RV Screen Door Upgrades Worth Adding (We Tried 3)

The best RV screen door upgrades are a self-closing door closer, a push bar that opens the latch for you, and a sturdy screen guard that keeps pets and kids from pushing through the mesh. All three fit most RV doors and need only a few simple tools. So if your screen door keeps getting left open or your dog eyes it like an escape hatch, these are the fixes we’d start with.

Hey y’all, it’s Jimmy and Lisa from FindUsCamping. Pull up a chair, because this one is all about the door we walk through a hundred times a day.

Why upgrade your RV screen door at all?

Because the stock screen door is the weak spot on most rigs. It doesn’t close by itself, the little handle is easy to miss, and the screen pops out with one good shove.

Here’s how it goes at our place. The big door is open, the screen door is shut, and the AC or heat is running. Then you head out to the picnic table with your arms full. You bump the screen door with your elbow, it doesn’t quite make it back, and now the bugs are moving in. Plus, kids run out thinking they shut it, and they didn’t.

Then there’s Daisy. She travels with us, and some days she isn’t too excited about other dogs. Other days she just wants to go play with the kids. That’s why we were always nervous leaving only the screen door shut. If she busted through it, that would be bad on so many levels.

A lot of folks fix this with a piece of plexiglass. That works, but we wanted something made for the door. So our friends at Lippert sent us three accessories to try on our rig and give them feedback. We put them on both of our doors, and we still think they’re some of the best little upgrades we’ve made.

Which RV screen door accessories are worth buying?

These are the three we installed, and each one fixes a different headache:

1. Lippert Screen Shot (door closer). It mounts on the door and hooks to the frame with a cord. Once you get past the door and let go, it swings shut and latches on its own.
2. Lippert Screen Assist (push bar). It’s a cross bar that can be a plain handle, or it can hook to the latch. Then a light push down unlatches the door, even with your hands full.
3. Lippert Screen Defender (screen guard). It snaps into the screen door tracks, a lot like a storm door. It keeps pets and little ones from pushing the screen out or ripping it open.

If you only buy one, think about your biggest problem first. Got a dog like Daisy? Start with the Screen Defender. Is the door always left open? Then the Screen Shot is your pick.

What order should you install them in?

Put the Screen Shot in first, then the Screen Defender, and the Screen Assist last. We learned this by reading the directions before we started, and we’re glad we did.

The Screen Shot and the Screen Defender both use the same tracks inside the door, where the screen slides. So the closer needs to go in first, and the guard slides up to the base of it. The Screen Assist goes in a whole separate spot, so you can do it whenever you like. Also, it installs from the inside, which was a blessing because it was HOT outside that day.

How do you install an RV screen door closer and guard?

It’s easier than it looks. Here’s how we did ours, step by step:

1. Dry fit the Screen Shot. Feed the little cord through, snap it into place, and set it in the ridges where the screen slides.
2. Drill pilot holes. Then put in the screws that hold the closer to the door.
3. Mark the door frame. The directions say to mount the other end about a half inch in on the door facing. Pull it out, get it straight, mark it, and drill a small pilot hole. It’s not rocket science.
4. Set the Screen Defender feet. No tools needed here. First, drop the little feet into the back track on both sides. Then flip it up and snap it in.
5. Measure the gap. Raise the screen up to the guard and measure the space. If it’s over two inches, use the bigger spacer. If it’s under two, use the smaller one. We ended up snapping the smaller one into the bigger one, because they adjust to whatever height you need.
6. Seat the screen. Lift up, get the screen into the groove all the way across, and snap it in. Done.

Just one tip: measure your door before you order the Screen Defender, so you get the right size.

How do you put on the Screen Assist push bar?

Swap the old handle, dry fit the bar, center it, and screw in the brackets. The bar adjusts, because RV doors come in so many widths.

First, pop the cap off your old screen door handle and take it off. It comes with a beefier replacement handle. If you do this from outside with the door open, watch that back knob so it doesn’t drop. From inside, it can’t really go anywhere.

Next, pick your end pieces. One end works as a plain handle. The other end has a little hole in the tip that hooks to the latch, and that’s the one we used. Then hold the bar up so it lines up with the middle bar on the door. We just eyeballed the gap underneath instead of getting the level out.

Now for a little math. Our brackets were 15 inches apart, and our rod was 20 inches long. So we marked the center at 10 inches, then measured seven and a half inches each way. That keeps the extra bar even on both sides. Finally, line the brackets up with your marks and drive the screws. They’re self-tapping, but we still like a pilot hole because it makes things easier.

Oh, and if you have a thin shade in your door like we do, slide it out of the way before you drill. Otherwise, you’ll drill right through it.

Are these RV screen door upgrades hard to do?

Not at all. A few steps need two hands, but you don’t need many tools, and the result is pretty exciting.

One of us broke a sweat that day just watching. But that was the heat, not the work. Now Daisy can’t bust the screen, we push the rod and the door opens, and when we let go, it closes. That’s a win in our book.

Here’s what we’d do again:

• Read every set of directions before drilling a single hole.
• Install the closer before the guard, since they share the same tracks.
• Dry fit the push bar first, because doors vary so much.
• Save the inside jobs for when it’s hot outside.
• Put them on both doors if your rig has two.

Looking for more easy upgrades? Check out the RV must-have features we’d never skip again. Or see how we level our rig with Lippert Level Up and Andersen levelers.

Quick answers

Will these fit my RV screen door?
They’re made to fit most RV entry doors. Still, measure your door first, especially for the Screen Defender.

How do I keep my dog from pushing through the screen?
A screen guard like the Lippert Screen Defender snaps in over the lower screen. That way, a pushy pup can’t pop it out.

What tools do I need?
A drill, a small bit for pilot holes, a screwdriver, and a tape measure. The Screen Defender needs no tools at all.

How do I make my RV screen door close by itself?
Add a door closer like the Lippert Screen Shot. It pulls the door shut and latches it once you let go.

Come hang out with the village

We love swapping little fixes like this around the campfire. So come camp with us at a FindUsCamping campout, join the FindUsCamping Villagers group on Facebook, and subscribe to our YouTube channel. You can also grab our newsletter. Then tell us what you’ve done to your screen door, because we always love a good idea. Until next time you find us camping, safe travels, y’all!