Winter can be the most difficult time of year for RV owners.
Cold temperatures, inclement weather, and a host of other potential problems
can make it difficult to maintain an RV the way you’d prefer. But there is one
way to protect your RV this winter: RV skirting. Skirting can help protect your
RV from problems such as water damage, rusting, and a host of other
complications that come about as a result of the winter months. The good news
is that you don’t have to spend a fortune for custom camper skirting—you can do it
yourself. Here’s your guide to DIY RV skirting.
Invest in the Right
Materials
You can’t have effective camper skirting unless you use the
right materials—the same ones capable of handling the winter elements. The most
important tool here is vinyl. Tarp
vinyl is relatively inexpensive, but you’ll want to make sure that you measure
the skirting area of your RV to get an accurate read of how much vinyl you’ll
need. Since you’re doing this yourself, you’ll also want to buy a little extra
in case there are any problems.
The next tool you should consider is a grommet machine hole
punch. You’ll use this to punch holes in the top of the skirting as though
you’re putting up a shower curtain that didn’t arrive pre-punched. A more
accurate way to put it is to pretend as though you’re hanging up vinyl signage.
If you’ve ever worked with that before, you know that a simple hole punch won’t
be enough. Make sure that you also get fiberglass-friendly suction hooks that
you can suction to your RV to ensure that your skirting is nice and snug.
Tips for Getting Your
RV Skirting Right the First Time
From here, you can likely guess what the process will look
like: you’ll want to line up the measurements of your grommet punches in the
vinyl. Remember the phrase “measure twice, cut once”—because it’s going to be
very handy here.
You’ll also want to get a lay of your RV. You’ll likely hang
the skirting from areas in your RV you’ve barely paid attention to before.
That’s fine. Just have a look around the general area of your RV to be skirted
and get a sense of whether or not there are going to be any awkward places that
might need addressing before you start. You don’t want to get ready with the
grommeted vinyl and then find out that you have all sorts of issues that will
make your life more complicated.
Being careful to ensure proper adhesion of the suction
hooks, add the skirting carefully to the RV, making sure that it adequately
blocks out any potential debris that could sweep under the RV. You’re
essentially turning your RV into a hood over the ground.
Stock Up On RV Care
Products
To make sure that your vinyl stays in good shape, make sure
to follow up with some great RV cleaning products
once you’re done! You’ll especially want to consider VinyLIFE
Vinyl Cleaner & Protectant for your new skirting.
