Have a new Jayco ultralite travel trailer parked along side my house. Live in the Willamette Valley, Oregon where winters are wet and cool but seldom below freezing. We will get around 10-15 days of lows in 20's or maybe teens. I have the heat on, in 50s, in the trailer right now. Question is should I cover the trailer and turn furnace off or leave furnace on and not cover. I can't do both with the cover I have. I have a couple of chemical dehumidifiers in the trailer that are obviously working, have had to dump once since Oct.

I'm in the camp that says that if you can't store inside then cover the trailer with a breathable cover, close the vents & windows and use a desiccant such as Dri-Z-Air or DampRid to control humidity, and don't bother running any heat inside the trailer. In your case an ADCO AquaShed cover would be suitable for your climate.

Some years ago, I looked at a 2 year old TT for sale that was parked real close to the house. Rain water cascaded off the roof of the house and forced it's way into storage areas. That trailer was wasted.If you have extremely high humidity, only a dehumidifier will remove a worthwhile amount of water.

We park our TT outside, we never had much difference between cover and no cover.I like the cover because it keeps snow off the roof seams and makes it easier to push it off but never had an issue with or without. We sometimes winter camp so we hesitate to cover the TT.

defiantly do the cover, i wouldn't be to concerned with heating in our area. my wife bought a small dehumidifier about 14 in. tall, I set it on the counter and let it run. I dump about a cup of water every two three days. I tried the heater but all it did was make it sweat inside if there is moisture inside and you heat it it has no were to go but condense on the cold windows or vents. it just keeps going around and around. the dehumidifier gets rid of it. my trailer smells clean and dry no musty damp odor.Jay D.

Travel trailer cover or not | Good Sam Community

17 Replies

Bobbo
Explorer III
Jan 16, 2018
I know this isn't one of your offered choices, but I am in the heat off and don't cover camp. Heat on only invites rodents. A cover that touches (therefore rubs on) the trailer can damage the finish. Until I finally put up a pole barn so my RV could be covered without the cover touching the RV, I left it cold and uncovered all winter.
hornet28
Explorer
Jan 16, 2018
Years ago I bought a cover for the trailer we had then. It made a great entrance way for mice. We'd never had mice in that trailer until I put the cover on it, then they just climbed up it. I know that's how they were getting in because I saw it happening
spoon059
Explorer III
Jan 14, 2018
Water is your enemy... UV isn't very kind either. I have a Carolina Carport that I park under. Should keep my trailer clean and dry for many years.
temccarthy1
Explorer
Jan 14, 2018
SoundGuy wrote:
I'm in the camp that says that if you can't store inside then cover the trailer with a breathable cover, close the vents & windows and use a desiccant such as Dri-Z-Air or DampRid to control humidity, and don't bother running any heat inside the trailer. In your case an ADCO AquaShed cover would be suitable for your climate.

X2! Definitely a cover all winter and in the summer when we are not camping. And 2-3 damp-rid buckets all winter. No mess,, trailer dry and no musty odors. You spent a LOT on your TT. Why a problem spending less than 1% of your purchase price on a cover?! I keep my cars in the garage too instead of out in driveway with a garage full of junk like so many of my neighbors. No question it makes a big difference on the finish, decals and certainly protecting against ice, snow and leaks!
TurnThePage
Explorer
Jan 14, 2018
My trailer lives outdoors, uncovered all year round. We are inland and north of you, in a drier climate, so no worries about moisture inside. But we do get plenty of snow, wind, rain and sun. Preventive maintenance has been all that's needed for mine. In your case, I would run a dehumifier all winter. I have an electric heater with a frost watch option that I ran one winter. My electric bill was huge. I just winterize now.
Durb
Explorer
Jan 14, 2018
Hey Bozo (love the name), welcome to the forum. I have mostly identical weather living in Vancouver, WA and cover my trailer from October through April. I don't use any desiccants. The inside will smell a little stale in the Spring but airs out quickly. The trailer will still get wet through a breathable cover just not as wet. It seems like a heated and warm trailer would be a nice invitation to critters.
theoldwizard1
Explorer II
Jan 14, 2018
UV light is very "hard" on a roof, especially a "rubber" roof.

Standing water combined with dirt is the next worst. This is why most RV vendor have gone to curved roofs. Raising the "nose" of your RV also helps it shed water better.
morphrider
Explorer
Jan 14, 2018
What does manufacturer recommend? With my crossroads I think in the owners manual it said to not cover if I remember right.
jerryjay11
Explorer
Jan 14, 2018
MitchF150,

Oh yeah! I'd say that's a good reason to cover your TT.
jerryjay11
Explorer
Jan 14, 2018
MitchF150 wrote:
There is no reason to run the 'heater' all winter long. Just winterize it and it'll be fine.

To cover or not is up to you.. I cover my trailer. But, it sits under trees while it's parked over the winter, so it's a no brainier for me..

Oh yeah! I'd say that's a good reason to cover your TT.