Caravan covers your advice and comments please

brianking
brianking Forum Participant Posts: 2
edited September 2016 in Parts & Accessories #1

What do members thick about the need for a caravan cover

Comments

  • Sandgroper
    Sandgroper Forum Participant Posts: 210
    edited September 2016 #2

    A good buy in my opinion. The keep the worst of the weather away and the van is lovely and clean in the Spring!!

    I have had a Pro-Tec cover for about ten years and they work well.

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
    1000 Comments
    edited September 2016 #3

    Our van is usually out to often to need oneWink

  • Alistairr
    Alistairr Forum Participant Posts: 1
    edited September 2016 #4

    I used a Pro-Tec cover for one winter and it was the first time that we ever had dampness after the winter. I vented it weekly but it did not stop it. Even if I wanted to try avain, the OH would not sanction the expense after that experience.

  • ValDa
    ValDa Forum Participant Posts: 3,004
    1000 Comments
    edited September 2016 #5

    You'll get answers from both sides - those who cover and prefer it, and those who have used one and found it a problem.

    We have a cover, (a cheap and cheerful one from ebay) and our van is now sixteen years old with no trace of damp.  It's been covered for at least the last ten years,both on an open windy hillside in Yorkshire, in a dusty and dry barn in France with swallows
    nesting above, and now on a campsite in southern France.  We like the fact that we can put it away at the end of a season and it's still clean and beautiful when we take the cover off again. When the caravan was in Yorkshire we took no added precautions against
    damp - didn't bothwer with weekly visits, or venting, or dehumidifiers and it was always absolutely fine.  

    A cover won't cause damp, and should offer some protection, but it may make any damp already present appear more noticeable.

    We also don't suffer from any 'rubbing' or damage to the windows such as others may mention - our cover is sort of 'fleecy' on the inside and has two zips so that access is still possible without taking the cover off completely.

  • Kerry Watkins
    Kerry Watkins Forum Participant Posts: 325
    100 Comments
    edited September 2016 #6

    We have a cover over our van. This too has a fleecy lining which prevents any scratching and zips so we can open the door without taking it off. It also has mesh vents to allow air circulation. We found the cover to be very good and as ValDa says it protects
    the van from the elements. We bought ours from Halfords and was not overly expensive.

  • rovinmad
    rovinmad Forum Participant Posts: 102
    First Comment
    edited September 2016 #7

    How do you deal with the TV aerial and the chimney for the gas heater?

  • brianking
    brianking Forum Participant Posts: 2
    edited September 2016 #8

    Well thanks for the advice, i think vents are a good idea. We have a tv areial on the roof with a spike would that be a problem.

  • cyberyacht
    cyberyacht Forum Participant Posts: 10,218
    1000 Comments
    edited September 2016 #9

    I thought the spike unscrewed.

  • BorisSnowhead
    BorisSnowhead Forum Participant Posts: 50
    edited September 2016 #10

    We're away too often to bother with one, no end of season in my book! 

    Caravans designed to be outside aren't they?

  • rovinmad
    rovinmad Forum Participant Posts: 102
    First Comment
    edited September 2016 #11

    Caravans are designed to be outside for sure, but if I can extend the life of mine I would consider a cover.  What I want to know is how can the cover be protected from the bits that stick up on the roof.  I should imagine they can be tricky to get on anyway
    without having say bits of foam over the parts that might rub through.

  • David2115
    David2115 Forum Participant Posts: 547
    100 Comments
    edited September 2016 #12

    We use a cover when not touring, keeps it in great condition as ours is parked under a big tree

  • David2115
    David2115 Forum Participant Posts: 547
    100 Comments
    edited September 2016 #13

    Caravans are designed to be outside for sure, but if I can extend the life of mine I would consider a cover.  What I want to know is how can the cover be protected from the bits that stick up on the roof.  I should imagine they can be tricky to get on anyway
    without having say bits of foam over the parts that might rub through.

    Write your comments here...the cover just pulls over the top, it's not a problem 

  • ValDa
    ValDa Forum Participant Posts: 3,004
    1000 Comments
    edited September 2016 #14

    We take the spike off the aerial, and the cover just pulls over the other sticking up bits!  It's made of a fairly robust fabric, and after a lot of years only has two very minor splits which were caused by the sharp edge of awning rail at the very bottom of the van. 

    A cover will protect a van from the heat of the sun, the wind, rain, snow and hail - all of which can potentially cause damage.  Sun and drying winds will dry out the seals, and rain, melting hail and snow can then penetrate.  A cover helps avoid this, so should extend the life of the van.  It also saves considerably on cleaning materials if covered between trips.

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