We've done it both ways:
Covering is always better than doing nothing, provided the cover is secured very tight so it cannot flop in the wind. If the cover rubs, it will rub the paint off the RV.
The corner gutters down-spouts are a real pain. I had 3 different covers and all 3 had holes eventually where the down-spouts at the gutters rubbed a hole through the cover. But the good thing was, the corner gutter down-spouts helped hold the cover in place. It never moved.
Advantage: It does protect.
Disadvantage: If you use your camper in the winter, and there is snow on the roof, it's a real pain to remove the cover.
We quit using a cover when we started taking 2 trips every year to Florida and South Carolina during Christmas week and the 2nd week in March. Covering and uncovering multiple times is no fun at all! Especially if the weather is cold, snowy, blowing, rain, or just the opposite, extreme heat and blazing sun.
If you use your camper through the winter months, then I advise do not cover. Putting it on and taking it off is work. The more you do it, the less you'll enjoy it.
If you put the cover on and keep the camper in storage for several months at a time, then covering ... by far ... is a a much better protection for the camper than not covering at all.
And I think the size of the camper has a lot to do with it too. Our 18 foot Dutchmen cover was no problem putting on and taking off. But we only did that once a year.
Fast forward to our next camper, 31 foot Springdale we had for 8 years. About half 4 years we covered, but also uncovered, and covered multiple times. After a while, that became too much of a pain. The last 4 years or so we owned that camper, we did not cover. We simply used it too much in cold weather.
Third camper is 35 feet long, and we don't have a cover at all. The camper gets used almost year round, either camping or in our driveway. When snow is imminent, the slides come in and stay in until the snow fall ends. We've never been caught (yet) with snow on the slides in 5 years. But absolutely no cover for camper #3.
It's your call. We used 3 different ADCO grey colored covers made and sized for our campers.
Covering is always better than doing nothing, provided the cover is secured very tight so it cannot flop in the wind. If the cover rubs, it will rub the paint off the RV.
The corner gutters down-spouts are a real pain. I had 3 different covers and all 3 had holes eventually where the down-spouts at the gutters rubbed a hole through the cover. But the good thing was, the corner gutter down-spouts helped hold the cover in place. It never moved.
Advantage: It does protect.
Disadvantage: If you use your camper in the winter, and there is snow on the roof, it's a real pain to remove the cover.
We quit using a cover when we started taking 2 trips every year to Florida and South Carolina during Christmas week and the 2nd week in March. Covering and uncovering multiple times is no fun at all! Especially if the weather is cold, snowy, blowing, rain, or just the opposite, extreme heat and blazing sun.
If you use your camper through the winter months, then I advise do not cover. Putting it on and taking it off is work. The more you do it, the less you'll enjoy it.
If you put the cover on and keep the camper in storage for several months at a time, then covering ... by far ... is a a much better protection for the camper than not covering at all.
And I think the size of the camper has a lot to do with it too. Our 18 foot Dutchmen cover was no problem putting on and taking off. But we only did that once a year.
Fast forward to our next camper, 31 foot Springdale we had for 8 years. About half 4 years we covered, but also uncovered, and covered multiple times. After a while, that became too much of a pain. The last 4 years or so we owned that camper, we did not cover. We simply used it too much in cold weather.
Third camper is 35 feet long, and we don't have a cover at all. The camper gets used almost year round, either camping or in our driveway. When snow is imminent, the slides come in and stay in until the snow fall ends. We've never been caught (yet) with snow on the slides in 5 years. But absolutely no cover for camper #3.
It's your call. We used 3 different ADCO grey colored covers made and sized for our campers.
