Over Wintering a Caravan - Cover or not

Jun 4, 2019
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This being my first winter owning a caravan.

Undecided of what to do for winter protection.

I have washed it and waxed it for some protection.

Have read some, use a total cover but from experience with my boat and unless its fully vented its not good.

Any advice ??
 

Mel

Mar 17, 2007
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You will get a range of opinions on covers. May own view is don’t cover it, more potential for problems than not covering. Better still, use the van in the winter. We have had some great winter trips, including in snow.
Mel
 
May 7, 2012
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Ours is in the middle of a storage area and does not suffer greatly from dirt and moss so no need to cover. It may help in other areas where there may be problems so you have to compare the cost and problems of getting it on with the effort of washing and make your mind up.
 
Feb 23, 2018
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I used a cover on my old caravan, but learned that the van needs to be clean to stop dirt being rubbed into it and the cover. If you're using a proper breathable cover there should be no issues with condensation; never had an issue for the 5 years or so I had the old van, and it was covered most of the time. I have a Pro-Tec cover for my new Sprite, but have not yet used it. The caravan needs to be washed and time/weather has been against me - Hopefully will do it this weekend if there is a break in the weather.
 
Mar 14, 2005
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I never even dreamed of using a cover, and before joining this forum I never really thought about it, but having seen many threads about it over the years, and considering the pros and cons, I still don't believe using a storage cover has any major advantage except if the caravan is stored under trees, or inside where birds may roost or if there is some other activity producing materials that might attack the paint or windows.

After all you don't cover the caravan when your using it to protect it from the weather, so you shouldn't need to if its in clear outside storage.

If you use a cover there are a couple of things you need to consider:
It needs to be secured to prevent it from flapping or rubbing on the outside surfaces of the caravan to prevent it damaging them.
It does need to allow the caravan to ventilate, if the caravans humidity cannot escape properly even in the winter months on some days the sun can still provide a lot of solar heat gain, that will raise the internal temperature turning the inside of the caravan into a greenhouse, and making ideal conditions for growing moulds etc.

As others have pointed out, you need to be able to fit and remove it, and be able to store it when you're not using it.

Quite a number of covers in have seen, have started to look quite tatty after a couple of years, not only faded colours, but stitching begging to fail, fabric suffering from UV degradation. I do wonder how long they will last before needing repair or replacement.
 
Jun 20, 2005
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Never used one and never will.
Caravanning for me is an all year round hobby so why cover her up. Also I believe some chaffing of the fabric on windows and paintwork happens contrary to what the manufacturers say.
 
Feb 23, 2018
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I have just covered my caravan with the Pro-Tec cover mentioned in my previous post. I seem to get a lot of fall-out on cars and the caravan as I live near open-cast mining activity and fast roads, so that combined with a desire to keep the caravan protected from other environmental damage swayed my decision.

Cons: 5 hours of cleaning was performed before I broke out the cover - Had to keep an eye on the weather as rain would bring crap down on the roof again. (it started raining as I packed away) The cover will never go back in bag it was sent in without a wrestle.

But once I figured out the front from the back, it was easy to get the cover on, as it comes with a roll-up back panel and 2 poles to lift the cover.

Ultimately the cover has to be seen as a sacrificial item. It won't last as long as the caravan - but should it be damaged I think Pro-Tec would probably repair it. Their customer service has been excellent with the dealings I had with them.
 
Sep 4, 2017
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Cover for me...Well roof and 1/2 meter side cover for me. Works like a charm.

Cover.JPG
 

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