Buying our first RV cover

I got 6 years out of the better Adco, then bought their cheaper one by mistake. Didn't make it 2 winters with that one. I now have a Calmark, top notch but quite heavy and bulky. My trailer is only 21', I wouldn't want to try it on a bigger trailer. Too much $ too.

I'd suggest the best ADCO, not too much $ for decent quality. Light enough to manage.

Pool noodles work great for covering rain cutter extensions.

We bought a cheap cover for our 21' class C 7 years ago. After 1 winter, areas
were wearing through from tieing every loop under it tightly. We thought we had it tight enough that it wouldn't wear so bad, it did. The next winter, we tied 1 rope under the center so it couldn't blow off, then (this is the key) tie a rope all the way around the camper, right above the bumpers, and cinch it tight and walk away. Will do this again this year with our new cheap cover. By doing it this way, you don't have the tight pull at every corner and obstacle. Last one lasted 6 Minnesota winters.
Brian

Cobra21 wrote:
The next winter, we tied 1 rope under the center so it couldn't blow off, then (this is the key) tie a rope all the way around the camper, right above the bumpers, and cinch it tight and walk away. Will do this again this year with our new cheap cover. By doing it this way, you don't have the tight pull at every corner and obstacle. Last one lasted 6 Minnesota winters.
Brian

That's what I used to do too, and it made a huge difference, no billowing at all. Doesn't work on the new trailer, the band around it slides off due to it's body shape. Like putting a belt on an egg.

We purchased a Camco Ultraguard cover for our new Bungalow. It will sit at our seasonal site all winter, so we wanted to cover it. I researched covers all summer long. Adco doesn't make one long enough for our camper and to have them custom make one was over $1,000. Camco doesn't make one for a 40' Travel Trailer, but they do make one for a 40'-42' Class A motorhome. Since our Bungalow is taller than a normal TT, I thought the Class A cover would work.

This was the first time we ever covered a RV. The wife and kids (14 yo and 16 yo) were on the roof while I was on the ground making sure everything was straight and properly placed. The key to keeping a cover from getting shredded is covering all sharp edges, we used cut up pool noodles, and to make sure the cover doesn't flap in the wind.

Our cover has straps about 8 feet apart on the sides of the camper. They attach to the skirting of the camper. All parts of the straps that may come in contact with an exposed part of the camper is covered with cloth. There are two straps that go across the front and the back (one towards the top and ones toward the bottom). They get tightened to take up all the slack. The only thing on our cover that flaps in the wind are the parts of the cover that go over the vents in the cover. Ours has several vents on each side of the camper to allow moisture to escape.

Only time will tell if the cover is effective. We will visit the camper in December, so if there is a problem with the cover, we'll take it off. If all is well, we'll leave it on. From our point of view, the cover is just another level of insurance. If it gets torn to shreds, we know it isn't worth it and won't buy another.

-Michael