Caravan covers, good idea or not?

[lishka]

We have recently purchased a caravan and I’m keen to keep it nice!
I have heard that a full cover can cause it to sweat and lead to condensation / damp problems? Does anybody know if there’s any truth in this? Also how easy are they to put on and off?

 

[Wolfie]

Iishka - I guarantee for every reply you get praising covers, you'll get one saying they are the work of the devil!
We keep our van in a storage site a few miles from home and keep it covered over the winter. Never had a problem with damp, most covers are made from breathable fabric. It is a two person job to get them on. I use two extendable poles with tennis balls stuck on the end to help lift the cover over the van (particular care required over aerials, chimneys etc. Keeps the muck and bird droppings etc off, although we still get some light black streaks but a quick spruce up is all that is needed when the cover comes off.
Look for ones with a soft inner surface - like most things caravanning you get what you pay pay for - some covers are tailor made, some are a generic size range.
Thumbs up for covers from us!

 

[Dustydog]

See this previous thread
http://www.practicalcaravan.com/forum/general/cover-up-or-not-whats-your-views

 

[adam_374374842]

Hi Lishka
I found my caravan cover a great buy i wax my caravan before i put it away for the winter season and when i take it off it looks like new - although one thing i would recommend is an aerial blanking plate to replace the aerial whilst in storage - the aerial comes off easy enough and the blanking plates comes with screws to cover the hole - they are only around £12.00 on ebay but a small price to pay as one year i was being so careful but just one small tug to many and my aerial was snapped{£150.00 plus brand new} - and also without the aerial in the way itis very easy for two people to pull over the van.Hope this helps.

 

[Martin24]

And now "the work of the devil" Never had one and would not risk the possibilities of scratches etc. I've found the best way to keep the van looking good is regular washing and polishing. Mine never looks dirty when we set off as I clean it before we go and if not used for a month or so clean it anyway! Polish it twice a year more if needed. Bit of a tight turn around this time though, clothes from two weeks in devon to get ready in 6 days before heading to Somerset! Still the van will get another clean before we go as will the car as it rained on the journey home!!!!

 

[topaz1]

We’re in the “wouldn’t be without one” club. We’re on our 3rd one. They seem to last about 4 years before they start to disintegrate. We store our caravan half under a scotts pine tree which the pigeons love, so the cover keeps birds mess and tree sap off. The cover keeps the van in pristine condition and being dark green, it also helps to tone down the big white box. We never have condensation or rubbing problems. After trying many different methods of fitting, we have discovered that with one person using a step ladder near the front side and the other person on the other front side, pulling it up and over is the easiest method.
We have never had a custom made cover but our current one is the best fitting one so far. The only downside is that it isn’t terribly convenient to pop into the caravan ( to raid the store cupboard of something we’ve run out of in the house!) without unzipping and unstrapping. I’m considering sewing a zip over the caravan door to make occasional entry easier but I might wait until this cover needs replacing and using a zip from this cover as long zips can be quite expensive.