Hello, we are new to caravaning and are getting ready for our next learning curve - winter storage. We have a very old (age undetermined) jubilee ace courier, do we use a caravan cover on her over the winter months or will she be ok without?? Also do we remove the seat cushions or do they stay in van & how do you keep the caravan aired during winter or will it naturally do that??
I can appreciate that these may seem daft questions and she only cost us £800, but we have had an amazing time in her this summer and are hoping for a good couple of years out of her while we save for a bigger van.
Thanks in advance for any replies.
No need to use covers as long as there are no trees about. They are a pain to put on - especially when windy.
We have a brand new van and would not consider using a cover - just get some soap and water on the roof every now and then - followed by some sort of polish if you want.
Using a cover will significantly reduce the damp your caravan experiences and will reduce moisture content,mine is always covered when not in use and at my annual service this year, the dealer commented that it was drier than the new vans in their yard
I asked this question 12 months ago and was told not to cover the caravan because the air flow is restricted with a cover and dealers dont cover their caravans. I pull the seats away from the sides of the van and leave all the cupboards, so air can flow through. I used to use the crystals but have since been told they arent good for the caravan, so ime not sure what to do this year. Different advice from different places, it does get confusing on what is the best to do...
Dealers don't cover their caravans because it'd cost a fortune in covers, buyers wouldn't be able to access them to view and they are selling them so they won't be around long enough for it to matter
There is still plenty of air through the floor vents and I don't have to clean grey streaks or moss of my very clean and dry van
Highly recommend a full, tailored cover
Crystals are a waste of time, if you have airflow, you're just trying to dry outside air as it passes through the van, only to be replaced by more damp outside air
Quote: Originally posted by markh1 on 20/9/2013
Dealers don't cover their caravans because it'd cost a fortune in covers, buyers wouldn't be able to access them to view and they are selling them so they won't be around long enough for it to matter
There is still plenty of air through the floor vents and I don't have to clean grey streaks or moss of my very clean and dry van
Highly recommend a full, tailored cover
Crystals are a waste of time, if you have airflow, you're just trying to dry outside air as it passes through the van, only to be replaced by more damp outside air
Only a tiny % of caravans are ever covered up & even less are kept undercover & yet, look on ebay, theres stacks of caravans going right back to the 80s which does rather suggest covers arn't necessary to preserve the caravan but they do keep them cleaner though.
We cover,use crystals and remove all fabrics including upholstery but not curtains. Our 5 year old van looks,feels and smells brand new. We all have our own opinions on what we think is necessary for our treasured vans.
We had a cover on our Bailey and it really helped to keep me reassured that no water could ingress into the van, even in stormy weather....
....BUT the downside was that we kept the van in a location that was always windy and the cover over the whole winter (although brand new and a top spec custom cover from Pro-Tec) did chafe a little and left some super-shiny patches on the paint, which I think would probably have eventually rubbed down to the undercoat.
It all comes down to personal preference, and possibly the age of your van (e.g the likelihood of water ingress occurring).
------------- 2015 - our 1st year of caravanning with a new baby. Can't wait! :)