Caravan Cover Tips

[sgray]

Hi all,

Just wondering if anyone has any tips about using a caravan cover.

Unfortunately I don't have anywhere undercover to store my sunliner so was thinking I should use a cover, especially as the the cold wet Adelaide weather sets in.

Do I need to look for anything in particular when buying a cover, like what it should be made out of etc?

Thanks so much
Susan

[Franklin1]

G'day Susan,

I have a non-vintage van (20 years old), and it's parked in the open front yard (I'm 100km south of Sydney).

A friend of a friend recently gave me a caravan cover which is a well-made brand and probably cost up around a couple of hundred dollars when it was new (I got it second-hand).

The material it is made out of is waterproof but breatheable, so apparently you don't get condensation forming under it.

I had it on the van for a couple of weeks, and it seemed to work well in protecting the van when it rained during that time.

However, here's the reason I took it back off...I went out to check something in the van when it was a sunny day, and as soon as I stepped inside it was like an oven! The thermometer in the van showed 40 degrees, whereas the temp outside at the time was about 28. I was quite shocked to discover how much heat is trapped under the cover!

Knowing the sorts of temperatures you guys get in the SA region in summer, I would hesitate to have one of these covers on the van for any length of time when it's hot.

Hope this helps.

cheers,
Al.

[seeshell]

Hi there

We have any number of sheds and carports but all of them are just too short for the van to fit under - another project to add to the list! In the meantime we went with a temporary car shelter which we bought at a hardware store for less than $200.

The car port has steel poles and a peaked roof and sides made from tarp material. We did have to "lengthen" the legs with some thick dowel/curtain rod to make it van sized, but that has worked quite well. One benefit is that in raising the height of the carport, the walls don't quite reach the ground now. That allows a good breeze and air circulation. so no condensation and it keeps the temperature down.

On the down side, the sun will eventually deteriorate the roof, and were I to do over, I'd get a large tarp slung over it from day one - the tarps are cheap enough and can act as sacrificials to protect the tailored roof that comes with the poles. But otherwise it's quite sturdy, and we do get quite a lot of wind up near us.

Cheers
Seeshell

[isambard]

Hi sgray

We have no car/van shelter at all here, so have relied on these covers. We've bought two different types, and I can say without hesitation that one is VASTLY superior to the other. The dud is the one that has the silver coating on the outside, and is a sort of woven fabric. Claims to be waterproof but is nothing of the sort. Essentially no better than a dust cover, but even then I wouldn't use it, as it doesn't breathe at all. The second one is a dull grey, slightly furry type of fabric, non-woven. Not only is it MUCH better made, it also has a full opening side (door side) which you can leave open for access, has breather mesh under 'eaves', and appears to be 100% waterproof, even in downpours. Best thing about it was that it cost us around $80 new (from the that auction place starting with E) for the 14'-16' size. The dud one was about $120, so I don't think you do get what you pay for with these things. I know someone who bought a $300 cover and assumed it'd be watertight - but wasn't.

Still, I open the door and a couple of windows every other day just to make sure there's plenty of air moving around inside. I think this is important no matter what type of fitted cover you use. Otherwise, Seeshell's idea of using one of these portable car shelters is a good one, too. Probably means you don't have to air the van quite so often.

Edited to add that we haven't experienced the excess heat problem with our better cover. Had one covered and one uncovered during some hot days this past summer and they were about the same temp inside with hatch closed - ie, bloody hot!

[sgray]

thanks everyone for the tips,

will start shopping!

[shesgotthelook]

Yesterday, my uncovered Aluminium Viscount, was dripping with condensation inside! It is in a shed but the hatch & one window were open.
My GlobeTrotter bondwood is in the same shed but with a cover on & shut up tightly. No condensation here but you can smell the glue in the panels.
Closed Viscount down & no problems this morning.
So my vote is cover them but remember to regularly air them.
Of course, if you live in the tropics it will be completely different.

[isambard]

We have condensation problems here too, SGTL, as we often get down below zero in winter. I've found keeping the vans sealed up tight is the only way to avoid it - as you say. Means dashing around every other morning opening doors and windows at about 10am, and then remembering to close them all before 4pm!

[sgray]

Thanks = I'm in Adelaide Hills, so cold and wet at the moment (wishing I was in the tropics ).

My van is fibreglass, so so not sure if that makes any difference to the type of cover??

[seeshell]

Hi All

Keeping a van under a carport certainly offers protection - up to a point. One of the issues with tin roofs is that at night as the temperature drops, it is warmer inside than out (even where there is ventilation). The warmer air results in condensate on the underside of the tin roof and creates a sort of micro atmosphere which is very moist - it's why you have to be careful to use breathable car covers when storing away vehicles in sheds. It happens a bit less with other types of roofing, but they all have similar issues.

One solution is to make sure if you are using a shed as protection that you properly insulate or put sisalation paper down under the tin but above the battens of the roof.

It's that silver sheet that you often see in unlined roofs of garages and carports, or the blue wrap you see on houses being built. In some cases even that might not be enough and you can get insulation board which has two silver sides and a core which helps insulate the roof, and keep everything else underneath from getting wet by providing an insulated layer.

If you keep the van shut most of the time that will be good - any drips will be on the outside of the van and be minimal. And any moisture trapped under the roof wont be inside your van.

If your van is metal, I'm guessing it will face some of the same condensation issues that you have with tin roofs. Maybe it would benefit from some forced ventilation or a dehumidifier running at given times? A closet hippo? I don't know how good I'd be getting around opening and closing all the windows - I'm off to work at 5:30am and get back around 6pm. Maybe you would have luck with that if you work near home?

Cheers
Seeshell

[rex]

stormcovers.com.au

We had one custom made for our van approx 4 years ago , it is still fantastic !
Waterproof fully lined outside for all of that time .
But wasn't cheap - approx $1200.00 delivered , we now live in coun try Vic , so its 40deg in the summer and this morning was 1 degree , van is dry ,no condensation ....that I've noticed ....