RV Cover

[seareed]

I have a 2001 Airstream Excella 30W and am looking for a good protective cover. Can anyone reccommend a cover I should consider. Thanks.

[GStephens]

If you are considering a tarp or cloth type of cover. Please don't. The cover will immediately begin to abrade the finish. It will wear through the protective finish on the aluminum in a matter of days as the wind causes it to slightly move back and forth. As it rubs on the aluminum itself, it will cause dark grey rub marks on your panels. It will also scratch your plastic rock guards over your front windows.

The panels of the later Airstream products (from at least the 1970s vintage, I think) are protected by a finish referred to as plasticoat. It was developed to withstand aluminum's tendancy to expand and contract as it heats up and cools down. To do that, by necessity, it is not as durable as perhaps an automotive clearcoat might be. Because of plasticoat's characteristics, a cloth cover in direct contact with the panels will erode the coating. The plasticoat is expensive to repair. I think somewhere in the neighborhood of $120 a linear foot of trailer. The existing finish must be stripped, the aluminum, repolished, and new coating reapplied.

Either construct a permanent shed or building under which to park your Airstream, or simply wax it several times a year. Of course wax won't protect it against hail or falling tree limbs, but then neither will a cloth cover. Check out all of the many threads on this forum about plasticoat, its care, and replacement. I store mine in one of my barns.
GStephens

[dmac]

Keep in indoors! For $500/year, or just over $40/month, my trailer is in a newer pole barn with a concrete floor and easy in/out access about 25 miles from my suburban home. It is out of the sun, rain, hail, and snow. The plasticoat will last a long time, the trailer won't leak, and it's a bit more secure. Ask at any farm house that has a big pole barn - they should know someone who has space.

Like GStephens says - no fabric RV covers for Airstreams!

[seareed]

Thanks fo the input.

[Bob Thompson]

I think there are some good fabric buildings out there worth considering. Go to: www.farmtek.com then choose "Shop Online" then go to page 320 in their catalog. There are several pages of choices for easily assembled durable fabric buildings. I have one of the Storage Master 14x24x10 buildings for a showroom in Quartzsite and it has withstood some serious 60 mph + wind and dust storms without any sign of weakness and it looks like it is going to be quite durable also. The round top design doesn't flutter in the wind when properly tensioned. The Storage Master would be a good choice for an RV cover.

[jdleezer]

For about $1500, I just put in an aluminum carport/trailerport in my sideyard (behind the fence). It's 18 ft wide, 36 ft long, and about 14 ft high at the apex. This gives me plenty of room to to work on it (including on top of it), even when it's raining. And it keeps the 69 trailer out of the weather, reducing the likelyhood of any more water damage.

[87MH]

Originally Posted by jdleezer

For about $1500, I just put in an aluminum carport/trailerport in my sideyard (behind the fence). It's 18 ft wide, 36 ft long, and about 14 ft high at the apex.

I did about the same thing last year.

Shopped the materials for the lowest price, did most all of the hauling with the one ton, and did as much of the work myself as possible -- picked up "weekend workers" as needed.

Total for materials and hired labor was $3,000 for a 16' X 54' X 16' tall structure. I used 6 "I" beams (6" X 6"), and set the front two pairs into 2' X 2' X 4' deep holes, then filled with sacked concrete mix.

One of the reasons I live in the area I do is that there are NO subdivision rules to contend with.

[bake315]

Originally Posted by seareed

I have a 2001 Airstream Excella 30W and am looking for a good protective cover. Can anyone reccommend a cover I should consider. Thanks.

If you don't mind driving a little ways from Bastrop, Capitol RV Storage in Manor is where I keep mine right now - Private, lockable covered stalls with water, light and electricity. Concrete floors. I live in Austin and it takes me no more than about 20 minutes to get to it.

[BeerSnob]

Having to face the prospect of a potential hail storm here in Colorado Springs, my wife and I were panicking and started to cover the front few feet of our trailer (1971 31' Sovereign) with a blanket and a tarp. My concrete guy was working in our yard, and suggested a concrete warming blanket. They use these to cover fresh concrete in freezing weather. We bought a double-width, and it's 12'x24' with about 1" of padding inside. $97 at the local concrete supply company. It's even silver colored on one side, so it looks like it's made for the AS. Covers about 90% of the roof, but time will tell if it actually prevents any damage. Can't hurt, especially since our plasticote has long been eroded away...