Caravans are designed to breath, and need a good air flow around them.
yes, that why the covers should be "breathable".The Pro Tec ones are and they are made of scratch resistant material. We just cover ours over the winter period once we have decided when we have finished using the van. If this winter is like last we will be covering in November through until March
If we are leaving the van that long I generally take the wheels off and leave the van standing on winter wheels
Phil
------------- If you're not on a fell your wasting your feet and for 2014 it's.......Feb Castleton Mar North Yors Moors; Apr Sutton on Sea; May Thirsk; Jun Clapham/Riverside (Lakes); July Wharfedale; August Crakehall; Sept Knaresborough; Oct Wirral Park/Clitheroe
Thanks for that link Phil I alway wondered what winter wheels were, they look interesting, shall show hubby :)
------------- "I'm a fool for my dogs"
Adopt a rescue, rescue dogs make great pets, don't support puppy farms.
The road can be tough and rough,but what you put in you get back 10 x more.
Quote: Originally posted by Din85 on 05/9/2011
From little experience... cover it, i am going to get one as soon as i can afford it after fixing the dreaded damp !
After plenty of water ingress, now cured, I bought a second user cover from Ebay which fits quite well. I used it all last winter. It came with 'buffers' which slide into the awning rails and hold it away from the sides. Breathable too, and I thought it was a good idea to keep the worst of the weather off that new sealant! LOL! It doesn't quite cover the sides fully, but near enough. The straps which hold it in place work very well.
After the winter I took it off and the caravan was lovely and clean - just needed lightly dusting! So that proves it's breathable I suppose. No mould inside either.
Approx every 4-6 weeks, I turned the wheels, marked first with a wax crayon so that I knew where I'd started. And on fine days I undid the back end and opened the door to let some air and light in.
winter wheels. good idea but check with insurance co. first.it has happened after being stolen believe me,they say no wheels on the caravan no wheel clamp fitted as per policy we are not paying.
------------- the only silly question is the one you do not ask.
Good point Michael. I checked with my insurers. I also reckon that with 100+ caravans in storage with wheels on any self respecting thief will have the sense to pick one with wheels. All you need, I suppose, is just one really thick thief. Cornering will be tricky for him though!!!
Phil
------------- If you're not on a fell your wasting your feet and for 2014 it's.......Feb Castleton Mar North Yors Moors; Apr Sutton on Sea; May Thirsk; Jun Clapham/Riverside (Lakes); July Wharfedale; August Crakehall; Sept Knaresborough; Oct Wirral Park/Clitheroe
ps. Worth brushing the snow off the top every now and again so that there is not such a build up that the weight may cause your roof to dip.
Phil
------------- If you're not on a fell your wasting your feet and for 2014 it's.......Feb Castleton Mar North Yors Moors; Apr Sutton on Sea; May Thirsk; Jun Clapham/Riverside (Lakes); July Wharfedale; August Crakehall; Sept Knaresborough; Oct Wirral Park/Clitheroe
We cover ours with a pro tec cover - its custom fit for our specific make and model of caravan and has a door in it so I can pop in and out of it with ease. Once you get used to it, it takes literally minutes to put on and remove as you get poles to lift it over the length of caravan - normally we can get it on in one go. It comes with a big plastic sack to store it in when not in use and it dries very quickly after rain.
We always wash the van thoroughly before replacing the cover as any surface dirt could scrape against the van with the friction of the cover, although this is significantly reduced with this cover due to its custom fit and snug design.
We only got condensation on one occasion last year when a very frosty night gave way to a warm morning but it cleared quickly - to be on the safe side we added two little rechargeable dehumidifiers and haven't had any condensation since.
We store our van on the drive and we bought a cover as we have blossom trees, to keep the van clean and the elements off it and also so any would be thieves wouldn't have a clue what make and model they were pinching!!
Ours does'nt stay static for long but we bought a cove last year, it's called an R.V cover and it just goes over the top. Thought this was a compromise really.
We will put it on at the end of September until we go off again at Christmas.
Last year in the bad weather it froze to the roof.
Quote: Originally posted by Vic Wildish on 06/9/2011
I have never covered any of my caravans and they've all been 100% damp free.
Caravans are designed to stand out in the open with fixed open vents to allow them to breathe.
I know that covering them can prevent grime and algae forming on the roof and black streaks down the sides, but covers have been known to loosen over a period of time, and whilst not becoming completely detached do move about scratching the paintwork.
If it was available to me, I would certainly go for undercover storage but nothing would persuade me to use a cover.
Cheers!
Vic
Totally agree unless it is permanently stored under a tree.
I can see no point in de humidifying crystals unless your caravan is a sealed box which it isn't.
The idea is that they minimise any potential damage caused by condensation and/or damp. If you do get that in your van the water has to go somewhere and, perhaps, better collected in a dampbuster kind of arrangement rather than on your woodwork/furniture. That's the theory anyway. They do no harm and I notice just how much moisture they collect
Phil
------------- If you're not on a fell your wasting your feet and for 2014 it's.......Feb Castleton Mar North Yors Moors; Apr Sutton on Sea; May Thirsk; Jun Clapham/Riverside (Lakes); July Wharfedale; August Crakehall; Sept Knaresborough; Oct Wirral Park/Clitheroe
When we brought our van from new and it still looks like a brand new van that was three years ago since i have been using this winter cover it is great to see it nice and clean and with me been disabled i need all the help i can get but the choice is yours.
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Topic: To cover or not to cover?
