Towing Covers
I am considering purchasing a towing cover for our new caravan. After only towing around 250 - 300 miles I can already see some marks on the white plastic from road debris and tar spots. Our main concern is that use of a towing cover will create scratched windows and if that is the case we we would probably prefer to forget the whole idea of a cover.
The particular one I am interested in is the Specialised Tow Pro + which is upper mid range .
Has anyone bought one of these or has anyone got a view on the use of a towing cover in general.
Comments
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People will have different views on this. My view having suffered a broken widow from a thrown up stone, and the hassle this caused, is I fit mine before every journey. It can be a bind keeping the front clean before fitting to stop scratching. But fitting takes just a few minutes.
I don’t use it to keep the front clean, that’s a bonus. It is to protect the van. Fitting rear mud flaps can also help.
Ken
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I think if it was fitted correctly and very tight it wouldn't cause any damage but if loose it would have movement when travelling and cause scratches. I've often wondered if anybody has fastened a towel or blanket to the front windows before fitting the cover and did it help.
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We have a specialised towing cover and wouldn’t be without it. Takes about 2 minutes to put on and take off. We’ve had it for over 3 years and about 25 thousand plus miles it’s just starting to show some signs of wear. We van all year and it certainly saves the van during the sugar beet harvest. I would highly recommend.
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My experience of towing covers is not a very good one.
The cover was purchased from a supplier on EBay and the pictures looked very good and neat. That was not the case on my older caravan, the front awning rails are set back, with the front being more curved than modern caravans. This caused a lot of puckering in-between the fixings that flap about when on the move.
For this reason I have only used the cover once. Maybe they fit better on a modern caravan.
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We have a Swift and have use a Specialized Pro cover for 4 years. Well made easy to attach and remove single handed. There are zippers to allow you to break a journey and leave the cover on the van but just lower the top section so windows are exposed. Likewise the lower section can be unzipped to give access to the locker.
I believe this is also helpful when travelling abroad as you are sometimes asked to show your gas locker.
Support from Specialized is also first class if you have a problem.
Down side When arriving wet, do you leave it on to dry or put it away wet. Arrived at Longleat 2 years ago and the road to the site was disgustingly mucky (cows) so was the cover. The cover does not cover the Heiki Window.
We have a number of cuts to the outer material, that would probably have resulted in damage to the van if not fitted.
Make sure you use the awning rail stops, which prevent the cover from sliding down to far and moving more in transit.
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Thanks everyone for all your comments.
Bluemalaga, as you are able to zip open the windows am I correct in assuming that you are using the 'top of the range' Tow Pro Elite?
This is £100 more than the 'next down the range' Tow Pro+ which can only unzip the front locker. With your knowledge now do you think the window access facility is worth the extra £100?
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The Tow Pro is a bit pricey for my budget.
Has anyone any experience with the cheaper covers which can be found on ebay - from £30 upwards.
They are described as "universal" but I would need to check if one would fit my 2007 Bailey Pageant Vendee.
I've recently had damage from a stone kicked up by an overtaking vehicle and needed a new centre window - the excess on my insurance was greater than the cost of a cover.
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Bristle, in my opinion a cover that isn’t fitted to the shape of your van will flap in use and may chafe the windows and paintwork. Of course you will get the other benefits of added protection. It’s your choice what you value most.
I bought a cheap cover at first and only used it once. Having made this mistake, my advice would be to buy a good one, especially if you intend keeping the van.
Ken
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You are correct Swiftly
The biggest advantage is the padding offered. I do not know if the cheaper one offers the same padding. However if you have overnight stops you can leave the cover on and if you wish drop down the top part to allow light in. We have used it for this purpose and continental travel with stop overs would be a benefit.
Personal choice and hopefully last as long as you have the same van.
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