Should I buy a Cover?

[Justine P]

I will Be getting a 1986 UHaul CT 13 from my uncle Shortly. He inherited it, and being the backpacking kind of guy has no use for it and offered it to me and my Family. We are gladly taking it off his hands... Here is the question. As far as I know the trailer has not been under any sort of cover. It was living in Oregon and Now Humboldt County , Ca. It will be getting a Climate shock as It will soon be residing in Dayton, Nv. We are high Desert here, Snow in Winter, hot sun in summer, we are at about 4,400 ft, above sea level, with about 340 days of sun a year. Should I be covering this Unit? I know fiberglass boats that sit out in the desert sun without cover don't fare well here. I have a '87 Tent trailer and a '77 Layton that we do not cover but they both have rubber roofs. Thanks in advance for any advice ya'll might have for us! We are looking forward to bringing this lil' gem home and making it ours.

[CathyAnn]

I have no experience with this, but, considering where you live, IMO, I would buy a cover to be on the safe side.

[TomandCallie]

I'm a big fan of covering everything as best you can. Not with the blue vinyl tarp kind of thing, but a quality breathable cover. Better yet - under a carport. Still better - in a garage. Now, I know you knew all this. The sun and weather will ruin just about everything in time.

[Glenn Baglo]

A member on the Escape Forum recently asked how to wash their cover. Apparently it was green from sitting outside in the Pacific Northwest.

[WDavidG]

We have a long "off-season" here in Vermont and are firm believers in the value of a (breathable) cover during that period. Protects the fiberglass finish, caulking, and rubber around the windows and we can keep windows cracked under the cover for winter ventilation.

[Justine P]

Ok, Thank you. I will wait until it gets here, but I have seen some Rv covers that are made for them on E-bay, they even have door access. So I am thinking that is the way to go. Thanks!

[Justine P]

Tee-hee.. I don't think I will have that problem, not here... although the trailer might be green? Just kidding. I have a outside pic and she looks nice.

[Justine P]

ok, I didn't realize that the reply doesn't go on the post like on FB... Thank you everyone for commenting on this. I will look into buying a cover and keeping the lil' Bit covered while not in use. Looks like that is the best thing to do. I have seen covers that are made for them with door openings so you can access the inside while it is covered. Looks like a good deal.. maybe put some straps on it while it's on? the wind we get here is out of this world. Don't want it to be torn to sheds to quickly.

[WDavidG]

We use a Calmark cover. It's a bit pricey but seems worth it. It is both well made of a breathable fabric and custom fabricated for your specific model of trailer and comes with sewn-in tie down straps and a drawstring (actually, draw-rope) around the bottom. It also has a zippered flap over the door for easy access to your trailer while it is covered.

[mary and bob]

Some Uhaul owners on the Facebook group have bought covers. You may want to ask there.

[LBJohnson]

Congratulations on your new addition Justine. Here is what has evolved with my 2013 Scamp in Reno: First it sat outside on the side of the house for 1 summer. I was concerned about its pristine new condition, so I sewed together a couple of flannel queen sheets to cover it and then put a tarp over that (didn't want a tarp to mar the Gelcoat finish or the flannel to get soaked). Numerous tie downs to 5-gallon buckets sort of kept things in place. Second, I purchased an enclosed portable garage. You know, the tarp-quality ones that the big box stores carry. This worked a couple of years but was hella noisy during those 50 MPH wind storms. I still maintained the flannel sheet cover to keep the dust off (high-desert living, oh joy), but kept that on with a new 25-foot bungy cord from Harbor Freight. That garage cover deteriorated faster than I cared for, so, thirdly, I bribed the husband into building a solid wood garage for it. This has worked wonderfully, and just in time too, especially as the several feet of snow during this "Snowzilla" winter would have been too much to deal with.

I hope that you are living on extended property (acreage) in Dayton, and can make a solid room for your new toy. I plan to keep my Scamp for at least 10 years, if not longer. I might need to upgrade to a 16 footer someday (but then it wouldn't fit in the FGRV garage).

By the way, I still keep the flannel sheet cover over the Scamp (again, desert living). These little FGRV guys really maintain their value. Take good care of yours, and you will be happy you did.

[gordon2]

I have been reading about the cover vs. no cover issue since the middle of 2015 and if you search old threads there are a lot on the topic. I have gone back and forth on buying one but not pulled the trigger and at this point doubt I will. Despite the rather one sided replies so far in this thread, overall I think that opinions are split pretty much 50-50. There are pros and cons to either approach and it largely comes down to your individual situation. Of course a car port or garage is ideal and offers many advantages over a cover which can be difficult to use. Since you live in an area warm climate and intense sun you might want a cover if you store the trailer for many months of the year, but will you store it since you can use it almost year-round? And will you use a cover that’s a PIA to put on when you are only storing the trailer for a few weeks? I am of the school of thought that you can maintain the trailer quite well in most climates with frequent waxing and treating the rubber with silicone paste.

