Honestly...

[Fweezal]

I've been driving around quite a few RV storage facilities and I noticed one thing pretty much in common: Of the ones parked outside, not a lot of them have full covers. The majority of those parked outside DO have wheel covers but NOT full covers.

Am I being a little OTT wanting to put a full cover on mine? Will just wheel covers do me?

What say you, O wise and wizened ones?

[Chateau_Nomad]

I'm not very wise... and I didn't stay in a Holiday Inn last night. For gelcoat/fiberglass you have choices. Either protect the gelcoat from UV induced oxidation, or not. How you do that varies... some keep fresh wax/polymer coatings on their RV... some keep it covered to block the RV radiation.

There are numerous examples of the results of those choices.

[Travelin' Texans]

Ask yourself a couple questions;
Are you physically able to wrestle the heavy bulky cover up a ladder?
Are you well balanced enough to hopscotch all the roof protrusions while unrolling the cover 12'+ up?
Is there often high winds in your area?
If so are you willing to replace the cover every couple years?
Do you have lots of snow & ice in the early spring?
If you have snow/ice then will you be able get the cover removed if you decide to use the motorhome in early spring?
My personal choice is NO cover, but rather a good cleaning & wax job before storage.
Ultimately it's your money, your motorhome, your choice!

[JamieGeek]

I wash and wax our RV and then climb all over it putting the cover on for winter.

I'll typically have my wife with me ready to dial 911 if I happen to fall off the roof. So far so good, no calls have been necessary.

There have been a spring or two where there has been snow on the cover when I remove it; its not too much of a chore.

We've had the Axis now for 7 seasons, covered just about every year but last year. What it has really helped with is keeping the inside free of UV damage.

We had our prior RV for 10 years before picking up the Axis. It was a 5th wheel that was never covered. No matter what I did to try to save off UV damage on that it didn't help. The decals faded and came off and worse the entire inside got bleached over the years. The roof vents got brittle and broke in a hailstorm. This is why I cover our Axis in the winter.

[Fweezal]

Originally Posted by JamieGeek

I wash and wax our RV and then climb all over it putting the cover on for winter.

I'll typically have my wife with me ready to dial 911 if I happen to fall off the roof. So far so good, no calls have been necessary.

There have been a spring or two where there has been snow on the cover when I remove it; its not too much of a chore.

We've had the Axis now for 7 seasons, covered just about every year but last year. What it has really helped with is keeping the inside free of UV damage.

We had our prior RV for 10 years before picking up the Axis. It was a 5th wheel that was never covered. No matter what I did to try to save off UV damage on that it didn't help. The decals faded and came off and worse the entire inside got bleached over the years. The roof vents got brittle and broke in a hailstorm. This is why I cover our Axis in the winter.

Wouldn't Reflectix window treatments and possibly a "roof only" cover worked to protect the vents, etc. ?

[JamieGeek]

Originally Posted by Fweezal

Wouldn't Reflectix window treatments and possibly a "roof only" cover worked to protect the vents, etc. ?

Indeed they would but I did none of that on the 5er.

I did cover the 5er one year but a January windstorm stripped the cover off along with the cover of the neighboring RV. Both covers ended up in a big jumble at the side of the lot.

At the time it was stored out in the open at an office building.

Our Axis is now stored in an RV storage lot so its somewhat blocked from the wind by the adjacent RVs.

[16ACE27]

This is the cover I use for my RV:

[JamieGeek]

Originally Posted by 16ACE27

This is the cover I use for my RV:

LOL I think we all would do that if we could

[Lt Keefer]

I never cover my RVs. The one before this one lasted 15 years and was pretty much as shiny as when new. Sure, I replaced the vent caps, one by one over the years as well as a crank up vent lid. I wash the coach 4 or 5 times a year with Blue Coral wash and wax. It has worked well for me. I don't cover the tires either. They get replaced as needed.

[Sappy2]

I full cover mine and my son helps me cover it, if folded right, it is not a big deal to install while unfolding (I am 66). I use a full cover because of the Michigan rain, snow, freeze, thaw that play heck on everything. That water gets into areas, freezes, and then you end up with a repair. I did get a full top waterproof with water resistant sides with side zippers (Shirley and I do odds and ends during winter inside) and full belly straps that held even with all the major windstorms we had recently (it did rotate the cover on the rig about 18" but was easy to correct from on the ground. Lots of folks do not cover in my storage place. But all I know is that I had a cracked windshield one year (last motorhome) because water got under the glass lower corner and froze. Overall, I prefer the cover during the nasty weather storage months. And yes, there is some work involved to cover it, but I think it is worth it.

[atreis]

I tried covering a past RV one winter. I live on a farm, with my house at the eastern end of a large open field. We get lots of wind in the winter. The cover lasted about 2 months before shredding itself in the wind. I've had no issues from leaving them uncovered for the other 20+ years, so that's what I do.

