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You’ll open and close your RV’s screen door thousands of times. If you’re RVing with kids, it could be hundreds of thousands of times. Because you’ll use your screen door so often, you want to keep it safe. Luckily, there are a handful of options for RV screen door protection during your adventures.
Today, we’re sharing five ways to prevent damage to your RV screen door. Let’s get started!
Are All RV Screen Doors the Same?
Unfortunately, RV screen doors come in different shapes, sizes, and colors. There’s no standard screen door that manufacturers use when creating RVs.
However, the average RV screen door is approximately 26 inches wide and 70 inches tall.
What Can Damage a Screen Door?
RVers quickly learn that anything can happen during their adventures. There are a few common ways that damage occurs to RV screen doors.
Knowing what they are and the potential dangers can help ensure your screen door stays in good condition.
Weather
Nature can be moody and unpredictable. The weather can quickly change, especially the wind. You never know when an unexpected wind gust will blow through your campsite and send your screen door flying.
Objects in the way could crash through your screen door or bend the lightweight and fragile door frame.
People
Unfortunately, you or your fellow campers could damage your RV’s screen door. You could accidentally hit, kick, or drop something that falls into it. Some RVers have fallen down the stairs in their RV and slammed into the screen door.
No matter how careful you are, you or someone you’re camping with could easily puncture the screen or bend the door’s frame. While this can be frustrating, accidents happen.
Before feeling frustrated or worrying about how much it will cost to fix, ensure whoever caused the damage is okay and not seriously hurt.
Pets
You may love your pet to pieces, but many RVers had the unfortunate experience of their pet damaging their RV screen door.
A pet may see the screen door and not realize or forget they cannot walk or run through it. They may see a squirrel or fellow pet walking by, and their instincts kick in, which results in a broken RV screen door.
If you plan to take your pet with you, it’s best to prepare for these situations and pet-proof your RV screen door for their protection. Protecting your RV screen door is one step to ensuring you and your pet have a smooth RVing experience.
5 Ways to Protect Your RV Screen Door From Damage
You can do a handful of things to protect your RV screen door and help it last as long as possible.
While each offers your RV screen door some protection, combining multiple options provides optimal protection for your door. Let’s see how many options you can use to keep your screen door safe. Let’s dive in!
1. Install a Protective Grill
There’s a reason knights wore suits of armor when they went into battle. A protective grill can serve as armor for your RV screen door. Does it look fancy? Not so much.
However, it protects your screen door from pets, humans, and any accidents that might damage the screen. Additionally, it allows full function and air to pass through, keeping air circulating and temperatures down in your rig.
2. Put Plexiglass On Your RV Screen Door
If you want to protect your screen door but not restrict your ability to see out, plexiglass may be your best option. Creating a plexiglass protector is simple and only requires a measuring tape, a sheet of 0.125-inch plexiglass, and a plexiglass cutter.
Measure your door frame multiple times to confirm your measurements. Transfer those measurements onto the sheet of plexiglass using a straightedge. It’s a good idea to check your measurements even after you’ve marked them to be safe.
Once you’ve marked the plexiglass, use the straightedge and plexiglass cutter to score approximately three-quarters through the plexiglass sheet. You can then snap off the excess material on each side of the plexiglass sheet.
To install the plexiglass, you’ll need to place the sheet into the grooves on the doorframe. Since the plexiglass is flexible, you’ll need to bend it slightly to ensure it is a tight fit. You can quickly remove and reinstall these to keep them clean.
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3. Lippert’s Screen Defender Kit
The folks at Lippert Components created the Screen Defender. It fits RV screen doors 26 inches wide, which is a majority of doors. The defender kit has a solid aluminum construction with a sleek black powder coating on the screen and frame.
It only takes 60 seconds to install the Screen Defender, so you don’t have to devote much time to this task. Since Lippert makes so many RV components, it looks like it belongs in any rig.
- ENHANCED VIEW - Aesthetically pleasing and easy to install, this kit gives you a clearer view and lets you enhance the...
- EXTRA PRIVACY - When your shade is up you will always have a clear view of the scene outside, plus added privacy...
4. Replace Your Screen With a Pet Proof Screen
If your biggest concern is damage from your pets, you can replace the flimsy mesh screen with a pet-proof screen. This heavy-duty material is tough enough to withstand claws from dogs and cats that can easily rip through a standard screen.
This may require more effort to install as you’ll need to remove the old screen before measuring, cutting, and installing the new screen. However, the finished product is a rugged screen safe from your pet’s sharp claws.
It’s crucial to note that this option provides minimal RV screen door protection against impact damage. With enough force, a pet could push through one of these screens.
In addition, a human or other falling object could bump into it and damage it. However, it’s an excellent option for those primarily concerned about sharp claws.
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5. Get a Deluxe Grill
If you want to protect your screen door but provide a more luxurious look, the Deluxe Grill from Camco is about as good as it gets. This aluminum grill offers a sturdy look and feel to your door and helps with impact damage.
It takes about 10 minutes to install this on most doors, but it’s worth it. One user wrote, “Very easy to install. Keeps our two Border Collies from ripping the screen on the door.”
Multiple users stated that they loved that this grill adjusts from 20 to 32 inches and is available in white and the standard black.
- Durable Screen Door: Transform your RV door with a robust, reinforced feel deluxe screen door grille that minimizes the...
- Fit for Any Screen Door: Adjustable up to 20 to 32 inches, ensuring an excellent fit for various RV screen doors
Be Proactive on Your RV Screen Door Protection
The best way to protect your RV screen door is to be proactive. Don’t wait for damage to your screen door before you take the necessary steps. Not only could damage occur to your door, but a pet could escape your rig and be on the loose in the campground.
This can cause a stressful situation in the middle of your trip and ruin the experience. Set your RV and yourself up for success during your adventures with protection for your RV screen door.
Will you use any of the options on our list?
Last update on 2024-11-21 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
