Protective cover

[Montana_1774]

I am interested to hear any feed back/opinions on the plus/minus of putting a cover over the wagon. Will doing so cause mildew or other problems? Anyone out there with experience in this area? All input is appreciated.

[D and M On The Road]

Good question and I don't think this has been addressed here before. We have to pay to keep our Montana in an outside storage facility as we don't have room at the house for it. We've wondered about this ourselves and are eager to hear from anyone who might keep a cover over their Montana.

[Glenn and Lorraine]

As a fulltimer I have no need to cover but I have heard many pros but a lot more cons on the subject. Many have complained of mildew but the biggest complaint has to be rubbing thru the painted surfaces or the fiberglass. And if the unit is GelCoated there would be no way I would not but a cover over it.

Here's a link to another thread on another forum in reference to the same subject.

[cargary]

Bobby:
Under the General topic category, go to page 12 and find topic "ADCO Cover". You'll find some limited comments on this issue. I was leaning towards this method of protection, but found a place to store it inside at $2.00 per foot per month. We decided to take this option for at least this year. Some of the negative comments I've heard is that the cover could cause outside finish damage with the wind causing the cover to slap the sides. Don't know this for sure, but it sounds reasonable with some of the harsh winter winds we get here in Michigan. At any rate, good luck in your choice and let us know how you made out in your choice.
Gary & Carole

[stiles watson]

I live in a coastal area so a cover would create a mildew problem. Too much condensation. I once had a barbeque pit that sat covered with a vinyl cover. It all looked nice and neat, but under that cover, corrosion reigned. The trapped moisture destroyed the pit in short order. In this area I think I am better off fighting with the UV rays.

[D and M On The Road]

Glenn & Lorraine.. thanks for the link. It was nice to read some of those comments about covering 5th wheels & trailers.

We don't have harsh winters here, maybe just a few wild rain storms. Every couple of years a levee at the Sacramento River will develop a leak and threaten to put us under water... which brings up another question. Do Montanas float?

[315RLS]

quote:Originally posted by Bobby Inboden

I am interested to hear any feed back/opinions on the plus/minus of putting a cover over the wagon. Will doing so cause mildew or other problems? Anyone out there with experience in this area? All input is appreciated.

We had looked into and had just assumed we would buy a cover but after researching this in a number of other RV forums it appeared the consensous was that covers add more protential problems than they seem to address i.e. mildew, damage to the fiberglass as a result of wind, etc. Since these units seem to fair well enough on the lots through the winter I figure the best thing I can do for mine is make sure the gutters are clear after all pine needles/leaves are down (blow them out with the leave blower) and make sure the water from the gutter drips is away from the sides. Then do a spring clean on the roof, walls and awning. Would be interested in others thoughts of caring for units when stored outside during winter months in winter climates.

[jsmitfl]

I bought a cover and used it one time. I like it as far as uv damage is concerned but it still gets dirt and mildew under it. When I would like to use it is in the summer when we dont camp to much, but then the winds blow like crazy (Hurricanes). So it stays in the shed and we clean the 5ver as everyone else does.

[sreigle]

We used to have a red 1963 Impala convertible that we covered one winter because it had to sit outside. The wind caused enough movement of the cover that it rubbed off the paint on all the knife edges on the fenders. I threw that cover away and will never again use a cover on anything with a finish I want to protect. When we had a stick home our Montana sat outside all winter, in the ice and snow. Never had a problem with it. We lived in the land of the perpetual wind, though.

[DHenry]

I too covered my 1950 Chevy that had to be stored outside. The wind moved the cover so much that it rubbed the paint off in a couple of areas on both sides. I also bought a cover for my TT when I had one, and the hassel of covering it up and taking the cover off was not worth the agrevation it caused me. I still had to wash the TT after the winter season. I do not belive that the cover is worth the problems that it will cause.

[Bowie]

Just a note--the small storage lot where we store our rig has 32 motorhomes, trailers and 5'ers. All have tires on boards and none have covers. Upstate NY where the cold is COLD and the snow is DEEP and the winds BLOW HARD. That says 32 folks (including yours truly) have decided that covering is not their current option.