[Pete'sMH]

I don’t cover for all the reasons listed and also I believe it is important to use/drive about once a month and it is difficult to do this if you cover. But mine is full body paint as that was on my “must have” list when I bought my coach from prior experience.

[JamieGeek]

Originally Posted by Pete'sMH

I don’t cover for all the reasons listed and also I believe it is important to use/drive about once a month and it is difficult to do this if you cover. But mine is full body paint as that was on my “must have” list when I bought my coach from prior experience.

I run both the engine and the generator about twice a month. As long as both exhaust pipes stick out beyond the cover its ok. The cover has panels you can open to allow access. I open two panels, and 3 straps to run them.

[Pete'sMH]

Originally Posted by JamieGeek

I run both the engine and the generator about twice a month. As long as both exhaust pipes stick out beyond the cover its ok. The cover has panels you can open to allow access. I open two panels, and 3 straps to run them.

Running the engine is important but I also think it’s good for the transmission, differential,wheel bearings and brakes to get used regularly. Maybe overkill and only an opinion but I also enjoy the ride.

[JamieGeek]

Originally Posted by Pete'sMH

Running the engine is important but I also think it’s good for the transmission, differential,wheel bearings and brakes to get used regularly. Maybe overkill and only an opinion but I also enjoy the ride.

I've thought about that, but, knocking on wood, so far just running the engine has worked. In addition, even if I didn't cover it, it is likely I couldn't take it out for a ride in Jan, Feb simply because it is usually snowed in.

I run both not only for the health of the engines but in an attempt to keep all the batteries fully charged.

Typically when spring rolls around I've used about 1/4 of a tank of gas...

[dkoldman]

Originally Posted by Pete'sMH

I don’t cover for all the reasons listed and also I believe it is important to use/drive about once a month and it is difficult to do this if you cover. But mine is full body paint as that was on my “must have” list when I bought my coach from prior experience.

Originally Posted by Pete'sMH

Running the engine is important but I also think it’s good for the transmission, differential,wheel bearings and brakes to get used regularly. Maybe overkill and only an opinion but I also enjoy the ride.

This is what I do, but I don't have a Full Body Paint, I do have some special Automotive Finish applied by the SOB Mfg that gives it the look and feel of Full Body paint without the costs.

I was originally thinking I was going to buy a cover but in my manual it says covers are not recommended due to possible concerns to damage from cover, winds, water moisture etc.

I also use my coach year around so a cover will just make it harder to use doing off season. The other thing is that unless you cover year around the RV is uncovered most of the summer when the heat is more intense. I have MCD blackout shades so I don't worry about insides getting damaged. Vent covers are cheap to replace if needed. I just focus on washing with frequency and waxing the entire RV twice a year. Put 303 on decals (I am now working on year 3 and everything looks good as my RV is parked outside in the sun and partially under a tree.

[vdub]

I realize not everyone is blessed to have 50 acres to build a shed on. I built this in '06 for our 5th-wheel. It has a concrete floor and measures 25' x 40'. The doors are 13' high and 12' wide. The wife really gave me grief when I first built it, but has since mellowed. At the time, the total cost to build was $18,000. I would hate to think what it would cost today. I purposely built it with no windows except for the small amount of diffused light above the doors. My brother built the doors and I asked him to make them mouse proof and they are -- every seam is metal-to-metal when they are closed. I've never had a mouse get in. The building now houses my Magnitude SV34, which is about the largest RV I can get in the building.

[lwmcguire]

I have only used a cover one time.

Unless it snaps down such as a boat it is useless in the wind storms we get

Lucky mine goes in the shop and has for years as the Landmark prior

12x14 doors at each end if needed

A flapping cover can do damage so it needs to have some protection

Not a fan of RV covers

[MJC62]

We cover ours. Last one we didn't the decals looked like crap after a couple years and water intrusions from freeze thaw cycles damage the ceiling over one winter. This one the wife wants it covered so after 40+ years of marriage I know which battles are worth fighting and whether to cover her rv is not one of them. Besides I have grandson in his mid 20's that is a scaffold builder by trade he climbs on the roof. Our coach sits in sheltered area next to our home so wind destroying the cover is not an issue.

[Matthew]

Just bought one.
Plan is to cover when not using for more than a month.
We'll see.
Watched a video and it was very easy to put on. Ten minutes max.
I'm also 54 and in shape.
Funny story, before covering I did the roof cleaning/treatment thing. Noticed some sap from a pine tree that hangs over the storage spot. Got my chainsaw on a stick and 10 foot aframe ladder in the truck and went to work.
Climb up the ladder, cutting away. Need to get a little higher so I climb the tree a bit. Ladder falls over. So I'm hanging out in this pine about 20 feet off the ground, and no branches to climb down on (I cut them all off).
After about 20 minutes someone drives up and I get there attention. After some confusion, they get the ladder back up and I'm back in business.
Happy New Year to all.