covers

[Fox hunt]

i keep thinking about covers. i hate cleaning the roof so having the roof covered would be nice . We get so much rain it gets moldy. i don't mind washing the rest at the end the winter but its hard to get the roof clean. Covers all look like they fall apart except Calmark but they are very heavy and expensive. i need something easy to put on. What do you all think of RV roof covers? lighter easier to put on keeps the roof clean? i would love to have shelter but right now that is not an option. i don't need sun protection just keep some of the rain off.

[Jim Bennett]

Until I have a shelter my 5.0TA can go under, it will be naked in the outdoors. It seems like one heck of a lot of work to put a cover on this trailer. Maybe if someone has one, they could do a video of putting one on.

[padlin]

Don't have a video but it takes me about 15 minutes to put the Calmark cover on and maybe another 15 covering sharp edges and such beforehand. I do it by myself, being 6'2" (1880mm) helps.

It's worse taking it off as you need to be able to lay it out somewhere to roll or fold it up when putting it away. The Calmark fabric is like a magnet to dead grass and such. Lay it out on the yard and you have a mess. A big double driveway works but you have to blow off all the sand and gravel before laying it out. That'll stick to the cover too.

[blue_bullet]

We ordered our Calmark in Oct 2016 and did not get it until mid December. Used a blue plastic tarp instead since the snow beat the arrival of the Calmark. Washed/waxed the 21 the 3rd week of Oct this year, winterized it, and put the cover on early we thought. Well,
we beat the snow by about a week. Trick to putting the Calmark on as someone on the forum suggested is to fold in lengthwise and roll it up so you can put it on the solar panel, unroll toward the front and unfold it so it fits down the sides. The lengthwise fold is inside out so when you unfold it it is outside out. Zippered door will help with the correct side to side, front to back orientation. Install is much less complicated than my poor explanation, but maybe you get the idea.

We sliced pool noodles to cover sharp edges on the solar panels and put noodles on top of the awning to prevent pooling of snow melt. Inverted a plastic bucket with sliced noodles on the bucket rim to protect the TV antenna.

[davedru]

Hey Rob-

Does your solar still charge with the cover on?

Thanks,

Dave

[blue_bullet]

Originally Posted by davedru

Hey Rob-

Does your solar still charge with the cover on?

Thanks,

Dave

It must since the light stays on even when the fridge door is shut.

[JohnFromABQ]

Originally Posted by davedru

Hey Rob-

Does your solar still charge with the cover on?

Thanks,

Dave

Calmark says it will trickle charge, but I haven't had mine long enough to confirm that.

[Bakes99]

Originally Posted by JohnFromABQ

Calmark says it will trickle charge, but I haven't had mine long enough to confirm that.

Does the Calmark cover plug right into the battery?
Just joshin. One of my regrets is not at least getting the solar hoof up. Putting my brand new Calmark on today for the first time. Sick of seeing the black streaks a day after I clean them off.

[dfandrews]

Originally Posted by JohnFromABQ

Calmark says it will trickle charge, but I haven't had mine long enough to confirm that.

We have had our Calmark almost 2 years. During the summer 6 months the Sunbrella fabric that Calmark uses will allow enough solar radiation through for a trickle charge. Oct-March, if we're not using the trailer, I plug in for a day every few weeks.

[wetzk]

Originally Posted by Bakes99

Does the Calmark cover plug right into the battery?
Just joshin. One of my regrets is not at least getting the solar hoof up. Putting my brand new Calmark on today for the first time. Sick of seeing the black streaks a day after I clean them off.

Do you have the slider windows on your 2017?

[cpaharley2008]

Originally Posted by wetzk

Do you have the slider windows on your 2017?

I was wondering the same thing, with the frameless there are no black streaks.....

[gbaglo]

I don't think windows are the source of black streaks. They may direct or concentrate water flow that contains debris from nearby, such as roads.

[padlin]

Originally Posted by gbaglo

I don't think windows are the source of black streaks. They may direct or concentrate water flow that contains debris from nearby, such as roads.

+1. I get black streaks above the windows, and where there are no windows. To me it's just dirt getting washed off the roof.

[blue_bullet]

Originally Posted by dfandrews

We have had our Calmark almost 2 years. During the summer 6 months the Sunbrella fabric that Calmark uses will allow enough solar radiation through for a trickle charge. Oct-March, if we're not using the trailer, I plug in for a day every few weeks.

No trickle charge for me with 12" of snow on the cover. I did have to add about 6 oz. of distilled water to the batteries when I winterized in October. Put it on Google Calendar to check batteries every 10 weeks. Will plug in for a day also.

[wetzk]

Originally Posted by gbaglo

I don't think windows are the source of black streaks. They may direct or concentrate water flow that contains debris from nearby, such as roads.

I must have cleaner dirt.
My old trailer had sliders and the caulk and I always had black streaks running down by the windows.
The new trailer so far has stayed clean of the streaks.

[Bakes99]

Originally Posted by wetzk

Do you have the slider windows on your 2017?

I have the frameless thermal windows. The most common place i find the black streaking is under the Front rock guard and the rear windows and some slight spotting here and there on the sides all running off from the base of the windows. Happens quite a bit on the front, all the way along.

I picked up some Star Brite streak removal and it takes it off pretty easy but reappears in a day or two. We'll see if the cover helps when I peel it off next season. My trailer hasn't been towed anywhere since purchased and it sits on fairly clean crushed rock. Any idea what the black is? Thought it was from the rubber window seals or Proflex or something.

Calmark Cover is pretty frickin awesome though. Just need to get some Bungies to cinch a little tighter on the bottom.

[rbryan4]

Mine are the older slider windows. I don't get black streaks at all, unless the roof is dirty. I've never thought of them as anything more than dirt being washed down the sides of the trailer. Never used any special cleaner, just washed the trailer they were gone.

[gbaglo]

Originally Posted by Bakes99

Any idea what the black is?

Likely rubber and asphalt from roads, exhaust from trucks or coal-powered electrical plants. Could even be ash from an erupting volcano on the other side of the earth. The air we breathe is full of crap.

Google "Air Quality" for your location and you may find it's something like wood stoves:

AIR QUALITY ADVISORY IN EFFECT FOR HOUSTON ( BC )

(December 22, 2017 - Smithers) The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy in collaboration with Northern Health has issued an Air Quality Advisory for Houston because of high concentrations of fine particulate matter that are expected to persist over the next 48 hours. This advisory is in effect until further notice.

Persons with chronic underlying medical conditions should postpone strenuous exercise until the advisory is lifted. Staying indoors and in air conditioned spaces helps to reduce fine particulate exposure. Exposure is particularly a concern for infants, the elderly and those who have diabetes, and lung or heart disease. For the duration of this advisory the use of woostoves is prohibited within the District of Houston, unless the woodstove is the only source of heat in a dwelling.

[float5]

Yes, as some people have said, the black streaks are where the windows are --- and where the windows aren't. Dirty water coming from the roof.

[cpaharley2008]

The reason you maybe getting dirt on the front is because it is installed like the conventional sliders, with butyl tape underneath the frame. The butyl tape attracts dirt and when it rains there are streaks. There is not any exposed frame with the frameless windows so dirt accumulation is kept at a minimum.