How to Protect RV Decals
The decals on your RV are a big part of the overall appearance of the rig. If you take a lot of pride in how your RV looks while you travel, you’ll want to know how to protect RV decals carefully to keep the trailer or motorhome looking great for years to come. Read on for your complete guide!
Remember, one great way to protect your RV as a whole – including the decals – is to park it under an RV carport when not in use. To customize your own RV carport, explore our free Build & Price tool!
Protecting Your Investment
If you buy your RV new, you’ll immediately note how beautiful the exterior is, and how it seems like it is ready for whatever the road has to offer. And, most modern RVs are indeed built to an impressive quality standard. But nothing lasts forever, and it won’t be surprising to see peeling and fading from your RV decals as the miles start to add up.
Caring for the decals is a matter of pride in the appearance of your RV, as well as a matter of protecting your investment. If you may want to sell the RV after a few years of ownership, keeping it looking great will help you get top dollar. Even if you aren’t thinking about a future sale right now, it’s always going to be in your best interest to keep your RV in optimal condition.
A Basic Starting Point: Wash
You can start protecting your RV decals by simply washing the RV from time to time. Washing an RV is a bigger task than washing a typical passenger car, so you might be tempted to just skip it. While you don’t necessarily need to do a full washing after every trip, try to make sure the rig is washed a couple of times per year, and perhaps more if you use it often. This will make the whole RV look great, and it will protect the condition of the decals as well as many other components.
Make sure you use proper caution when washing your RV to avoid any dangerous situations. Instead of climbing a ladder, consider getting a scrubber brush with a long handle to keep yourself safely on the ground while washing. Also, if you feel uncomfortable with any parts of the RV washing process, consider taking your rig to an RV dealership or repair center that offers washing as one of their services.
Addressing the Decals: Wax
You might be able to protect the condition of your decals with a coat of wax that will make it harder for the elements to get in and damage their condition. This works best when you have glossy decals on the side of your RV – it might not be as effective when matte decals are used on the rig. With that said, always test any wax or detailing product on a small, discreet section of decal to see how it will work before doing the whole thing.
When you do apply a protective product to the decal, never use aggressive, rough application techniques that might pull up the edges of the decal. Losing the connection between the edge of the decal and the RV is the fastest way to have that decal start to peel off in the months and years ahead.
Keep it Covered
If you are currently leaving your RV out in the open with no protection while it is parked, upgrading that arrangement is one of your biggest opportunities to care for the decals. While we’d obviously suggest an RV carport, you could even get started by purchasing an RV cover to place on the rig while you are in between trips.
Create Your Own RV Carport
We hope you enjoyed this guide on how to protect RV decals! As you can see, there is nothing particularly complicated about caring for your RV decals, but it is a task that you should put on your to-do list.
As a reminder, carefully consider the addition of a metal RV carport on your property, as this will not only provide great protection for the decals but the rest of the rig, as well! If you’re ready to start building, remember to explore our free Build & Price tool.
