Well I took the cover off the RV. Immediately I noticed where the cover has rubbed against the side front and back and it looks like someone took a brillo pad to the bumper area.I took it to CW in Akron and they think it is just the gel coating scratches, They are really not bad but it no longer shines in those area. They suggested take it to a body shop.Is this something I can do myself? Use a buffet and ????? to apply more gel coating?Any ideas, thanksG George2014 Coachman Encounter

A little polishing compound followed by quality wax. If that does not take care of things, then your options are body shop or ignore it

If it is a full body paint job, chances are that the cover has rubbed through the clear coat finish. This is something that can only be fixed by a repaint of that area and is NOT a simple spray on more clear coat type of repair. IF you have a fiberglass exterior coach with decals you may be able to buff or compound the area out to bring back the shine. This can be done by hand if you do not have a buffer.

GGeorge wrote:Well I took the cover off the RV. Immediately I noticed where the cover has rubbed against the side front and back and it looks like someone took a brillo pad to the bumper area.I took it to CW in Akron and they think it is just the gel coating scratches, They are really not bad but it no longer shines in those area. They suggested take it to a body shop.Is this something I can do myself? Use a buffet and ????? to apply more gel coating?Any ideas, thanksG George2014 Coachman EncounterG George, Well Sir, without some close-up pictures to see the actual damage, it's kind-a hard to really prescribe the course of action that will be the least abrasive yet, still get back your original shine. This is PRECISELY why I have never, and will never install one of those "throw on" covers. Even if you have your rig completely detailed minutes before you put one of those covers on, you can still end up with what you're experiencing. A very large percentage of folks put those covers on ONE TIME and, never put them on again, for various reasons. But, I've done my share of "rubbing out" of bad spots, sun damaged paint and surfaces, and more. Sure, a "professional" style buffer can and, is often used in many situations like you describe. But, caution must be taken to limit the amount of material (paint, clear coat etc.) that will be actually removed during the buffing process. And, of course, the use of the right compound is of prime importance too. Can you do it? Sure you can. But, if you've NEVER done any high-speed buffing or, rubbing out of any painted surfaces, you might think about getting some coaching on the process so you don't do any more damage than what's already been done. Doing it by hand, is, in many cases, pretty tough to do, unless you're a glutton for punishment. Just about anything can be rubbed out or, re-polished, with the right equipment and compounds etc. Take care and be careful.Scott

Also consider either pitching the cover completely or finding one where they will warranty any damage done by their cover.I had the same thing happen with a classic Mercedes and I was not happy. I had paid a pretty penny for the best cover I could find and the manufacturer told be it was my fault for parking it in an area susceptible to winds.

We had a scratch about 4-5' long from a tree branch from pulling out a site. I had a paint shop buff out the scratch completely. I found it better to have someone experienced do the buffing than make the damage worse. Cheaper in the long run IMO.

Any advice | Good Sam Community

GGeorge
Explorer
Apr 07, 2015
The cover is the triple layer polypropylene ARDO sold at (where else) CW. I had previously had a Tyvek which I did not like because it seemed stiff and hard, I switched to the polypro because it was like a parachute, soft and plyable. And it did not have gromets, only nylon straps that connected from one side under the coach to the other side so no rubbing the exterior.

Another $450 wasted.

Thanks to all,
APridham
Explorer
Apr 07, 2015
donn0128 wrote:
A little polishing compound followed by quality wax. If that does not take care of things, then your options are body shop or ignore it

I agree withn your advice donn0128
atodalen
Explorer
Apr 07, 2015
cmcdar wrote:

It wasn't the fabric that was the problem. It was a grommet that moved back and forth only 2 or 3 inches (maybe not that much) when the wind blew...

That'll definitely do it. I wonder what fabric the OP's cover was made of. One additional item to be watchful of is handling the fabric in a clean area when applying the cover and when folding it up after removal. If it gets any small grains of sand/ pebbles or dirt imbedded in it that's also a recipe for chafing.
Al
cmcdar
Explorer
Apr 06, 2015
Hi Al,

It wasn't the fabric that was the problem. It was a grommet that moved back and forth only 2 or 3 inches (maybe not that much) when the wind blew. We thought we had everything tied and wrapped tightly BUT NO WE DID NOT. It wore a hole clear through the door of my BILs camper.
atodalen
Explorer
Apr 06, 2015
Would you mind telling us what material that your cover is made from? I have been using one made of Sunbrella fabric and have not experienced any issues with it for the 4-5 winter seasons that it's been used. I'm curious if other fabrics such as tyvek may contribute to the chafing problem.

Al
cmcdar
Explorer
Apr 06, 2015
My BIL and I both covered our campers one winter. The next spring when we removed the covers, he had a big whole in his aluminum screen door from something rubbing against it when the wind was blowing.

We never covered the campers again. These are actually made to go down the road at 60 or 70 MPH. What is a fabric cover going to protect you from, Leaks? Dirt?
WILDEBILL308
Explorer II
Apr 06, 2015
That is the drawback of using a cover on a coach or a car.
Bill
mike_brez
Explorer
Apr 06, 2015
I covered my first class C that I had. Did it for one winter then threw the cover away.
ferndaleflyer
Explorer III
Apr 06, 2015
Many a person has fell victim to the car cover--rv cover--paint damage.....if the wind blows it will sooner or later do more damage than it prevents.
frankdamp
Explorer
Apr 06, 2015
For this concern, even though our used MH came with a cover, we never used it in four seasons. The owners' manual was very specific about not walking on the roof, since it was a rubber membrane type. I figured it would be impossible to install thr full body cover without doing that a lot.

We included the cover with the rig when we so;d it.

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