Travel trailer cover

[mesa]

Just popped for a 2020 Transcend and was pricing carports to keep out of Az sun but they are expensive. Does anyone use a cover if so what type and recommendations .Thanks

[Kirk W]

A cover would keep the sun off but my experience with a cover was that it was such a chore to put on and take off that I hated to use it and then the wind caused the seams to make wear marks from abraiding the finish. I decided that it faired better not covered. But I was not in AZ so that could make a difference. 

[bobsallyh]

Like Kirk said. I never put one on but watched, what a PITA. Then when they came back in the fall, usually a tie had snapped or the cover ripped in places. And when the dirt gets under it and the wind blows it acts like a piece of light sandpaper. A carport is OK, if you screen the sides, and it is built wide enough to get the slides out if you have any. Just my take after 16 seasons in Yuma, AZ. If you don't put the vent covers over the roof vents most folks build boxes to cover them. You sure don't one to blow off and let sand and or rain in.

Edited September 27, 2019 by bobsallyh

[FL-JOE]

I agree with bobsallyh, if something comes apart or it gets a rip in it you won't be happy with what it does rubbing on your finish.  If you were checking on it every few days it might take some of the worry out I suppose.

[Mr. Camper]

We've always used an ADCO cover with very good results.  When we purchased our current RV almost six years ago we went with a fitted cover.  We have used cut tennis balls to cover the sharp edges on the roof spouts.  The straps are adjustable and can be tightened which we do as needed through the winter months..  It really doesn't take that long for both of us to get the cover on.  Prior to getting the cover on we thoroughly clean and wax the outside of the RV.   When we take the cover off in the spring it's easy to wipe it down and get the outside ready to travel.  The cover we bought has a zippered access by the door so we can get access to the interior when and if we should need it.  We store it on our property so we don't face the issues you might face when storing it someplace other than your own property.

Our neighbor bought an RV last year and didn't bother with a cover.  Come this past spring he had so much stuff to clean off the roof and the sides that he asked us where we got our cover and we told him.  He's putting his new cover on his RV this weekend.

Best of luck.

[aysstephanie]

Fit is everything when it comes to RV covers! Less hassle, more secure fit, less chance of moisture and debris, etc.

I found RV Part Shop really helpful with guiding me through proper measurements and choosing the right cover. ADCO is definitely a first choice for quality, as other posters have said. 

[mesa]

Well it will be parked next to my house and we camp all year pretty much,  the one I was looking at has a lot of tie downs.

https://www.nationalrvcovers.com/s2expedition-rv-covers/Travel--Trailer/24.html

[Jim1521]

We used one and were very happy with the outcome.  Putting it on was very easy.  I simply tied a rope to it, hoisted it up on the roof (not as difficult as I thought it was going to be), rolled it out the length of the trailer, draped it first over the street side, then over the curb side, climbed down the ladder and finished the job.  1-2 hours tops.  When we came back in the spring we found the trailer clean and in the same condition as we left it.

We got the Classic Accessories  SkyShield™ Travel Trailer & Toy Hauler RV Cover-Model 8T

Edited September 28, 2019 by Jim1521

[RV_]

I'd go with the carport. No muss no fuss, and with the metal ones you can add more panels to the sides for evening sun. I'm just frugal and finally got it through my head we are living now what we worked and invested and saved for then. As my Significant Harassment of 47 said to me about buying the Colorado house, hey, it's time to spend some for fun, comfort and lifestyle. Being the wealthiest corpses in the cemetery is not a goal. So we are splurging a bit and redoing its dated update and flooring/colors. As well getting a couple of Tesla Powerwall's instead of another 25kw water cooled generator and auto switch running on natural gas. Go for it if you can!

Safe and financially secure travels!

[Kirk W]

15 hours ago, mesa said:

Well it will be parked next to my house and we camp all year pretty much,  the one I was looking at has a lot of tie downs.

Does that mean that you will be putting the cover on each time you return, then removing it again a short time later to travel again? Unless yours is more easily installed & removed than ours was you will be spending a lot of time with it. I don't believe that I have ever known an RV owner who put the cover back on more than once a month for very many months. Putting mine on for only a week or two was just too much trouble.

7 hours ago, RV_ said:

Being the wealthiest corpses in the cemetery is not a goal.

