To cover or not October 25, 2020, 09:41:01 am To cover or not to cover, that is the question.In summer covers protect from sun damage but who wants to deal with covers every time you go out on the road.I always covered mine in winter but sometimes I wonder why. If your roofs properly sealed what's the point?
Re: To cover or not Reply #1 – October 25, 2020, 10:00:14 am Hi,This maybe a foolish question but I plan to cover this winter how do I run the generator for its monthly with a load. ThanksAngie
Re: To cover or not Reply #2 – October 25, 2020, 10:14:55 am I know your question is about cloth covers but, short of a full on RV garage, I think the best way to cover an RV is a carport type structure. Keeps the sun and snow off but still allows you to run the generator, etc. 2 Likes
Re: To cover or not Reply #3 – October 25, 2020, 10:21:07 am Cloth covers have a Zippered access panel but they can be a pain to use. Mine made it difficult to get the door open without the top corner of the door ripping the cover.
Re: To cover or not Reply #4 – October 25, 2020, 12:18:38 pm If the RV cover has a zippered door, you could access the interior from there. If not, you'll have to remove the cover at least partially to get into the rig from the driver's or passenger's door. Running the generator under at least half load requires plugging a 120V heater or the AC or another "power sucker", and one has to be inside the rig to do that, as far as I know. You also need to make sure that the cover is well clear of the generator exhaust pipe and not blocking access to and ventilation of the generator itself. I understand the appeal of a cover, but using one does present a few corollary problems.Perhaps those who use RV covers will offer their experiences.
Re: To cover or not Reply #5 – October 25, 2020, 01:33:48 pm I have used an ADCO Tyvek cover from day 1. It’s not really a big deal to take off/on IMO as it’s relatively light. The trick is to take your time and come up with a system for putting it on. Removal is much easier. After 2-3 years, it does get beat up and sometimes starts to tear, but I figure I’d rather have the cover take a solar beating than my LD. I think a cover helps protect multiple parts including vent covers, AC shroud, roof/windows/endcap seams and gaskets, as well as that beautiful paint. Also, the cover helps keep the RV cleaner. Washing it is a much bigger chore than covering imo. I take the cover off at least once a month to take the LD out for “exercise”, but if I wanted to just run the generator, the ADCO cover has zippered panels for access. You can load it by microwaving some water or ice. 1 Likes
Re: To cover or not Reply #6 – October 25, 2020, 01:45:21 pm Hi Angie; In my TK, there is an outlet behind the refrigerator outside access panel door. If you can reach that, you could plug in a small box heater there. Otherwise you can start and stop the generator from the generator door outside. When I start my generator, I let it run for a few minutes (say 10 minutes) to let it warm up, let it run some gas through, and circulate oil. There will be some load when the coach 'turns on'; the converter will start topping off the batteries, etc. After the gennie engine is warm then I apply some loads, either the box heater (in summer, no cover, the A/C). When done with the 'maintenance' run I remove the loads, and let the generator idle for a few minutes to cool down. I do this every time I run the generator. I think it is important to let the windings and slip rings, parts of the generator, cool down, and also the generator engine, before shut down. The 24' front lounge may have an external weather-tight outlet. You could plug into that also. Some years might have that, or maybe it was an option. The generator cooling air comes from underneath the rig, so it should be clear, and the exhaust pipe must be out in the open. RonB 2 Likes
Re: To cover or not Reply #7 – October 25, 2020, 04:33:09 pm "In my TK, there is an outlet behind the refrigerator outside access panel door. If you can reach that, you could plug in a small box heater there. Otherwise you can start and stop the generator from the generator door outside."---Yes, of course; I always forget about the refrigerator compartment plug. Just don't use a space heater when it's wet outside! (Duh.)
Re: To cover or not Reply #8 – October 25, 2020, 05:52:33 pm I use a cover and exercise the generator regularly. I take an old hockey stick and prop it up against the coach near the generator exhaust. It keeps the cover away from the heat. I run the air conditioner with the cover on. It’s no big deal for short periods of time. Rich
Re: To cover or not Reply #9 – October 25, 2020, 05:57:00 pm "This maybe a foolish question but I plan to cover this winter how do I run the generator for its monthly with a load."Hi Angie,This is what I do when I want to exercise the generator.There are verticle zippers on the ADCO cover that I use. Also some long straps that go under the rig to hold the cover in place. I unclip two of the long straps that go under the rig closest to the entry door, and unzip the a zipper near the door. Then I go to the driver's side and raise the cover enough to access the battery compartment so I can turn the batteries on with the disconnect switch. I also place a section of gutter downspout over the generator exhaust pipe to route the exhaust away from the cover. Then I go in the rig, prime the generator and then start it. Let it run a few minutes and then turn on a portable electric heater to put a load on the generator. I generally let it run around 30-45 minutes before going back in to turn off the heater while letting the genset run a while to cool down and then shut it down. Then I reverse my steps, turn off the batteries, remove the downspout from the genset exhaust and then rezip the zipper and attach the under body straps. I always check the generator oil level before exercising it. I also put rodent repellent stuff in the generator compartment.I also suggest you use some method to disconnect your batteries if you are going to use a cover because your solar panels will not be able to charge your batteries while covered and they will slowly discharge.It may sound like a lot of trouble to go through, but owning an Rv requires some effort. I also strongly suggest using fuel stabilizer when you put your rig in storage.Steve K. 1 Likes
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Topic: To cover or not (Read 143 times)
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