Caravan cover

Would anyone know how hard it is to put on a caravan cover on?

Can one person put it on ?

Are they worth the money?

Goody

How long is your van

13 foot

Ok thanks might have one here will look tomorrow

Are they easy to put on?

Don't know never used it lmao interference with my power pannels lol

I have one solar panel on the top but when I am not going to use the caravan for awhile I always take the fuse out so the battery will last longer...I hope that is how it works

Will give you a call tomorrow let you know what size it is

Goody, they can be put on by one person, but unless you know how, it can be somewhat difficult. If you have a full van like mine, you need to get on a step ladder. I'm 6' tall, slim and reasonably agile and for me on my own it was not an easy job, stretching me to my limits.

I'll explain how; What I did was lay it down on the ground face down, (the side to the van on the ground) then fold the sides to the middle and fold again to the middle etc until you have a long cover about a metre wide. then roll it up from the front to the back.

Once you have that, put it on the roof at the rear of the van, and unroll enough to hang down the back with the rest of the roll on the roof at the rear. What I then do was give it an almighty heave to unroll it so it hung over the front of the van. My aircon usually stopped it, so I had to reposition the ladder and feed it over until it hung down at the front.

Then you start to unfold one to the left and then one to the right until the sides hang over. If you have any sharp edges cover them with some foam so the cover doesn't rip.

Having said all of this, I no longer use my cover as it created a bigger problem than it was worth. About 12 months ago, we had a week or so of over 40 C days. The next time I went in the van I found the inner roof lining over the bed where it start to slope down to the front "popped" for about a metre or more at the join. The staples had given way.

My only explanation was the excessive heat built up inside the van with the cover on. I now leave the small kitchen window and ensuite windows on their first lock on the catch and the roof hatch open about an inch to let the hot air escape.

Unfortunately I don't have either but the best cover is a garage or at least a carport. I'll never use a cover again. It took a bit of work for me to repair the roof and at that time the van was only 5 years old.

I agree with what c22 has said they can be more trouble than they are worth
Same as a car cover if there is dirt under the cover its like sand paper on your paint work

Wow thank you for the heads up on that Condor

Think I will rethink this as I don't want anymore damage done to it

As it has already cost me to much money

Thank you for the advice guy's it has been a big help erfect:

Have used 3 covers in 12 years, two of them destroyed during storms. Our caravan is a fibreglass Trailstar Aquila. Will keep using them because I do believe they protect the van even though the aircon shows signs of the rubbing removing a little of the surface. The ensuite hatch and rear window are left open.
Yes it is a fiddle to fit the cover, I take the cover still in the bag up onto the roof, spread it out open all the zips and underside straps hanging down over drivers side.
Back onto the ladder, moving it along passenger side pulling the cover over the edge.
Then it is a matter of moving around on the ground pulling it into position, made easier on the drivers side with aid of underside straps.
The cover appears to let enough sun through for the two panels wired in series to keep the two 110ah batteries charged.
Bit of extra effort fitting this summer with my knee replacement still giving me heaps. :awful:

Also made up 4 axle stands which I place under the axles keeping the wheels just off the stand.
Caravan stand faces east west so made up a wooden cover out of floor boards, this is placed in front of the driver side wheels protecting the tyres from the sun.
All good.

Thank you nightjar for your reply

My opinion,
Caravan covers are a pain, I have a Jayco 21'6'' silver line off road model that I religiously install it every time I get back from GT or WA, I use the same method Condor uses. However, I will continue to use it as a the biggest devaluing thing with caravan storage is the UV effects. I estimate the effects of having a 21 foot caravan stored unprotected against the sun over 5 years would be well in excess of $10,000. That makes the price of a shed cheap or makes offsite storage cheap.
Just gotta have big kahunas to put the cover on and be comfortable at heights.
ciao Johno