6 Best Weather Stripping Products for Sealing RV Drafts Nomads Swear By
Stop RV drafts with the right weather stripping. We cover 6 nomad-tested products to keep your rig comfortable and energy-efficient year-round.
That whistling sound from your RV door on a windy night isn’t just annoying; it’s the sound of your propane or electricity bill going up. A drafty rig is an uncomfortable and inefficient rig, turning your cozy haven into a constant battle with the thermostat. Sealing those leaks is one of the highest-impact, lowest-cost upgrades you can make to your home on wheels.
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Identifying the Source of Your RV Drafts
Before you buy a single roll of tape, you have to play detective. Throwing sealant at a wall is a waste of time and money if you don’t know exactly where the air is getting in. The source of a draft isn’t always obvious.
The usual suspects are predictable: doors, windows, and slide-outs are the big three. But don’t forget the less obvious spots. Check around roof vents, plumbing and electrical pass-throughs in the floor, and the seals on your exterior storage bays. Even a small gap in the corner of a slide-out can make an entire living area feel chilly.
The best way to find a leak is on a windy day. Close all your windows and vents, then slowly run a wet hand around the edges of doors, windows, and slides. You’ll feel the cold air instantly. For a more precise method, light an incense stick and watch where the smoke trail gets disturbed. Mark each spot with a small piece of painter’s tape so you can tackle them one by one.
M-D EPDM D-Seal: The All-Purpose RV Staple
This EPDM adhesive weather-strip seals two average windows or one door, easily replacing worn pile weatherstripping. Its durable yet flexible design installs in channels or with its adhesive backing for lasting protection.
If you only keep one type of weather stripping in your toolkit, this should be it. D-seal is the workhorse for sealing things that open and close, specifically your main entry door and exterior compartment doors. It’s made from EPDM rubber, which stands up to UV rays and extreme temperatures far better than the cheap vinyl or foam seals some RVs come with from the factory.
Its name comes from its shape—a capital "D" in cross-section. When the door closes, it compresses the hollow part of the "D," creating a firm, positive seal against the frame. This simple design is incredibly effective at blocking drafts and even muffling outside noise. It’s a massive upgrade over the flat foam tape that gets permanently crushed after one season.
The crucial detail here is getting the right size. D-seals come in various heights and widths. Before you buy, measure the channel your old seal sits in and the gap you’re trying to fill. If you get a seal that’s too thick, your door won’t latch properly. If it’s too thin, you’ll still have a draft. Take a small piece of your old, compressed seal with you to the store for comparison if you can.
AP Products Slide-Out Seal for Leaky Slides
Slide-outs are amazing for adding space, but they are essentially giant, moving holes in the side of your RV. They are, without a doubt, the number one source of major drafts and water leaks if their seals fail. These aren’t just simple foam strips; slide-outs use a sophisticated system of wiper seals and bulb seals.
The "wiper" is the long, flexible flap that squeegees the top and sides of the slide room as it moves in and out, clearing debris and water. The "bulb" is the round, hollow rubber tube that compresses against the slide-out flange when it’s fully extended or retracted, creating the airtight seal. Often, these two are integrated into a single unit. When they get brittle, cracked, or torn, you get major air and water intrusion.
Replacing a slide-out seal is a more involved job than slapping on some foam tape. It often requires retracting the slide part-way, prying off the old, hardened seal, and meticulously cleaning the track of stubborn, old adhesive. You have to get the new seal installed perfectly straight on its track. It’s a project, for sure, but ignoring a bad slide seal is asking for bigger problems, like water damage and delamination.
Frost King V-Seal Weatherstrip for Windows
Seal drafts and save energy with this 17 ft white weatherstrip. Easy to install, it provides a durable barrier against the elements for doors and cabinets.
Those single-pane windows in many RVs are notorious for letting cold air seep in, especially the sliding or jalousie types. The problem is that the channels they slide in often have inconsistent gaps where a thick foam seal won’t fit without binding the window. This is where V-seal weatherstrip shines.
This product is a thin, flexible plastic strip that’s folded into a "V" shape. You stick one side of the V into the window frame or track. The other side acts like a spring, pressing against the sliding window pane to close the air gap. It’s an elegant solution that takes up almost no space but effectively blocks those persistent, whistling drafts.
Because it’s so thin, V-seal is perfect for places where you need a seal without adding bulk. It works in the tightest of spaces, like the vertical tracks of a sliding window or along the edge of a poorly fitting screen door. It’s a subtle fix, but on a cold, windy night, you’ll notice the difference immediately.
Great Stuff Gaps & Cracks Insulating Foam
Sometimes the draft isn’t coming from something that’s supposed to open. It’s coming from a permanent, irregular-shaped hole that was cut at the factory. Think about the holes drilled through your floor for plumbing lines or the gaps around the wheel wells inside a storage bay. For these, expanding foam is your best friend.
