New Camper Cover.

[SLOJET]

Hey guys... I'm about to replace my second cheap tent trailer cover that I use on my Hawk and I don't think I'm going to buy another. Instead I'm having one made out of a quality Sunbrella fabric made for marine applications and am in the process of designing it.

What are some features you would like to see in a cover? Here's a few of ideas, feel free to add your own.

Rear door access. Marine velcro for the access flap.
Reinforced corners.
Sleeve fit for the overcab portion. (not just hanging in the wind underneath.)
Universal fit. loose enough that the roof racks can be kept on.


Thinking doing some sort of velcro strap system that runs underneath the camper to secure the sides. Could also use marine snaps, but they would have to be screwed into the camper itself. This is probably the most professional way to do it, but I don't want all the button heads around the outside of the camper....

Vents....The fabric is fairly breathable, so I don't think they will be needed.

Any ideas are appreciated.

Dave

 

[billharr]

I go the cheap route. HF tarp, I made stands to hold old pool brush handle to give the tarp a pitch for the rain to run off. Bungee cords to hold down. I do have to pad the corners to keep from getting holes in the tarp.

Disclaimer: I live in the central valley of CA so the weather is not that bad.

 

[Desertboater]

Instead of velcro straps maybe look at a couple of cam straps, or just grommets that can be attached via bungee, cord, or strap depending on your needs. Having grown up in New England around boats, that fabric does breath pretty well...but it absorbs water faster than it breathes it through. That said, some sort of vent or at least tenting necessary not so much for helping water run off, but more to facilitate a faster drying out process. I might look at some sort of opening in the roof for your roof vent...just a velcro closure flap would probably do the trick.

Cheers,
West

 

[SLOJET]

I go the cheap route. HF tarp, I made stands to hold old pool brush handle to give the tarp a pitch for the rain to run off. Bungee cords to hold down. I do have to pad the corners to keep from getting holes in the tarp.

Disclaimer: I live in the central valley of CA so the weather is not that bad.



Ha! That is definitely an option. I did try the tarp at first, but it's so windy here on the coast that every time I went out to the storage yard the darn thing was hanging off the side of the camper. I've since been using a tent trailer cover which works OK, but they are so thin and cheaply made it tears to shreds at the corners within a year. I figure it's probably worth the $350 or so to get a nice cover made and protect my investment/money pit.