By Gail Marsh
Among the “must haves” in our RV toolbox is a roll of painter’s tape. We’ve used the tape for many things, but never for painting. At least, not yet. We used to carry masking tape but disliked the sticky residue it sometimes left behind. So… painter’s tape it is! Check out these tips and tricks for using painter’s tape and I bet you just might add a roll to your RV toolbox, too!

14 ways you can use painter’s tape in your RV

• Label tools. My husband and I take our big toolbox to work camping jobs. With several volunteers working at a job site, it’s difficult to keep track of our own tools. So, my husband used painter’s tape to label all of them. Now we can tell at a glance which tools are ours at the end of the workday. Hint: Put the tape in a location that won’t wear off as the tool is used.

• Straight caulking line. I noticed that the caulk on our RV shower needed to be replaced. I wanted a clean, straight caulk line. So, I applied a strip of painter’s tape to either side of the gap where we planned to caulk. As I applied the caulk, I didn’t need to worry about making a smooth, straight line. Once the caulk was applied and smoothed, I just pulled up the tape to reveal a perfect line. If your hands get tired of applying caulk, use a caulking gun. This is the RVtravel.com favorite. Hint: This procedure also works for neatly applying glue to joints. Any excess glue is removed when you pull up the painter’s tape.

• Notes. I often walk in the early mornings, before my husband gets up. I will write a “Good morning” or “Lake Trail” (the location I’ll be walking) on a piece of painter’s tape and place the tape on the RV bathroom mirror, where he’s sure to find it.

• Accurate measuring. When replacing the RV’s outside weather stripping, we needed several different lengths. I kept track of the varying lengths by noting each measurement on a separate piece of painter’s tape. I applied each measurement to the flat side of my tape measure, one measurement on top of the next in a stack. Then as I measured and cut to the right length, I removed the top piece of tape from the stack and placed it on the corresponding length of weather stripping.

• Drill bit flag. When needing to drill a hole to a specified depth, my husband will measure that distance from the end of the drill bit, then apply a “flag” of painter’s tape at the mark. That way it’s easy to see how deep to drill the hole—when you reach the bottom of the flag, you stop.

• Mark wires. We used painter’s tape and a permanent marker to keep track of the electrical wires behind our RV television. There are so many wires: cable connection, speaker wires, Dish satellite connection, and TV wiring, too. The tape identification tags are very helpful.

• Visualize. When purchasing new RV furniture, we used painter’s tape directly on the floor in the shape and size of the furniture we were considering. The tape helped us envision how big a footprint the furniture would make, and quickly helped us decide on the right-sized furniture for us. Hint: You can use this same idea when placing a picture or shelf on the wall of your RV. Use painter’s tape directly on the wall to create a visualization of your picture’s dimensions. You’ll know in a flash whether you’ll like the placement, just by seeing the outline.

• Label drink cups. When grandchildren RV with us, we label each child’s cup with their name. No more mix-ups! (And far fewer cups to wash, too.) When kids leave, the tape is easily removed with no sticky residue.

• Remove pet hair. Wind painter’s tape around your hand, with the sticky side out. Then use the tape to remove pet hair from furniture. Rotate the tape as you clean.

• Chip bags. In a pinch, we’ll use a bit of painter’s tape to keep chip bags closed. It works well because it’s easily removed and can be used multiple times.

• Reminders. My husband will often place a piece of painter’s tape on our truck’s steering wheel as a reminder before we hit the road. We often forgot to extend our truck’s outside mirrors before leaving the campground. The tape reminds us to do that before getting on the road.

• Corral small items. Form a loop of painter’s tape with the sticky side out. Stick the tape on the countertop. Place screws, washers, fuses, and other small parts on the tape to keep them within reach as you work.

• Clean tight spots. Painter’s tape can help you clean small spaces, like your laptop keyboard. Just bend the tape to the shape you need and let the sticky side capture dust and crumbs.

• Fun and games. Grandkids love it when we play tic-tac-toe on rainy days. I put painter’s tape directly on our RV’s vinyl floor in the shape of the game’s grid. We use two different coins for x’s and o’s. When the kids tire of the game, the tape pulls up easily. (When the boys were younger, I’d make painter’s tape highways throughout the RV. They loved running their Hot Wheels on the “road.” I also securely taped plastic zoo animals to the RV dining table. “Freeing the animals” kept little hands entertained and busy while I made dinner.)

Do you carry painter’s tape in your RV? How do you use it? Tell us in the comments.

Suddenly feeling like you should stock up on some painter’s tape? Find some here.

Speaking of paint…

• Have a paint nick or chip on your RV? Here’s an easy trick
• Why doesn’t anybody paint their RV’s interior?
• Paint your RV hitch for easy hitch-ups
• We had our RV custom painted. Here’s what the process was like
• How to paint an RV for less than $300

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