To cover or not ?

[johnnyv]

I have mixed feelings of covering trailer for winter. The possible scratching of gel coat is my concern. Any thoughts of covering Coleman ac and calling it good ? Thx !

[Ron in BC]

Depends on your local area but rain, tree leaves and UV aren't a good thing and any protection for them has to be a good thing.

My ADCO cover is used every off season and certainly hasn't scratched the gelcoat.

If you're really concerned about that aspect put a Painters/Contractor paint drop sheet on first. It's soft and filmy and absolutely will not scratch the gelcoat. I don't put it on for that reason but because I live in a rain forest and it provides more water protection than the cover does.

Ron

[Eggscape]

We have put a tarp on ours for the past 3 years with no problems. It comes down each side covering the top half of the windows.
We live in a relatively low humidity climate but do get snow. The slippery tarp makes it easy to pull off the snow after a big dump.

[HABBERDABBER]

Put a cover, any cover, on. Your gel coat is a hard plastic coating. Unless you're in some crazy wind tunnel locale, or have some hard device rubbing against the exterior surface, there is NO downside. UV from solar exposure is tough on everything; tires, gel coat, plastic surfaces, painted surfaces, etc., etc. There are very effective covers available. In 2 years of storage, under cover, except when using my rig, I've not seen ANY evidence of abrasion or any other damage from the cover, NOTHING!
I have a lightweight "summer" nylon type material cover and a heavy 3 ply winter storage cover. Keep any metal bungee hooks (don't use them) away, plastic or rope tie downs are better, and you will be fine.

Or store it in a barn or machine shed. They have some of those in Iowa, I'm told.

Don't fret over cosmetics. Use your rig, enjoy it, get some dings to prove you've used and enjoyed it....
and carry on.
Or store it in a barn or machine shed. They have some of those in Iowa, I'm told.

[DWM3]

Just make sure you wash the trailer before putting on the cover. You don't want to trap abrasive dirt between the cover and the gel coat.

[lonewolfjb]

I would definitely recommend that you use a cover garage or barn. For us the Southern California sun can be intense and would be much harder on the gel coat than a cover, and I usually buff out the camper once a year anyways.

[Iowa Dave]

We really like the building we had built to store the trailer. We keep the boat, lawn maintenance equipment, and last winter the New Holland tractor/loader along with the Escape in the building. We like being able to deploy a wet awning inside the building when returning home after camping in rain. I’m working on the adjacent shop, also a pole barn design and when done I’ll be able to move the tractor to that building. I like everything of value under cover of a building in the winter. I do not like making storage lot building or parking lot payments. I do not like hail dents either. There are multiple opinions on storage. Whatever you choose I hope it gives you satisfaction and fits your lifestyle.
Iowa Dave

[johnnyv]

Hear ya Dave ! We do plan on a pole barn, hopefully next year. Near term a reasonable cover will have to do.

[Iowa Dave]

Hi Johnny
We had Eastern Iowa Building build the one we have. It’s a Lester Building. I once had Greiner out of Washington. Iowa build a shop for the parks department. They did an excellent job too.
Hoping next season is better than ever. Look forward to camping a few days at Lacey Keosauqua and in Clinton county near Comanche.
Iowa Dave

[johnnyv]

Thx Dave , all the best to you and yours. Carol and i spent last week at Tailwater West at the Coralville dam. What a great canpground. Won't be the last Corps of Engineers park we stay at.

Kind regards,

John & Carol Vanderzwan

[Iowa Dave]

Originally Posted by johnnyv

Thx Dave , all the best to you and yours. Carol and i spent last week at Tailwater West at the Coralville dam. What a great canpground. Won't be the last Corps of Engineers park we stay at.

Kind regards,

John & Carol Vanderzwan

We stop by there but I’ve never camped there. We usually go to Sugar Bottom or Sandy Beach. West overlook is a little to zoo like for me. Mill Creek at Table Rock near Branson was very nice.

[Fender]

I purchased this a few years ago for our 37' Class A motorhome and have been really happy with it. It's 40' long so will be more than adequate once our Escape 19 arrives!
I suspect there are lots of suppliers but this one is made by a company called Tarp-Rite.
Far better quality than what you'll buy at Canadian Tire, etc. Cover is guaranteed 10 years and expected to last 15. These folks make arch span buildings for the agricultural sector, etc.
A lot cheaper than a building!

[johnnyv]

Yes that works, need property space for it. Gonna split an out building with daughter and son in law next year on their rural property. As Stephen Colbert would say " meanwhile " we ordered an Adco Olefin designer cover. Zipper in front of door. 346.00 delivered. Had to do something, even if its wrong.

Thx !

[huskersteffy]

I've been back and forth about "to cover or not". We don't live out in the country so a metal outbuilding or garage doesn't work.

