How to Caulk an RV

Examine the seams on the outside of your RV to determine what needs to be caulked. Examples include the window frames (except the windshield), the openings in the roof for air conditioners and skylights, and the areas where the roof and the back wall of the RV meet the sidewalls.

Remove cracked or eroded caulk. Using a buck knife and a putty knife, peel and scrape away the caulking until you are about 1 inch into the sound caulking. If there is no sound caulking, remove the entire string of caulk.

Lay down painter's tape or masking tape along the periphery of the area to be caulked if you are not confident in your caulking skills. This will make your cleanup a lot easier.

Caulk the seams with a caulking gun and a tube of RV caulk. Do not use ordinary household silicon caulk, since this has problems adhering to some RV components. Use steady, even pressure on the trigger and steadily lay down a smooth string of caulk into the seam. Release the pressure on the trigger shortly before reaching the end of the seam, or else you will still have caulk coming out of the gun when you remove it from the seam and create a mess to clean up.

Allow the caulk to dry as directed by the manufacturer. Peel up your tape if you put any down, taking any off excess caulk with it.