Caravan covers
Submitted: Thursday, Dec 20, 2018 at 02:03
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Brian
what are the pros and cons please of caravan covers , are they worth it , what type etc ??
Reply By: Frank P (NSW) - Thursday, Dec 20, 2018 at 09:32
Thursday, Dec 20, 2018 at 09:32
Nothing beats a shed or carport to protect your van when not in use, but if you can't have that, then a decent cover is an alternative for UV and weather protection. And bird and bat droppings, which can be very corrosive on the finish.
My van lives outside, as most do, I guess. I use a cover from
Stormcovers. It provides
the required environmental protection and in addition is padded so it provides protection against hail which, to my cost with another van, I found I needed.
Not cheap, but effective. At 10 years old,
mine is now on its last legs but it has served
well in that period.
AnswerID:
622725
Follow Up By: garrycol - Thursday, Dec 20, 2018 at 09:43
Thursday, Dec 20, 2018 at 09:43
I have a camper with the same issue. I have bought both expensive and cheap. Expensive works
well but generally they break down due to UV - cheap lasts no where near as long but are a lot cheaper and overall are better value for money but you have to replace often but is still cheaper than an expensive one less often.
However I found my optimum solution - cheap or expensive it is the top that fails and always because of UV - the sides on both hold up
well.
So I now buy a cheapy that I am reasonably happy with and put it on - I then cover the top with a silver tarp (not one of the blue ones) - these silver tarps (Supercheap) last about 3 years in full sun and cost about $60 - since putting one of these on top I have not had my cheaper cover fail.
Just my experience in a high UV area.
FollowupID:
895761
Follow Up By: Brian - Thursday, Dec 20, 2018 at 12:51
Thursday, Dec 20, 2018 at 12:51
Thanks to Frank and Garrycool for your comments , have heard they sweat underneath which wouldnt be ideal ??
FollowupID:
895766
Follow Up By: Frank P (NSW) - Thursday, Dec 20, 2018 at 15:13
Thursday, Dec 20, 2018 at 15:13
Only if you cover the van when it's wet.
But I suppose it depends on the kind of material used. The outer skin on
mine is that silver tarp material - totally waterproof. It's not an issue -
well, not with
mine, anyway.
FollowupID:
895768
Reply By: Darian - Thursday, Dec 20, 2018 at 14:14
Thursday, Dec 20, 2018 at 14:14
You'll see a variety of brands of the lightweight, soft
grey fabric covers. I had one for awhile (Prestige). As I see it, they are designed to:
- repel water to an extent
- allow moisture that gets through to breath out efficiently
- be light weight (easy on and off)
- be compact (easy to stow)
My problem was that at 18 months,
mine was in the bin ! Poor UV resistance is the killer. As mentioned above, if you can team it with a cheap silver tarp on top, that would be the go (maybe a few
pool noodles or similar to seperate the two to allow for air spacing).
This can all be avoided of course by spending big $ on a tough, tailored vinyl cover....I spent even more....on a decent carport (but then...my treasured tug sits in under there too :-).
Good luck with it.
AnswerID:
622728
Follow Up By: Kazza055 - Thursday, Dec 20, 2018 at 17:54
Thursday, Dec 20, 2018 at 17:54
I fitted a Prestige to my previous van. After 18 months of use it had worn holes and damaged the paint surface where it had slight movement in the wind.
I actually used rope to try and stop any movement but even this did not work.
Unless you can put it under a roof or even a sail I would not waste my money, bugger of a thing to get on and off as
well.
Save your money and polish it every 12 months.
FollowupID:
895771
Reply By: Peter_n_Margaret - Friday, Dec 21, 2018 at 09:05
Friday, Dec 21, 2018 at 09:05
Is this a bit like putting a cover on your house when you are not at
home?
Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 motorhome
AnswerID:
622740
Reply By: Sigmund - Monday, Dec 24, 2018 at 07:11
Monday, Dec 24, 2018 at 07:11
Look for a version that has a breathable skirt as otherwise you can get condensation inside.
AnswerID:
622786
Reply By: Kevin oO - Thursday, Jan 17, 2019 at 15:59