4 Parts Of Your RV You Should Never Touch With WD-40

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The recreational vehicle, not to be confused with the camper, is one of the most fascinating creations on four wheels. RVs are basically a traveling home, complete with sleeping space, cooking amenities, lounging areas, and more to make traveling and camping easy. With that said, these vehicles are no walk in the park to maintain. Their part-home, part-vehicle nature, while exciting, means you need to take care of them on both fronts. Not only can this get expensive in the blink of an eye, but trying to handle either and messing up can lead to serious consequences.

Just as it's easy to mess up home or car repairs, RV care can go awry in some big ways. Mechanical issues while driving, damage to the living area, and the like are all possibilities. Even when scaling things down, cleaning up messes, or repairing stuck or squeaky elements, things can go wrong. For example, the standard WD-40 multi-use product, useful for everything from cleaning to lubrication, can certainly help out in an RV. However, there are some applications for it that could lead to bigger, potentially dangerous problems that could've been avoided entirely. To keep your RV in the best shape possible, it's key to know where WD-40 shouldn't be used. 

WD-40 is no good around rubber seals

For the most part, RVs are metal and fiberglass behemoths. However, there are some elements that are made of less rigid materials. Looking around an RV, one notices that there's a surprising amount of rubber involved. This includes seals and gaskets around windows, doors, and toilets, as well as the roof itself on some models. Ethylene propylene diene monomer, or EPDM, and thermoplastic olefin, TPO, are the specific rubberized material types used in these campers. Regardless of where they are on the RV, these rubber elements should never come in contact with WD-40 for any purpose.

Generally speaking, WD-40 isn't a great solution for cleaning plastic or rubber constructions. It's made with a petroleum base, which, while effective at cleaning metals and similar hard materials, can do a number on rubber. It will dry rubber out, causing it to corrode and crack in short order. Degraded window and door seals will lead to everything from water intrusion during rainfall, potentially higher wind noise when driving, and increasingly poor temperature regulation. Damage to those on sinks and toilets will lead to water leakage, too. EPDM may be more resistant to the corrosive effects of WD-40, but silicone-based seals aren't likely to last long when repeatedly exposed to WD-40. Fortunately, WD-40 does make a rubber-safe product, the WD-40 Specialist Silicone Lubricant Spray. It's just one of many handy WD-40 products most don't even know exist.

Due to its flammability, keep WD-40 away from heat elements

As harmless as it may seem at first glance, using WD-40 actually comes with several different health risks. Aside from what it can do to the human body if ingested, it can be quite dangerous in terms of the reactions it can have with other materials. As is written on the WD-40 multi-use can, its contents are highly flammable. It's recommended not to keep or use WD-40 near open flames, sources of electricity, hot surfaces, or in places that receive direct sunlight. As a result, there are several places in an RV where it shouldn't be used.

Naturally, the kitchen of an RV is no place for WD-40. The heating elements on a stove can have a dangerous reaction to the all-purpose solution. Additionally, it shouldn't be anywhere near the gas tank, nor should it be used anywhere near the car battery — or anything else under the hood, for that matter. If vehicle engines are good at anything, it's building heat, which is a serious no-go for the ever-flammable WD-40. Also, it's explicitly stated on the label that the can shouldn't come close to battery terminals or electrical connections on motors or appliances. It could heat up, build pressure, and burst. Yet again, this is a case where a specific WD-40 product can do the trick. WD-40 Specialist machine and engine degreaser is intended for such mechanical cleaning without the risks associated with its multi-use contemporary, while you're best off with typical kitchen cleaners for stovetops and their surroundings.

RV locks and hinges shouldn't be treated with WD-40

The traditional WD-40 formula is widely considered to be a prime fix for stuck parts. In fact, that's one of its primary use cases in home workshops, professional garages, and the like, getting stuck, rusted metal components moving again. It's also frequently used as a way to quiet squeaky parts. In the context of an RV, however, it shouldn't be used for either of these purposes on several metal elements. Hinges on cabinet or exterior doors shouldn't be lubricated with WD-40, nor should you mistake it for a cure to your locking mechanism's lack of easy, fluid movement.

Starting with the hinges, while WD-40 will provide momentary auditory and movement relief, in the long run, it's not great for the health of your hinges and what they're attached to. Over time, WD-40 will harm the finish and wood itself on cabinetry and similar constructs in an RV's living space. It will also attract dirt and dust to the hinges. This will eventually make hinge noise and stickiness worse. WD-40 is equally bad for locks in this regard, with the buildup of dirt and grime brought on by it likely to cause damage to the internal mechanisms. Squeaky hinges are one thing, but locks that don't function as they should are much more serious problems to contend with. In this case, you'll likely want to look beyond the WD-40 brand for your needs. Products like AGS graphite powder lubricant are the most ideal for getting hinges moving and locks cleaned without the harmful side effects WD-40 would bring.

WD-40 isn't a good choice for RV slide-outs

As has been established, WD-40 is best used for getting specific metal elements moving again. In the context of an RV, there are a lot of places where using it would seemingly help, but actually doing so would go terribly wrong, either near-immediately or over time. Perhaps the biggest example of how this spray solution can give you headaches beyond its unpleasant smell is its attempted use on an RV's slide-out. One might think it's able to help out when slide-outs are sticking or making unpleasant sounds, but much like with other areas on an RV, trying to use it to remedy these problems is sure to make bigger ones.

Bringing it all together, WD-40 can harm slide-outs in more ways than one. First and foremost, they typically feature multiple rubber seals that are prone to drying and cracking when exposed to regular WD-40. Since WD-40 attracts dirt and dust, you can inadvertently gum up and damage the gears that allow the slide-out to operate by using it as a lubricant. Mechanical issues can sometimes cost thousands of dollars to repair, depending on slide-out size, the extent of the damage, and more, so simply put, it's not worth the risk. Instead, it's better to opt for something designed with slide-outs in mind, like 3-in-One RV slide-out silicone lubricant. No matter which of the major RV brands you choose to adventure with, you want to take good care of your mobile living space. Knowing where not to use WD-40 will go a long way in keeping some integral pieces in the best shape possible.