Advice on Trailer Cover - needed & brands?

[kstock11]

I'm still using the Star Brite Marine Polish for mine. I look at cleaning and "waxing" the Escape as being a very enjoyable form of exercise! I may be a little different, but have always enjoyed cleaning and waxing my cars also! When cleaning and waxing the trailer begins to feel like work, I'll probably also be too old to want to camp!

 

[Loren & Cathy]

We were planning to get a good cover for the 21, and store it in a lot close to home but for about $35 more a month there are several places about 45 minutes from home where the trailer can be stored inside. On the Missouri side there are these huge limestone caverns that were mined out years ago and are leased out. The room is measured in acres. Storage for the 21 would be about $900 a year and it is a constant 66 degrees F with low humidity. They have boats, trailers, and even those big diesel pushers down there. The ceilings are 16 ft high. They said come on over and take a tour so I will check it out. Loren

 

[Patandlinda]

Several of my coworkers who have RV's, boats, and trailers have recommended Calmark. Not cheap, but custom made to your trailer dimensions, and reinforced at seams and to support the hanging weight of the vertical parts of the cover. And lasts (we'll see for how long).

When we pick up our 17 this summer, I'll take it over to Calmark in person (they're 12 miles away), let them measure directly and file the data away. Then, anyone who orders an Escape 17 cover won't have to measure.

Hi Don ! That is what we have for the 19 . Especially want for the summer if not camping . Pat

 

[dfandrews]

Hi Don ! That is what we have for the 19 . Especially want for the summer if not camping . Pat

Thanks, Pat.
That pretty well confirms it, that we'll protect our investment with the Calmark cover. Especially in this dome of (almost) eternal sunshine called Ventura County!

 

[sunrisetrucker]

I was under the impression that tarps are the least desirable option. Is just covering the top with a cheap tarp that bad?

From what I've seen covering it with just a cheap tarp is almost worse than not covering at all. Unless you live in a hot and dry area moisture condences on the underside of the tarp and is trapped there causing more mold and moss problems. If you must use a tarp try to create an air space between the tarp and the unit so it can " breathe" that is so air can travel between the tarp and the unit. This will prevent moisture build up and all it's problems

 

[Dave Walter]

From what I've seen covering it with just a cheap tarp is almost worse than not covering at all. Unless you live in a hot and dry area moisture condences on the underside of the tarp and is trapped there causing more mold and moss problems. If you must use a tarp try to create an air space between the tarp and the unit so it can " breathe" that is so air can travel between the tarp and the unit. This will prevent moisture build up and all it's problems

With the air conditioner, TV antenna, max fan, bathroom vent and solar panels on the roof, it could be difficult to not have an air space below the tarp.

 

[Washingtonia]

Also a tarp will be hard on the gelcoat.

 

[Loren & Cathy]

My one concern about a cover is would the wind moving the cover rub a bare spot on the gelcoat ? Or zippers or buckles rubbing also. Loren

 

[padlin]

Loren, I had a cover on my conventional trailer for 8 years. With it's rubber roof and square edges if anything was going to get worn through it was that trailer. I had no issues.

 

[Washingtonia]

A properly-designed cover using a decent fabric should be fine. A tarp, on the other hand, not so much.

On the brand we use, the plastic buckles are underneath the rig. We've had no problems with zippers, as extra material built up around them protects the finish. The air vents near the top allow the rig to dry, so no slime occurs.

 

[Oregonian-ESC]

A properly-designed cover using a decent fabric should be fine. A tarp, on the other hand, not so much.

On the brand we use, the plastic buckles are underneath the rig. We've had no problems with zippers, as extra material built up around them protects the finish. The air vents near the top allow the rig to dry, so no slime occurs.

What brand cover are you using?

 

[sunrisetrucker]

With the air conditioner, TV antenna, max fan, bathroom vent and solar panels on the roof, it could be difficult to not have an air space below the tarp.

Ice-breaker I think you may have missed my point. When you look at the way most people attach a tarp they usually snug it down tight on all sides so that there is no air flow to the space created by all those devices. With out that air flow condensation is still a problem.
Besides at best a tarp only protects your roof leaving the rest of the unit exposed.

 

[Dave Walter]

Ice-breaker I think you may have missed my point. When you look at the way most people attach a tarp they usually snug it down tight on all sides so that there is no air flow to the space created by all those devices. With out that air flow condensation is still a problem.
Besides at best a tarp only protects your roof leaving the rest of the unit exposed.

Hey, I am not arguing for using a tarp. I would leave my trailer uncovered first before I chose a tarp, unless there was roof damage that needed to be covered. I do choose to use a cover, and it meets my expectations.

 

[Washingtonia]

Oregonian,

We have an Elite. They make two versions for our 15B. One has no zipper ($80) and the other has an access zipper so you can enter the rig without removing the cover ($120). We bought the zippered version on Ebay a couple of years ago.

 

[Oregonian-ESC]

Thanks, I will check it out as I might be in the market for a cover soon.

 

[Brian B-P]

Besides at best a tarp only protects your roof leaving the rest of the unit exposed.

That depends entirely on the size of the tarp, right? If you're willing to wrangle a huge one, you can wrap the trailer up like a gift.

 

[Donna D.]

Tarps, and I'm thinking the plastic kind, if they're not cinched down, will scrub the surface of the gelcoat. If there's enough grim under it, SANDPAPER. I'd rather my trailers sit in the elements than be loosely tarped. YMMV

 

[sunrisetrucker]

That depends entirely on the size of the tarp, right? If you're willing to wrangle a huge one, you can wrap the trailer up like a gift.

I think we should try and see how it works. But we'll use your trailer not mine.;D

 

[Brian B-P]

... If you're willing to wrangle a huge one, you can wrap the trailer up like a gift.

I think we should try and see how it works. But we'll use your trailer not mine.;D

Already sort of done
I have tarped my trailer, and since the tarp was quite wide it went well down each side, so much more than the roof was covered... and even wider tarps are available. I still didn't get it wrapped all the way under the bottom, of course!

It was a big thing to drag over the trailer, and I agree with the comments about the unsuitability of tarp material for this purpose, so I decided not to use a tarp again. I also haven't bothered with a proper cover, but as a result there's a lot of cleaning to do. I think a shelter is definitely the best way to go, but I haven't found it worth the cost (including time to build and space taken) yet.