Home is in the "burbs" and we are fortunate enough to have a third slot in our driveway where we used to have a basketball hoop when the kids were much younger. I love that the size of the Escape lets us park the trailer at home and not some RV storage place. Local covered storage runs $150+ per month (if you can find one).

In the end, we've decided to "go naked" when trailer is not in use. It gets waxed twice a year and gelcoat seems to be holding after 5+ years. Concerns I had with covering included:
- Wind rubbing and chaffing (we do see some wind in Nebraska )
- Having to wash trailer before throwing on the cover. Sometimes I don't get to winterizing until weather has already turned colder. I like to head out in late fall if the mood strikes.
- My neighborhood does not have any covenants, but I would still feel bad about the look of a big canvas bag or metal carport since my parking spot is in front of the house and visible up and down the street. No one has complained about the trailer itself. Again, probably because its not some giant behemoth.

I had an old bike cover laying around that works well to cover up the propane tanks / jack / hoses using bungee cords. I also cover the tires.

Just my 2 cents. Happy for you if have a cover and are satisfied with it.

[johnnyv]

We get delivery Tuesday. Will post pic after install.

[Ron in BC]

Originally Posted by huskersteffy

We don't live out in the country so a metal outbuilding or garage doesn't work.

Sometimes I think that folks post photos of those great large garages etc. just to torture us that live in the "burbs"

Home is in the "burbs" and we are fortunate enough to have a third slot in our driveway .

Me too and it's great to be able to pop out to the trailer anytime to do a mod etc. The saving grace of not having a cover is that if you go to a marina you'll see many old boats that haven't been covered but have been waxed and they still look pretty good.

In my case, between urban fallout, tree needles and birds leaving a thank you souvenir when leaving the bird feeders the decision to cover is a no-brainer.

Ron

[HABBERDABBER]

But I do concur with Ron, in spades . Sunshine especially, birds, leafy detritus, fruity trees, pine trees and sap, the whole lot of Mother Nature takes a toll on things. I cover all the time, unless I'm using my rig. A covered trailer in the driveway could be a less visually distracting item than one with decal graphics, do-dads of vent fans, AC vents, plumbing vents, refrig. vents, etc. etc sticking about and around, on the top, or sides, rear or the front of the rig.

All just my meager opinion. Do as you please, please.

There are lightweight, nylon covers, not best for winter storage, but easy to plop on and off for a quick get-away. PM me if you need a suggestion.

[Bobbito]

We used to leave our Nash trailer uncovered over the winter and found that the constant rain of the Pacific North West caused green growth in every nook and cranny, even inside the trailer light lenses. The cleanup was huge. Over time the water made its way into the trailer through the tiniest of spots, like where the screws went through putty at the corners. The trailer frame flexing reamed out the putty and caused leaks at caulking seams. It destroyed our Nash (First leak alone cost $7800 to repair.) and it’s why we went to an Escape. The Escape trailers don’t have these types of potential leaks (corner molding), but the green growth and other crap certainly will make a mess. Each spring when I remove the cover I look at our shiny, clean Escape and regret not having used a cover with the Nash. Our first cover cost us $200 and lasted 4 years. I expect at least the same from our new cover.

Bob K

[johnnyv]

Thx Bob, looking at our cover in box sitting in our living room. Hopefully winterize in day or two, then winter coat ( cover ). Hopefully thaw her out in January and check out Port Aransas Texas.

Stay well

[suncoastdancers]

Originally Posted by huskersteffy

I've been back and forth about "to cover or not". We don't live out in the country so a metal outbuilding or garage doesn't work.

Home is in the "burbs" and we are fortunate enough to have a third slot in our driveway where we used to have a basketball hoop when the kids were much younger. I love that the size of the Escape lets us park the trailer at home and not some RV storage place. Local covered storage runs $150+ per month (if you can find one).

In the end, we've decided to "go naked" when trailer is not in use. It gets waxed twice a year and gelcoat seems to be holding after 5+ years. Concerns I had with covering included:
- Wind rubbing and chaffing (we do see some wind in Nebraska )
- Having to wash trailer before throwing on the cover. Sometimes I don't get to winterizing until weather has already turned colder. I like to head out in late fall if the mood strikes.
- My neighborhood does not have any covenants, but I would still feel bad about the look of a big canvas bag or metal carport since my parking spot is in front of the house and visible up and down the street. No one has complained about the trailer itself. Again, probably because its not some giant behemoth.

I had an old bike cover laying around that works well to cover up the propane tanks / jack / hoses using bungee cords. I also cover the tires.

Just my 2 cents. Happy for you if have a cover and are satisfied with it.

I believe UV is the main finish hazard. I used a fabric cover for two years only to find wear damage due to winds. Now I park the unit behind trees that block direct sunlight. That said, my preference would be to park under a roof, but that is not an option for me. I have a 20 year old truck that I faithfully keep in a carport. The clear coat is like that day I bought it (honestly!). Attests to the power of the sun.