Has anyone had any experience of breathable caravan covers.Do they scratch windows and paintwork etc
Caravan Covers
- Thread starter sparkeyboy60
- Start date
Hi Sparkeyboy,
I am against covers as imo they do more damage than good. No matter how tight you secure them they will still billow and flap in the wind constantly abraiding the paintwork and windows . Caravan paint is very thin.
I have seen people at our storage farm knock off their heater chimneys and damage their aerials struggling to fit the cover.
All to their own but not for me.
I am against covers as imo they do more damage than good. No matter how tight you secure them they will still billow and flap in the wind constantly abraiding the paintwork and windows . Caravan paint is very thin.
I have seen people at our storage farm knock off their heater chimneys and damage their aerials struggling to fit the cover.
All to their own but not for me.
Sparkeyboy,
I did seriously consider buying one a few years back. My van is stored on my driveway, fairly close to a main road which in the winter is heavily gritted ( when the local council hasn't ran out of grit that is). Anyway, in wet and windy conditions there can be quite a bit of road spray blown up and over towards the van so I thought a cover might be a good investment.
I sent off for material samples from a couple of the main suppliers, the material does seem fairly soft and paintwork friendly. What put me off though was ,after doing a bit of research both on feedback on various forums and on the directions of use given by he manufacturers, I found that it was recommended the caravan be thoroughly washed every time before the cover was applied as any small particles of grit between cover and paintwork can result in damage to paintwork. The caravan should then be dried before cover fitted, I felt that it might not always be convenient time wise to wash the van on return from every trip. The caravan windows need to be covered by a soft cotton material or similar otherwise the van cover will damage them and protection must also be applied to any sharpish corners on the van otherwise the cover will be torn. I also read of people struggling to fit the covers on caravans, especially larger vans and on windy days - the term large hang glider was used as description by one person, also some reported that despite placing padding on corners and over windows they still got damage either to their van or to the cover. I decided not to go ahead with the purchase, I find that using normal proprietary caravan shampoo and polish puts a good enough skin on the van and I've never experienced any ill effects to the van from the salt spray off the road. I will probably wash my caravan a bit more frequently than someone who uses a cover but I don't find that to be time consuming or a big problem. Having said that if people do as the cover manufacturers recommend and wash their van every time before fitting a cover then maybe I don't wash my van more frequently than they do. Suppose a lot depends on how often you use your caravan and often and for how long a period you would be covering the van - covering it for a one off period between say October and April might not be such a big hassle compared to someone who uses their van throughout the winter months.
Robert
I did seriously consider buying one a few years back. My van is stored on my driveway, fairly close to a main road which in the winter is heavily gritted ( when the local council hasn't ran out of grit that is). Anyway, in wet and windy conditions there can be quite a bit of road spray blown up and over towards the van so I thought a cover might be a good investment.
I sent off for material samples from a couple of the main suppliers, the material does seem fairly soft and paintwork friendly. What put me off though was ,after doing a bit of research both on feedback on various forums and on the directions of use given by he manufacturers, I found that it was recommended the caravan be thoroughly washed every time before the cover was applied as any small particles of grit between cover and paintwork can result in damage to paintwork. The caravan should then be dried before cover fitted, I felt that it might not always be convenient time wise to wash the van on return from every trip. The caravan windows need to be covered by a soft cotton material or similar otherwise the van cover will damage them and protection must also be applied to any sharpish corners on the van otherwise the cover will be torn. I also read of people struggling to fit the covers on caravans, especially larger vans and on windy days - the term large hang glider was used as description by one person, also some reported that despite placing padding on corners and over windows they still got damage either to their van or to the cover. I decided not to go ahead with the purchase, I find that using normal proprietary caravan shampoo and polish puts a good enough skin on the van and I've never experienced any ill effects to the van from the salt spray off the road. I will probably wash my caravan a bit more frequently than someone who uses a cover but I don't find that to be time consuming or a big problem. Having said that if people do as the cover manufacturers recommend and wash their van every time before fitting a cover then maybe I don't wash my van more frequently than they do. Suppose a lot depends on how often you use your caravan and often and for how long a period you would be covering the van - covering it for a one off period between say October and April might not be such a big hassle compared to someone who uses their van throughout the winter months.
