Cover for Era?

[KitsapEra]

Hi-

Does anyone have suggestions with respect to a cover for our 2018 Era? It's slightly over 24 feet long.

Thanks!

dm

[Eagle5]

Hi Kitsap Era,
This one looks fairly good:
CarsCover Waterproof Class B RV Van Cover Fit up to 25ft (310 inch) Winnebago Era
I would also recommend wheel covers and a top cover such as what I do:
Covering a 22M
Eagle5

[Morich]

As a former user of an RV cover, I recommend doing some really hard self searching before going that way!
Yes, a cover can save the RV from the sun and degrading in that fashion, but it needs a much deeper look before deciding if it is for you!

A large part of the question has to be how you will react to using a cover as it can be a very big question for many of us.

Have you considered how you will get the cover on and off? This is a serious question when the top of the RV is much higher than the normal car and you may be far less active than you might hope.
What obstructions stick up on the top of the RV for the cover to snag on? Are there vents, covers, air conditioners, antennas, etc. that the cover will have to be worked around when going on or off. Any sharp points on things to snag and rip the cover?
Can one person carry the cover and will you have to move up a ladder to get it laid on the top enough to avoid it sliding back off?

We found it way too much for us to want to use the cover at lots of times when we had it and knew we should have it on but did not.

They can become ripped, torn, heavy and worthless if you are not really dedicated to using and checking them frequently as they blow around and rub on the RV!
This is one that gets different answers for different folks due to a lot of factors but that is where you need to look at YOUR personal situation before deciding.

[Winterbagoal]

Don't do it is my suggestion. Build a carport/garage it will fit under instead, if you must cover it.
I agree, RV covers are not worth the hassle, as Morich suggests. If it doesn't fit snugly all over, a gusty wind will cause it to flap, and that may damage the paint or other components. Look at the nose of a Corvette that wore a poorly fitted "bra" for a while, to see that effect.
Ever looked inside a BBQ cover after a season off? Bug/spider/wasp nests, and who knows what else hide underneath them. Often dying there.
I would think about it before proceeding, again, as Morich suggests.

[dkoldman]

Respectfully, I gonna say ditto & agree with Morich & Winterbagoal

If you can handle the truth, I can elaborate further; but for now I will say after 4 years the cover was the BEST thing I did NOT buy.

Before buying my RV; I was obsessed with getting one, since I have bought I have been obsessed with keeping it wax twice a years with decals treated with 303.

It was Winnebago who 1st made me question buying a cover. I keep my RV outside under a tree in the Texas heat and it looks brand new. Here are recent pictures after a mere wash with RV Gel Gloss Wash & Wax on a 4 year old RV.

Do as you will, but be advised that most covers can cause damage to the finish that is not covered under the warranty. It is in your manual. If I were going to use a cover; as I do for my boat, it would be a $1,200 Custom cover that was made specifically for my boat. In fact the cover I speak of is OEM from Yamaha, it is tight as a glove and has air vents that block rain entry on top. 10 min top put on on and 10 min to pull off, no risk of falling off the roof.

So in summary, protect your gel coat and finish, don't try to cover it up. What I do is 10 hours of work a year; so if you can't do yourself, pay to have it done.

[KitsapEra]

A garage/carport is not an option - we live in Seattle suburbia and while we have a relatively large lot for this area we still have no place for another garage. We are lucky to have a (almost) 3 car wide driveway in which to park it. And that driveway is quite sloped (flat is something that exists in Texas, not Washington). The result is that during our rainy season (October to June) there is continuously standing water on some areas of the roof where vents and other stuff on the roof form small dams. This gets combined with the tree debris that comes down out of the sky in liberal quantities to create quite a mess on the roof. You often seen neglected RVs around here with literal "green roofs" - moss, grass, and small trees! It's a tough environment for RVs, houses, and old men ;-)

[dkoldman]

Originally Posted by KitsapEra

A garage/carport is not an option - we live in Seattle suburbia and while we have a relatively large lot for this area we still have no place for another garage. We are lucky to have a (almost) 3 car wide driveway in which to park it. And that driveway is quite sloped (flat is something that exists in Texas, not Washington). The result is that during our rainy season (October to June) there is continuously standing water on some areas of the roof where vents and other stuff on the roof form small dams. This gets combined with the tree debris that comes down out of the sky in liberal quantities to create quite a mess on the roof. You often seen neglected RVs around here with literal "green roofs" - moss, grass, and small trees! It's a tough environment for RVs, houses, and old men ;-)

Rain in Seattle,,,, yeah Right

I think we got about 30 minutes of rain for the 1st time since June last week

The part that concerns me the most is where you cite standing water? I would think that to be a concern even with a cover. From what you describe; it would be kind of messy either way unless you plan to buy new cover every season? I think in your case, you should just buy a cover as that is the only way to really know for your situation.

It does help matters if what you are saying is that you will not use the RV from Oct - June? The latter would drive me nuts as we use ours year around. I actually winterize my RV on average 3 times per year.

If I remember; when the leaves start to fall here in a couple of weeks. I will get a picture of my roof when it is full of leaves and twigs etc. I usually wash it off with a regular garden hose. The leaves do try to etch into the fiberglass, but because of the wax, penetration is minimum and in spring I wax again so it is never an issue.

I see many RVs around here with roofs in similar or worst condition as you describe. They are basically black with mold. That just may be due to neglect. Not sure if a cover affords the option to be neglectful, and have a clean roof?

