Motorhome advice: How to keep your motorhome in tip-top condition

The essential part of any habitation maintenance is an annual service. This sort of thing is generally left to the experts, as you will find featured in the Approved Workshop Scheme. When you come to sell your motorhome, a full service history for base vehicle and habitation will certainly add value but, equally, a shabby exterior and interior is sure to wipe hundreds of pounds – or more – off the price you eventually sell for.

So keeping up appearances will enhance the long-term value of your motorhome and give you continuing pleasure of ownership. Not only that but, while standard annual servicing will cover the main issues of equipment safety, it doesn’t look after the vitally important issues of health and hygiene that is associated with your water and drainage systems and the like.

How to look after your motorhome's bodywork 

First of all, why clean regularly? Rainfall tends to be rather acidic from nitrogen oxides and sulphur oxides released into the atmosphere when fossil fuels are burned. There are also dust or grit particles and road grime in the air that can end up on the bodywork, ready to act as sandpaper when you brush. Trees also exude resins and the ever-present bird droppings further add to the array of factors to degrade your bodywork.

Just thinking about the attacks on your bodywork could make you consider a cover, especially for the periods in winter when it is used less. A good, breathable cover with a soft interior will protect the paint finish, but you do need to give the bodywork a good wash beforehand. Failure to do so invites the possibility of any slight movement of the covers grinding dust and grit into the paintwork and windows.

So there’s no getting away from giving the bodywork a wash. Search the forums and you will see all sorts of products recommended for cleaning and getting stubborn stains off the bodywork. However, motorhome bodies are a mixture of materials, some of which do not take kindly to harsh abrasive or solvent-based products. So, the first rule is use a proprietary motorhome or caravan cleaner that is generally safe for all the materials likely to be found on motorhomes (and check in your owner’s manual for any advice).

Don’t use a pressure washer as this can easily damage seals. Instead, stick with a normal tap-pressure garden hose. Always hose down the body first to wash off much of the surface dust and grit. This will also wet up more stubborn deposits including squashed insects, which come off better when softened with water. Apply your cleaning solution by spray, sponge or brush and leave for 30 seconds or so to let deposits soak and soften before agitating the surface with gentle movement of your sponge or brush. For really stubborn insect remains, place a cloth soaked in warm cleaning solution over the remains for five minutes or so and then try washing off again.

Choose good-quality products to apply your wash solution. A brush with a soft round head on a long, extending handle is ideal for reaching a high side and preventing accidental blows to the bodywork. Alternatively, use a sponge with an open texture or a microfibre wash pad or mitt. The aim is to use products that allow dust and grit to work into the applicator fabric rather than remain on the surface and grind into the paintwork.

It’s best to start with the roof first, especially for the first clean in spring, as there’s likely to be a great deal of crud washed down that needs to be rinsed off before tackling the sides. Don’t forget to gently clean the solar panel, which will ensure efficient working when we get some sunshine. Remember to ensure your ladder is on an even footing and it’s best to have a helper securing the base.

Fenwick’s, the maker of a range of specialist motorhome and caravan cleaning products, recommends starting washing the sides at the bottom and working up. It sounds wrong as the dirty water runs over the area you have just cleaned but it has the advantage of keeping the panel below wet. Whatever way you proceed, only wash as much area as will stay wet before rinsing. Leave a panel too long to dry and you’ll leave streaks of dirty water, which will not simply rinse off.

How to clean your motorhome's acrylic windows

Acrylic windows are excellent at providing lightweight, clear glazing but they are sensitive to crazing from exposure to chemicals, especially solvents and, being a soft material, they are easily scratched. So rinse well before washing and also after cleaning to ensure there is no cleaning product left on the surface.

Light scratches can be polished out with the use of a specialist product like Fenwick’s Windowize. A light dusting of talcum powder to the rubber seals will eliminate any tendency for the windows to stick.

Looking after your motorhome's wheels

Use a specialist brush to make cleaning between the spokes less of a chore. On alloy wheels, it’s best not to use wheel cleaners, which contain weak acid. These solutions will likely clean the wheel but also attack the lacquer coating on the wheel and aggravate surface deterioration.

Alloy wheels look good but the more intricate designs can be high maintenance, so it’s worth considering applying a product like Simoniz or Autoglym’s wheel protector. This spray-on protector minimises brake dust adhesion, so your wheels remain cleaner for longer and also clean easier.

The best way to dry your motorhome after washing

It’s best to dry off washed surfaces to avoid salts in the rinse water leaving a patchy appearance. Use a wash leather to remove the bulk of the water and finish with a microfibre cloth or mitt. Some enthusiasts like to apply a wax polish at this stage to provide extra protection but it’s hard work. When applying the polish, use an open-weave cloth rather than an old T-shirt so any dust and grit gets taken into the weave rather than grind into the bodywork. If polishing sounds like too much hard work, try Fenwick’s Bobby Dazzler Afterwash, which provides a protective coating and is simply applied with the rinsing water.

