Winter Storage - Cover at Home or Store at Indoor Facillity?

I recently dropped my coach off at a local indoor storage facility - a first for me. In past years I had a barn of a friend available but he has moved and I no longer have that option. A few days have passed and I feel very uneasy about it being more or less completely in the hands of the site owner. It has nothing to do with the owner in particular, just the fact that it is his building, the facility is subject to his maintenance and upkeep and his security choices - all that which determines whether or not my coach comes out the way it went in at the end of March 2020.

To further intensify my unease, he mentioned he might need it moved in a few weeks when the last of his customers bring their coaches in, and said "I think I could move it"; its a 45' London Aire. I told him to call me and I'll be there in a heartbeat to move it myself. When parking it he didn't instill to much confidence based on how he directed me into the rather tight space. I'm pretty sure he was trying to tear a mirror off a Mountain Aire with the back of my bus. Thank goodness my sister was there to direct me in too. Then he talked of fire due to bad battery tenders at other automotive storage facilities. Yikes.

My only other viable option is to get a cover made and keep it outdoors this winter. It would be subject to snow and wind and everything else Michigan has to offer in our 6 month "season" of winter. I am not thrilled about this option either as it means I'll have to monitor the cover, clean the occasional 12" of snow of the roof, etc. I am also concerned about the wind cycling the cover on the exterior - potentially inducing scratching. Due to a run in with a palm leaf/branch in Naples, I have some scratches to buff/compound out anyway next year, so maybe this isn't a huge deal as long as the cover wouldn't do a number on my finish. Due to my coach's length, I would need to do something like this:
https://www.rvcovers.com/collections/custom-rv-covers/products/custom-sunbrella-rv-covers?variant=16651675336773

Once again I have written a novella, my apologies. Anyhow, I am interested in the opinions and better yet experiences of anyone who has used a cover. I need to pull my bus from the indoor facility by Monday if I chose to do so, before it gets buried behind several other coaches that are coming in after the weekend. Thanks!

I did search the forum and only found this result. I hope I can get a bit more feedback than this poor guy...
https://forums.goodsamclub.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/29979437.cfm

Class A

SuperBus
Nomad
Oct 29, 2019
sprintmod1 wrote:
You could also look into buying one or two enclosed car trailers to store the classic cars in for this winter.

Then when you are done with the trailers, you can sell them.

Spot on. We purchased a 24' ATC car hauler earlier this year, and one of the cars is going in there. The other will go into my garage, as was also suggested.
sprintmod1
Explorer
Oct 28, 2019
You could also look into buying one or two enclosed car trailers to store the classic cars in for this winter.

Then when you are done with the trailers, you can sell them.
olfarmer
Explorer II
Oct 28, 2019
I used to cover my last 2 thirty foot Motor homes. I think it is better than leaving them in the weather, especially the sun. That being said it is a pretty big job to put the covers on, not too hard to get them off. I now have indoor storage and it is much better! I would still cover if I didn't have indoor storage. If you keep the cover on very tight the damage from chaffing is minimal. What kind of classic cars do you have? I have 3 vintage Chevrolets a '33 coupe, a '37 sedan, and a'48 aero sedan.
dodge_guy
Explorer II
Oct 27, 2019
Can you put the cars in your garage at home?
way2roll
Navigator II
Oct 27, 2019
Bruce Brown wrote:
way2roll wrote:
Bruce Brown wrote:
I vote for building your own garage for it. Winter isn't here yet, I'd say you'd still have time to get a pole building up before the snow falls.

Time find a contractor or get building it yourself.

BTW, ours is in a heated garage and its awesome. We haven't winterized since 2001.

OP stated he lives in a suburban area and can't build his own barn.

You missed where he posted;

My father might have space in his barn, but then we'd need to find new homes for two co-owned classic vehicles, which would be easier to do I guess, but would just move the problem to those vehicles from the bus.

Long term (i.e. next year) I may build another barn on his property to solve this issue, so I guess I need only be concerned with one season of the coach being under a cover.

With that noted, I still content there is time to get a pole barn up and weather tight this year.

Sorry, I did miss that. My only excuse was I hadn't had my coffee yet.
SuperBus
Nomad
Oct 27, 2019
Bruce Brown wrote:
way2roll wrote:
Bruce Brown wrote:
I vote for building your own garage for it. Winter isn't here yet, I'd say you'd still have time to get a pole building up before the snow falls.

Time find a contractor or get building it yourself.

BTW, ours is in a heated garage and its awesome. We haven't winterized since 2001.

OP stated he lives in a suburban area and can't build his own barn.

You missed where he posted;

My father might have space in his barn, but then we'd need to find new homes for two co-owned classic vehicles, which would be easier to do I guess, but would just move the problem to those vehicles from the bus.

Long term (i.e. next year) I may build another barn on his property to solve this issue, so I guess I need only be concerned with one season of the coach being under a cover.

With that noted, I still content there is time to get a pole barn up and weather tight this year.

Well, after some discussion this morning, we have decided to find the two classics a new winter home and get the bus in the existing barn for this winter. Once the thaw is out, I'll start putting poles in the ground for a bus only garage.

Seems like the verdict is still out on the covers. I will probably get one made anyhow, as its possible I'll need to pull the bus out a week here and there while we fiddle with a multitude of other projects this winter, and I am sure I will have other temporary uses for it in the future, when having it in the new barn isn't reasonable for whatever reason.
Bruce_Brown
Moderator
Oct 27, 2019
way2roll wrote:
Bruce Brown wrote:
I vote for building your own garage for it. Winter isn't here yet, I'd say you'd still have time to get a pole building up before the snow falls.

Time find a contractor or get building it yourself.

BTW, ours is in a heated garage and its awesome. We haven't winterized since 2001.

OP stated he lives in a suburban area and can't build his own barn.

You missed where he posted;

My father might have space in his barn, but then we'd need to find new homes for two co-owned classic vehicles, which would be easier to do I guess, but would just move the problem to those vehicles from the bus.

Long term (i.e. next year) I may build another barn on his property to solve this issue, so I guess I need only be concerned with one season of the coach being under a cover.

With that noted, I still content there is time to get a pole barn up and weather tight this year.
tiffy2000
Explorer
Oct 27, 2019
Just be aware that the covers are heavy , mine weighs about 45 lbs for my 35 ft coach. The first year I carried it to the top and laid it out, upside down oops... The next 2 years I laid it out on the ground (unzip front and back) and dragged it up over, much easier. I live in NH where we have plenty of snow, haven't had any issues.
Norm
way2roll
Navigator II
Oct 27, 2019
Bruce Brown wrote:
I vote for building your own garage for it. Winter isn't here yet, I'd say you'd still have time to get a pole building up before the snow falls.

Time find a contractor or get building it yourself.

BTW, ours is in a heated garage and its awesome. We haven't winterized since 2001.

OP stated he lives in a suburban area and can't build his own barn.
Five2o
Explorer
Oct 26, 2019
I've had my Ellipse 42 outside in Alberta all 10 years I've owned it. Don't put a cover...will ruin the clear coat. I wax & inspect/repair the roof sealants once a year.
The motor home looks brand new.

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Winter Storage - Cover at Home or Store at Indoor Facillity?

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