Rv cover or not

[William]

I wanted to get opinions on rv covers or not and what brand is good or do they scratch up the finish?


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[mike837go]

Originally Posted by William

I wanted to get opinions on rv covers or not and what brand is good or do they scratch up the finish?

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You like opening cans of worms? Rather controversial subject around here.

Cover! Don't cover! Why Cover?

From my 'vast' personal experience, don't bother with Elements brand. Others will chime in with brands that have held up well.

I'm squarely in the "Cover the RV to prevent ice damage" camp. Once a cover is properly secured, it will not cause damage from wind moving the cover around.

[DocBrown]

A good cover should not cause damage. Never, ever use a tarp. However I am in the "do not cover" camp. Lots of trailers and motor homes in my neighborhood. Not one is covered.

I have not covered any trailer in 22 years. In the winter of '93/'94 I covered our brand new pop-up. The cover was torn apart in a storm sometime that winter. I haven't bothered with one since. I do cover my wheels, more to prevent rust than protect the tires. And I cover the AC, because if the ice is going to build up and cause problems anywhere, that's where it's going to be.

[NVGun40]

I'm with Mike on this one. This subject opens a huge can of worms which will divulge a huge variance of opinion and still not answer your question. There are just to many variables out there, experience on every side of the fence; location, weather, temperatures, brand, tie downs, material, etc., and so on, and on, and on....

As for my opinion and 2 cents. In the locations I have lived and owned RV's while living there, (Southern California, Northern Nevada, and Alaska), I have always covered my RV's. I have always used good tarps. As Mike also said though; the cover must be PROPERLY secured in order to prevent damage to the RV and to the cover.
Here in my locale in Alaska, if you drive around my neighborhood and the local communities you will find more people utilize the standard blue type tarps which you can purchase at any old hardware store or wal mart, than those custom covers which cost you. You will notice the ones who do not get them secured tightly and properly will have RV damage and a lot of times tarp damage and shredding in wind storms. Then you will see people like myself with a tarp tied down and secured tightly with no issues at all.
Even a custom designed high quality cover must be secured tightly or you will end up with damage.
It's going to come down to your personal decision and what you are comfortable with.

[abarkl]

We used to cover the 40' diesel pusher but since we camp year round it became too much trouble installing and removing the cover each time. We also found that when covered during the summer months the heat buildup was so intense it would cause Eternabond tape on the roof and candles in the cabinets to melt.

Our Jayco motorhome also has full body paint but a good paint job protected with a good wax is all that we use now.

[TWP723]

Honestly, I don't think it matters if you cover it or not. A lot of different vehicles in this country without covers for very long periods of time. $44 mil. in vehicles on my lot and none of them are covered. $80K Super Duty's uncovered. Aren't trailers, 5'ers, pop ups etc. supposed to be able to handle the elements?? Some agree...some don't. I believe it's whatever let's you sleep better at night. My best friend has big 5'er and has never covered it. He hasn't had an issue for the 8 years he's had it. No leaks, no deterioration caused by weather...nothing. He seems to think it's a waste of time and money. I had a pop-up for 13 years and never covered it and no issues ever. That's feet of snow over the years, high winds, driving rain. Nothing phased it. Tires? Cover them.


Oh, I cover mine.