RV Maintenance: Caulking & Sealing Tips

All sealants have a lifetime. Over time it will start to dry out, UV rays will wear it down, all the moving and shaking from rough country roads will cause cracking, and eventually, if unchecked, it will start allowing water in. Two things prevent that: inspections, and cleanliness.

Inspect, and keep it clean

Inspect at least twice a year, more often depending on how much you use it. For Canadian owners, make it routine before and after winter storage. A clean exterior is what lets you see a problem area before it gets worse under a layer of dirt.

Choosing the right product

There is no universal sealant. A prairie climate is not a wet coastal one: sunnier places need products that stand up to more UV, wetter ones need something that resists mould and mildew.

One thing not to use

Don’t use silicone caulking on an RV. It makes a mess, it is virtually impossible to remove, and it attracts dirt as you travel.

The roof

The roof is the main leak concern — constant exposure and the most UV. Sap and animal droppings collect there and damage the membrane. After cleaning, apply a lap sealant formulated for rubberised roof membranes, in a self-levelling formula, then inspect and refresh the caulking around the vents and seams.

The sidewalls

Inspect the corner seams carefully. Putty sealant sits under the moulding with caulking finishing the edges — the same is true of every penetration: storage compartments, vents, windows and doors. If the putty has dried out, the right fix is removing the moulding and reapplying it rather than patching the outside again and again. Rusty screws under a removed moulding mean water has been getting in.

Applying it

On a modern RV you usually don’t need to remove the old sealant before reapplying, unless it is peeling. Use a caulking gun and apply thin, sparse lines — thicker is not better.

Not comfortable on a roof? Book it in with us — an annual check is what stops water damage before it starts.