Storms & RV Covers

[joeyb]

Yesterday, we had Tropical Storm Andrea come through here. And last week I just bought a new RV cover (Tyvek/Dupont). I decided to wait on putting it on because of the storm. Does anyone keep their RV cover on during high winds. I was worried if it would rip apart. We weathered the storm fine. However now that its hurricane season I was wondering if its safer to remove each time a storm comes by. Some of our no-name storms have more wind damage than the big boys. Other than keeping it clean I wanted to keep it from the burning summer sun UV's.

[MarkS]

Now you did it. There is a very vocal no cover group of posters. And a less vocal yes cover group.

I cover mine in the winter. To protect from snow, ice, hail, and UV. We have lots of each. We also have lots of wind in the fall and spring. 70 mph is common. The wind is tough on covers. The cover flapping in the wind can be tough on the trailer. Because of the wind, I can only get a couple of years out of a cover. In wetter climates, the cover can hold in moisture which can cause problems.

It's a trade off. The are pluses and minuses both ways.

[joeyb]

Thanks MarkS, I keep it waxed and roof treated. just wanting to protect it. I'll keep an eye on the moisture issue.

[Outbackmel]

My 2011 Outback was purchased late 2010 in Indianapolis and delivered to the N Georgia mountains in a monsoon. There she sits, after each trip, patiently waiting our return.

I polish it once a year and keep it plugged it with slides extended. Winds in those hills often blow at 30 to 45mph gusts and the rain flows like well water.
So hard in fact 2 years ago. a covered 5er was lifted and slammed on some power boxes and totaled the rig.

Covers are a personal choice and require more work than I care to invest. If improperly installed, roof damage can and often occurs. Condensation is not a laughing matter either.

Me, I plan on my next RV purchase as a 2015 or 2016 model. I have owned plenty of boats-rv's-motorcycles in my 70 years. Some owners have a hobby of cleaning, polishing, covering, uncovering, etc, I do NOT. My toys look great and I inspect and fix as discovered.

Yes, Florida is brutal in the summer. I lived in Jacksonville for 12 years. Check around and go to Lazy Days RV and I'll bet NONE of their rv's are covered.
That should tell you something right there. Short of it: if you like spraying yourself with chicken fat and wrestling alligators, buy a cover for Florida. If you enjoy relaxing and USING your rv, pop a top and lay back and watch sports.

[SoGaDually]

I don't care for the covers at all. As one person said, "Condensation is not a laughing matter either". They are way to much work to put on "Correctly" and take off. I Keep mine under a RV Shelter for the most part to protect it from the sun. After I installed my 18' X 40' RV Shelter, I was worry about about storms & high winds. So I decided to anchor it a little better. I put eight, 8' foot 4X4's four of each side of the RV Cover. They are 3-1/2' feet in the ground and each post has 120 pounds of concrete. Has you can see in the pictures, I clamped the post to the rails of the RV Shelter to hold them in place while the concrete setup. Once the concrete setup I drilled holes and inserted two 3/8" X 7" bolts on each post. The black stuff on top of the wood post is a rubber sealant to keep water from penetrating the post. Since then I found some copper covers that fit over the top on the post. It is very steady now and doesn't move at all.....I sleep better at night now..

[hankaye]

joeyb, Howdy;

I used to wear Tyvec onesies while doing Hazmat work.
I was told that they will keep everything away from you
except water. It will allow water vapor to escape;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyvek
yet keeps the liquid itself out.
So moisture accumulation should be minimal.

hankaye

[joeyb]

Thanks, hankaye thats how I understood how Tyvek works. I'll keep tabs on it as its parked next to the house.