Are Caravan Covers Worth It?


Given how big of an investment a caravan constitutes, no-one is really going to argue the fact that you need to take good care of your tourer. Even if you do not intend on reselling it and just want to get as many years’ worth of use out of it as possible, that is only going to be possible if you look after it properly.

With all that in mind, it would seem that investing in a caravan cover was a straightforward decision to make. Yet, there are many people out there who are still not convinced it is really as good an idea as is made out.

Although we are very much in favour of caravan covers here at Caravan Helper, we can appreciate where both sides of the debate are coming from. That is why we have decided to tackle the subject head-on with a look at the pros and cons of caravan covers.

Pros

Protection Against The Natural World and the Extremities

The very reason why you would invest in a caravan cover is to protect your pride and joy from any kind of damage while it is not being used. For the most part, especially if you invest in a high-quality product made with the best materials, that is exactly what they do – keep your caravan safe from harm.

As well as protecting the paintwork and other components, such as satellites, aerials and other things on the roof from rain, they also protect the weaker points in the construction too.

Water damage, mould and mildew are three of the biggest causes of problems with caravans and other touring vehicles that can be very expensive to fix (if that is even possible). Therefore, anything that can be done to keep water out, is a mighty fine thing in our book.

Of course, it’s not just the rain, dirt, dust, sand and snow that is a problem for caravans, the sun’s rays can be too. As well as having a detrimental effect on the paintwork, they can actually cause problems with the windows and the frame and general structural integrity. Which is why most caravan covers as standard feature some form of UV protection or resistance.

Caravan Covers Are Higher Quality Than They Used To Be

One of the issues many caravanners have with caravan covers is that they used to be a waste of money. Older forms of caravan cover only had relatively short lifespans of a year, if you were very fortunate, and usually, in that time they became very brittle and worn out. All of that changed as new innovations in the designs, access to better materials and better production equipment and techniques were introduced.

Helps to Prolong the Lifespan and Maintain a Reasonable Resale Value

The knock-on effect of offering protection in the above ways is that it will help prolong the lifespan of your tourer and Which in turn will help with the resale value. Even if you cannot fathom the concept of selling your beautiful shiny tourer, things change in life quickly. By using a cover as often as you can, you will reduce the amount of wear and tear and therefore repairs and maintenance jobs you need to complete before putting it up for sale.

Cons

Annoying to Take Off and Put Back On

Depending on the brand and the model of caravan covert you get, as well as the design and shape of your tourer, it could be very easy or extremely difficult to put your cover on and off. When you are visiting your caravan to do light maintenance, cleaning or any other servicing or checks on it, you may find it irritating to have to always uncover and then re-cover it.

This may be an especially big problem if you tend to visit it (or plan to) often during the down periods when it is not in use.

Can Cause Mould and Mildew

Although this sounds ridiculous, because after all, one of the main reasons why you would invest in a caravan cover in the first place would be to stop the rain and any water damaging it, it could still cause the development and growth of mould and mildew. It all comes down to whether you have a breathable caravan cover or not.

When a cover is wrapped and secured too tightly around the whole of your tourer, the material can sweat, which results in the build-up of water and then the frustrating and serious effects outlined above.

Could Damage Your Vehicle

In the past, caravan covers were not made to the highest specification. Therefore, many were made with materials that were very scratchy and would damage the windows and paintwork. This problem was also exacerbated by the fact that a lot of caravan covers didn’t fit the vehicles they were designed for accurately.

The Bottom Line

On either side of the debate of whether caravan covers are worth it or not, there are some very compelling arguments. Really it comes down to personal preference. If you have your caravan under a shelter in the times it is not being used and it is relatively safe from harm, then we understand why you might not want ta caravan cover.

We would also argue that although there are some serious sounding cons to caravan covers, a lot of these can be easily rectified and avoided. For example, by investing in caravan covers that have more robust protection across the roof of your tourer, while the sides have a more breathable material to allow a flow of air around the vehicle and between it and the fabric, to prevent sweating.

Modern caravan covers are not made with harsh and scratchy materials, especially if you opt for a product by a reputable brand. And as the market for them, as expanded, you can more easily find the right size and shaped cover suitable for your tourer, that will prevent scratches and other damages.

Want to find out more about choosing a caravan cover and find our favourite products, take a look at this post we published recently.

 


Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *