'78 Trillium 4500

[SooozyQ]

Hello, I am SooozyQ and looking for decent cover for my Trillium. Has been outside for 25 years and need to redo molding too. Thanks for any suggestions.

[Donny T]

Hi SooozyQ,
Donny T here in Nova Scotia, Canada,.
My wife and I also have a 1978 4500. Ours is a Deluxe model c/w washroom. Love it. I retired today. Love it more.
We won't have to worry about a cover for a while, but would be interested if you found a supplier.
5 or 6 years ago I bookmarked a supplier that could even accommodate our roof vent but my computer crashed and I have never been able to find that one.
Have been put on a wait list for 3 various models with no luck.
Good luck, stay safe

[David Tilston]

Anything that attaches to your trailer, like a big bag, risks rubbing on the trailer in the wind. Over time this has been known to rub right through the gel coat. I would recommend one of those temporary car ports.

[thrifty bill]

My neighbor put up one of those cheap Harbor Freight carports. Four years later, its still standing. Meanwhile, I had a carport erected on my property. My carport (one of those metal ones they put up in four hours) cost about 10 times the money. And its nicer for sure. Only you can decide whether its worth it.

IMHO, campers belong under cover when not in use, either a carport or a garage. Being continually exposed to weather ages all campers, even molded FG ones. I've bought three used. Two were stored in garages, one was stored outside. Amazing the difference in condition.

I do not like covers for the reason David mentions above.

This:
https://www.harborfreight.com/10-ft-...opy-63054.html

or this: https://www.harborfreight.com/10-ft-...age-62860.html

I got one of these, there are other companies building similar carports throughout the USA:

https://www.carolinacarportsinc.com/...cal-roof-style

As always, local zoning and HOA rules can limit your choices.

[Donny T]

Originally Posted by thrifty bill

My neighbor put up one of those cheap Harbor Freight carports. Four years later, its still standing. Meanwhile, I had a carport erected on my property. My carport (one of those metal ones they put up in four hours) cost about 10 times the money. And its nicer for sure. Only you can decide whether its worth it.

IMHO, campers belong under cover when not in use, either a carport or a garage. Being continually exposed to weather ages all campers, even molded FG ones. I've bought three used. Two were stored in garages, one was stored outside. Amazing the difference in condition.

I do not like covers for the reason David mentions above.

This:
https://www.harborfreight.com/10-ft-...opy-63054.html

or this: https://www.harborfreight.com/10-ft-...age-62860.html

I got one of these, there are other companies building similar carports throughout the USA:

https://www.carolinacarportsinc.com/...cal-roof-style

As always, local zoning and HOA rules can limit your choices.

Thanks Dave and Thrifty Bill for keeping an eye on us re all things important. I was wondering the same thing with regards to something actually laying on and rubbing. I'll watch good ole Canadian Tire for a free standing model. Thanks again, safe camping.

[Raz]

I've thought about a carport but anything that will handle the snow load requires a permit and would be taxed. In my case it wouldn't take long before the long term tax cost would be more than the cost of the car port, so for now I stick to a coat of wax in the fall and a broom. After 11 years my gel coat still shines. Most of my damage is from stones and road debris.

[thrifty bill]

Beauty of taxes here with a rate of $10 per $1000 it takes 100 years to be taxed the cost of the carport.

[Tom_T]

Soozy -

We used the Classic Accessories FG Trailer Cover (2 sizes) since early 2019 here in SoCal, until we can get a Trellis/Carport built for our 1970 Eriba Puck & 1960 Avion T20. But we'll probably still keep it covered when under to open carport/trellis, in order to keep the blowing dirt & dust off of it.

It's good for reducing solar effects, it's semi-water resistant but helps in the rain (when we get any).

It's the light weight rip-stop poly-blend material - so hopefully not as bad for rubbing issues noted above (we've gotten 50-70+ mph Santa Ana winds here in Orange CA). Pucks are painted Aluminum side skins with FG roof & pop-top - so ours is going to be even more sensitive to rubbing the paint, than is the thicker & 2-part cured gel coat on the full fiberglass trailers like your Trillium.

They also make a heavier duty cover now for FG trailers & the single layer one we got, here:

https://classicaccessories.com/cover..._list_limit=96

Use their instructions photo at the listing pics to measure your trailer to pick the size from their 8'-10', 11'-31', or 13'-16' sizes (FG body measurements only - not the LP & A-frame, rear bumper - unless you want to cover them with a looser fitting cover).

Cheers!

Tom
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[Tom_T]

Originally Posted by thrifty bill

Beauty of taxes here with a rate of $10 per $1000 it takes 100 years to be taxed the cost of the carport.

While slightly OT - this comment may affect the OP Soozy's decision on doing a carport as some have suggested.

Soozy should check the property tax laws in her home state of OR - regardless of what it is in NC or CA.

FYI Soozy - the "portable" canvas carports/garages like the ones posted above are generally not taxed nor considered permanent taxable improvements. However some homeowner associations, CCRs &/or City/County codes don't allow them - so check your situation.



But Bill - how much can they raise it in NC, & how much are the school & other bonds on top of that $10 per $1000?

FYI - at a permanently fixed 1.00% per $1000 here in CA - including limiting school & city/county bonds, etc. (only the owners in a district or the original developer can add an improvement bond for infrastructure by a vote, & that's done because bond rates are lower than the interest rate putting it on your mortgage as an included cost of your home).

And your total home & property annual tax amount of say $1000 can only go up by 2% per year - so $1000 + $20 in this example, and there is no reassessment on that base tax rate valuation forever if you later add to or improve your home, add the carport, etc. - but rather they only add on the 1% for the new added construction's value.

I don't know if NC does that, or if your additions trigger a new assessment of the then current value of the total home & property value at the time of adding the carport, or whatever.

So it's actually the same as your $10 per $1000 - but here in CA we're permanently protected by our 1970's Proposition 13 laws from any increases more than 2% per year of that $10 per $1000.

While it's the same 100+ years here, but NC can change that rate &/or add other school bonds etc. to your property tax rates at any time.

I don't believe that NC has the same permanent property tax protections from increases, nor from the other added bonds etc.

My Aunt in PA was taxed out of her home - not by the $10 per $1000 property tax - but by the $8000+ per year local bond payments added on top of that on her little $75,000 value home! That's less than 10 years for bond payments alone equally her entire home. So both the basic property tax & all local property taxes, bonds, etc. need to be considered.

CA's property tax protections are well understood nor properly taken into account by the Forbes Magazine & others who rate CA's "tax friendliness" - and so are all too often misrepresented both outside CA, as well as by real CA licensed estate professionals who are supposed to know better (including even the CA Realtors Assn.).


Additionally - CA also does not tax Social Security.

Cheers!
Tom
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