How To Keep RV Furniture From Peeling

Peeling RV Furniture | Why it Peels and How to Stop it

Your RV furniture is a point of pride on your rig. It provides a comfortable space to relax at the end of a day of adventuring and provides an area to socialize with family and friends. Because it’s such a focal point, you want it to look its best to always impress and look great. But the downside to a lot of furniture in an RV is that it is susceptible to peeling.

RecPro has over 12 years of experience in the RV furniture industry, so we know RV furniture inside and out. In this article we will help you learn why the furniture in your RV is peeling, how you can prevent it, and what you can do if your furniture has already started peeling.

Why is it peeling?

You may be wondering why your furniture peels at all. There are a few causes of peeling furniture. If your furniture is peeling, it's most likely synthetic leather. RubNRestore has a great little article showing the different ways that synthetic leather peels so you can easily tell if your fabric is real or faux leather; that way you know how to fix and maintain it accordingly. Many RVs use synthetic leathers to upholster their furniture without providing proper care tips to maintain the fabric for a long life. Leather has some of the same maintenance requirements as faux leather. Sun exposure, moisture, age, high temperatures, and poor care can all lead to your furniture beginning to peel or crack.

Direct sunlight and long periods at high temperatures can dry out the synthetic and real leather, causing it to become brittle and flake or crack. Moisture can be from being in a too humid environment to sweat from prolonged sitting to spills, which can damage structural integrity of the fabric. Fabrics are rated with a double-rub test to see how much use it can withstand. The older your furniture is, the closer you are to that rated number and the more likely it is for your fabric to show its age. And of course, if you don’t care for your faux or real leather properly, then it’s not going to last as long as you want.

How to prevent flaking and peeling?

The best way to prevent damage to your RV furniture is with proper maintenance. What is proper maintenance for synthetic and real leather? The first is cleaning it regularly and conditioning the fabric with a protectant. RecPro has a great leather protectant, designed to prevent drying and protect against harsh UV rays. And it works for both synthetic and real leather as well as vinyl. Cleaning your furniture can also remove sweat and oil residue that you don’t see, helping to keep the moisture levels on your fabric down. Minimizing direct sunlight can also help keep it from cracking or peeling.

And when maintaining your furniture, you want to make sure you’re maintaining it in the off season too. Just because it’s not being used doesn’t mean that there aren’t factors at work that can weaken it. Dust accumulation, moisture in the air, and little critters can all get to your furniture when you’re not in your rig for weeks at a time.

What can I do if my furniture is already peeling?

You may be reading this, wondering what can be done about your already peeling or cracked furniture. There are a few things that you can do to make your furniture look good even if it’s seen better days. One easy solution is to get furniture or cushion covers. This can help prevent peeling if you put it on from the start, but if your furniture is already peeling, this provides a barrier that not only visually shields the peeling fabric from view but helps prevent it from peeling more. If it’s real leather you have that’s cracked and the crack is small, you can employ the use of a leather repair kit to easily fix the damage.

Another option is to reupholster your furniture. This requires a bit more DIY and sewing knowledge, but it’s easily manageable and can create a unique look for your RV by offering a wider array of fabric options. And because you’re selecting the fabric, you’re able to research and get the best and most durable fabric that will stand up to prolonged use in an RV.

But maybe you’re not interested in sewing yourself. Another route to go is to replace the furniture. Replacing furniture is going to be a more expensive option, but you can choose the best fabrics and know how to care for it going forward. You can select something that you can maintain and will look great.

No one likes peeling furniture. But sometimes it’s inevitable. Whether you have furniture that’s already peeling or furniture that you want to keep from peeling, there are things you can do to maintain and prolong the life of your furniture.