Cover your motor home or not?

[Nancyc7]

My husband and I are winterizing our Sunseeker right now. We bought a cover and now can't decide whether or not to put it on. Our motor home, right now, is sitting at a relative's home in Tacoma. It's wet and rainy, the awnings will be put up wet, it's very windy as they live in on a bluff, the sun will show a few hours a week and will probably never be very bright for months
We have the tires sitting on wood planks, the cab windows and tires are very well covered with Reflectix.
That cover seemed like a great idea when we bought it on sale this fall. But now, I don't want to put the cover on, my husband in on the fence.
Thoughts and opinions please.

[Ford Idaho]

I have lived in ID. for over 4 decades, before that I lived in OR. and WA..

One thing I have learned from that is when the wind blows it does so with a vengeance and could destroy a cover if it is not done right and tight.

For that reason I do not cover the lite, IMHO it is a two person job with one on the roof and one on the ground yes one can get it done but at a much reduced pace.

If you have an ADCO or other brand and both of you are up to it then do use it but PLEASE be careful as the roof when wet is slick and the wind could turn the cover into a parachute.

[Nxkharra]

Be aware of cover when wet underneath for mildew.

[KennyGolub]

I always cover mine (in Ohio). I prefer to keep the suns' UV rays off of it too. I keep thinking of resale or trade in value.

We have not had any issues with the cover or any wearing of paint from wind working on the cover. Make sure you protect the cover from any sharp edges or object that can protrude through the cover and put a hole in it.
I do it myself every year on a 42ft motor home. It takes me 45 mins to an hour.

I wash it (including the roof) prior to putting it on.

I always love taking it off in the spring and seeing a nice and shiny camper.

[Still Kickin]

Think of it this way. Exposing any man made object to the elements ALWAYS causes premature wear and tear way more than something that was not protected. Caulk, paint, rubber, etc. It's simple, you bought the cover, use it.

[geeman53]

I feel much better.We put our cover on,yesterday. Keeping our roof pristine !

[brydle604]

My concern with covering our RV is Mice. The Cover allows mice to climb up to the roof and then get in through the air conditioner, fridge vent. Also the possibility of mildew. I would prefer to simply tarp the roof only if I am going to use a cover.
2012 Sunseeker 3010

[Maggiewaggie]

Just keep am eye on it. My son covered his coachman and a raccoon moved in under the cover. It made a gigantic mess before it died.

[PenJoe]

In Wisconsin, we put a "quality" cover on our Sunseeker last fall. While we were at our second home in Florida, we got a call from the storage folks whom said the cover had completely brown off in a 40 mph wind. There was no damage to the RV, but the bottom edges of the cover had some small tears.

We had it replaced under warranty, but will not be putting it on. One reason is that we will be using the RV for 3 months and, second, the cover would do the same thing again. Putting one of these covers out of the box and onto the unit is no small task. Apparently, letting the wind remove it is much simpler.

The cover we purchased fits a 27' to 29' so we were at the shorter end. We cinched both the front and rear pretty well and used the straps going totally under the coach-and added some more. The cover held up pretty well, but the problem was with the under straps that used plastic buckles. They just were not designed for that purpose.

[bobquest]

I had a cover on mine last year for the first time and the mice or squirrels got between the cover and the RV. Yes they climbed up the cover. I discovered they made a nest on the roof and as I pulled off the cover I prayed that they did not eat into the rubber roof. Thank goodness they didn't so from now on no cover for this guy!! Hope this helps you make your decision.

[DavidShifflett]

When I lived in the UP with my chieftain I always parked it in a pole barn for the winter - yes we had to be careful of the mice. Now residing in FL. The sun tears up everything - I will cover my new FR3 28ds.

[rvrobocop]

This is one of those 'everyone is right' as to their opinions. I have not covered my Sunseeker for 5 years as well as my Roo for 5 years prior to that. Yeah, I understand UV and weather beating up the RV. But I also play in it every day and head out at least once a month during the winter. Even with the door openings on the cover, getting in and out, opening slides and accessing storage doors would be a real PITA for moi.

[twojump36]

I just bought one and I plan on putting it on as soon as it quits raining for a day or two...
We developed a leak somewhere on the roof of our FR3 30DS and it won't be warm and dry enough to wash it real good and caulk all the trim, window, and seals... so the cover is going on...
I hope it holds up because the thing was almost $400 hoops...

[seadoogtx]

I know these covers can be a pain . But you will notice the difference of the appearance within a couple of years. IT WILL NOT LOOK LIKE IT DOES NOW. You will be glad you did. I know you said it is rainy but at least get it on now and when it the weather gets better take it off and let the cover dry along with your awning. One thing you mentioned was the wind. That wind can play havoc on your RV if it is not covered.

My last RV was a fifth wheel trailer 34 foot and I kept it covered all the time when not in use. After nine years the fiberglass looked as good as it did when I bought it new. I actually got it down pact where it took me 15 minutes to get it on .

I would pull it backwards and put it in a 35 gallon clean trash can. Actually I bought it new for that purpose. And to pull it out and pull it to the front. Forget that stupid zippered bag the give you.

[fbuckwalter]

The top should be clean and dry when you cover it, you don't want to trap in moisture. UV, elevted temperature, humidity and oxidation will age your RV. I cover mine during the winter here in Pa.

[Nancyc7]

Of COURSE today is quite nice and my husband is at work!

I never thought of the cover turning into a parachute! Terrifying. I am pretty worried about the wind and the cover abrading the finish.

We just can't imagine putting the cover on with everything all wet. I guess we will wait until/IF we have a better weekend, let it dry out a little and cover it up. I read somewhere someone put giant pieces of carpet over the corners to protect the finish.

We didn't do enough research on this motor home and didn't know how attached we would get to the darn thing. I can't wait to move to a place where we can build a proper barn/carport for it with sewer and electricity and we can check on it often. In good traffic it's 50 minutes away, but good traffic is almost a unicorn.

Thank you for everybody's response.

[oldsmasma]

We don't cover ours. Wheel covers only.

[jjSpeedwagon]

This works well for us

[wahoonc]

Originally Posted by jjSpeedwagon

Attachment 125863

This works well for us

Nice!

Aaron

[poppytoymaker]

I bought a Adco cover 2 yrs ago when I picked up my class C and never used it until my August trip. We used to go out every month for 4 or 5 days, now less often and more time out.We got back from Branson last week on Fri and I washed Sat. put it in the storage yard and covered it. Wont be using the rv until Feb and it's nice when you take the cover off it's clean. the drain covers they give you will go right through, so this time I tried tennis balls. You still have to cover your tires.