A very wise decision. Leaving a large estate to my kids isn't mine either. 

[Ray,IN]

22 hours ago, RV_ said:

I'd go with the carport. No muss no fuss, and with the metal ones you can add more panels to the sides for evening sun. I'm just frugal and finally got it through my head we are living now what we worked and invested and saved for then. As my Significant Harassment of 47 said to me about buying the Colorado house, hey, it's time to spend some for fun, comfort and lifestyle. Being the wealthiest corpses in the cemetery is not a goal. So we are splurging a bit and redoing its dated update and flooring/colors. As well getting a couple of Tesla Powerwall's instead of another 25kw water cooled generator and auto switch running on natural gas. Go for it if you can!

Safe and financially secure travels!

I agree, the criteria he has stated makes a carport the best choice by far. The AZ heat under a cloth covering IMO would  cause damage to the RV roof.

 Here in the hill country of Indiana I have only used a cheap plastic farm tarpaulin to cover my RV's with 3X the number of elastic tie-downs. I never did notice any wear/scuff marks on a trailer, but the on/off routine was strenuous and  lengthy, and became more so every year older I got. I'd hate to think of doing that monthly when using the RV.

I  finally had a 60'X40'X15' pole barn erected and poured a concrete floor inside; total price = $26K.

[Carlos]

I'm considering the same to keep the sun from beating ours up.  Meanwhile, I'm planning to put one of the fiberglass polish/waxes on it that is said to stop UV for about a year, now that it's finally cooled off.  I don't have a place to put a carport, the trailer is in storage.  Otherwise I'd really consider the carport.  Also our trailer is much smaller so a cover would be easier to handle.  Some people claim that a great wax applied yearly will do almost as well as a cover.  We have no trees/leaves to worry about.

 

[mesa]

Just got back from the shakedown run, I prefer the carport but 1st quote was 5 grand 🤑 waiting on another bid also my setbacks might be a problem Thanks for all the input

[Vladimir]

I used one for snow on our 5th wheel.

It worked well. There was a door opening so you could get into the 5th wheel without taking the cover off. It did hold on in the wind.

Gave it away when the 5th wheel moved to Arizona. It is rather large to store.

As others have said....a structural cover is a much better solution if you can do it.

[frankgibbons]

I've bought the ADCO Pop-up Tyvek cover for my 18' travel trailer.

 

https://outdoorfact.com/best-rv-cover-reviews/

 

It fits very well in that it covers the roof and upper half of the trailer which protects the roof from sun damage and allows me to open the windows (for ventilation) and access the entry door easily. It's light weight and easy to manage.

 

I can put the cover on and take it off by myself (although admittedly easier with 2 people).

 

I would like to include some pros and cons regarding the cover:

 

Pros

Lightweight body

Protect your vehicle tires

Good value for the cost

 

Cons

The sides fabric is a bit thin

Life expectancy is not impressive

 

Important Note: Nowadays, you'll find multipurpose products that could provide your RV with all-around protection. If you don’t have the patience to get individual RV covers in place, you should go after multipurpose covers.

[Carlos]

That's a link farm site, it just exists to drive people to their Amazon referral links.  Nothing on there was actually reviewed by them, they just use a combination of bots and foreign labor to put together descriptions that sound like a review.  Look at how unnatural the language and sentence structure is.  The person above is probably a shill for them, and not likely to be writing his own words.

Also, notice this nonsenese which tells you that the person writing it has no clue about the subject:  

Quote

Important Note: Nowadays, you'll find multipurpose products that could provide your RV with all-around protection. If you don’t have the patience to get individual RV covers in place, you should go after multipurpose covers.

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Edited November 4, 2019 by Carlos

[Darryl&Rita]

So, Carlos, did you report their post? 

[Carlos]

No, why, did you?

 

[Darryl&Rita]

Yup, as I do all suspicions posts. There's people who will click on every link presented to them, and I also don't want to have to wade through a sea of spam every time I  come online. 

[Carlos]

I prefer to be able to expose their scam.  There are lots of farming sites like that, and it sucks.  If more people knew to ignore them, they might go away.  I always prefer to err on the side of discussion and NOT deleting things.  I mod a busy forum myself, and my deletions for the last ten years can be counted on two hands.