At a cost of around $500 for our size trailer, I doubted originally whether a cover is necessary. Then as I inspect the cover and see how much the cover has faded over the past three winters, I remind myself how harsh the Colorado sunlight can be. The additional protection provided by the cover over the winter season will help with the longevity of the roof, accessories on the roof, siding, windows, and decals.
During our first winter we purchased an Elements 28’7″ to 31’6″ trailer cover from Camping World. Picking out the cover for that first season was a difficult and daunting task. Due to the difficulty of restocking an unfurled trailer cover, camping world no longer accepted returns on the trailer cover if selected the incorrect size. I mentioned it was $500, right?
Since the trailer was in for service I was able to measure it while looking at the covers. I spent at least an hour measuring the trailer from rear bumper, including the spare tire, to the front just behind the propane tanks multiple times while hemming and hawing the length difference between two trailer covers. I didn’t want the trailer cover to be too big because we get strong winds in the winter, but if it was too small I would be stuck trying to offload a “used” cover. Finally I decided on the Elements 28’7″ to 31’6″ trailer cover, I went with the cover right at the length of my trailer and it has worked out well.
I did choose to pay for the protection plan for this cover, further increasing the cost. With some of the wind storms that rip through during the fall and spring, I decided it was worth it.
The Elements trailer cover does come with eight smaller covers to be used to cover protrusions from the trailers such as the drain spouts and door catches. For our trailer, we use four for the down spouts and two for the door catches.
The Elements trailer cover also comes with patches that can be used to repair small tears in the cover or re-enforce high abrasion areas on the trailer. These have come in handy on most of the corners, especially where the drain spouts are.
To help get the straps across the bottom of the trailer, the Elements trailer cover came with weights that can be buckled to the straps and thrown under the trailer. I have yet to use these straps, because I have two children who are usually very bored by this time of the trailer installation. They aren’t allowed on the roof and there is little they can do to help pull the cover down the sides. However, when it comes to crawling under the trailer (a normally forbidden activity) and getting dirty they are right there eager to help.
Once the cover is installed, it is still possible to access the interior of the trailer. The cover has zippered access on the starboard side where the doors are located. While we try to have the interior ready to be closed off for the winter, we have used these zippered access panels on occasion.
Overall, the trailer cover has handled well over the past three winters. After each winter, minor patches have been performed using the provided repair patches. During the fourth season installation, the cover is showing signs of becoming more brittle and did tear while being installed. So this may be the last season for this cover.
A new trailer cover is most likely in store for next winter. Depending on how the warranty plays out, I may be looking at other brands. A quick look shows the Amazon Choice for 2019 is the Leader Accessories Windproof Upgrade Travel Trailer RV Cover. This looks like a decent cover, although it does appear to be missing the small protrusion covers, the weighted straps, and has less repair patch material. On the plus side, the current price is almost half that of the Elements cover.
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