Again I will wax in Sept/Oct and again in March/April. I would love to know how it would theoretically hold up in Raining Seattle? I figure worst case, I add another Wax in Jan? for 3 waxes a year ( 15 hours total per year)

[dkoldman]

Attached is picture of the roof taken 4 weeks ago (7/17/2022). Note: The RV has not been waxed since Spring. I was only on the roof as I had just cleaned the AC Condensers and Evap Coils for the first time in 4 years. But it does show what dated wax properly applied looks like on a RV roof.

This is not to say to not get a cover. I think in your case and for your comfort you should get a cover to learn your own experience 1st hand.

But this is to say there are alternatives to keep your RV sharp. The roof you see will get a 2nd coat of wax for this year in about 6 weeks. I am just waiting on cool dry weather to get started.

What I will do, is try to take a few pictures when it is covered with leaves and twigs, usually after a rainstorm it is the worst. This RV is always parked under a Cedar Elm Tree that also drops Sap and plenty of bird poop who loves the Cedar. We actually have a Red Head Woodpecker that frequents this tree and nibbles away at the bark for food.

Now I have ZERO standing water, but the roof can be unsightly with the debris. But I will go up with garden hose and spray the leaves and twigs off, I then have to do the same on the coach perimeter. The wax makes so easy

Note: I never use my Pressure Washer on any part of my RV

[KitsapEra]

We actually don't get many more inches of rain than most of the rest of the country. A day-long drizzle might only yield 0.1 inch. It's the combination of such days repeating many days (or weeks) in a row with as little as 8 hours of murky daylight in the winter. Perfect conditions for growing moss. Summer is the opposite - very long days and almost totally arid. Our sprinkler system works hard from July 1 to mid-September to keep the plants and lawn alive. The few thunderstorms we see generally just produce "dry lightning", perfect for starting forest fires.

Last winter I just used a blue tarp, "tented" with wood blocks to make the water drain. It worked fine, other than the neighbors making comments. I may just go that route again.

[Morich]

Ok, let me mod my thinking a bit if you are used to a blue tarp. That gives you a much better ideas of many of the downsides I mentioned!

The length is not as much factor as the height and you will have done the main parts involved ingetting acover on andoff and over anything on the roof. That leaves you knowing more what it takes than many who have not covered one!

Some things I would look at on the two sides are the difference in appearance with the RV cover "looking" more spec? Blue tarps are kind of looked at as "cheap" even when they might work better!

Tarps are thicker and hold out lots of things like staining better than covers which tend to be very thin. Thin is good for moving them but something like a parachute means it is often thin enough to let leaves setting piled on top to let them stain the roof, right through the material.
Covers will have better shapes and better attachments which can work far better.

So for a recommendation, we found Clasic Covers was one which worked as well as any we found as they do have different shapes and sizes for the many different RV styles.

Our primary use was to try to keep the sun off and found it not worth the trouble but you may find a totally different thought works for you!

You might check this group?
https://classicaccessories.com/covers/rv-trailer

[dkoldman]

Originally Posted by KitsapEra

We actually don't get many more inches of rain than most of the rest of the country. A day-long drizzle might only yield 0.1 inch. It's the combination of such days repeating many days (or weeks) in a row with as little as 8 hours of murky daylight in the winter. Perfect conditions for growing moss. Summer is the opposite - very long days and almost totally arid. Our sprinkler system works hard from July 1 to mid-September to keep the plants and lawn alive. The few thunderstorms we see generally just produce "dry lightning", perfect for starting forest fires.

Last winter I just used a blue tarp, "tented" with wood blocks to make the water drain. It worked fine, other than the neighbors making comments. I may just go that route again.

Thanks very much. I love learning about places that I have never been. What you describes makes sense.

Your blue tarp tactic reminded me of something that I saw before buying our RV. I forgot exactly what it was called but someone may have heard of. It was a actually a RV Roof Cover. The premise is what you described but has interesting look. Not sure if it does a lot against the high humidity you described as but it may protect against UV, rain, tree leaves and other debris.

I saw at a RV show. It was very simple to put on/off; but I have got use to focusing on Waxing and keep it washed off Oct - Dec until that very last leaf drops.

If I can find a link to what I was talking about I will post. It would be akin to have a covered shed that is directly on the roof but not laying on the roof.

Update:

This looks like what I was talking about. It was 4 years ago but the name Shade RV sounds like what I remember.

https://www.shaderv.com/

Kind of pricey and out of stock, but we are just throwing out ideas. I actually like the blue tarp plan. You could still do the wax to se how long it holds up and have the blue tarp as backup. You really should wax anyway. Cost me $20 to wax my 30' RV

Would love to see pictures of the Blue Tarp :-)

[Eagle5]

Just to recap my observations of what works very well for me:
1.) I use three cover types:
-- Wheel Covers (lifespan is about 7 years)
-- A high-quality Main Cover designed to fit the Motorhome (lifespan is 3½ years)
-- A thin cheap cover to shed the water off the roof (lifespan is 4 months)
2.) Cardboard boxes placed strategically on the roof under the Main Cover to prevent water pooling.
3.) Keep the heavy Main Cover on the front porch roof next to the motorhome so I never need to carry it up & down the motorhome's ladder.
4.) Run a 130 watt pancake heater inside to keep humidity down.
Here again is my aforementioned Thread which has pictures on my covering method.
The total time to cover the motorhome is about 30 minutes, and about 20 minutes to uncover her. In my 3½ years of ownership of the Eagle5, she still looks brand-new. What I do does indeed work for the 90" of rainfall per year that South Bend "enjoys." Ha-ha.
Thanks, Eagle5

Never use a blue tarp ala carte