Cover or no?

[Csmccharlie]

Thoughts on covers?

My dealer advised against them bc they can hold in moisture and cause rubbing etc.

Everywhere I look seems to be 50/50 on them.

Whats everyone do for winter storage.

Im in Mass

[chuckster57]

Vast majority here have the same opinion NO COVER. A good wash and a high quality wax will be cheaper and do a better job. I use Nu Finish.

[Csmccharlie]

Yea I think thats the direction Im leaning. How often are you washing/waxing?

[Northofu1]

If you're in an area where there are prevailing winds, I wouldn't. I had a cover on my travel trailer which was sheltered from wind and worked well. Bit of a pain to put on and take off. They do help prevent finish fade /bleach.
I would think they help with falling debris as well.
If you can find one used, (wouldn't buy one if it was less than a classic poly 3) for a sweet price, it would be worth a try. Again, wind is bad. Lol
Good luck

[chuckster57]

Yea I think thats the direction Im leaning. How often are you washing/waxing?

When I was younger had the time and energy, 2 times a year.

[QCMan]

If you have the room, funds for it and the local jurisdiction gods will allow it the best is a raised carport. That being said, I do remember from my past awful life in the northeast that anything so practical required an act of two gods to get approved. When we put in a handicapped ramp it was easy but getting a railing for it approved took almost a year. Go figure.

[dutchmensport]

If you PARK your camper over the winter months and do not move your camper at all, then covering and uncovering once a year isn't bad. But if you have to uncover and there is snow and ice on the roof, and it's COLD outside, or windy, uncovering is a horrible, horrible job to do. Then, you have to do something with a frozen, ice laden cover that can't be folded or rolled up, big bulky and a PITA to stow away. Now, if you have a heated garage where you can lay the thing out and let the ice melt and dry out, then you can fold it up nice again while your camper is use, then yes. Not a problem.

So, if you are planning on parking it, and leaving it for months at a time, covering isn't so bad. It takes a lot of effort to cover a camper. It takes space to store the cover when it's not on the camper. If you store the cover, it better not be wet or damp at all, but perfectly dry. If not, when you unfold it later, you have mold and mildew all over it. Now, you have another headache.

If you do not tie them down tight and there is any movement with wind, they will rub the surface of your camper and scar them up.

And, the bigger and higher the camper, the heavier the cover is, the harder it is to hoist it up on the top of the camper, and the harder it is to cover and .... equally as hard to take it off (the bigger they get).

If you have a camper where you cannot walk on the roof, you'll have to do all the work on a ladder. If you have a walkable roof, it's not near as bad.

We had 2 travel trailers we covered about 50/50 time. The 18 foot wasn't bad, even though it did not have a walkable roof, I still crawled around on all 4's. The second was 31 foot and it was a challenge. I covered the first 2 years, but we also used the camper in the winter too. After covering in the Fall, and then in December uncovering to head to Florida over Christmas, when returning home in January, it was futile to cover again.

The next 6 years, we never covered.

Next came the 35 footer. I never covered. It was just too much trailer and the cover was just too huge now, and I'm getting older, and I have to cover alone.

Next came the 41.5 foot, 11.5 foot high fifth wheel.... forget it! I'm not even considering covering now. The camper is just too big and the cover is equally as big (and heavy), and cumbersome, and the winter trips have increased more and more. It just doesn't make sense to even try to cover this one.

Your choice.... if you don't mind the obstacles. The only way you will know for sure, is to get the cover and try it. Who knows? It might work very well for you. You are no doubt younger, stronger, and more agile than I am. And it may work just fine for you.

[Csmccharlie]

When I was younger had the time and energy, 2 times a year.



That with just the wash n wax in one?