There may be no other area in your RV that sees as much wear
and tear as the entry door. It sees foot traffic. It sees spills. It sees rain
coming in. If your door seals well and has good durability, it can be one of
the most important moving parts in your RV. The problem is that it’s a moving
part. That can make things complicated. That’s why we’ve put together this RV
entry door repair guide to give you a sense of how to best prevent leaks and
seal off a door the proper way.
Dealing with Serious
RV Door Repairs
If your entry door is in serious need of repairs, it’s
possible that you may need to remove it entirely and replace it. As you might
imagine, this can come with several complications. Here are a few things to
keep in mind before you opt for full door replacement:
- Measure
twice, cut once. You want to be sure that the RV door you’re ordering is not
only compatible with the current space, but that it will make a precise fit. Be
willing to put in the proper research and even consult your RV dealer for parts
like these. To prevent long-term headaches, you’ll want to get this one right
the first time. - Color and
style matching. Try to imagine what the new door might look like before you
order the replacement. To avoid more work than necessary, try to get a precise
color match the first time around.
The most serious RV door repairs will likely require you to
disengage the door from the frame entirely. Make sure that if you do undertake
these repairs that your RV has a place it can go for sheltered and
well-ventilated repairs.
Sealing a Leaky RV
Door
It’s possible you don’t need full replacement with your door,
especially if a sealant will do the job just as well. The key here is to get
the right sealant and to administer it properly. Here are the essential steps:
- Clean and
dry the area to be repaired. This can be especially tricky with moving
parts like RV entry doors, so make sure that you clean the area with both the
door closed and open. Allow ample time to dry. - Match the
proper sealant. Browse our RV sealants to ensure
that the area you’re applying sealant to will match with the sealant itself.
You don’t want to go through all that work and find that your sealant gives you
anything less than a full seal with a proper cure. - Remove
excess. Because excess sealant can get in the way of moving parts, you’ll
want to be sure to use tools like The Stick to scrape away
the rest. - Allow to
cure, then inspect again. With the right matching, you should have no
problems at this phase.
Although RV entry door repair can be a bit like figuring out
a puzzle, there’s no reason you can’t handle the basic repairs
yourself—especially with the RV products available here
at RV by LIFE.