 303 or a specific product for seals. Shortly after, into storage it goes. Next spring it gets a washing with little non wax removing soap to get rid of storage dust, & maybe a roof freshening with 303, perhaps another coat of Flagship on the front cap, & we are good till the following September except for a couple of front cap cleanings & waxings if I get a chance.

    This annual cleaning & waxing is a multi day effort, usually with the help of the DW also, but the result is a trailer that looks only a year or so old & not the 11 years that it is with over 1500 nights on the road & 100,000 miles behind it.

    If you want to keep your unit looking good there is no easy magic one step way of doing it no matter what the product labels say. You will get the product performance that you pay for. They all require about the same labour to use. The really good pure wax or sealer ones will last much longer than the multi purpose cleaner waxes.

    What is your time worth?
  • ScottG wrote:
    I use Mequires on the whole rig including the graphics but don't rub it in aggressively on the latter.


    I also have been using Meguires Ultimate on entire trailer including graphics for the last 11 years twice a year w/o any issues with the graphics.

    Larry
  • I use Mequires on the whole rig including the graphics but don't rub it in aggressively on the latter.
  • Wait, didn't you just buy a brand new camper like this year or last?
    If it needs re sealed, park it in front of the dealer and tell them they need to re seal it.
    Is the caulking peeling off or something?

    Wash it, wax it, done. Get a cover of you're worried about UV or weather on it. Camper isn't magical. Any soap or wax. And if you do need to re caulk, prep the area with solvent to remove all the wax after you cut the old caulk out.
  • Lynnmor wrote:
    How are you going to get caulking to properly stick to a freshly waxed surface?


    That was my thought, too.
  • Id use a wax remover around areas before caulking and would still home it stays on. Just my opinion.
  • How are you going to get caulking to properly stick to a freshly waxed surface?
  • Wash, wax, then inspect all joints and reseal as necessary.
    Any good car wash soap works fine.
    Depending on siding. Fiberglas? McGuires blue bottle. RV/Marine wax, polish. I really like Colinite fleetwax. It was designed for aircraft, but does excellent on RV sides too.