Travel trailers are fantastic companions for anyone who loves camping, road tripping or just traveling anywhere in comfort. But eventually, life usually catches up to you and you need to store your travel buddy away for a few months or even years! When this happens, you might be wondering what you should do to keep your trailer in top condition. But are travel trailer covers really essential to good storage?
Travel trailer covers are important pieces of equipment for any trailer owner to consider. Trailers that are stored without proper protection are vulnerable to UV damage, fading or erosion to the exterior layer, and lowered resale prices.
It’s surprisingly important to properly store your travel trailer when it’s not in use. Little things are easy to overlook, but they can end up costing you a lot in the long run. Travel trailer covers are one of the most important pieces of gear you can have when it comes to maintaining the quality of your trailer.
Dangers of Improper Trailer Storage
On paper, storing a travel trailer seems pretty simple. Just empty out the water tanks, remove all perishable food, lock the doors, and you’re good to go!
But there are actually a lot of hidden dangers and complications to storing a travel trailer. If you’re keeping your trailer outside, there are a lot of things that can damage an exposed vehicle. Any homeowner, farmer, or lost toy can tell you that Mother Nature isn’t kind to anything that’s left outside for too long.
Rain, hail, ice buildup, dust, sandstorms, tree sap, bird droppings, acid rain, and extended UV exposure can all cause lasting damage to an unprotected travel trailer.
Many travel trailers, fifth wheels, and other types of campers are protected by an exterior layer of fiberglass. This is a strong and attractive material that keeps the colors bright and the structure in good shape. But if it’s left out in the open without protection, fiberglass tends to oxidize. This basically means that its color is dulled and it becomes weaker to the elements. And once the fiberglass layer has been weakened, the rest of the hull can quickly follow.
Once this process has started, it can be hard to restore the trailer back to its original state. It’ll cost a lot of money to replace damaged pieces of the hull, and specialists are often needed to do work like this. Plus, this whole process can end up significantly reducing the resale value of your travel trailer. It’s hard to sell a vehicle that has obvious signs of wear and tear, and you won’t be able to get nearly the same amount for a trailer that looks worn down.
Plus, with a faded exterior, your travel trailer is going to lose some of its natural shine and polished look. The first thing that potential buyers will see if the outside of your RV, so it’s important to keep it looking classy. Keep those outer colors looking bright and you’ve got a much easier sale on your hands!
A good travel trailer cover can go a long way toward keeping your trailer in good shape during storage. They’re pretty cheap and will solve a lot of problems before they begin.
Things to Take into Account Concerning Trailer Covers
So, we’ve answered the first part of the question. Travel trailer covers are important pieces of equipment and can definitely help keep your vehicle protected while it’s not in use.
But how can you choose a good cover for your specific travel trailer? There are a lot of options on the market and it can be hard to know which features are necessary, and which ones are just fancy puff pieces.
The first thing you should look at is the size of your travel trailer. Covers come in a wide range of sizes, so you want to make sure that you buy one that’s the right fit for your vehicle. Make sure that you have accurate measurements of the exterior length, width, and height before you go shopping.
If you have an unusually sized trailer, or just want a more personalized product, you might want to look into custom covers. There are a lot of manufacturers that can sell you covers that are tailored to your individual needs.
Next up is the material and overall design of the covers. Many covers have multiple layers that provide different types of protection. Waterproof layers are obviously a necessity, but other comes with options like thermal insulation and zippered sections that can open independently.
When it comes to things like this, you’ll need to think about what you need the cover for as well as the climate of your area. If you’ll frequently need to get into your stored trailer, covers with optional openings might be a good choice. Likewise, if you live in particularly cold areas, an insulated covering will help protect your trailer from the harsh weather.
You can always pay for covers that are particularly cheap or expensive, but what you need will usually lie somewhere in the middle. Very cheap covers usually won’t provide the protection that your trailer requires, while very expensive covers usually go overboard with their options and luxury materials.
Trailer covers that are manufacturers by well known and trustworthy brands are always your best bet. You might find an option that seems nice and cheap, but you need to be careful when you deal with these. They might not be built to last in the same way that other covers are and you could end up losing more money than you expected.
Popular and Effective Travel Trailer Covers
As I mentioned earlier, there are a lot of choices for you to explore when you’re in the market for a travel trailer cover. It can be hard to find brands that you like or covers that will fit your vehicle.
To help point you in the right direction, I’ve collected the information of a few covers that have served their customers quite well over the years. Obviously you need to make sure that these covers will be good matches for your needs and the size of your trailer, but they’re a good place to start!
Each of these come highly recommended and are ranked in order of price. Check them out and see if they seem like good fits for you.
AmazonBasics Trailer RV Cover 30-33 Foot
- Price: $150- $175
- Rating: 4.1/ 5
This cover comes with extra thick layers across the roof to provide maximum protection from rain, snow, and hail damage. The top section is layered with 3-ply material while the sides are protected with thinner, more breathable material.
It also comes with front and rear panels that can be adjusted to tighten or loosen the cover according to the user’s needs. This elasticity helps the entire cover to fit the trailer better and provide the best seal of protection possible.
For more information on this product, including customer reviews, additional pricing information, and photo galleries, visit the product on Amazon here.
Leader Accessories Travel Trailer RV Cover 27-30 Foot L102 W104 H
- Price: $180- $200
- Rating: 3.5/ 5
This trailer cover comes from a wide family of products that are designed to fit nearly any length of travel trailer. This particular unit is designed for the 27 to 30-foot range, but other covers in this family range from 14 to 38 feet of coverage!
This trailer cover has a triple-ply roof covering and single-ply side covering to maximize the flow of moisture. With these breathable sides, mildew and mold won’t build up while it’s being stored. It also has adjustable panels to tighten or loosen the fit and zippered panels that allow easy access to doors and windows.
For more information on this product, including customer reviews, additional pricing information, and photo galleries, visit the product on Amazon here.
RVMasking 5-Ply Top TRavel Trailer RV Cover 22-24 Foot
- Price: $280- $310
- Rating: 4.4/ 5
This cover is one of the finest on the market and is designed to significantly increase your trailer’s outdoor lifespan. It has a 5-ply layer of protection along the top and 3-ply layers covering the sides. Each of these layers provides a different type of protection and will keep your trailer safe from pretty much anything.
This also has a system of waterproof straps and buckles along the bottom which, when coupled with the elastic hem and adjustable tension panels, help create a windproof seal that won’t billow or flap at all.
For more information on this product, including customer reviews, additional pricing information, and photo galleries, visit the product on Amazon here.