Top motorhome cleaning tips

• Clean regularly to minimise permanent surface degradation
• Washing bodywork on a dry, breezy day will help dirty streaks to dry before you can rinse off, unless you use the Fenwick’s method
• A wash brush will fit a 15-litre painter’s scuttle better than a normal bucket
• Use a one-in-10 solution of motorhome cleaner to remove black streaks and other stubborn marks but do rinse well afterwards
• Use an old toothbrush for cleaning around windows and locker doors
• Cleaning and lubricating your cassette toilet tank pays dividends
• Regularly clean your water system for good hygiene.

How to clean your motorhome's washroom

Most motorhomes will contain a Thetford cassette toilet and this company produces a range of maintenance products, which are safe for use with the cassettes. Even better, two of its products are also invaluable for use around the rest of the interior...

Thetford’s bathroom cleaner is safe for use with all plastic surfaces, so this is an essential product in the motorhome for cleaning the toilet, washbasin and shower tray and also all other hard surfaces in the motorhome. Never use harsh domestic cleaners in your motorhome bathroom, they may be too abrasive and scratch the surface and, in some circumstances, there will be an adverse reaction with the plastics. In particular, never use bleach in a cassette toilet.

If you do feel the need to use something stronger than bathroom cleaner, Thetford has a specialist toilet bowl cleaner. Don’t neglect the cassette under the toilet bowl. Given the right treatment, these cassettes can last 10 years or more. Every season, aim to soak the tank interior with a Thetford Cassette Tank cleaner, or a good alternative is Fenwick’s Waste Pipe and Tank Cleaner. Regular use of these will keep the tank fresh and avoid the build-up of deposits.

Fenwick’s Tank Cleaner and Thetford’s Tank Freshener are useful products for keeping your grey water tank and pipes fresh and clean and ideal to deal with smells from the waste tank in hot weather. The toilet cassette also has several rubber seals that benefit from an application of lubricant. Again, Thetford has a safe product – Seal Lubricant. It’s a useful product because it can be used elsewhere in the motorhome where a lubricant is needed that is safe with both rubber and plastics.

If you’re leaving your unit in storage for a good period leave your toilet blade open to prevent it sticking and provide good ventilation to the tank. Cassette toilets with their own water reservoir should be drained when in storage. Filling this tank with a warm solution of Fenwick’s Waste Pipe and Tank Cleaner and flushing out after a soak will help to eliminate the ‘black bits’ in the flush water.

How to clean your motorhome's lounge, bedroom and kitchen

The interior suffers much like the exterior from atmospheric dust and grit particles that settle on surfaces. Such abrasive grit helps to abrade furniture fabric, so a regular vacuum is worthwhile. When the ’van is going to be laid up for a lengthy period, it’s worth considering covering the seating and bedding with an old cotton sheet. This will keep off the dust but allow the fabric underneath to breathe.

Winter lay-ups are the worst period for interiors and damp and lack of ventilation can cause musty smells. The best cure against condensation and damp is warmth and ventilation, although warmth in winter is expensive and ventilation can be a problem with security and keeping out pests like rodents. The best way of dealing with this is to keep camping all year round!

Most hard surfaces in the ’van can be dealt with by a damp cloth but for grubby marks use Thetford’s Bathroom Cleaner. Fridge doors must always be wedged open when not operating to prevent the build-up of mould. Only clean the interior with a solution of sodium bicarbonate to avoid tainting the food and prevent damage to the plastic interior.

Metal door and locker hinges will benefit from an occasional drop of lubricant to keep them free-running and a wipe over will keep them rust free. Be careful not to use solvent-based lubricants, which can affect adjacent plastic surfaces and this is where Thetford’s Seal Lubricant comes in use again. In particular, some door hinges have plastic bush inserts and applying solvent-based lubricants can give rise to what the trade calls ‘hinge bind’ where the plastic insert swells, making the hinge very stiff. You can also use this silicone lubricant on a rag and wipe over the rubber seals of your external locker doors to keep them supple, but keep it away from window seals because of the sensitivity of the acrylic glazing.

Regular maintenance of your motorhome's water supply

An annual service will include checking on the functionality of the water system, but not the cleaning and sterilising of the system to avoid bacterial contamination of the water. Such contamination is not purely limited to gastro-intestinal infections, but may also manifest itself as ear, nose, throat, eye or skin infections. It’s worth undertaking descaling of the water system once or twice a year. Any build-up of limescale and biofilm over the surface of your tanks and pipes can encourage the growth of bacteria.

So, filling up the system with a food-safe descaler is worthwhile and letting it soak before flushing out with clean water. It’s best to follow up with a sterilising solution. For sterilisation, there are several proprietary agents available but many of them appear to contradict Truma’s requirement not to use chlorine-based products to avoid corrosion of their hot water boilers.

Elsan, (well known for its toilet fluid) markets a Fresh Water Tank Cleaner, which contains no chlorine. This claims to remove calcium and other biofilm deposits from tank and pipes. Used in conjunction with its Elsil Water Tank Additive (also chlorine-free) each time you fill up, it should ensure that your water stays safe to drink. Don’t forget to treat your portable filling container and filler hose in the same way. And, remember, never fill up your tank with a garden hose; always use a food-grade hose to avoid tainting the water. 

This feature was originally published in the March 2018 issue of MMM magazine. Want to read more like it? Subscribe to MMM magazine today for your monthly dose of technical motorhome advice.