Fifth Wheel Detailing.
Mobile detailing for in-bed-tow fifth wheels — Grand Design Solitude, Keystone Montana, Jayco Eagle, Heartland Bighorn.
Fifth wheels are full-time homes for many owners. We detail every inch, including the raised forward section that other detailers skip because it requires a real ladder.
Service specs
Why fifth wheels is different.
A fifth wheel is a 35-foot trailer with a hump. That raised forward section over the truck bed houses the master bedroom, sometimes a half-bath, and a slide-out or two. It sits 12-13 feet off the ground at the peak, which means you need a real ladder to detail it properly — not a step stool, not a hope and a prayer. Most local detailers won't touch a fifth wheel because of the access challenge. We do. We carry the ladders, we know the seam between the cap and the sidewall is where leaks start, and we treat the kingpin and pin box area as part of the job. A fifth wheel is often a full-time home for snowbirds and full-timers; we treat it that way.
Fifth wheels have more surface area than any travel trailer their length suggests — the raised forward section adds 100+ square feet of fiberglass and roof that needs care. Multiple slide-outs (typically 3-4 on modern luxury fifth wheels) each have their own seals and mechanisms. Roof is usually TPO and large enough to be a small basketball court. Interior is more like a small apartment — separate bedroom, living room, kitchen, and bathroom, often with washer/dryer combos and full residential refrigerators. Full-timers' rigs accumulate two years of road wear that needs proper restoration, not just a wash.
Texas reality check. Texas RV resorts are full of full-time fifth-wheel owners — Hill Country Retreat, Buckhorn Lake, Mission Bell, every major resort has dozens. Snowbirds come down from Colorado, Wyoming, and the Dakotas for the winter and stay 3-6 months. Their rigs have accumulated road grime from the trip down and full-time exposure once they're parked. We service them in-resort, including at sites with limited side clearance — we work tight.
The fifth wheels protocol.
Walk-around: cap-to-sidewall seam inspection on the raised forward section (most common leak point), kingpin and pin box area, slide-out seals and mechanisms, awning, decals.
Roof inspection: TPO sealant around AC units, vent caps, antenna, refrigerator vent. Photograph anything lifting or cracking.
Pressure rinse top-down with the right ladder to reach the 12-13 ft peak of the cap.
Hand-wash with pH-neutral soap; two-bucket method.
Polish fiberglass cap and front cap with cutting compound + polish. Polish painted sidewalls separately.
Roof UV treatment with TPO-appropriate product.
Slide-out service: tops cleaned, wiper seals conditioned with proper RV slide seal conditioner, mechanisms lubricated, interior of slide cleaned where it tucks in.
Awning brush-clean with mildew remover.
Kingpin and pin box: degrease, clean, lubricate the lock mechanism. Most people forget this entirely.
External compartments: pass-through storage, battery, propane tank wipe and lubricate compartment latches.
Interior: full deep clean for full-timer rigs — kitchen with residential fridge, bathroom with shower, washer/dryer area, master bedroom, living room slides.
Final inspection from sunlight + photo record of any flagged seal issues.
What's included.
Every item on this list runs on every fifth wheels job. No upsells at the door.
Common add-ons for fifth wheels
- Roof reseal touch-up coordination (Dicor work via partner shop)
- Marine-grade ceramic coating
- Full-timer's quarterly maintenance package
- Pre-move-out / pre-sale showroom-prep detail
- Awning waterproof reproof
Models we see most.
Luxury fifth wheels
Grand Design Solitude / Reflection 5W, Forest River Cardinal / Sandpiper / Sabre, Keystone Montana / Montana High Country, Jayco North Point / Pinnacle, Heartland Bighorn / Big Country, DRV Suites Mobile Suites.
Mid-range and family fifth wheels
Grand Design Imagine 5W, Forest River Rockwood / Wildwood Heritage Glen, Keystone Cougar / Sprinter, Jayco Eagle / Eagle HT, Heartland Sundance / Sundance XLT, Coachmen Chaparral, Dutchmen Voltage.
Half-ton-towable fifth wheels (lighter weight)
Grand Design Imagine 5W half-ton, Keystone Cougar Half-Ton, Forest River Rockwood Ultra Lite 5W, Jayco Eagle HT 24RE, Heartland Mallard. Smaller floor plans, easier-to-tow, growing category.
What owners always ask.
Yes — that's most of our fifth-wheel work. Hill Country Retreat, Buckhorn Lake, Mission Bell, Yogi Bear, Hidden Valley, BeaverCreek, every major resort across South Texas. We bring our own water and power and we don't need site hookups.
Yes — we carry a real ladder that reaches the 12-13 foot peak. We've done dozens of 40+ foot fifth wheels with steep forward caps. We do not walk on roofs that won't support a person's weight; we work from the ladder.
Yes — every slide gets the same treatment: top cleaned, wiper seal conditioned, mechanism lubricated, and the slide's interior cleaned where it retracts. Most modern fifth wheels have 3-4 slides; that's part of the standard detail.
Always. We don't reseal — that's an RV service shop's work — but we inspect every seam around AC shrouds, vents, antennas, the front cap, and the rear cap. If we find lifted or cracking sealant, you get a photo and a heads-up so you can address it before it leaks.
Yes. Full-timer rigs typically have a residential fridge and a washer/dryer combo. We clean the fridge interior, behind the fridge if accessible, the washer drum, the dryer lint trap, and the laundry-area floor. All food-safe sanitizer.
A 32-36 ft fifth wheel exterior detail runs 8-9 hours. Add full interior deep clean for a full-timer and it's 10-11 hours, often split across two days. Quote after walk-around.
Exterior-only on a 32 ft fifth wheel starts at $900. Full exterior + interior on a 38-40 ft luxury rig like a Grand Design Solitude or Heartland Bighorn runs $1,200-1,500. Add ceramic coating ($300) and full-timer's deep clean and it pushes to $1,800.
Park it. We'll handle it.
We come to your driveway, dock, RV park, or hangar. Same care, every job.