To cover or not to cover?

[Vince]

Hello everybody,
This is our first TT and are going to keep it at home, but wonder if we should purchase a cover for the winter? Another question...which cover is the best? We are trying to make the right decision about this.
We've got 5 trips under our belt and are planning a couple of more before we put her away for the winter, so we have some time to decide. Thanks for any input.

Vince and Peg
2017 Jay Feather 23RLSW
2013 Chevy Tahoe LTZ

[2nOZ]

We don't cover ours mainly due to the KS winds. My neighbor covered his shortly after they bought it several years ago and in less than 2 weeks the cover was ripped to shreds. At least here, the dealers don't cover any of theirs and they sit outside year round.

[k8mlp]

We covered one winter with a quality cover, and had a good fit with it. The cover tore in several spots left blemishes on side of camper and had a few places on roof where cover flapped in the wind. We made up a rv port I don't recommend a cover not worth the money they cost.

[FeatherFam]

We had a nice CalMark cover for our previous unit; it was made of an excellent SunBrella material. However, it was very expensive. We are currently a year into our Elements covers nd it may not last past the winter - not very impressed with it. We are planning the design and building of an RV port on our side yard. I cannot say that I will keep spending money on these cheap covers, and I do not want to spend the big bucks on another CalMark.

[bluegill1]

Over a period of many years, a trailer that has been covered or kept under cover (under a carport) will appear in much better condition then one that sat out all year, uncovered, with full sun on its outside shell, roof, and tires.
I bought our trailer used, it was 3 yrs old at the time. I've used a cover for the last 5 years. I think the cover is by Adco, paid couple hundred for it? It has a lot of straps to secure the cover and prevent "flapping" in the wind.
My cover is a breathable fabric, lets water penetrate, but also lets it evaporate(doesn't trap the water). Main benefit is to keep the sun off of the unit, I also use tire covers to shield the tires from the sun.
My goal is to have the trailer with siding and decals that show very little signs of age and fading, a roof membrane that is not dried and cracking.
I find that washing the trailer's siding (with the stuff that the RV store sells) brings out siding and decals that looks new.
Is it worth it? to me it is.
Driving thru the campground its easy to find older campers that, well, look old and faded. and well, not desirable at all.
Then again, there are some older trailers that don't look old, their siding is bright, their decals are sharp and unfaded, a trailer that many of us would be proud to own.
A clean sharp 10yr old trailer will command perhaps several thousand more than a faded 8 yr old unit.
Do dealers cover their units? heck no, the majority of units sit on their lots for less than a year.
So.....should you cover your unit? Thats a question that only you can answer. If you're planning on keeping it only for a few years then I'd say no, it'll be a waste of money. If you're a long term keeper, then you should consider covering it, either with a RV cover or keep the unit under cover(carport or covered storage unit)
Good luck with whatever you decide.

[Griswald One]

Not sure what winter looks like in your area, but there are some very good reasons to cover your unit. Others have already mentioned the sun damage. I would be more concerned about water and ice damage.

A good quality cover keeps the water out while allowing moisture to escape. This is most important during periods where the temps warm up above freezing in the day time and then drop at night. Each time water freezes inside the joints, cracks and crevices of your unit it expands those spaces and causes damage. If you have repeated freeze thaw cycles then the newly expanded areas allow more water to seep in and the crack, joint or crevice grows in size. It may take years before the the damage is measurable, but that does not change the fact that the damage is happening. I have covered three different units with a good quality cover and have never experienced rub damage to my finish, but even if I had, I would trade those superficial concerns gladly for the knowledge that I have protected my unit from the damaging effects of sun, water and ice.

[travelingjw]

Some good points already made. We've had our trailer less than a year and cover it. The quality of the cover we have is fine, as long as you don't tug or pull hard. We live in California and don't have harsh winters. We cover it because there are always trailers moving in and out of our trailer park and they raise dust. When we want to use it I don't want to spend an extra hour cleaning it so I don't get dirty every time we brush up against it.

Interesting enough someone in our park purchased an MRB just like ours and they don't cover it. It will be interesting to watch the comparison over the years.

[Kim Gass]

Your snow load warrants a framed shelter. Since you can get five feet in one storm it may be better to have a portable garage.
Home Depot sells several Shelter Logic models. A Jayco owning friend says it was a lifesaver last winter in Colden NY. Not far from you

[ShawnR]

I cover mine with an Adco every winter. It keeps the finish looking better long term. My covers typically rot out in the 4th year and sustain wind damage at that time.

[FeatherFam]

I don't know what we've done wrong, but we are going to be fortunate to get two years out of our Elements cover from Camping World. It is wearing thin in several places and starting to severely fade. We paid about $250 (on sale); it was supposed to be a better product than the regular ones they sell at CW. Am I doing something wrong?

[Griswald One]

Originally Posted by FeatherFam

I don't know what we've done wrong, but we are going to be fortunate to get two years out of our Elements cover from Camping World. It is wearing thin in several places and starting to severely fade. We paid about $250 (on sale); it was supposed to be a better product than the regular ones they sell at CW. Am I doing something wrong?

Like Shawn, I usually get 4-5 years out of a cover, but some maintenance is normally needed. That bag that they ship them in is more useful as a source of patches then a storage device. When I get a wear spot I cut a patch out of the bag and use spray adhesive to apply the patch, works like a charm. I also try to identify likely wear spots and use things like pool noodles to protect the cover at those locations. A few times I have managed to identify the spots in advance and will apply the patch on the inside to proactively protect the cover. Common wear spots are roof corners, down spouts, folding stairs and bumpers.

I can't comment on the Elements brand, I have always used ADCO and been very happy.

[bluegill1]

Originally Posted by FeatherFam

I don't know what we've done wrong, but we are going to be fortunate to get two years out of our Elements cover from Camping World. It is wearing thin in several places and starting to severely fade. We paid about $250 (on sale); it was supposed to be a better product than the regular ones they sell at CW. Am I doing something wrong?

Doesn't sound like your doing anything wrong. Sounds like the cover is doing what it is supposed to be doing, the cover is fading instead of your camper.
Small wear areas, small tears etc.... are going to happen. I have several small tears and wear areas aso, tears are about the size of a quarter, its a bit faded. The tears are in the usual areas....downspout, any potential sharp edge.
I really don't care much about what the cover looks like as much as it keeps the sun and elements off of the camper.
Keep in mind, the cover is $250, the camper is $25,000.