RV Life and Sun Exposure: Protecting Your Skin on the Road

We want to start with a story that got our attention in a hurry. In January 2024, Dave went in for a routine skin check at a dermatology clinic in Mesa, Arizona — we were wintering at an RV resort there. The dermatologist found two actinic keratoses on his left forearm and one on the back of his neck. Precancerous. Not melanoma, thankfully, but a clear warning sign after thirty-plus years of outdoor activity without adequate sun protection.

The doctor froze them off with liquid nitrogen (not pleasant, Dave says it felt like getting stung by very angry wasps), and then sat us both down for a talk about sun protection that honestly made us feel a little foolish. We'd spent four years of full-time RVing in the sunniest parts of the country — Arizona, New Mexico, Florida, Southern California — and our sun protection routine was, well, inadequate is a polite word for it.

Understanding the Risk for RVers

Additionally, elevation matters. UV intensity increases approximately 4-5% per 1,000 feet of elevation gain. When we're camped at 7,000 feet in the mountains of New Mexico, we're getting roughly 25-30% more UV radiation than at sea level. We did not account for this at all during our first two years.

Our Updated Sun Protection Protocol

After Dave's scare, we overhauled everything. Here's our current system:

Sunscreen: We use EltaMD UV Sport SPF 50, applied every morning after moisturizer regardless of cloud cover. UV penetrates clouds — 80% of UV rays get through overcast skies, which we verified with a Solarmeter Model 6.5 UV Index meter Karen bought on Amazon for $229. Expensive for a meter, but it made the invisible threat visible and concrete. We reapply every two hours when outdoors, and immediately after sweating or swimming. We go through approximately one bottle per month between the two of us.

Protective Clothing: We invested in UPF 50+ clothing from Columbia and Coolibar. Dave wears a Columbia Silver Ridge long-sleeve shirt almost daily — it's lightweight enough for Arizona heat and provides consistent protection without reapplication. Karen prefers the Coolibar Everyday Beach Tunic. We also both wear wide-brim hats: a Tilley LTM6 Airflo for Dave and a Sunday Afternoons Ultra Adventure for Karen.

Timing: We adjusted our daily schedule. During summer months, we try to do our outdoor activities before 10 AM and after 4 PM, when UV index is lower. Midday is for indoor projects, naps, reading, or driving. This was a hard habit to build — when you're at a beautiful spot, you want to be outside all day — but it's become routine now.

RV-Specific Considerations

Something most people don't consider: driving your RV is sun exposure. The driver's side arm and face get significant UV through the side window. Front windshields in most vehicles block UVB but only about 20-30% of UVA. Side windows are even worse. Dave now applies sunscreen to his left arm and the left side of his face before every driving day, and we're looking into UV-blocking window film from 3M for the cab.

Our awning provides shade at camp, but reflected UV from sand, concrete, and water can still reach you under an awning. Karen measured UV readings under our Carefree awning and found they were still at a UV Index of 3-4 during midday in southern Arizona, which is enough to cause damage over extended exposure.

Annual Skin Checks

We now schedule annual full-body skin checks with a dermatologist. We time these during our winter stays in Arizona where there are plenty of dermatology practices familiar with sun-damage issues. Dave goes every six months now given his history. The cost with our Medicare supplement is $30 per visit.

We want to be direct: this isn't something to put off or dismiss as vanity. Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States, and the outdoor RV lifestyle increases your risk profile substantially. Dave's precancerous spots were caught early because we happened to schedule a check. If we'd waited another year or two, the outcome might have been different.

Take it from a couple who learned the hard way — wear the sunscreen, wear the hat, and get your skin checked. The sun is wonderful. Just respect it.