RV Screen Doors – No Match for Dog and Cat Claws

CAT VS. NEW RV SCREEN DOOR

The screen door in our first RV was pristine. It was brand new, like everything else in our new travel trailer. Brand new, that is, until our cat decided he wanted to get my attention by plucking at it with his claws.

I happened to be outside and he wanted me to be inside with him. So, he extended his claws and poked them through the small holes in the screen and pulled. It made the perfect sound to get my attention. It also made perfect larger holes in my new screen.

ALL FIXED UP!

Our fix was to cut a piece of cardboard box and slide it between the diagonal supports and the screen on the bottom of the screen door. We were on the road so didn’t have many options. It worked, but left us with only half of a screen door to look out of. Not to mention that it was just plain ugly.

In our next RV, a 5th wheel, we decided on something different. We still wanted to keep bugs out so liked the screen door, but didn’t want it destroyed like in our other trailer. We chose to use a piece of plexiglass. Since we already had a piece, we just cut it to fit the bottom space of our screen door.

It fit in between the supports and the screen. We had to unscrew the supports first, add the plexiglass next to the screen, then replace the supports. The plexiglass was now sandwiched between the screen and the supports, keeping the screen on the outside of the door and away from kitty claws.

We like this arrangement so much more than the cardboard! We have a clear view from the top and bottom of the screen door, the kitty can get my attention when I’m outside, and our screen is still intact.

Update: Our new puppy can scratch at the door to go outside and not destroy our screen! The plexiglass is still working!

Please share your tips or hacks.

• How do you protect your RV screen door?
• Did you create it yourself or was it commercially made?

Let us know in the comments below!