Hi all,I was wondering if it is worth investing in a caravan cover for the winter.Any pros and cons from anyone with experience would be appreciated.Also any brand recomdations.Thanking you in advance.
They make your cover to fit your specific van and the cover includes a door so that you can get in during winter if you need to without removing the cover. Pricey about £300 - £360 depends on size of course.
I would guess that on this thread 50% will say that they are of no benefit and 50% will say that they are beneficial.
Phil
------------- If you're not on a fell your wasting your feet and for 2014 it's.......Feb Castleton Mar North Yors Moors; Apr Sutton on Sea; May Thirsk; Jun Clapham/Riverside (Lakes); July Wharfedale; August Crakehall; Sept Knaresborough; Oct Wirral Park/Clitheroe
Hi we bought ours from Pro tec in July and it was £370 but if you are a member of CC or C&CC then you can get a 10% discount.
Its a really good cover non scratch, waterproof & breathable and fits really well (a bit tricky first go but afterwards goes on really quickly). I love the fact it has a door so we can get in and out of the caravan without removing the cover although you do need to remove the cover if using ehu at home to chilll fridge.
We did find condensation inside the van on one occasion early October when a chilly morning gave way to a warm sunny day but we put a couple of small rechargeable dehumidifiers in there and its been bone dry ever since.
We have a Specialised Accessories cover we were lucky to get it with our second hand caravan as I know they are expensive to buy new. It is still going strong after years of use. we would’ent be without one now, it’s a nice feeling in the worst of winter to know the old girl (caravan I mean) as got a good cover on .Some say they cause condensation but we have not had a problem.
To make sure there is plenty of air between cover and caravan (although the covers are supposed to be breathable) I use 22mm copper pipe insulation cut up into about one foot lengths placed on edges of roof (can be clipped over awning rails) under cover, about 4 pieces on each side and one full length down centre of front window under cover. It does’ent take long to do its cheap and ensures a good circulation of air all around.
Bought one from Riversway leisure, Best £60 quid Ive ever spent. 3 layer breathable and non scratch. It kept her nice and cosy last winter, remember that one. and will hopefully keep her as snug this year. wouldnt do without it.
Tried ours on this morning before it went for repair and it is going to be just fine. I like the fact that it will protect the awning rails and top seams from the frost and snow in winter. .
Plus protect it from the bird poop, cor those birds do make a mess when they have been feasting on all the berries.
We put our pro tec cover on our Caravan plus a foam what protect aerial and flue so it doesn"t scratch the cover with it being expensive to buy this is the third year on until April .( We also put salt pots in about three of them .) The van was nice and clean and waxed then the cover went on the 15th October 2010...........
Having had my caravan in more than one storage venues over the years, I can count on one hand the number of caravans I have seen with a cover on.
Now I have no idea why only a couple of percent of the caravan owners use a cover, but I came to the conclusion that if all those people thought they were better leaving their caravan exposed than they were using a cover then there must be a damn good reason...Beats me what it is though.
I must confess that I was never too impressed by the theory of using a breathable cover. This would allow moisture to get under the cover and drastically increase the time it takes for it to dry. Keeping a caravan unnecessarily damp seems a bit risky to me.
we bought a cover two years ago when we changed our caravan but after reading all the post we are too afraid to put it on .
also i think it might affect the waranty so we just dont know what to do. im reluctant to use it because it is not possible for us to check it very often .
Well last year my caravan was leaking so I had no alternative but to cover it with a tarp, until the Spring came and I could do something about it. (sealant won't 'go off' in cold weather).
The tarp went half way down the sides and was tied underneath and to the wheels, etc. It came halfway down the door, so I could still gain access - and I fitted it to the shape of the van using good old duct tape! I worried about what damage it might cause but needed to keep out the water ingress quickly, so it was a case of needs must.
I put bubble wrap on the corners of the van as I thought they would push straight through in the event of gales or suchlike.
When the tarp came off everything was fine. No scratches, no mildew, no damp, nop condensation - and the water ingress spots had also dried out and fortunately with no rot.I assume because it wasn't completely covering the van that there was still gaps for the air to get in and out.
I have bought a proper one this year (just waiting for it to arrive) but I'm still wondering if half-covering with a tarp is more or less the same thing! (My son reckons so!)
Quote: Originally posted by pumfretts on 09/11/2010
Jax365
when you say you have bought a proper one this year, do you mean a full cover or just a roof cover?
Thanks
It's by Specialised Accessories, but I bought it for £40 off fleabay. A full cover, just about! Fits about the same as the tarp, as SA make them to measure and it's not for my van, but something similar. So I still have a bit of the sides showing, but it fits more or less fine. Also came with a towhitch cover and little rolls of polystyrene foam (very similar to the idea mentioned earlier with pipe lagging) that slide into your awning rails so it protects it from any sharp edges, and also keeps air circulating on the inside.
So far it's been perfect - no condensation whatsoever. And an absolute bargain as they start at £260 on the Sp.Accessories site!