Kingham winter cover

Has anyone bought an outside cover, which they would recommend and is suitable for a Kingham

Thanks

Taylor Made.

Bought one at the Malvern Show last month and used it for the last fortnight.

Cheaper than the SilverScreen version,  [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]  thicker and fits the screen better. I would be happy to recommend it, and the ladies who now run the company couldn't be more helpful.

Don't buy a thin and cheap 40 quid item at a show or elsewhere. We did, hoping to use it while at home, just to keep the leaves out of the scuttle. It was absolute rubbish!!

Hope this helps.

Sorry, I was meaning to cover the whole van

ymfb1 wrote:Sorry, I was meaning to cover the whole van

There are conflicting opinions about these.

Some folk have said that they can chafe the bodywork. Might be worth getting some first hand experience - which I don't have.

Do not do it as it will damage the paintwork unless stored inside , then it would be pointless. I have seen the lined ones damage a car paint.

I second the above. Having used a cover for a couple of years I wouldn't do it again. Despite being an expensive 'breathable' six layer material, the inside of the van still grew mould over the winter months. And yes, there was also chaffing on the paintwork. Vans are made with lots of ventilation for a reason.
My cover went to the tip as I didn't want to sell it someone else who would also have problems.
Al.

We had one made to measure for our previous van (Herald Castille) which even allowed for the permanently fixed top-box.  It was also a high-quality multi-layer breathable fabric. We had the same problem as Al, to the extent that we found a large fungus growing out of one of the outside sealant joints, which we subsequently discovered had also turned the wood in one of the rear cupboards into powder!

Other problems we had included pooling of water on the cover on the roof, which drenched us first time we removed it, and the fact it was a real pain to put on and off, involving use of extending garden tool handles and loads of cussing.

We didn't repeat the mistake when we bought the Pollensa, coupled with which we use it all year round now we're retired whereas the old one used to be put to bed for the winter months.

I had thought of just putting a tarp over the roof to stop it going green, but as Al also mentioned chafing would be an issue so I just reconcile myself to the fact that I need to clean the roof a couple of times a year.

Roger

Hi,bought a full breathable cover made to measure from PRO-TEC Covers for an Autotrail Navajo coach built only used for 4 months last winter recommended I believe by Caravan Club and I did not experience any issues with damp I was quite impressed not cheep over £600. Just changed to Warwick XL cover no use now

We have used a Pro-Tec cover for the last 3 years on our Malvern with no problems either inside or outside of the vehicle. 
The cover, which was tailored for our Malvern and all of its bits (A/C, Sat Dish, etc.) on the roof, has a series of retaining straps (restraining over both the length and width of the vehicle) which if properly fitted seemed to avoid any movement and thus stops the bodywork being abraded. Yes, you might get a bit of ponding on the roof if the cover strapping is not taut enough but a strategical placed piece of polystyrene can overcome that. 
In our case the cover is essential as our home parking site is near an Oak tree and you would not believe the mess it makes on the roof if left uncovered (even for a few days) - particularly this time of year - Acorns and leaves. So in our case I believe it is well worth all of the effort required to fit and remove the cover.
Also, I now know why, in the middle ages, they use Acorns to make the ink to write on Vellum!! 
Cheers,
Liam

Well, after the first few replies on this thread I was beginning to think I was the only one in favour. Like Welshbudda and Liam,ours is a Protec. Used it for three years now and it is absolutely first rate. No more seagull or sparrow poo (much more damaging than any chafing, which we have not suffered anyway). When the cover comes off the van is as clean as the day the cover went on. It is warm and dry and have yet to spot any signs of mould anywhere. The quality and fit of the cover are spot on (quite a long wait for delivery though, as we requested modifications for rear box). Easy to open side and rear panels just in the right place for access. Only thing is, the thing is a bit of a pain to put on, but worth the effort.

As Gromit said at the start of this thread, conflicting opinions on this. I personally know 4 motorhome owners, all have used covers at some time, 2 of them continue to do so, and like me, the other 2 have had bad experiences so have ditched them. 
My van is parked by my house and away from any trees or overhead wires, so is exposed to nothing but weather.

2 thoughts..............
Do you have one for your car, assuming its not garaged?
Vans are hardly ever garaged so tend to be waterproof!
If you have a solar panel, and I can't imagine why anyone wouldn't, it won't work under cover!

IanH wrote:2 thoughts..............
Do you have one for your car, assuming its not garaged?
Vans are hardly ever garaged so tend to be waterproof!
If you have a solar panel, and I can't imagine why anyone wouldn't, it won't work under cover!

No, I don't have one for the car because it is kept in the garage.
Yes, I do have a solar panel fitted on the van - it functions perfectly well whilst the cover is on via an accurately placed transparent panel in the roof section - which was fitted by Pro-Tec when the bespoke cover was made.