What You Need to Know About RV Covers

A Good RV Cover can protect your investment. An RV is a huge investment. For this reason, you’ll definitely want to take good care of your motorhome or travel trailer. Obviously, this means keeping up with maintenance such as sealing the roof and replacing the tires, and you’ll definitely want to keep your rig free of pests such as mice.

However, what many people don’t think of when considering how to care for their RV is the need to keep it covered. In this article we will discuss why you should invest in a cover for your RV, how to use a cover properly, and what kinds of options you have when purchasing a cover.

Why You Need an RV Cover

The majority of people might assume a travel trailer or motorhome is made to survive the elements, and for the most part, that assumption is correct.

An RV will be perfectly okay in the bright Arizona sunshine for that week-long adventure, and it’ll likely do fine in the summer thunderstorms of Florida for your annual Disney World trip. That said, prolonged exposure to UV rays, heavy rains, and wind storms definitely take its toll after a while.

The bright sunshine can cause decals and paint to fade, crack, and peel. It can also cause roof damage, requiring you to re-coat the roof sooner than you may have otherwise. Meanwhile, windy weather can break things like vent covers, and rain has the uncanny ability to find its way into even the smallest cracks, causing water damage to walls and floors.

Worse yet, if this damage occurs while your rig is in storage, you won’t even be around to fix the problem promptly. This is something that can ultimately lead to even more damage, especially in the case of broken vent covers and leaky walls and roofs.

This is where RV covers come into play. A simple cover can work wonders when it comes to protecting your rig from the elements, helping to ensure that you return to a camper that’s ready to camp, rather than a host of issues you then have to deal with.

Fabric RV Covers vs Metal RV Covers

The most common cover option is the fabric RV cover. These covers are made to fit snugly over your RV and are held down with fasteners to ensure they stay in place. In order to ensure you get the best fit possible, fabric covers come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes—and in order to give you the best protection possible, they are made with high quality waterproof and sun-resistant fabric.

The fabric cover is definitely the most cost effective option and is ideal for those storing their rigs in storage facilities or other tight quarters. However, there is an option for those storing on their own land that offers a bit more protection and makes putting your RV into storage a cinch. Enter the metal RV cover.

Metal RV covers are essentially carports, made extra tall to accommodate the height of an RV. Because they are solid, they protect against hail and cannot rip, meaning better protection from rain.

Because the structure is always up and ready to go, it’s easy to park under cover even for short periods of time between weekend trips, and some people will even use the covers when the RV is in use on their own land.

The Best Cover Options

Now that you know about the two types of RV covers, you probably have an idea of which will work best for you. The next step is determining which brand to go with.

Fabric Covers

When it comes to fabric covers, there are a number of brand options out there, and the one you choose is highly dependent on the type of RV you have and whether a particular brand carries a size and style that suits your needs.

Our top two choices are Adco RV covers and Classic Accessories covers. Both of these brands are top-of-the-line and their covers are both durable and affordable. Both also carry a huge assortment of options and will almost certainly have something to fit your RV.

Metal Covers

When it comes to metal covers, some RV owners prefer to create their own. However, if you aren’t as handy as all that, or even if you just don’t want to invest that much time and energy into a cover, the SteelMaster metal covers are an awesome option that’ll serve you well.

Why Tire Covers are Important

Believe it or not, your RV tires need protecting too. Tires that are left to sit for long periods of time can actually become damaged, making them incredibly unsafe to use.

Fabric RV covers don’t offer the wheels any protection whatsoever, and metal covers aren’t much better. However, RV wheel covers can help keep damage from happening, and since tires for motorhomes and travel trailers can be quite expensive, we’re guessing you’ll want to invest in some of these tire covers sooner rather than later.

Use your tire covers any time you’ll be parked in one place for a week or longer. This includes time spent under a fabric of metal cover, as well as time spent camping in one place for a while. Wheel covers are relatively easy to put on and to remove, so it just makes sense to use them whenever you can and protect those RV tires that you’re trusting to keep your family safe on the road.

Getting the Most Out of Your RV Cover

By now you probably know what you’re looking for in terms of coverings to protect your RV. Use these simple tips to get the most out of the covers you pick up, and thus ensure your RV stays in good shape for years to come.

Double Check the Size

As mentioned before, if you plan to use a fabric RV cover, it’s important that you get the right size and shape. Additionally, it’s important to make sure your RV will fit easily under any metal RV cover you build or buy. Therefore, we recommend that you measure a few times before ordering or building anything.

Read the Instructions

Any cover you buy will come with instructions from the manufacturer. While it may be tempting to throw the cover on and call it good, it’s always a good idea to read instructions first in order to ensure you’re using the cover correctly.

Store Correctly

An RV cover will protect your rig from a lot, but it can’t do all the work. Therefore, you will need to take certain steps before putting your RV under a cover in order to ensure it remains safe and sound.

Don’t forget to:

• Remove food to prevent pests.

• Lock all windows and doors.

• Winterize the plumbing system if necessary.

• Check all seals.

Clearly, an RV cover is something all RV owners should invest in. Why not start shopping for one now so you can put your RV into storage with peace of mind?