Best RV Cover for Fuzion 310

[McGillicutty]

Hello, I'd like to keep my 2013 Fuzion 310 looking new as long as possible so I need to protect it primarily from the effects of the northern California sun. Before I go spend $300-$500 I was hoping to hear from other Fuzion 310 owners with recommendations on what the best fitting, easiest installing and most durable cover for this model or similar length FW toy haulers is. Thanks in advance, Mike.

[howdy]

Do you keep the trailer at home or in a storage lot. If kept offsite I would just do indoor storage as it would be much easier than wrestling with a cover. I have my trailer out at least twice a month and it would get old covering and uncovering this size a trailer.

[McGillicutty]

I am able to keep it at the house so that's way convenient. Unfortunately I am luck if I take mine out more than 6 times a year so the cover will definitely be inconvenient but the cost of building a shelter will be at least $1,500 even if I build it myself and my wife thinks it will be hideous. The cover obviously isn't the best answer to the problem, just the least expensive.

[JRTJH]

A number of members have reported "heat related" damage to their filon skinned RV's as well as "oil canning" and buckling of the skin from the increased heat trapped inside the covers. Most of us don't cover our RV and would recommend against a cover because of the mechanical chaffing that can occur when the wind blows as well as the potential for damage from the heat trapped under the cover.

Of course, there are some who advocate using a cover, but most who have tried to secure a cover on a large RV will tell you that not only is it difficult to do, damage to the installed roof components can occur and the hassle of putting it on and taking it off, even if it's only 6 times a year will likely damage the cover and/or the RV.

[Festus2]

If you are going to proceed with the cover, I would suggest that you:
1) spend a lot of time preparing your unit for the cover. This entails covering all the sharp edges and corners with some kind of foam or padding. The more care and time you spend doing this, the less damage will be done to the cover and to the corners and edges of your RV.

2)think about using soft nylon ropes to "wrap" around your unit so as to reduce the flapping of the cover that will occur in winds. I have used 3/8" soft nylon together with lengths of pipe insulation that I have put over the lines where they meet the edge of the roof, vents and A/C on the roof. In the past, I have "wrapped" - from side to side - 3x. I wouldn't use ropes or lines without ensuring that they are enclosed in something soft and weather resistant. The foam pipe wrap works very well.

As an extra precaution, I have used pieces of tire tubes cut like a huge rubber band at the anchor points to allow the lines some "give and take".

As John mentioned above chaffing really can cause damage to both the cover and more importantly to the RV.

If you have rounded edges where the rubber roof meets the sides , that helps. I have square edges which makes task more challenging.

I'm not promoting using a cover but if you, I hope these tips help out.

[JRTJH]

McGillicutty,

:wlcm: to the forum and to RVing. As for covers, we live in northern Michigan and I definitely wanted to cover our fifth wheel during the winter. We bought an ADCO cover (the brown one) from CW the same day we bought our trailer. After getting it home and before the first snow, we covered it. Me on the roof, my DW on the ground, we wrestled with that 75 lb cover for much too long before just taking the leap (pun intended) and pulling it over the RV. Between all the "stuff" sticking out of the roof and all the sharp edges all over the RV, somehow we managed to get the cover installed without damage. Through the winter, I watched snow accumulate on the cover, couldn't shovel it off since the cover was "somewhere above the roof but below the top of the snow. We had planned to go south that winter, but couldn't get the cover off the RV, it was frozen in place.

We took it off in the spring, and it's sat rolled up in a bag in the pole barn since then. We paid for winter covered storage in an old manufacturing plant the next winter.

Covers have had damaging effects on some RV's and even with the best of care, usually only last 2 or 3 years before they become unserviceable.

For the cost of a cover, I'd expect it to last much longer than that and not be the cause of delamination, buckling, mold growth and mechanical abrasion as it billows with the wind.

While some advocate fabric covers to protect their investment, I don't think you will find any of them who will tell you it's simple or easy to install the cover. On an RV the size of yours, it will be even more difficult than on one the size of mine.

We finally resorted to building a dedicated pole barn for "toy storage" and think that's probably the only "alternative" for us. You may find a better solution to your storage issues.

Again, welcome to the forum. I'm sure you weren't expecting the RV lifestyle to be "cheap" and you'll find that storage can be a good chunk of that "extra expense."

This was originally posted in the New Members area, but better suited here- JRTJH

[McGillicutty]

Thanks for the input fellas. I suppose I'll pursue the shelter for my RV instead and which will be way more convenient, just expensive. I just want my baby to stay pretty forever!