Washing an RV presents a bigger challenge than simply washing a passenger vehicle like a car or pickup truck. The sheer size of an RV makes it harder to clean, and there are a variety of types of surfaces around the outside that you need to deal with. Given that reality, using the right tools is essential – and a pressure washer is one such tool that can make a big difference. Read on for some tips on how you can use the power of a pressure washer to your advantage when cleaning an RV.

And if you’d like to keep your RV cleaner for longer afterward, consider parking it under an RV carport on your property. Building an RV carport is more affordable than you might expect, as you can get a quality steel structure for a modest price when you work with Carport Kingdom. It all starts with our easy-to-use Build & Price tool. If you have any questions along the way, contact us! Our team is always happy to assist.

An Important Warning

You may already own a pressure washer that you use for jobs like cleaning your driveway or the sidewalk in front of your home. But before you point that same nozzle at your RV, you need to make sure it’s suitable for the job. It’s quite likely that the power washer you already own is too powerful for the task of cleaning an RV.

If you use a pressure washer that is too powerful for the side of an RV, you can quickly damage your rig, and that’s the last thing you want to do when caring for your vehicle. A pressure washer that’s too powerful can cause damage that requires repairs at significant expense. If you use this approach, you need to acquire a pressure washer that is capable of low-pressure washing. You can find these advertised specifically for RV cleaning, and they aren’t particularly expensive when you consider the years of use you can get from a good unit.

Some Basic Advice

Once you have the right pressure washer and you’re ready to get started, there are some important tips to keep in mind, including:

• Never stay still for long. This is somewhat of a “golden rule” for pressure washing – the nozzle should always be moving. Even with the low-pressure washer for an RV, you can still get into trouble if you stay still and blast the same spot for an extended time. Get into a pattern of gently swinging the nozzle back and forth to avoid this mistake.
• Aim at an angle. In addition to keeping the nozzle moving, you also need to aim at the RV from an angle to avoid digging deep into the surface. Basically, you are trying to create a glancing blow where the water hits the RV from the side, pulls off some dirt and debris, and slides away without damaging the surface.
• Wash the main parts of the body. The value of using a pressure washer comes through when cleaning the big body panels that make up the majority of your RV’s exterior. You’ll want to stay away from the smaller parts, however, as those could be damaged by the pressure from your machine. Specifically, don’t directly spray the caulking that keeps your RV sealed up, and don’t spray any decals that you want to keep on the rig. Also, avoid spraying any of the equipment that lives on the roof of your RV, like a satellite dish or the air conditioning unit.

While you don’t need a pressure washer to keep your RV clean, using one can yield excellent results while saving time along the way. You might find that it works best to clean your RV normally most of the time while using a pressure washer for an annual or semi-annual deep clean.

Keep Your RV Looking Its Best at Carport Kingdom

We hope this guide to pressure washing your RV helped! If taking care of your RV is a top priority for you, consider using a carport to protect your vehicle. Customize your ideal carport using our free Build & Price tool. If you have any questions along the way, contact us today!