Dirt/dust

[Nwcid]

For those that boondock off the beaten path, how do you deal with long dirt roads?

Often to get to the amazing places there are long stretches of gravel, hard pack, or even plain dirt roads. In the warmer months these can create an amazing amount of dust when traveling on them.

What do you do to combat this?

[60sumtin]

Combat dust? Let it get dusty. It'll wash off.

[Nwcid]

Originally Posted by 60sumtin

Combat dust? Let it get dusty. It'll wash off.

I am not so much worried about the outside. While I know high end units come reasonably sealed up there are still plenty of areas for dust to invade.

Here in the summer months there is what we call "moon" dust which has about the consistency of talc. It can be everywhere from a fine layer, to inches thick. It permeates into every nook cranny and small space.

[NevadaNick]

Poof dirt, there is no stopping it from coming in. I have driven roads in Nv that it was rolling over the hood of the truck. You find tht stuff years later when you thought you cleaned it up.

[Itinerant1]

If you want to boondock dust comes with the territory. I'll use a California Duster to clean up the truck/ fifth wheel after getting setup, it also does a nice job on the solar panels on the roof of the 5th wheel.

https://www.amazon.com/California-Ca.../dp/B0009VIQ1A

[Houdoxi71]

I learned this from a GM employee, it was a trick to get new cars to pass the water intrusion test in the 70's.

They would bring the car into the water booth, run the heater fan at full blast while it was being hit with water. The pressure from the air being blown in negated any water entry, unless there was a serious problem.

To quote him directly: "They all passed".

Sucking in the outside air would be bad on a dusty road, I suggest driving down them with the dash ac on full blast, on recirculation or max. This will somewhat pressurize the interior, pushing air out of any cracks, at least in theory.....

But as others have stated, there's not much you can really do. Driving really slow could keep the cloud down to a minimum though.

[ScoobyDoo]

I don't know if this would help but don't cost much to read or think about...
I was working a job, the only time on pavement was crossing a street. We had a water truck, but people called the law for mud tracked onto that street. Get 8 tractor trailers running back and forth 10 hrs a day, you get lots of dust. I used strips of plastic food wrap, wipe area with wet sponge, then smooth plastic across edges of doors and windows. Did not do drivers door. Taped over the air intake for heat/AC. Used Dust Buster when stopped for lunch, again next morning before start. Still had to deal with dust later...

[ktn1966]

Mud, dirt, and sand are all part of the boondocking experience. We pull our new 2018 ORV 280RKS up all roads I can fit, to get to those perfect spots. We camped right on the seashore at Padre Island with the sea and wind blowing for two days. We were still getting sand out weeks later. It is 10 miles up a dusty washboard road to get to my favorite place to kayak and fish on a river in Oregon. Really slow drive but worth every bump.

You have to embrace it, learn to love it. That is the badge saying you don't need an easy pull through site at a RV resort. I don't need your full hook ups because I am not afraid of the road that takes me to the spots with no one else and the best scenery in the world.

Use it today, wash it tomorrow.

[MapleKing]

Originally Posted by NevadaNick

Poof dirt, there is no stopping it from coming in. I have driven roads in Nv that it was rolling over the hood of the truck. You find tht stuff years later when you thought you cleaned it up.

Years ago I drove to Labrador and at the time it was about 1000 miles of dirt road up and back and until the day I sold the car about 10 years later I was pulling dust out of some crevice in the car.

[Nwcid]

All of that makes sense.

I am not scared of the dirt/dust, but it can take a toll on a rig, especially if full timing it.

[60sumtin]

Originally Posted by Nwcid

I am not so much worried about the outside. While I know high end units come reasonably sealed up there are still plenty of areas for dust to invade.

Here in the summer months there is what we call "moon" dust which has about the consistency of talc. It can be everywhere from a fine layer, to inches thick. It permeates into every nook cranny and small space.

I see. I live in a semi-arid area so lots of dust while travelling gravel roads. I credit the interior staying clean in ours due to no windows or openings in the front or rear walls. The only thing I've done to keep blowing dust (and snow) out is stuff a removable strip of foam weatherstripping into the outside vent cover for the range hood. I also keep the roof vents closed.

[John Pattee]

It's a love/hate thing. Boondocking is like our Siberian Husky - he sheds like crazy and his fur gets into everything including food - it is almost like a condiment... Love the dog, hate the fur!

[Nwcid]

Originally Posted by John Pattee

It's a love/hate thing. Boondocking is like our Siberian Husky - he sheds like crazy and his fur gets into everything including food - it is almost like a condiment... Love the dog, hate the fur!

I have a 200lb English Mastiff named Bufford. There is no end to the drool and hair, but he is amazing.

[Duoglide1]

If you have a reversible overhead fan on the roof you can try setting it to blow Into the rig on high in an attempt to put a positive pressure in the unit.