Best RV Cover for winter weather; snow, ice, cold temps?

[garywg58]

Hello All. What is the best RV cover for a 2014 Thor Hurricane 32A, 33 feet long, for winter weather? Best protection against snow, sleet, ice and cold temps? Do RV covers come with wheel protectors, and if so, which brands? I have looked at them and they all seem pretty much the same, so I thought I would get real opinions from all of you.

Thanks so much!

G Man

[FrontRangeRVer]

We use an ADCO with TyVek cover, and would hate to see what our motorhome would look like without using it.

[sailor_lou]

Prior to building an RV garage we used ADCO Aqua-shed covers on two different RV's. I found they would easily last 5 years and mine came with tire covers. If installed properly they will not ruin your painted surfaces and will keep the snow and ice off the RV. IMO, worth it in the New England winters.

Lou
05 Travel Supreme Envoy

[garywg58]

Thanks Rich, great tips, I really appreciate it!

[racer99]

We use clothes baskets with foam (used for pipe insulation) on edges turned upside down evenly spaced, which puts a pitch in the cover as snow piles it slides off and then in FEB or Mar I go inside and open the roof vents a inch or two to let any heat in the MH go under the cover and it never sticks too the roof,last year in ILL we had tons of snow but once a week I would go to storage and remove some snow & the next day or so depending on if the sun came out the cover would fluff a little in the wind and remove any snow or ice that was on it. Been 5 yrs and it has worked for us, when it's time to go south the last thing I want is problems getting the cover off-Rich
pauperspride.blogspot.com

[garywg58]

Seriously, does a cover do more harm than good? It seems that a cover would do more good than harm.

[olfarmer]

I think covers really help protect the calking and the vinyl stripes. I had a Classic cover on our old MH and it held up well. I have an ADCO cover on our current rig and I like it better. It is easier to put on and looks much nicer. I live in north central Iowa and it is very windy here, I have never had one blow off or get serious damage from the wind. You do have to put them on properly and keep them fairly tight, also cover all sharp edges etc. I think they are just as important in hot sunny weather to protect the stripes etc. The stripes do not take UV rays very well. They are a pain to put on, but not too bad to take off. As mentioned above, on some RVs it is a good idea to put something on the roof to help shed snow as well as keep the cover from freezing down, especially if you plan to take it off in cold weather which I do as we like to go south in February or March. I had the old one freeze down to the roof once and that was a major pain. I wound up having to pile it on the roof and drive it to our heated shop to get it off.

[rr2254545]

garywg58 wrote:
RR, what do you use instead, if anything?
Racer, you put clothes baskets on the roof, then put the cover over that?

We do not use overs, my RV storage lot has 300 units and only a handful have covers.

[ADAD437]

FLORIDA

[brirene]

I've been very happy with my Adco Tyvek, designed for the weather you describe. It has an extra vinyl layer on the roof, completely "breathable", that is quite durable. I've had mine for 7 years. Tire covers are not routinely included, but I've seen special sales where you can get them. Again, Adco's have worked well for me. And no, I don't work for Adco 🙂

[Lynnmor]

Actually any weather, Summer or Winter, will cause much damage to an RV. Before I had indoor storage, I used an ADCO cover for a number of years. If you add protection at sharp corners and keep it rather snug, a cover will last a number of years.

The only negative that I have seen was a very, very slight paint abrasion at a few spots.

If you want paint to fade, caulking to crack, decals to curl, tires to rot, seals to dry up, plastic to yellow and parts to rust, then just pretend that the RV was made to be exposed.

[enblethen]

ADCO Aqua Shed
Properly installed will protect your rig. Improperly installed may cause problems and will not last long.

[Nvr_lost]

I always had ADCO covers and when secured down, often with an extra clothes line around the beltline and bungee cords, my vehicle stayed extra nice for 10 years. You can buy the wheel covers at Wal-Mart. Highly recommend them even if you do not buy a cover for the RV. If you protect the cover from severe wind, I think you will be happy with one.

[Blaster_Man]

The best "cover" is covered storage.

[Dachristianman]

spadoctor wrote:
A big waste of money. RV's are meant to be out in the weather. Covers cause wear marks and can trap moisture. Another product designed to get you to waste money.

I respectfully disagree. Keeping the sun off the paint and interior goes a long ways in preserving the rig. UV rays are harsh. I live in Oklahoma (lots of wind) and have 2 covers on mine....the old one that was beginning to rip and the new one over that. My stickers on my 1992 look new and my interior isn't faded.

You do have to have a method to keep the cover from blowing around, but some of the new covers come with straps that keep the wind from getting underneath it. I've had a couple ADCO (spelling?) covers, and I've been happy with them. If you get more than 3 years out of the cheaper ones, you're doing good...but for $300, you can protect a pretty expensive investment, at least a little.

And even though RVs are designed to keep the water out, all RVs will eventually develop roof leaks and keeping the water off the seals can only help the possibility.

Tom