Great Stuff is a brand of polyurethane insulating foam sealant that you spray into a gap. It expands to fill every nook and cranny, creating a completely airtight and waterproof barrier. It’s perfect for sealing up those awkward, hard-to-reach voids that you could never properly seal with tape or a rubber gasket. Once it cures, you can even trim the excess with a knife for a clean finish.
A word of caution: be sure to buy the "Gaps & Cracks" version in the blue can, not the "Big Gap Filler" in the red can. The high-expansion version is incredibly powerful and can literally bend metal or pop plastic panels out of place. The low-expansion formula is much more forgiving and all you need for most RV applications. Use it sparingly—it expands more than you think.
Gorilla All-Weather Tape for Quick Fixes
Gorilla All Weather Duct Tape offers durable, weatherproof repairs that last. Its strong adhesive and UV/temperature resistant shell withstand extreme conditions, making it ideal for outdoor use.
Every nomad needs a roll of this stuff. This isn’t your permanent, elegant solution. This is your "it’s 20 degrees, the wind is howling, and I just found a huge draft coming from under the fridge" solution. Gorilla All-Weather Tape is an incredibly sticky, durable, and waterproof tape that will get you through an emergency.
Think of it as duct tape on steroids. It’s perfect for patching a tear in your rig’s underbelly (coroplast), temporarily sealing a cracked vent lid, or even taping around a window that won’t quite close on your way to the repair shop. Its adhesive is aggressive and it holds up to rain, snow, and sun, making it suitable for exterior patches that need to last for a few weeks or months.
This is your go-to for triage, not for a final repair. While it holds strong, it’s still tape. Use it to stop the bleeding, then plan to replace the broken part or apply a more permanent sealant when you have the time and conditions to do the job right. Having a roll in your toolbox can be the difference between a miserable night and a comfortable one.
Dicor Butyl Seal Tape for Vents and Seams
Seal RV, trailer, and window joints quickly and easily with Dicor Butyl Seal Tape. This 1/8" x 3/4" x 30' roll provides a strong, flexible, and permanent seal on any smooth or irregular surface.
This product is a draft-stopper that works from the outside in. Butyl tape is the dense, sticky, putty-like tape that creates the primary seal underneath almost everything mounted to your RV’s roof and walls—vents, windows, clearance lights, and trim. If the factory seal has dried out and cracked, you’re getting both water and air through that gap.
When you install a new roof vent, for example, you lay a strip of butyl tape on the RV roof, place the vent flange on top of it, and then screw it down. The pressure squishes the tape, creating a permanent, flexible, and waterproof gasket. It never fully hardens, which is critical for a vehicle that’s constantly flexing and vibrating as it travels down the road.
Many people mistakenly reach for silicone caulk to fix these kinds of leaks, but that’s a mistake. Silicone cures hard and will eventually crack from the RV’s movement, creating a new leak. Butyl tape remains pliable for years, moving with your rig and maintaining its seal. If you have a draft around a window frame or a vent, the right fix is often to remove the component, scrape off the old seal, and reinstall it with fresh butyl tape.
Tips for Applying Your New Weather Stripping
The best weather stripping in the world will fail if you apply it to a dirty, greasy surface. Preparation is 90% of the job. A few extra minutes of prep work will ensure your new seal lasts for years instead of peeling off after the first big temperature swing.
Before you begin, follow these simple but critical steps. They apply whether you’re using a peel-and-stick D-seal or prepping for a new slide-out wiper.
- Clean the surface thoroughly. Remove every trace of the old adhesive, dirt, and road grime. A plastic scraper, Goof Off, and denatured alcohol are your best tools for this. The surface must be perfectly clean and dry.
- Measure twice, cut once. This stuff isn’t always cheap. Lay out your seal and make sure your measurements are right before you make the cut.
- Apply on a warm, dry day. Adhesives bond best when temperatures are moderate—ideally above 50°F (10°C). Trying to apply tape in the freezing cold is a recipe for failure.
- Test the fit before you peel. For peel-and-stick products, do a "dry fit" first. Hold the strip in place and close the door or window to ensure it compresses correctly without preventing it from latching.
This isn’t a race. Rushing the job is the surest way to have to do it all over again next season. Take your time, do it right, and enjoy the quiet, warm, and draft-free results of your labor. It’s one of the most satisfying projects an RVer can do.
Ultimately, creating a draft-free RV isn’t about finding one magic product, but about building a system where each type of gap is sealed with the right material for the job. By matching the product to the problem, you can transform your rig from a drafty box into a sealed, comfortable, and efficient home, no matter where the road takes you. A little bit of effort here pays off every single day.
