Popup camper cover

[shankwheat]

I just bought a used 2002 Starcraft popup camper that's in pretty decent shape.  I have to store it outdoors for the winter and I live in Maine.  I'm looking for suggestions on covers, tarps etc. to keep the ice and snow from destroying it.

Thanks

[Spirit Deer]

Congrats and welcome!

Snow and ice won't hurt it any, really.  It's made to be resist the weather, after all.  If you get a lot of heavy, wet snow you're going to have to keep the roof shoveled off  regardless of whether you cover it or not.

To protect it from UV rays, a breathable cover works well.  I think ours was made by Adco.  We bought a cover four feet longer than our trailer's box, so it covers the whole thing from the front of the hitch to the rear bumper, including spare tire in the back and gas tanks on the front.

[bradnailer]

I bought a pop up RV cover from J. C. Whitney and am pleased with it.  It totally covers the box, spare tire and front including the hitch and propane bottles.  The cover was sized from 14' to 16'.  Our box is 14-1/2'.

In West Texas, we don't get a ton of rain or snow but the sun can be brutal.  That is the main reason I bought the cover, to protect the trailer from the sun.

[beemerphile1]

Buy tire covers, I always cover my tires when stored for long periods. 

Raise or lower the tongue to shed water and snow.  Level is only needed if running refrigerator, doesn't hurt anything when stored.

[Mike n Leslie]

I;m just looking into a popup cover, I've never covered any of my previous pups, but I am now the proud owner of an 1996 Fleetwood/Coleman ABS roof.    Silly questionL what keeps the covers on?

[chiefd]

I;m just looking into a popup cover, I've never covered any of my previous pups, but I am now the proud owner of an 1996 Fleetwood/Coleman ABS roof.    Silly questionL what keeps the covers on?

IIRC these roofs can not use a cover at all.  Hopefully others will chime in who have owned this infamous roof.

[Oz and Us]

I;m just looking into a popup cover, I've never covered any of my previous pups, but I am now the proud owner of an 1996 Fleetwood/Coleman ABS roof.    Silly questionL what keeps the covers on?

IIRC these roofs can not use a cover at all.  Hopefully others will chime in who have owned this infamous roof.

I've looked through quite a few Fleetwood owners manuals including that for our previous 2000 Santa Fe and haven't noted any warning to not cover an ABS roof at all, only to not use a tarp that can't breathe.  I always kept my Santa Fe stored in my heated workshop so the issue of storing it outdoors never came up but had I needed to do that I'd have probably used an ADCO Tyvek breathable cover, just as I now use on our travel trailer.

These breathable covers have straps with buckles that are used to tie the cover down tightly so it won't blow in the wind but I add a few of my own and also use rope on the front and rear of the trailer to further secure the cover so it won't needlessly flap in the wind.

[Kelley]

There are so many kinds of camper covers!  Help!  We just purchased our first camper...2005 Rockwood and we love it, but after a torrent of rain the last few weeks, we opened it up this weekend and had some water leaking, either around the fan or the A/C unit.  So, for now, my dear husband covered it with a tarp during a thunderstorm last night.  We'd like to get a decent cover that would last for about 3 years, cover the battery and propane tank, and be easy on easy off....what kind do we buy?  How do we stop the leaking?   

[Porky]

Yeah, I need a good cover for outdoor storage. Lots of rain, lots of sun. Is there a good do it all cover?

[teachjp]

Kelley,
The breathable covers are not completely waterproof.  A tarp that does not allow air circulation will cause mold and mildew to find their way into the camper, I know from experience.  You have to find the source of the leak and fix it.  We cover our hybrid because it sits under trees and the leaves and sap all over and we don't have an option where to park it.  Good luck.
JP

[Kelley]

ugh...I was hoping to ignore the leak...we're camping this weekend and I guess we'll see what happens.  I bought a breathable cover, but was thinking I could spray the waterproofing stuff over the part where the vent and a/c unit are...or would that cause mold as well?

[biken201]

Seeing whereas I store my PU in the brutal Arizona sun, I keep it covered to protect from UV damage.  I initially used a plastic tarp, but that caused discoloration and minor rub damage at the corners where the tarp was in the most contact with the camper.  For about the last year I've been using an ADCO Tyvek cover and it seems to do the job.  The strap/buckles secure it well, and I've never had a problem with it coming loose in even the most brutal monsoon storm.

After about a year of use, the sides are starting to become brittle and tearing at spots.  I think that the tearing issue is unavoidable due to the fact that it is getting direct sunlight almost 365 days a year.  If they were to make the material heavier, I think it would cause the same issue I had with the tarp, so I figure this one should last another year and then I'll just replace it with a new one.