Robert
You got it right rob-t and the other drawback is the securing straps that go underneath usually foul the legs and get covered in grease ,which goe's on the caravan as you remove the cover , i clean my van on a regular basis ,so it only takes next to no time to clean it and i hardly ever get black streaks , plus it keeps you fit
Hi
I would like to give a STRONG VOTE FOR caravan covers
We have had a Protec cover on our Bailey Arizona for 3 winters now.
Pros
(1) It's a good fit
(2) Keeps the caravan beautifully clean and dry
(3) Acccess to the caravan even when covered
(4) Allows enough light in to work by inside
(5) Wheel covers protect tyres from sunlight
(6) Curtains and upholstery are protected from sunlight
(7) Excellent customer service - twice sent out replacement buckles by return, free of charge
(8) Green colour blends into garden well
(9) Hopefully might discourage a potential thief a little, ie, disguises 'van and would have to be removed before 'van can be moved
Cons
(1) Expensive
(2) A bit of struggle to fit/remove, especially if it's windy
(3) Fitting/removal really needs 2 people in my experience
(4) Susceptible to damage from protrusions. Make sure all protrusions, eg aeria, chimney, jointing strips are covered
(5) Time it takes to fit/remove if the 'van is used frequently
(6) Bulky to store when off the 'van
One of our roof jointing strips wore a hole in our cover during the first winter. My wife repaired/reinforced it with a piece of the extra fabric they include. I now "pad" ALL protrusions very carefully with pipe insulation foam secured with gaffer tape and thick rubber bands. I, also, gently rounded of the corners of the aluminium roof strips with a file.
I would recommend the optional storm straps, especially if your 'van would be stored in an exposed area. The optional large storage bag is, also, useful although ours had to be replace when it tore near the handle almost immediately. The replacement was reinforced with additional material.
In answer to some of comments made above:
I do wash the 'van before putting on the cover but it does NOT need to be dry. It means that when I remove the cover the 'van is still clean and sparkling.
My cover's instructions did NOT tell me to cover the windows in any way and I have never done that or suffered any damage to the windows or paintwork. Our 'van is kept covered in an elevated position in the windy north west but still has not suffered any sort of paint or window abrasion from the cover.
Although our 'van is quite large, 7.2 metres long, my wife and I can fit the cover between us even on windy days. Our cover came with telescopic aluminium poles to help with fitting.
There is no need to get the securing straps greasy - it's just a matter of routing them sensibly.
On balance I strongly recommend Protec caravan covers. (I'm not, unfortunately, on commission from Protec) and I speak from 3 years experience.
Don't just take my word for it. If you search on ukcampsite.co.uk you will find a lot of other posters who favour caravan covers.
Tim
Regards
Tim
I would like to give a STRONG VOTE FOR caravan covers
We have had a Protec cover on our Bailey Arizona for 3 winters now.
Pros
(1) It's a good fit
(2) Keeps the caravan beautifully clean and dry
(3) Acccess to the caravan even when covered
(4) Allows enough light in to work by inside
(5) Wheel covers protect tyres from sunlight
(6) Curtains and upholstery are protected from sunlight
(7) Excellent customer service - twice sent out replacement buckles by return, free of charge
(8) Green colour blends into garden well
(9) Hopefully might discourage a potential thief a little, ie, disguises 'van and would have to be removed before 'van can be moved
Cons
(1) Expensive
(2) A bit of struggle to fit/remove, especially if it's windy
(3) Fitting/removal really needs 2 people in my experience
(4) Susceptible to damage from protrusions. Make sure all protrusions, eg aeria, chimney, jointing strips are covered
(5) Time it takes to fit/remove if the 'van is used frequently
(6) Bulky to store when off the 'van
One of our roof jointing strips wore a hole in our cover during the first winter. My wife repaired/reinforced it with a piece of the extra fabric they include. I now "pad" ALL protrusions very carefully with pipe insulation foam secured with gaffer tape and thick rubber bands. I, also, gently rounded of the corners of the aluminium roof strips with a file.
I would recommend the optional storm straps, especially if your 'van would be stored in an exposed area. The optional large storage bag is, also, useful although ours had to be replace when it tore near the handle almost immediately. The replacement was reinforced with additional material.
In answer to some of comments made above:
I do wash the 'van before putting on the cover but it does NOT need to be dry. It means that when I remove the cover the 'van is still clean and sparkling.
