andyh Posted February 9, 2011 Share Posted February 9, 2011 we are thinking of a cover for our van conversion to keep the winter weather off but havent seen any being used locally are they a good idea or do they cause problems ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisallys Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 Hi my own experience is that when its windy they do tend to rub the van unless quite tightly secured and then if too tight the straps pull off the webbing, tried it for a couple of winters but now resort to cleaning on a regular basis and leave the polish on instead of polishing off. hope that helps a bit Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Anne Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 Hi Andyh, We have a Protec Topcover - I don't think they make them anymore. But they do supply the full covers. I have no complaints about ours, yes it does tend to flap a bit in the strong winds but it has never left any signs of rubbing. Suppose it's down to how good the fit is in the first place and quality of the fabric, so a custom made one for your van is probably advisable. Ours is breathable and certainly keeps the water and frost out of all the important places on the roof. Only downside is that it's a bu**er to put on! So once it's on it stays there for several weeks. Hope this helps, John & Anne. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayjsj Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 I always used one on my old van, it kept the Salt Air off of the van, and provided you washed and polished it before covering it, it comes out of 'Bed' spick and span. mine was a 'Protec' cover and it never damaged the van, and we DO get stong winds here in Fishguard. The 'Sharp' bits of the van did slowly damage the cover though, and they give you a big bit of 'spare' material to repair it with.(or should i say they used to ?). Not too difficult to put on, and having a 'door' was handy so you can access the van without taking it off. Down side..... you can't be spontaneous and just 'go for a drive' if the weather is nice. (you could say the van is wearing a 'Burka' i suppose !!) ;-) ;-) Ray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tug Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 We have had a Specialised Cover (used to be Specialised Accessories) for 4 years and although it was "made to measure" there is a lot of spare. That's useful for pulling it onto the van but it does flap a bit in the wind. You need to be fit and healthy to pull the cover onto a large van and need at least one other person to help. Once on, the straps under the van pull it in and are easy to tighten. After 4 years use there is a very small amount of water ingress through the cover to the roof but it drains away or dries. We haven't noticed any damage to the bodywork and it works for us. Aligning the cover so that the door is accessible is easy and an onboard CTEK charger keeps the battery charged for the 3 or 4 months the van is under cover. The problem many will have, if like us you have roof bars (KonTiki), is that rain water will collect on the roof with potential for damage to the cover and van. We attach two large polycarbonate sheets, cut to size, to the roof bars with plastic ties and then put the cover on. We do get two small puddles on the roof but not the large you would get without the sheets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayjsj Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 My Talisman had a roof-rack too, the first year of having the cover on, it became a 'high level Duckpond' very picturesque but not very good for the cover. I just bought 4 beach balls and strung a couple of aerolastics across and put the balls in the rack (painful) worked very well, ducks had to find another pond. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 I see little point in using one on any van let alone a van conversion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mirage Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 I used one on a caravan a few years ago which was made by a well known company using the breathable material it kept the outside reasonable but mildew increased inside. So I would`nt personally use one again, bit of a pain putting it on and off. Incidentally after a winter of storage in the garage following sale of the van we found mice had nested and made a rather large hole in it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebishbus Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 Hi. I think it depends where you live. We live east of B/ham and the airport, we are subjected to a lot of airborne pollution on the prevailing wind, this does seem to cause problems with car windows and bodywork, even more so with motorhomes. We did not have a cover for our last M/H, and found after winter we had a major cleaning job, cleaning of all the black gunge and algae from the seams and crevices. Our current M/H has a Pro-Tec cover which I have found works well. We do not use our van in the winter, so I clean it and cover it, when the cover is removed after winter,it is spotless and ready for use. This works for us, although I think it may be different with a panel van, not having all the seams and crevices. Brian B. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
How Much Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 I got a Pro-tec full van cover for the price of a case of ale. A bargain! Its been on now since late October. Ive also had a small oil heater in there on a timer in the coldest spells. Theres no mould, mildew, musty smells or nowt inside. Keeping the thick of the ice and snow of December off it, has to have been a good thing. As well as protection from flying debris in high winds. Im looking forward to getting it off now, and back on the road. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
p0930 Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 I have a full Protect cover and have used it over the past two winters. It does not flap and certainly does not rub the paint or cause mildew. Van washed before putting the cover on and it comes out pristine. I would thoroughly recommend. Once technique is mastered very easy to put on and take off. Cannot comment on cheaper versions however Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 colin - 2011-02-10 6:12 PM I see little point in using one on any van let alone a van conversion. In the case of a van conversion I agree, but in the case of coachbuilts, with their numerous "mastic" sealed joints on their (invariably flat) roofs I disagree. UV light causes sealants to degrade, the better the sealant the slower the process, but do you know what quality of sealant has been used, or exactly how carefully the joints were designed and applied? Anything that reduces UV ageing of those vital sealants, and so prolongs the waterproofing of the roof, must surely have some value? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
herdsmangs Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 I asked this question some months ago, the consensus was as follows: Protec expensive but does what it says on the tin Does not flap in the wind if correctly fitted Tended to stop short days out because of the fitting on and off No reports of any rubber damage with the Pro Tec If the van is cleaned before fitting keeps it free of meldew, bird s----, and muck in particular if under a tree and in a north facing drive. We are still discussing it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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