How To Clean A Pop Up Camper Roof
The first thing we did when we got back from our 4,500 mile road trip, was give our little PUP a bath… okay, maybe not the first thing, but it was not long after. 😉 After 22 days on the road, she was looking a little haggard, but we knew under all that road grime, she was really very lovely. She just needed to freshen up a bit.
Whenever we are cleaning the camper, we give the canvas a good scrub down first. You can read all about how we clean our pop up camper canvas here. If we've had to do some pretty heavy duty scrubbing, we'll spot check our canvas for water resistance and treat as necessary with 303 High Tech Fabric Guard. We love that stuff and have been using it since we first bought the camper, so when the nice folks at 303 Products contacted me and asked me if I'd like to try a few other 303 Products they thought would be perfect for pop up campers, I was only too happy to oblige.
We've had some nasty black marks all over the top of the bunkend tenting ever since we bought the PUP. The top of the bunkend tenting is made of vinyl, not canvas, and no matter how hard we scrubbed, we could not get those marks to come out. 303 Products sent us some of their Multi-Surface Cleaner, so we tried it out on those ugly black marks. I can't believe how well it worked!
With the bunkends pushed in, we extended the canvas over the ends of the camper. We sprayed a little Multi-Surface Cleaner on the vinyl and wiped it clean with a cheap, white eraser sponge. Be careful to pull the vinyl taut while you are wiping, and use a gentle pressure–you don't want to rip your tenting–then just rinse it clean.
I was so very impressed with the results! I never thought we'd get those marks off. To make sure our vinyl stays supple and prevent cracking, we apply a conditioner to it after we clean it. 303 Products sent us a sample of their Aerospace Protectant. We'd heard great things about it, so we decided to give that a try. Aerospace Protectant is not made for fabric, so you'll want to protect your canvas and other surfaces before you begin. We put a drop cloth down on our driveway to protect the cement–just in case. Out of direct sunlight, spray your vinyl with Aerospace Protectant and wipe completely dry.
The more you buff the surface with a clean, dry cloth, the better the product bonds with your vinyl, so make sure you have completely dried the surface. I forgot to snap a picture, but I was very happy with the end result. It looked like my canvas was new again. 🙂 Making sure you properly clean and care for your tenting will ensure that it lasts you a long time–and pop up camper canvas is expensive. By keeping up on routine maintenance, we hope we won't have to replace ours for quite a few more years.
After we've cleaned the tenting, we let it dry completely before we close the camper back up. Folding up the camper before it is completely dry can result in mildew growing on the canvas. Mildew is bad news–so be extra vigilant about making sure that canvas is dry! Once we've closed the camper, we start cleaning the exterior of the pop up. We usually use Dawn dish soap and water. I love the way the Dawn gets rid of the grease, and if I have some difficult grease spots, I just rub a bit of Dawn into the spot with my fingers. It breaks down the grease, and it will wipe right off. In a couple spots, we had some nasty road tar that the Dawn couldn't remove. We used a tar and bug remover and an eraser sponge to tackle that mess.
The eraser sponge works wonders on the panels and roof–especially if you have treated them with Grizzly Grip like we did. The Grizzly Grip we used on our panels is a bit rougher than our roof, so it tends to trap dirt. The sponge and tar remover made light work of all that dirt.
Once the exterior is clean, we dry it with a cotton towel. We have a shiny new paint job, so I want to keep it looking good for as long as possible. For UV protection, we apply a coat of wax after washing the exterior. We like 303 Marine Quick Wax because it is easy to apply and safe for vinyl decals. We don't have new graphics on the camper yet, but we're planning on adding them. We wanted something that would keep them looking great. Some waxes are not recommended for vinyl, so you'll want to be sure to check the wax you are using before applying it to your camper. Apply the wax out of direct sunlight by spraying it onto your clean camper using a uniform misting pattern. Evenly spread the misted product over the camper using a 100% cotton terry or microfiber towel. Allow the Quick Wax to haze, and then buff surface with a separate, clean 100% cotton terry or microfiber towel. You can also use 303 Aerospace Protectant in place of the Marine Quick Wax to protect your paint and vinyl graphics. Just follow the same process you did with your vinyl.
The last thing we do when cleaning the camper is condition our roof seal. When we repaired our ABS roof, we bought a new seal to replace the cracked original. That thing was pricey, so we've made it a point to care for it as best we can to prevent it from drying out and cracking. 303 Products just happens to make a product called Rubber Seal Protectant that is perfect for this! If you don't want to buy another product, you can also use the Aerospace Protectant (it's versatile stuff!) on your seal, but the Rubber Seal Protectant is really simple to use. It comes in a convenient applicator, so you don't have to protect the surrounding surfaces.
Just squeeze the bottle and press on the sponge applicator until the product starts to flow. Apply an even coat on all surfaces and allow the product to full dry. That's it! I'll say it again… I was pretty impressed with just how well the 303 Products worked for our pop up camper. I've always loved my 303 High Tech Fabric Guard, and now I know that there are a few more 303 Products, equally suited for pop up campers. Want a chance to test them out for yourself? 303 Products is giving away a sample pack of some of the same products I tried out here.
You can sample 303 High Tech Fabric Guard, 303 Aerospace Protectant, 303 Multi-Surface Cleaner, and 303 Rubber Seal Protectant just by connecting with 303 Products and The Pop Up Princess on Facebook. Additional entries will be awarded for following 303 Products and The Pop Up Princess on Twitter. To enter the giveaway, please use the Rafflecopter entry form below. The giveaway ends August 31, 2015. The winner will be notified by e-mail, so check your e-mail–and your spam folder, too. Good luck! 😉
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Happy Camping!
Disclaimer: I was not financially compensated for this post, but I did receive a sample for review purposes. The opinions are completely my own based on my experience. Please know that I write my honest opinion on all product reviews, regardless of how the product came to me. The content of my review will always be my true and honest experience with the product. If you see a review here on The Pop Up Princess, you know I like the product enough to give it my stamp of approval. This post also contains Amazon affiliate links. The Pop Up Princess is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This means that if you choose to purchase an item from a link in this post, The Pop Up Princess earns a small advertising fee to help pay for future projects and posts… so thank you! 🙂
Happy Camping!
How To Clean A Pop Up Camper Roof
Source: https://www.thepopupprincess.com/pop-up-camper-maintenance/clean-your-pop-up-camper/
Posted by: dufaultutred1988.blogspot.com
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