Ventilation is critical also, and with the recent Scamps that have the Jalousie windows I found you can leave them open a little year round in North Carolina. And with a cover over the Fantastic Fan vent, you can leave the roof vent open a little also and the air circulates quite well, keeping mold at bay. I don’t know about your trailer however.

A bad (fitting) cover is worse than none at all and will cause all sorts of problems including abrading the gel-coat, esp. if your don't clean the trailer thoroughly before covering it. A cover that does not breath will be a problem also. There is only one brand of cover I would consider and it is Calmark, but expect to spend over $500. That buys a lot of wax, or makes a nice down payment on a carport which will last longer.

There is no hurry so do your research. Its lived this long, one more summer should be no problem especially if you take good care of the finish.

[tua]

My question regarding covers, besides protection of the gel coat, rubber window seals, tires etc from extreme weather, can I assume that a cover (like the CalMark (sunbrella material) will also lower the temperature inside the tt when it is hot outside and keep the temperature warmer inside the tt when it is cold outside? And if so, has anyone ever recorded the temperature difference from outside the tt to inside the tt with a coat on?

[TomandCallie]

If you have the space for it, a beautiful steel carport can be had for well less than $2000. I bought a 21 ft. by 12 ft, wide by 9 ft. high, A-frame carport with vertical panels, the high wind package and high snow load package last summer for $1900 installed. All you have to do is prep the site the way you want it. Ideal way to go if you have the right lot.

[Justine P]

Wow, thank you everyone for all your thoughts and Ideas. I was thinking in the way of a car port eventually.... the lil' trailer has survived this far in life being out I believe, I do not cover the '87 Starlight tent trailer or the '77 layton. They do sit during the winter months, Husband and I are both truck drivers and time off, even weekends is limited for me. We mainly use the trailers memorial day through Halloween. I think after the addition is built onto our home I will look into getting the supplies to build a carport next to our garage to cover this lil' guy from the sun and getting a snow load. I don't really know what kind of condition the Uhaul is in , I have not yet seen it in person. Just one picture of the outside, and a few of the inside poor quality, My Uncle did tell me that in the last year that it has sat out in his driveway it has not leaked.. But hey it's free and I think It will be a little easier for our Nissan Xterra to pull around. We have two small children 1 and 5 that will be camping with us in it, once we get it and make it ours.

[rick in arvada]

I have tried several covers for my Scamp16 over the years. Each time, the only result was abrasion from the occasional windy day here in Colorado. My conclusion is that they do more harm than good.

[gordon2]

Originally Posted by Justine P

... and a few of the inside poor quality, ....

Sounds like you will be doing a good amount of work on it.. and that makes a carport or garage even more prefered, if not mandatory.

Originally Posted by TomandCallie

If you have the space for it, a beautiful steel carport can be had for well less than $2000. ...Ideal way to go if you have the right lot.

Fully agree, and in fact I am home shopping now, and having the option for a carport (or better) for my Scamp is a requirement that has made me pass on a few otherwise nice places.

[mary and bob]

No leaks in a Uhaul is a big plus. They are noted for leaks around the side windows, at the marker lights also where you won't see it unless you look in the storage areas. Ours had a couple leaks in the roof seam too

[Justine P]

Ok Good to know. I Still have not had the time to go up and get the trailer, Looks like with the roads the way they are it might be a while, but eventually I think I am just going to go the carport route. I think that is the best for what I have going on here at my house. I really appreciate everyone's input and tips on where to find my leaks!

[JohnF]

My 2012 scamp 13' sits outside from April through Nov and then goes into a barn for the winter. I've always kept it covered when not in use, mainly to preserve the gelcoat from the UV damage.

I had a late 70's sailboat and the gelcoat was like chalk by late 90s despite all sorts of magic 3M and West Marine potions to "revive" it. In contrast, once I wash the scamp, it still looks brand new. I usually do one coat of wax mid-season and then one right before fall storage.

We don't get much wind though in the midwest so never had a chaffing/abrasion problem.

Initially tried a cheap ebay cover for $90 or so. It was easy to put on because of the weight, but fell apart in less than 2 years. Bit the bullet and bought a Calmark. Its great, but heavy so harder to put on (can't just "toss" it over the top as easy). But its bulletproof and I feel confident the fabric and stitching will last another decade or more.

Just another data point.