When to cover your RV?

[sharpest]

This is probably a really dumb question but here goes:

We live in Portland, Oregon and have had our 1983 Sunrader since May of this year. We have put 10,000 miles on it since we bought it. I actually like driving it so much that I am using it as a second car. I drive it just about every day.

Well, we are into the rainy season up here and I recently bought an RV cover from Camping World. Do I need to cover the Sunrader every time I park it? Does anyone have any rule of thumb about when to cover your RV?

I will appreciate any suggestions.

Bob

[Pat]

Do you ever see dealers covering RVs? I have read lots of bad things on other forums about covering RVs.

[Supurcar]

I know in Portland it is very humid, but if you are driving the thing everyday I do not know if I would cover it, maybe build a carport to drive it under to keep it dry. I know in old boats the fiber glass rots and weakens if there is moisture, so that is what I would worry about in humid climates, and mold.

I just winterized mine, to make sure water does not freeze in the pipes, but I am still driving too, as I cannot resist driving it around, I just do not use the sink or shower. I would just make real sure nothing is leaking into the RV around windows and vents etc., but I am by no means an expert on RV care so I would look for a more opinions.

[Redwood]

We live in Portland, Oregon and have had our 1983 Sunrader since May of this year. We have put 10,000 miles on it since we bought it. I actually like driving it so much that I am using it as a second car. I drive it just about every day.

Bob

Good for you putting on loads of miles! .. I hope to " Wear mine out" too! I am considering using mine for casual trips to town, just to keep things working etc, on the Other hand, wondering.. " save the miles?" doesn't make much sense at this point.. 80k miles.. 86 sunrader.. BUT, with gas as high as it is.. I just jump in my pickup truck instead.. but, I would like to hear more opinions about using it OFTEN instead of 'sitting' . 15 MPG? .. 7 miles to town.. so, $5 a trip, vs my pickup? well, I don't keep close track of mileage in it, so, even at Half? .. its Not that much More, right? I guess, my Main problem, I kinda Back mine into a spot at home.. not difficult, I put a backup camera on it.. so, perhaps, I WILL drive it More now'!

[futar]

Hi Sharp, I live down here on the central Oregon Coast. Your Sunrader is not as critical for covering as some of the others because the roof is curved so that water runs off. My Winnebago has a flat roof with an indent where the air conditioner is. Water collects there. I wait until the last minute to cover because I have to shut off the fridge so that the heat won't ruin the cover.

If you do cover, get the roof dry first so moss and mold won't form underneath. Some roofing zinc spray will help. I would use it on outside trim and window seals also. The black mold here is brutal to get off. Bi-Mart has it. I would cover and put it up during the ice storm season in Portland. In fact, I wouldn't drive because Oregonians panic if there's even one inch of snow on the ground. I bought cable chains for the MH.

I made the mistake when I moved here of not leaving heat on in the MH the first winter. The cabinets warped and mold set in. I now leave a ceramic heater on low all the time. I pull out the drawers and leave cabinets open.

Good luck,

Oh, feel free to drop by if you're down this way.

[sharpest]

Thanks to all of you for the good feedback and the invite to drop by on our travels. Best to all of you.

Bob

[hansamsterdam]

Hi BoB, it is not a silly question, it is a real fact with these old Toyota's, for you know it, you have everywere rust, if you have no garage or place for a roof, then the campercover is a option, You still drive almost everyday, you can put the cover maybe in the weekend on the sunrader or a few days when bad weather comes,. I have the same problem, in Amsterdam in the Netherlands , its rains a lot, I bought a campercover a few weeks a ago, because the last 4 years my Toyota mini-Cruise 1981 was at a farmer for 6 months, but the problem is , I could not drive sometimes a few miles for the engine, I could not do fix something etc, besides the 25 dollar for to stable the Toyota in the month, It is a choise, what you do, I do not know at the moment if it is bad for the Toyota , the cover must rule the moisture, there are smalle holes in the cover, to do that, I do for the time being the cover on the Toyota the whole year, because on the front of the roof the water can not leave, I think this is a constuction fault, maybe later I make I topbox on the roof, I like the alluminium box, you on Camperparts on Ebay in the states, they are not in the netherland, not cheap 600 dollar, For me is the cover always better then standing in the rain all the times, when it is a nice sunday, I do the cover away, doors open ventilate the whole thing, put the battery in the Toyota, and drine a few miles, clean things etc. I do it may way ( hans sinatra) to get the old Toyota keeping alive for another few years, the only thing, I be afraid, that someone set fire in the cover, when I let my dog out ( Lunah, a Alaska Malamute) in the late evening, I always check my Toyota. I let you know, how things are going with the cover and of course with the Toyota, I hope, you can read my schoolenglish after 45 years, and maybe you can do something with it. Further I wish every member nice christmasdays and a good and healthy TOYOTA 2008!!!!!!!!! greetings from a newby Hans from Amsterdam in the Netherlands

