RV Cover Yes or NO

Big Willy · 08-24-2018, 03:43 PM

I am considering getting a RV cover for my 1999 30' Brave. We do not get much snow during the winter in our parts but lots of rain. Just interested in some feedback what are the pros and cons...

Cheers

Big Willy

jerichorick · 08-25-2018, 10:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big Willy

I am considering getting a RV cover for my 1999 30' Brave. We do not get much snow during the winter in our parts but lots of rain. Just interested in some feedback what are the pros and cons...

Cheers

Big Willy

Absolutely NOT!!!! I don't know about your owners manual, usually under Care, but most RVs have a warning about this.

A cover acts like a upside down funnel and traps all the moisture from the ground and air. Not good for anything in your coach.
If you can put it in an open shelter of some sort that is the best solution. I have seen quonset hut style covers that might work for you. There are many companies that produce RV ports. A tall carport.

Big Willy · 08-25-2018, 03:03 PM

Thank you for the input much appreciated...

BobC · 08-25-2018, 07:19 PM

I agree, plus, even if they were a good idea, who wants to go to all that work? I remember buying a car cover (for summer sun protection) years ago. I think I used it for maybe two weeks.

Americanrascal · 08-26-2018, 02:15 AM

I've got mixed emotions about it. We have one and use it reluctantly when leaves and pine needles are falling. Its a necessity when that activity abounds for us as the rig lives under the trees. If I don't use it I wind up with a bunch of pine sap all over the rig.

The one we have is very breathable, heavily vented, and not waterproof.

Its a bear to manipulate the cover and to get on the roof and properly draped over the rig- so we only use it intermittently about 4 months out of the year. As we age it gets more hairy and less safe for us to use it climbing with that bulk and weight to the roof.

Folding and storing the cover is a real pain.

We thought about a shed for the motorhome, but just didn't want another permanent structure, maintenance and more taxes on the property.

Jim_HiTek · 08-27-2018, 01:56 PM

When I was deciding about the cover, I drove around my home base area and checked out all the RVs on private property and at storage lots and counted all the full covers I saw. Very few. So that told me I probably should follow the wisdom of the crowd and forget about it.

If you're in a difficult parking situation though, you might give thought to a temporary fabric RV carport. They're all over California and many other western states to keep sun off. Lightweight, makes a nice shady spot for the RV, not necessarily rainproof but does turn it into more like a mist. Might even qualify for temporary status so the tax man won't say anything.

Oldchinahand · 08-27-2018, 04:13 PM

We bought our Journey from the original owner. She left a new full body cover with us. She said she could not install it by herself and had only had in on once with the help of neighbors. Still, seemed like a good idea. Installing it brought SWMBO and I closer to divorce than we've been since that CPO party back in '76.

I wax our Journey spring and fall. Would opine that there is less caloric expenditure doing that than rigging that cover.

However, cut up, it made a fine boat cover, sail cover and sail bag.

Fair Winds and Following Seas

BillB100 · 08-28-2018, 03:33 PM

we always used one before we got our big carport. Hard to get on nd off, don't do anything to keep the rig dry but they do keep the sun off which is almost as damaging as any of the other weather conditions. I do agree that they trap moisture. The worst part about the things are they wear out so fast and they cost to much to replace every other year

Donut · 08-28-2018, 05:04 PM

I’m a beliver in them, but my RV parking is next to a number of tall maple and pine trees that dump leaves/needles when the weather turns. I turn 5gal buckets upside down on the roof to allow for air movement. It also adds a (small) layer of protection to the roof against falling branches.
They do make winter trips much more difficult, but it’s the lessor of two evils for me.

Fletcher0077 · 10-09-2018, 01:37 AM

We use one. Breathable and doesn't trap moisture although we live in a dry climate. Also air gets underneath it to keep roof dry. MH remains cleaner through the winter. Off in the Spring and on late Fall. It is difficult to install and remove because you are on roof and often the cover covers up where you are going to step next and they are heavy. Our 35 foot cover will fit into a large plastic garbage tote with wheels we bought a Lowes. We pull it out and on to roof then feed it off the roof into the tote.

Meridian42e · 10-09-2018, 12:03 PM

Really depends on where you store it. Here in CO, wind and UV can really kill a cover. Of course it can really kill your RV over time too. AZ, NM are brutal on your coach and you need some protection from the sun - mold won't be an issue. The east and south have different issues with vegetation and mold. As stated above, see what others have had success with in your area.

Boats in CO are covered all the time - some with shrink wrap - so I don't see a big issue, but ironically campers seldom are covered when stored out in the open. Our boat was covered for years, but never the camper. Now its all in a steel garage so I don't worry about it anymore.

Liv4weekends · 10-11-2018, 01:50 PM

We got the upgraded ADCO cover after investing in our Journey 39Z. Besides the difficulty of lugging it up, getting it even, a wind storm would pop the securement straps and we'd find it on the ground. Regularly patched tears then replace but that got too expensive. They puncture too easily. We'd put up the elevated carport cover if area permitted. I had 911 on hold every time he got up on that roof. The age of the installer is not the issue. It's just too dangerous, especially on the larger units, to justify the limited protection we got. We clean and wax regularly and have the shop check the roof.

FishBear · 10-11-2018, 03:56 PM

We thought about a fabric cover... but went with the metal roof - car port instead. It was a major investment but one that continues to pay off.

akeagle · 10-11-2018, 09:01 PM

There are "breathable" covers that don't trap moisture. I have one from ADCO and used it last year. Unfortunately, I can't use it this year because the spaces in the RV winter storage lot she's in this year is so tight there really isn't enough room to maneuver to get the cover on or off. Since this is Alaska with wind and blowing snow being the norm, does anyone believe I should at least get a cover for the A/C unit on top?