When you’re a new RV owner, it’s tempting to want to do
everything yourself, handle everything perfectly, and to maintain the best RV
possible. But that doesn’t mean that your lofty efforts are always rewarded with
perfect results. In fact, being new to an RV means you’re susceptible to a
number of rookie mistakes—rookie mistakes that can easily be avoided if you take
a few moments to make sure you know exactly what it is you’re doing.
Nowhere is this more evident than in the case of RV sealing.
Sealing off leaks, cracks, and more is essential for maintaining a clean and
dry RV, of course, but making sure you get a proper seal is just as important.
Here are the rookie mistakes to avoid when you make your first attempt at RV
sealing:
Mistake #1: Buying
the wrong sealant.
First, you have to make sure you know what material it is
that you’re sealing—and yes, it does matter. Your RV is made up of a plethora
of different construction materials, which means you’ll want a sealer that can
perform best according to the area you need to lock off. That means taking the
time to match the sealer to the material at hand. Don’t buy specialty sealants
that are for specific materials that you don’t need.
To avoid this mistake, be sure to read the label and ensure
that a sealant will adhere to
multiple surfaces, including metal, glass, wood, and other materials. For
example, Life-Seal
will adhere to these materials with an acid-free, non-corrosive makeup that
will keep your RV looking and performing its best.
Mistake #2: Not
treating wood as an organic material.
Larry David’s character in “Curb Your Enthusiasm” is fond of
asking: “do you respect wood?” It’s a good question for RV owners. Wood is an
organic material—it’s highly active despite having been cut from a tree. It’s
food for termites, it’s capable of rotting, and it needs special attention if
you’re going to seal wood properly.
Look into an End Grain Sealer specifically. In some cases, wood can be more easily sealed—but when
you’re dealing with the end grain, you’re dealing with an organic material with
lots of openings and exposure to the air. You want to make sure that you treat
this wood with the respect it deserves.
Rookie Mistake #3:
Not reading directions first.
It’s tempting to believe that you can take all of the
sealing skills you’ve developed over the years and apply them to your new RV.
But that doesn’t mean you should. Reading labels, directions, and watching a
tutorial or two doesn’t hurt—it only makes you better at what you’re doing. So
before you jump in headfirst to your first sealing, develop an action plan.
Make sure you’ve matched the proper material to the proper seal. Make sure you
know the steps. Make sure you have all other equipment and products necessary,
and that you wait long enough for the seal to cure. And if you do all of that,
you might just stand a chance at not making one single rookie mistake.
