To Carport or leave uncovered

[ROBERT CROSS]

Originally Posted by CoCo9460

I just purchased my 28 ft Classic and read advice to not cover airstream because might ruin finish? Should I buy a cover and if so, which brand? Best Regards CoCo

I wouldn't, but what do I know?
Well... I know that a soft outdoor "waterproof"(not), cover froze to the roof of our first AS and wind buffeting scratched the he!! out of it.
Some agree, some don't and some that don't do...cover.

Bob
🇺🇸

17yrs SFSG...👍

[Native143]

My dilemma: leave the AS exposed so the batteries can maintain a charge?, or protect the AS with a carport and not worry about the batteries discharging?




Just take your batteries out and charge them at home with a portable charger. I have mine in storage too and that's what I do if it is to be stored longer than a couple weeks. Of course everything is turned off if I leave them in the AS.

[CampingJoe]

We will be celebrating our 20th anniversary of owning our beloved Bambi this Year. Had we not build a cover for it I’m 100% sure it would of been severely damaged all this years of Florida sun, rain, bird droppings etc.

[jwpaquette]

My ‘18 FC stays in Florida during the winter and I rely on the solar system to keep batteries ready to go. I close the blinds on all windows and skylights and when I get to it to take to use, all is well. The sun shades protect the interior and I have no complaints. I suppose it could get hit with hail or something. I subscribe to the idea that it was built to exist outdoors and I treat it as such.

[Scott59]

I would recommend you keep your AS under roof as much as possible. Sun and Rain are the two biggest enemies of your AS. The sun will be constantly working to dry out and diminish the effectiveness of all the sealant used around the roof penetrations, such as your AC units, fans, vent pipes, etc. As well as the sealants used where aluminum panels overlap. Rain is going to find it's way in once you have any compromise of roof/aluminum sealants. I would either remove your batteries and take them home with you or disconnect the negative cable and the batteries will be ok for a few weeks between charges. Remember, the Sun and Rain are always working to deteriorate all rubber, plastics and fabric and all types of sealants. If you have the ability to keep your AS out of the sun and rain when it's being stored you should do it as it will save you much maintenance and or repairs down the road.
Good luck!

[Milo1952]

I would NEVER use a cover on mine. The potential for damaging the finish is too
great.
Car Port is a great idea. Wish my village would allow it.
Take your batteries out if you wish, otherwise just disconnect them.
A fully charged batter will last a long time.

[bartzstream2]

Originally Posted by wwesthof

Thank you all. After reading the comments I began to wonder why I would even place the charging of batteries at the same degree as protecting a new AS!!!..duh!!! It is a no brainers! Thank you.

Protect the Airstream with a carport. Then you can leave some vents open to help keep the trailer cooler. Either disconnect the batteries, or at least the positive cables and there will be no drain on the batteries. If you do not want to disconnect the batteries, remove or disconnect the propane sniffer to keep it from draining the batteries. In some Airstreams at least, killing battery master switch does not turn off the sniffer.

[Glenritas]

And then there is the 'money no problem' solution a Garage with solar power and Tesla battery pack to run everything on 120v including the HVAC system in the garage.

Oh all right, I'll be quiet now and go to my room and think about what I said.

[Life is a Highway]

Florida sun and mold are brutal. A carport is nice but you need humidity control. Locked up left alone for weeks without attention is is asking for trouble.

Can you run power to a hurricane proof carport that would be the best.

Might want to consider under cover storage with power?

[hope]

Yes, cover the AS. Batteries are whole lot cheaper than repairs on an AS.