cleaning RV trim

[boweavel]

i believe that most RV's have the rubber trim on them so i thought this was the proper place for this. last spring i cleaned them with acetone and alot of elbow grease. well as seen in the attached pics it has come back full force. does anyone have another way to clean them and prevent the return.

[Tha_Rooster]

Looks like a HR from your pictures, I would buy a new roll and replace it fairly simple. It's the same molding a lot of boats use also.

[RichR]

I have always found it easier to replace the trim-its available at ant rv parts store.Easiest on warn days!

[trackman]

Throw 100 percent vinegar with a medium bristle brush then go behind with 100 percent clorox. The crud will come off and stay off.

[boweavel]

Originally Posted by trackman

Throw 100 percent vinegar with a medium bristle brush then go behind with 100 percent clorox. The crud will come off and stay off.

thanx ill give it a try

[Theberrys]

This stuff will do the job Protect All - Product Catalog - Rubber Roof Care then protect it with this Slide-Out Rubber Seal Treatment - Protect All to keep it from coming back.

Dick

[njs42]

After you get it clean try Protectant 303. I use it on my decals and they look spiffy.

[Jon Mopar]

If the black stuff on yours is anything like the black spotting around my door, nothing will take it off, because the surface has deteriorated and the staining is actually in the plastic. I plan on replacing mine, but in the mean time, I took some straight bleach, watered it down a little bit, carefully dabbed a cloth in it, then wiped it softly. No need to scrub, because the moment the bleach touches the black-marks, it starts to turn them white. Rinse VERY well off afterward. Bleach won't take off paint or effect it, but with that said, don't leave bleach on anything but that piece of trim.

Spray Nine Marine/RV also works, but that stuff will effect painted surfaces (in a bad way) if left on too long. You really have to take care....have the hose nearby in case you get out of hand.

[ahicks]

Tape it off, mask, and paint it. That's what I ended up doing. I replaced it all on one coach. It was expensive and tedious, but it did look great when it was done. This newest one though, has sections of it that were painted as part of the body painting, as well as other sections left exposed which were showing their age despite my best attempts at cleaning it up. Vinyl paint was easy to use and looked great with a lot less time/trouble/expense. Lesson learned here...

[JohnWW]

Clorox clean up and a Q-tip will clean the mold. 303 to protect it. Clean up is better than plain bleach. The surface should be dry. Rub it on and walk away and let it sit.

[Jon Mopar]

^ yep. I just got a bottle, it's good stuff. Watch your stripes though!

[Blacknchrome]

I had the same problem on my 2000 HR Endeavor...clean it and it came back..finally from suggestions on this site I bought 100 ft for $42.00 and spent 4 hours installing new trim...looks great and worth the time..

My RV was almost perfect except the trim...while it was off I also checked all the screws to make sure still tight and even spent time cleaning out the track.

[Melmoses]

I replaced the trim on a 5th wheel I had and it didn't take that long to do and it also wasn't that expensive. I bought replacement trim in 100' rolls like the previous poster said. I can't tell you how many hours I had spent trying to get it clean before that and despite all my efforts the mold came right back even after putting ProtectALL on it. If I factored in the time spent trying to clean it, it would have worked out to be MUCH cheaper to replace it and it looked so much better.

[Ray,IN]

I guess I'm lucky. I add a few ounces bleach to my wash water every time I wash the RV and don't have this mold problem. It also cleans the awnings of any mold/mildew stains.Once you let mold get established it's difficult to completely remove the stains.