RV Lubrication is a Key Part of RV Maintenance

Lubricating your RV is crucial to preventing wear and tear on your RV and it’s one of the easiest maintenance tasks an RV owner can do.

Spending just 20 minutes every 3–6 months (depending on how often you use your RV) lubricating your RV can prevent a whole lot of big problems down the road. 

However, this simple maintenance task is often overlooked by RVers. 

Choosing the Right RV Lubricant is Important

There are a lot of lubricants on the market designed specifically for use on RVs.

Using the right lubricant for the job is just as important as lubricating your RV on a regular basis.

Using the wrong lubricant can cause worse problems than the ones you’re trying to avoid. For example, some lubricants tend to attract dust, dirt and grit.

You’ll want to avoid using these on any exposed surfaces.

Another example is the way some petroleum based lubricants cause rapid deterioration of rubber components. 

This is why your choice of lubricant will depend on which RV component you’re lubricating. 

In this article, we’ll take a look at everything you need to know about RV lubrication, including all the components you should lubricate and how often, to choosing the right RV lubricant. 

RV Lubricant Types

• SIlicone Spray
• Dielectric Grease
• Hitch Grease
• White Lithium Grease
• Slideout Seal dressing
• Graphite lubricant
• WD40
• Wheel bearing Grease

Lubricate These RV Components

RV Awning Arms

It’s a good idea to lubricate the moving parts and arms of your RV awning twice a year.

If your RV awning squeals when you extend or retract it, then it’s time to lubricate. For this job, you’ll want to use silicone lubricant spray.

Definitely avoid using anything that dust could adhere to, so the moving parts won’t get gummed up.

Method: Before you lubricate, flush out channels and clean any dust and debris off of the awning arms and channels. Allow to dry thoroughly.

Next, spray the channels and all moving parts with a dry lubricant spray. Silicone lubricant spray works well for lubricating awning arms.

RV Lock Cylinders

RV lock cylinders perform best when lubricated at least once a year with a dry lubricant.

Lubrication can help to loosen grit and debris that sometimes finds its way into exterior locks.

In addition, cylinder locks are affected by temperature changes as well as moisture in the air that can cause the mechanisms in them to seize if they aren’t lubricated regularly.

Choose a Dry Lubricant

RV lock cylinders need to be lubricated with a dry lubricant, such as graphite, silicone, or Teflon spray lubricant once or twice yearly.

Many RVers try using a petroleum-based lubricant such as WD40 for this job.

Petroleum-based lubricants can work well at first, but after a while, the lock can get gummed up and seize.

This is because these products tend to attract dust and other debris that might be on the key when it enters the lock.

Dry lubricants prevent debris from adhering to mechanisms inside the lock.

Method: This is a job that requires the use of that little straw that comes on most cylinders of spray lubricant. Insert the straw as far into the lock cylinder as it will go.

Then depress the trigger give a quick spray to dispense the lubricant.

Hinges, Drawers, and Luggage Bay Doors and Latches

RV exterior door hinges and luggage bay doors can get squeaky if they don’t get lubricated 2–3 times a year.

For this job, it’s best to use a dry lubricant, such as silicone or Teflon spray lubricant.

This would also be a good time to tackle drawers and hinges on the inside with the appropriate lubricants as well.

Method: Open each exterior door or luggage bay door as you work.

Using the little straw that came with the cylinder of lubricant, spray each hinge as well as the door latches.

Hitch Components

Lubricating the hitch ball and coupler is crucial to ensuring their longevity.

This is because an RV hitch ball and coupler carry a lot of weight, creating friction on both the hitch ball and coupler.

Eventually, this will lead to both the coupler and hitch ball getting worn out.

Because of the weight involved, this job requires the use of a heavier lubricant, such as wheel bearing grease or white lithium grease.

Using a lighter lubricant (like graphite) also works, but will need to be repeated more frequently.

Generally, you should clean and grease the hitch on an RV trailer every trip, although this can vary with towing conditions.

Method: Before you start, use a rag to remove any old lubricant, dirt, and debris from the coupler and hitch ball.

Next, spray the inside of the coupler with hitch lubricant or white lithium grease.

If you’re using wheel bearing grease, use a small amount to create a barrier between the two metal surfaces.

Electrical Connections and Battery Terminals

Applying just a dab of dielectric grease to electrical connections such as the seven pin trailer plug, or RV house or chassis battery terminals helps to prevent corrosion and helps keep electrons happily flowing to where you need them.

This electrical maintenance task can be done once or twice a year, depending on how often the RV is used.

Method: Disconnect connections from house batteries or chassis battery. Clean RV battery terminals with electrical contact cleaner spray.

Cover each terminal with a layer of dielectric grease. Reconnect terminals one at a time.

Next, squirt a little electrical contact spray on seven pin electrical connection and allow to dry before applying a little dielectric grease to the connection.

RV Slideouts

RV slideout mechanisms should be lubricated 2–4 times a year with a silicone spray lubricant to avoid problems caused by wear and tear.

Be sure to avoid using petroleum based lubricants because they tend to attract dust and debris which can create problems.

Method: There are three common types of rv slideout mechanisms. These are rack and pinion, Schwintek, and cable.

The method used to lubricate your slideout varies, depending on which slideout system your RV has.

However, basically, the steps are to clean the mechanism of any obvious debris and then apply silicone spray lubricant.

Click here for a detailed guide that includes each RV slideout system.

Motorhome Chassis

If you drive a motorhome, it a good idea to have the RV chassis lubricated when the oil is changed.

For this job, it’s best to follow the instructions in the operating manual for your RV chassis.

 Windows

Regular use can cause RV windows to become sticky if they aren’t lubricated 1–2 times per year, using a dry lubricant such as a silicone, graphite, or Teflon based spray lubricant.

This quick and simple job can make a big difference to how easily your RV windows open or close.

Method: Clean window channels thoroughly. Using spray lubricant cylinder straw to apply lubricant to window channels.

RV Lubrication is Key

Lubrication is by far the easiest RV maintenance task you can do.

However, using the right lubricant for the job is crucial to keeping all of your RV’s moving parts working for the lifetime of your RV.

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