Rv Covers

DavidSD · 08-21-2018, 12:15 PM

I’m picking up my new 321 RSTS tomorrow. I want to keep it covered when we’re not camping. There are a lot of covers out there. Looking for recommendations. What have you purchased that you would buy again. Thank you in advance 👍

John from Central Florida · 08-21-2018, 12:51 PM

David,

I, too, would like to see what kind of responses you get, especially from your neck of the woods. I woulda guessed that your sun and winds would make mincemeat out of any canopy you choose.

Jflyboym · 08-21-2018, 06:27 PM

I have an Elements cover and I'm in year 3 of use.

I have had good luck with it. I cover my RV from November to April. I asked the same question here before I bought mine and got mixed opinions on the subject. A cover works well for me.

I don't have a place to store my RV under roof so this is the next best thing. I wash the entire RV including the roof, then do a coat of wax before covering it. I also clean the inside and remove any food items. I add some botanical rodent repellent bags inside as well. So far, my camper is uncovered in the spring, clean and ready to go.

spoon059 · 08-21-2018, 07:06 PM

RV carport. I paid $2400 for my 31' long and 18' wide steel carport. It sounds a little pricey, but I bought it 3 years ago and expect to stay at this house another 9 years. That's $2400 for 12 years... $200 a year.

I don't have to worry about it ripping, I don't have to worry about putting it on or taking it off in rain/snow. I don't have to store it while I'm away. It won't fade or disintegrate on me. I hitch up and drive away, then back in when we come home again. I can load the trailer in the rain, leave windows/skylights open for ventilation year round.

Its pricey up front, but its vastly superior to removable covers. Consider it. I bought from www.alansfactoryoutlet.com. Easy to check pricing there.

2edgesword · 08-21-2018, 08:47 PM

I had an Anco cover for my first TT that lasted five seasons in the northeast before it started to tear and fall apart. For $250 that was $50 per season. In my opinion that’s pretty inexpensive for the amount of protection it provided.

ttavasc · 08-21-2018, 10:08 PM

Have used an ADCO All-Climate Wind Tyvek cover for the last 3 winters and it's holding up quite well. I expect to get several more seasons out of it the way things are going. Make sure and identify any sharp and protruding objects such as gutter extensions and mitigate them with cut tennis balls or pool noodles. This will reduce the potential for rips and tears. Also make sure that the cover is snug so that when the wind blows there isn't much opportunity for excessive movement which can also contribute to rips and tears.

Bendmac · 08-21-2018, 11:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ttavasc

Have used an ADCO All-Climate Wind Tyvek cover for the last 3 winters and it's holding up quite well. I expect to get several more seasons out of it the way things are going. Make sure and identify any sharp and protruding objects such as gutter extensions and mitigate them with cut tennis balls or pool noodles. This will reduce the potential for rips and tears. Also make sure that the cover is snug so that when the wind blows there isn't much opportunity for excessive movement which can also contribute to rips and tears.

I, too, have nothing but good luck with the Adco covers ^^^^^. I did forget to cover the extended rain gutter spouts one year which resulted in a minor tear. Easily fixed with the repair material that comes with the cover.

Cheers!

CampNow · 08-22-2018, 11:44 AM

We've purchased a number of covers from different manufacturers over the last 5-6 years. The brutal UV's in the desert SW (i.e. Tucson) destroy RV covers quickly. We're partial to Classic Accessories (CA) covers---especially their upper tier PermaPro and Skyshield RV covers. The PermaPro cover is made out of a lighter (but very strong) parachute type material, has a lifetime warranty, and fits inside a bag no larger than an average-size gym bag. The Skyshield uses PermaPro material on the sides, but uses a heavier, white Tyvek (Dupont) material for the roof. CA's warranty support is excellent. Any problems with the cover and they'll promptly send out a replacement.

For those who may be more budget conscious, CA sells their PolyPro and Polypro 3 RV covers for significantly less than the PermaPro and Skyshield.

Walmart.com and Amazon randomly drop the prices on many of their RV covers up to 50% (usually at the same time) for 24-48 hours at a time, every few weeks or so. We purchased a 33-35 ft. CA PermaPro cover from Amazon for $195 two months ago (prior to the price drop it was $325). This same cover sells for $500-$550 (or $375-$425 when on-sale) at Campingworld. I might add walmart.com has an extended 90 day return policy (can be returned to any Walmart store) vs. 30 days for other retailers.

michael.g · 08-23-2018, 09:05 AM

Last year was the first year we stored our RV at our seasonal site. We didn't want to leave it without a cover. We purchased a Camco UltraGuard cover. This cover has straps every 6-8 feet on both the street and curb side to secure it around the RV.

We checked on the TT 3 months after we left for the season. The cover was already started to show through where the straps connected at the roof line. We found one of the straps had completely failed and was off the TT. A little more than a month later, the campground owners emailed us photos of our failed cover. The cover basically split open down the middle of the roof and was encircling the TT.

I am pretty sure our cover was done in by a tree branch that fell on to it. After we opened up the TT for the season, I noticed a little larger than golf ball sized hole in the roof vent in the half bath. I think the tree branch tore a hole in the cover at the same time. Add some wind and the cover completely failed. Unfortunately, the cover caused about 5 tears in the roof along the edge where the straps were. They were small tears and water did not appear to get under the TPO. I eternabonded the tears.

Although the cover has a 2 year warranty, we did not see the point in returning the cover. The first year is full replacement. We didn't want another cover and did not what to pay probably $50 to ship it back. The cover came in a large box and weighed close to 50 lbs.

Our camp site gets lots of wind, all year round because it is directly across from a farm. Instead of covering the RV when we leave, we eternabonded all of the roof openings and installed MaxxAir II vent covers to act as a buffer. If a tree branch damages the vent cover, hopefully the vent itself will be okay.

-Michael

CampNow · 08-23-2018, 02:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by michael.g

. . . We purchased a Camco UltraGuard cover. This cover has straps every 6-8 feet on both the street and curb side to secure it around the RV . . .

. . . started to show through where the straps connected at the roof line . . .

. . . Unfortunately, the cover caused about 5 tears in the roof along the edge where the straps were . . .

-Michael

Too bad those straps laid across the edge of the roof like that. The top of the a/c unit shroud(s) and the edge of the roof membrane support the entire weight of the cover. IMO, the straps would tend to concentrate the weight of the cover on small parts of the rubber roof membrane. Doesn't sound like the best design. Under very windy conditions the cover (and in your situation, the straps) can move around hundreds, if not thousands, of times a day. We always place 3M painters tape (sometimes 2 layers) anywhere the cover can rub the trailer, to include the edge of the roof, 4-corners, etc. Surprisingly, the 3M painter's tape continues to stick to our rubber roof in rain and 115-120 degree heat . . . and does not leave a messy residue when it's removed. It takes a bit of tape to protect everything, but IMO it's well worth the few dollars to do so. BTW, we've found other brands of painters tape, for some odd reason, will not stick to a rubber roof.

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