How to Clean and Protect Your Caravan After a Big Trip (Mar 2026)

Never, ever wash a caravan in direct sunlight if you can help it. The soap dries instantly, leaving nasty streaks that are a nightmare to get off. If you've got no shade, work in tiny sections or wait until the sun starts to drop in the arvo.

Go around and double-check every window, roof hatch, and door. I once forgot to close a pantry vent on a Jayco and ended up soaking the missus's crackers. Not a fun conversation, let me tell you.

Give the whole thing a massive soak with just water. You want to knock off the loose red dust and salt before you even think about touching it with a brush. If you've been on the beach, spend extra time on the chassis and leaf springs.

Always start at the bottom. Why? Because if you clean the roof first, then spray mud off the wheels, all that muck just goes back onto your clean panels. Use a degreaser on the rims and a high-pressure hose to get into the wheel arches. If you've been in red mud, you'll be here for a while.

If you can safely get up there, do the roof next. It's usually covered in bird droppings and sap. Use your long-reach brush and plenty of soapy water. Be careful around solar panels, just water and a soft cloth for those, no harsh chemicals or you'll kill the efficiency.

Start at the top of the walls and work your way down in sections. I usually do one side at a time. Use a back-and-forth motion, not circles. Circles create those swirl marks you see under servo lights.

The front of the van is usually a graveyard for Bogong moths and grasshoppers. Don't scrub them hard! Soak a towel in soapy water, lay it over the bug splats for 5 minutes, and they'll slide right off. Learned that trick after scratching the front of a black Commodore, never again.

Caravan windows aren't glass; they're acrylic. They scratch if you even look at them funny. Use a fresh, clean microfibre and heaps of lubrication (soapy water). Never use Windex or anything with ammonia, or they'll go cloudy permanently.

Don't let the soap dry. Rinse each section as you finish it. Focus on the awning arms and window tracks where soap loves to hide and cause corrosion later.

Chuck your big drying towel over the panels and just pull it towards you. Drying is the most important step to avoid water spots, especially if you live in an area with hard water like Adelaide or out west.

Once she's dry, apply a spray sealant. I'm a big fan of Gtechniq Easy Coat or Bowden's Own Wet Dreams. You just spray it on a wet surface and rinse it off, and it gives you months of protection against UV and bird bombs. Dead easy.