SWMBO is always at me to get one but I baulk at the cost.  I'll watch the replies with interest.

My job for the day today is to put my usual cover over the Jayco as we won't be using it for a month or so.

I have always used a good quality silver tarp for circa $100 & get round 4 years out of each.

I put brocoli boxes, 3 in front & rear, and one on top of the A/C unit to keep the tarp from touching the roof.  Provides an air gap too to help with the cooling.

The tarp is then rolled over the top & fixed in place using rubber bands made from old car inner tubes.  The bands hook onto cord running under the chassis of the van.  The Millennium chassis has slots in the cross members & the cord is threaded through them & looped out & up towards the tarp where ever I want to tie it down.  I use hooks made from wire coat hangers to attach the rubber bands threaded thru the tarp eyelets & the cord.

The life of the tarp is extended by putting my shade cloth floor on the top of the roof section & tied down front & rear, with an additional rope thrown across the middle of whole set up to stop it flapping in strong winds.

Sounds like a lot of work when you write it down but it takes me less than 1/2 hour to set up & half that time to take it down.

I leave the roof vents closed but open windows & the solid door for cross ventilation .. never get water in during showers but close it up if there are storms about.

Hope this helps if you decide to go that way.

Edit ..

PS.  I leave the entry door accessible by leaving a section not tied to the chassis but lifted up & hooked to eye rings set into the brickwork of the adjacent house.  It can be quickly & easily let down & tied off to the chassis in the case of storms.

We purchased a Prestige brand one from BigW when they sold them.  

It lasted six years, kept outside in all the weather Tasmania could throw at it.

Have recently invested in a Samson one off eBay, cost $179, so far it look good. Well made with plenty of tie downs and a cross webbing at the fron and rear. plus opening panels on the door side.

If it lasts half the distance (3 years) I will still be happy.

Keeps the van looking like new.

Ken

recently bought one for our van a proper cover that is fits the van 23ft perfectly well made and side rolls up if need access to the van on ebay $134.00 very happy at that price you couls buy new one every couple of years if need be

Neil

Thaks to every one who took the time to respond to my question re caravan covers. I was looking at one advertised in one of those caravan books but the price was around $1500 , the say it is like having a shed with out the shed... To me it sounded like a lot of money, especially if the cheaper ones do the job. The other thing they say is it hail proof ???..Also another question have you noticed any mould after useing the covers. Thanking you all in advance .

We have had a Prestige cover on our van for 7 years but have a silver poly tarp over the top of it.  The tarp overlaps 1 metre onthe sides and 2 metres on the ends.  This combination has worked well.  We have had mould on the end away from the sun but this has not affected it's life.

The cover now needs replaceing But Prestige want around $400 so we purchased one on fleebay it was $100.  It is same material but thicker than the Prestige cover though there is no plastic skirt.  Fingers crossed.

ken wrote:

---

wear marks are a thing that got me so be careful where they touch.

---

 Hi Ken, remind me not to mess with you, look at that av, looks great 

Wombat what would we do with out you, you make my day with some of you comments.Between you and Pickering the cartoonest i would pick you any day.

Wombat we were parked up in NT waiting for a radiator for the tug to be flowen in from Darwin. I wont tell you how much that bl...y radiator cost to get flowen in by air cargo. We laugh about it now but at the time it was no laughing matter .A cow came out from the long grass that grow's along the side of the road and because the colour of the cow was almost the colour of the grass ...bang . The worst part was the cow just turned gave us this look of anger and trotted off into the grass on the other side of the road.

Hi Wombat. we rang insurance mob, who we have been with for over 10 years and have never had a clain, but you know the same old same old re insurance companeis ....said they could not get a accessor out to inspect the damage for 14 days ( they had to fly up from sydney) why from there i will never know, they said they only come up that way every two week's ,and we had just missed them.that was a real damn big help to us. I told them no way was we sitting waiting 14 days for a accessor to turn up.So we just had it all fixed at our expence. But it only took over night to fly radiator / grill/ Bull Bar in from Darwin and repair guy in Kunnanurra was fantastic had it all ready in 3 days , one night him and one of his workers worked until 8pm on it. He also lent us a car , so we are so thankfull to him for his excellent work . Would you believe we did not sustain one dent or one scratch to the 4x4 .But gee i recon that cow would have had a hang over like no other....The guy at the smash repair shop said he get's about one of these type of jobs per week in the the cooler months...We did change all our insurance policies after that little incedent by the way.And then we get a phn call from them asking why we had cancelled all our policies ...DAHHH ?? In my first and only experiance dealing with insurance companies , they love to take your money , but hate to pay out when you need their help.

Regards Herbie.