RV Awning Maintenance: 5 Essential Tips for Cleaning, Inspecting, and Storing Your Awning

Are you planning to hit the road with your RV and enjoy the great outdoors? If so, you’ll want to ensure your RV awning is in good condition and properly maintained. From routine cleaning and inspections to retracting during inclement weather, there are several steps you can take to extend the life of your awning and ensure a hassle-free camping experience. In this article, we’ll explore five essential tips for RV awning maintenance and provide expert advice to help you keep your awning in tip-top shape.

There are a couple of ways you can go when it comes to cleaning solutions. You can use a store-bought solution like Valterra’s RV Awning Cleaner, designed to remove dirt, mold, mildew, and tree sap from your awning and condition the fabric. If you use a store-bought cleaner, be sure that it is explicitly designed for awning fabrics. Avoid solutions that are oil-based, caustic, or abrasive.

With any cleaning solution, try it on a test location on your awning first to ensure the solution won’t discolor your fabric or leave residue behind. If you use bleach or another toxic chemical, avoid washing the awning over grass or plants that might be affected by the runoff.

How to clean Acrylic fabric: Use a stiff brush, dish soap, and water. Avoid scrubbing, which can remove the water-repelling finish and ruin your awning. If you use a protectant spray, use a product designed to restore water repellency that will not damage the fabric or finish.

How to clean Vinyl fabric: Use a soft brush, dish soap, and water. Avoid scrubbing, which can remove the mildew-resistant coating. If you use a protectant spray, use a product designed to provide UV and dust/dirt protection that is safe to use on vinyl.

A neat trick Lippert suggests is to liberally apply your mild soap mixture and gently scrub the top of your awning.  With the soap still on the top of the awning, retract the awning and wait 5 minutes.  After 5 minutes, extend the awning back out and rinse off both sides.  If you still see spots that need scrubbing more, then scrub and repeat the process until it’s all clean.

For acrylic awnings, use a stiff brush. For vinyl awnings, use a soft brush. Try a toothbrush for stubborn minor stains, mold spots, or tree sap.  – etrailer.com

Finally, rinse off the top and bottom of the awning to remove all the soap residue from the fabric.  Allow it to air-dry before retracting. If you are storing your RV for long-term storage, ensure your awning fabric is thoroughly dried before retracting.

Lippert created a video blog that shows how they recommend cleaning and maintaining awnings.  Watch it here.

 Remember to consult your RV manufacturer’s specific maintenance guidelines for the awning, as different models may have unique requirements. Regular maintenance will not only extend the life of your RV awning but also contribute to a more enjoyable and trouble-free camping experience.