[sharpest]

Hans,

Thanks for the nice reply and welcome to the Toyota RV world. I am very new to this as well. Please let me know how your RV cover works for you. This group has been very helpful to me when I had any questions about our Sunrader. I am sure you will learn a lot from all the questions and comments posted here as I have.

(My wife and I have been to the Netherlands to visit a friend and former business partner. His name is Hans Glaser and he and his family live in Almere. We enjoyed our trip very much. You have a very beautiful country and very frendly people.)

By the way, your English is very good.

Best Regards,

Bob

[turtle]

As suggested a car port for parking under would be best. You can get a "temporary" tube frame covered unit for a very reasonable price.

If you do put it away and wish to cover it, I would recommend a tyvek cover as they breath and you will not have as much of a moisture issue with this type of cover.

I've used Adco tyvek covers for years and have never had any moisture issues

I now have a 14' tall double garage that I keep both of my Toyota motor homes in.

[hansamsterdam]

Hi Bob, thanks for your message ! Nice, that you were in the Netherlands with your wife, in ALMERE lives my son Dave with his wife and 2 children, Cheyenne is 2 and a half year and Jayden is 6 weeks old and I am the grand-father, yes, I am getting older but I have still have the Toyota and makes me young and old by the worries, I bought this old thing almost 5 years ago, first I have fix a Volkwagen Westfalia , but my wife think the VW were to small, so I saw somewere the Toyota, I bought it by his space and looks, but after a week I had many regrets, It was throwing money away, I was alone, not critical, I learn a lot about this, how much you want something, you must be critical for your expensive earned money, I payed 5000 euro= about 6700 dollar far too much, for that money you have a nice sunrader in America, the Sunrader you do not see here around, I think I have the only Toyota Mini-Cruise in the Netherlands, only the Toyota Dolfin you see sometimes. I see om Ebay and other items, that you have very splendid Toyota campers, specially the Sunrader, wich camperpart is of fiberglass, that much better, then the alluminium camperpart I have, much weighty , that little thing is over the 2000 kilo's, and after 26 years little holes come in the allu, wich after so many years oxedeert (dutch) therefore I bought the cover, otherwise I have in a few years a RV with holes like bullets, HaHa. The Netherlands is not a real Campercountry, the petrol is now 1 liter 1,50 euro = almost 2 dollar !!, and the Toyota runs on 1 liter about 4 a 5 mile, far too much, the engine ( 20 R) must renovate, I think, but that cost a lot, and what runs that runs, then you have the caming (trailerparc) a day cost about 20 a 25 euro = almost 30 dollar, we are going oft to a farmerscamping, that cost about 12 a 15 euro=16 a 20 dollar, and you have taxes, only the RV of 25 years old you do not have to pay roadtaxes anymore, but to have a RV besides your normal car, it is not cheap, but for me it is a occupation, but the trouble with these old Toyota's, you cannot have parts, only in the States at the carpartswarehouses and others, but they do not ship to Europe, It takes me 5 months to get a new chromegrille with chrome covers, thans by Pat, who helps me to buy the parts at Carbodyparts and sent the parts to my adress, now I looking for a new chromefrontbumper. The Toyota is now a little bit better, but I have still a lot of work, next time I shall tell you more about it, You have bought a Sunrader, splendid for you, can you sent a picture ? I do the same soon, first I must learn how to do it, from my son Dave, Did you know that Almere 40 years ago were water, they found boats, when they digging ? nice to know, the Netherlands were former 80% water, we make land, we are good in that kind of things, Oke, bob, I see you next time, have a nice weekend with your wife and.......of course your SUNRADER, greeting from Hans in Amsterdam