Caravans are generally white to stop them getting to hot. There basically like a shoe box with seals obviously, the problem is if you get to much expansion & contraction you end up with water leaks. My question is with most caravan overs usually dark green has any body felt there caravan was getting hot under the cover. I know the better ones are breathable buts it’s still a dark green blob?

Some covers also come in grey and blue. However, as my van is covered during the winter months (November to March) the issue of heat is irrelevant. I have a heater in it during this time to prevent freezing. Most sealants are expandable which should take account of the expansion and contraction.

Stewart

Never having used my new Automotive leisure cover yet as i haven't had time to give my caravan a really good wash & polish. The two questions i have have is first does your caravan stay virtually dry under the covers, i know there breathable but does that mean it will eventually dry or do they usually stay dry. 2nd question regarding rubbing on windows or bodywork, from comments iv'e heard you have to make sure there reasonably kept taut, has any one ever tried or thought of putting clingfilm over the windows first as an extra layer of protection on soft plastic windows before fitting the cover?

Hi Colin

My only worry is the cotton might absorb the ambient moisture & then leaving that sandwiched between the cover. Thank you for the tip on the cling film though, i would never have thought of that.

Hi Moonboard we have a 540GT and I cover it in an AL breathable green cover. We usually have it covered from late November to March.

Before we cover it I give it a good shampoo & polish. When I took the cover off a bit later this year th'Eriba was as clean and shiny as the day it was covered. It must not let any water in at all. Our cover is quite a tight fit and doesn't seem to move much even in high winds.

The photo was taken within an hour of taking the cover off and shows how clean it was. MikeT

Eriba cover removed.jpg - Bild entfernt (keine Rechte)

Regarding covers and people’s replies to my original post makes me wonder if I’ve done the right thing buying a cover. It’s one of the al versions which they had on offer at 49.95, it’s not the cost of it but obviously an eriba is an obscene amount of money for what they are & trying to look after it. Hell I only bought it last August or September & have only had 5 days away😱 I’m hoping it will last me till I eventually retire & beyond & trying to keep it clean and dry. I read on here people changing canvas tops, seals, windows etc. I do think eriba need to generally look at there build quality and not just stick two fingers up like Audi/ VW which I hear of needing engines & gearbox @ 60,000 miles on some

hi Monoboard

I would definitely agree with Colin about using a cover rather than not.

You are right in that Eribas cost an arm & a leg and we want to look after them. We live in a very wet & windy part of the country with lots of trees and birds. We didn't put a cover on out 540GT first winter and I was shocked at the mess it was in come March. It took me an age to get it clean and sparkling again.

I spoke to Cameron at AL & he sent me the new covers they had started doing (think it may have been sourced from Kampa). I was a bit tentative the first winter bout it worked a treat.

This winter I gave the van a good clean & polish with AutoGlym (?) gear I got for the car.. I was totally stunned how clean & bright the van was when I took the cover off, with no black runs at all.I sent a photo of the back of the van showing it sparkling - it was amazing. I will try to send another picture of it the same day sideways on. There was a tiny bit of condensation in the kitchen window which went within 20 minutes.

You can tell that I am an absolute convert to winter covers.

Wierdly like you & Colin I am a VAG driver. For years we had had Octavia Estate Diesels, only recently swapping to a Karoq Scout. We were on of the first in the UK to get Octavia Estate & have been "loyal" and regular customers using the same skoda dealer to get it serviced.. Our final Octavia was a Scout which we loved - it was great for towing & could fit almost anything in the boot. then out of the blue one day red warning lights came on and it told me to stop immediately. My dealer told me he could look at it in 3 weeks and to call the AA to tow me home . I was shocked and outraged and the car had only done 45k.

Won't go into details but when I researched it turned out to be a faulty water pump that effected all VAG diesel models of a particular few months production run but they had not done a recall. The cost to replace was high due to labour. Fortunately my dealer dropped on my side after some firm words from myself and after some wrangling with Skoda HQ they eventually agreed to meet some 75% of labour and all the parts. But it left a very sour taste in my mouth. There is no such thing as customer loyalty anymore amongst car brands - perhaps there never was!

Enjoy your Eriba when you eventually get it out & about. MikeT

Eriba fresh from cover.jpeg - Bild entfernt (keine Rechte)Oops forgot to put photo in. You can see the slight condensation on the kitchen window

Thank you everyone for all your replies