My cover's instructions did NOT tell me to cover the windows in any way and I have never done that or suffered any damage to the windows or paintwork. Our 'van is kept covered in an elevated position in the windy north west but still has not suffered any sort of paint or window abrasion from the cover.
Although our 'van is quite large, 7.2 metres long, my wife and I can fit the cover between us even on windy days. Our cover came with telescopic aluminium poles to help with fitting.
There is no need to get the securing straps greasy - it's just a matter of routing them sensibly.
On balance I strongly recommend Protec caravan covers. (I'm not, unfortunately, on commission from Protec) and I speak from 3 years experience.
Don't just take my word for it. If you search on ukcampsite.co.uk you will find a lot of other posters who favour caravan covers.
Tim
Regards
Tim
We used one 5 years ago for 1 winter, We were gutted when it was removed to find all the side window with abrasions all over them, which although became less with polish never went. We never used it after that. That was a protec cover made to measure for our van.
We would not use one again, as 1/ our experience as above and 2/ we now use the van all year round so it would be too much to keep taking on and off.
A good wash before going away and when returning with a polish 3 times a year keeps the van looking sparkling from top to bottom
Kev
We would not use one again, as 1/ our experience as above and 2/ we now use the van all year round so it would be too much to keep taking on and off.
A good wash before going away and when returning with a polish 3 times a year keeps the van looking sparkling from top to bottom
Kev
Thanks for all your advice.Have decided on balance not to use a cover as dont want to run the risk of any damage.
My vote is for covers. We have a green Specilist Cover. It came with special material to cover the windows before you fit the cover. After 2 years of use there are no scratches on any of my windows and the caravan is kept clean and disguised all the time it is stored (on a farm). I also have friends who use these covers and none have had any problems with scratched windows or rubbed paint or greasy ties.
Like all thigs follow the instructions, fit them properly with thought and care and you will reap the rewards. Do however consider the quality of the cover when you buy - buy cheap and pay twice!!
Like all thigs follow the instructions, fit them properly with thought and care and you will reap the rewards. Do however consider the quality of the cover when you buy - buy cheap and pay twice!!
We had a cover that came with our van , we put it on last week. It was Pro-tec one and it was so easy to slide on with 2 people.
Over the week especialy after a wet day i noticed(from our upstairs window) a pool of water on the roof. The rain was sitting inbetween the 2 roof vents. this was concerning me quite a bit as normally the rain would just run off. I contacted Pro-tec and they sent me the following reply -
Unfortunately on some caravan roof shapes water can pool on top of the covers, this can easily be shaken off, or alternatively if you place a polystyrene block (similar to those used in packaging in the centre of your van), the create a roof shape this will help the water run off. If the water is left to pool, it can prevent any naturally occuring moisture under the cover from being able to breathe out. In the same respect, we always recommend that any large build up of snow not be left too long on the van, if this we do get the same level of snow we did last winter we recommend just getting your sweeping brush to remove the majority of it
So this weekend we have placed some blocks in teh middle to see whether this helps ? Also as it was a 2nd hand cover there were a couple of rips , so the cover was taken off and repaired .
With the cover completely off we noticed ALL over the caravan, a print, similar to a "tiger " print......this was just after a week ???
For those who use a cover ..what can be used to remove this print ??
Over the week especialy after a wet day i noticed(from our upstairs window) a pool of water on the roof. The rain was sitting inbetween the 2 roof vents. this was concerning me quite a bit as normally the rain would just run off. I contacted Pro-tec and they sent me the following reply -
Unfortunately on some caravan roof shapes water can pool on top of the covers, this can easily be shaken off, or alternatively if you place a polystyrene block (similar to those used in packaging in the centre of your van), the create a roof shape this will help the water run off. If the water is left to pool, it can prevent any naturally occuring moisture under the cover from being able to breathe out. In the same respect, we always recommend that any large build up of snow not be left too long on the van, if this we do get the same level of snow we did last winter we recommend just getting your sweeping brush to remove the majority of it
So this weekend we have placed some blocks in teh middle to see whether this helps ? Also as it was a 2nd hand cover there were a couple of rips , so the cover was taken off and repaired .
With the cover completely off we noticed ALL over the caravan, a print, similar to a "tiger " print......this was just after a week ???
For those who use a cover ..what can be used to remove this print ??
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