gafidler wrote:dependsThe man asked about covers, not diapers.I'd cover it.

OK depends on whether he wants to waste money or not

I have covered in the past, and I have also not covered. It really does "depend". It "depends" upon where you live and if you plan on using your camper over the winter months or not.We covered our PUP and our first TT. We used he TT at home in the winter, so kept one panel accessible for the door and left it so we could raise one side to run the furnace. It was a pain in the neck.Second camper (longer and a new cover), we tried to do the same thing. Bigger pain in the neck to use it in the winter having to manipulate the cover. Then noticed after about the 3 or 4th year (2nd trailer), the paint was wearing where the cover rubbed. So quit using the cover the cover from that point on (we had the camper 8 years).Last and current camper we are not covering. Found out by experience from the previous camper, that if you want to use the camper, and there is snow on the roof, on top of the camper, and then you make plans to go somewhere or use it, you've got a real headache attempting to get that cover off with a foot of snow and ice on top of it.So current trailer, no cover. We plan a couple winter trips to Florida every year now (1 week in December, and 1 week in March). The last thing I want to deal with is getting a cover off the roof when a foot of snow is on top of that. So really, it does "depend" on how you plan on using your camper over the winter. If you are storing completely, 100% and locking down till spring, covering is a good thing. If you plan on using the camper in the winter and (especially) if you live in the snow belt, you'll be very frustrated with a cover.If you live in the non-snow states, you may want to cover if you have to park under trees or areas where sand storms could damage the exterior. In those cases, covering is a good choice.So once, again ... it does "depend". Determine how much you will use the camper if you do cover, what are the weather conditions where you live, and that will help you decide.For what it's worth, there is a good way to put the cover on and take it off, but there is no "easy" way to do it. You still have to climb on top of the camper and man-handle the cover. No way around that unless you have someone else do it.Previous camper: No cover year:Previous camper: Cover year, after moving to our current house:Current camper, no cover:

My reason for thinking about covering is tree crap. No choice but to park under trees. That is my choice of wanting trees in the yard.

Shall I cover my travel trailer during winter time?

18 Replies

SwanInWA
Explorer
Jul 10, 2015
Not sure if you shall, but I definitely think you should! :)
tatest
Explorer II
Jul 10, 2015
Where do you winter? Where I live, I want to be under cover in all seasons, because the threats include ice storms in winter, very large hail and strong winds in spring and autumn, and intense heat and UV exposure for more than half the year. But for me, covered means under cover, not just fabric tossed over it.
RGar974417
Explorer
Jul 09, 2015
I always cover.Tried the commercial covers but they allow water or melted snow through and camper was always dirty when you removed the cover.Plus,they were expensive and only last a few years.For the past 5 years or so I have used a 30 x 20ft plastic tarp and cover with that.I also bought 2 " webing at the hardware store with buckles and run them over the top of trap and under RV.Then tie the ends with rope. The tarps are about $60 and last one or 2 years but when I uncover the unit it is clean.
thirtydaZe
Nomad
Jul 09, 2015
the snow in your pics looks just awful.
Tvov
Explorer II
Jul 09, 2015
I cover over the winter.

I also make sure I tie or bungee EVERY grommet and secure point on the cover. This will help prevent any effects from wind. As far as I can tell my TT has had no negative effects from being covered.
SoundGuy
Explorer
Jul 09, 2015
I always stored our popups in my workshop but when we moved to a hybrid I couldn't so the first winter I rented indoor storage. That was costly so I invested in a cover for the following winter and have since used a cover for winter storage on every trailer we've owned after that. I use an ADCO Designer series on our current trailer and wouldn't ever consider not covering the trailer for the winter, not so much to keep it "purty" but to protect the seals and the awning from the constant freeze / melt cycles over the winter. Installed properly, there's no reason at all for a cover to rub or damage the finish of the trailer.
fitznj
Explorer
Jul 09, 2015
It may be a pain to cover/uncover each time but worth it in the long run.
We've covered our last 2 TTs and they still look brand new - even though our current on is 10 years old. Never had a leak, paint still shines, roof is clean. We plan in keeping the TT another 5 years - so keeping it in excellent condition is worth it to us.
Gerry
kknowlton
Explorer II
Jul 09, 2015
We had a very sheltered spot for our camper at our previous home, and we covered in the winter. The big advantage: we could leave the vents (which have MaxxAir vent covers) open in the winter, and also left one of the windows cracked open, which minimized condensation and mildew during the months the camper wasn't used.

If you park your camper in a windy spot, however, you may want to consider not using a cover. Not our experience (due to said sheltered spot) but others have mentioned damage to the camper from the cover flapping in the wind and rubbing off the finish. Of course, if you live where you get lots and lots of snow, you would need to make sure to clean off the camper's roof regularly - especially without a cover.
Crazy_Ray
Explorer
Jul 09, 2015
Cover
Dick_B
Explorer
Jul 09, 2015
This is one of those `hot' topics that raises the blood pressure of some of the responders. For previous posts search this Forum for `rv cover' and read on. You could minimize the results by only searching in the Travel Trailer section.