Pros & Cons of covering the vehicle for the Winter?

[Charlie1950]

I have taken the old girl off the road for the winter, and due to the fact her windscreen leaks appallingly, and I am unable to get it sorted for a few months, I've covered her with a tarpaulin, (Done the same with the van too!!!) Just wondering whether anyone who has also covered their van for the winter has experienced any problems with moisture etc., or whether it was totally fine.

Can I ask for advice based on experience rather than opinion please, as I'm acutely aware if you ask for opinions, they are normally extremely diverse, and you end up none the wiser than before you asked.

We will be opening it up regularly as my wife is re-upholstering it over the winter months and I'll need to move it occasionally. So if anyone has covered theirs for the winter I would appreciate your experience please.

Many thanks,

Charlie.

[Cableguy]

Not an opinion, but....
I also have a pretty bad leak and till I find out the cause, I've done the same although not used a tarp.
I do have a dehumidifier in it too, just to keep dampness down.
Might get flamed for this, but am also fed up with the puddles and smell.

[Plasticman]

you wont get flaqmed barbeed maybe. but in your case a cover over the roof part just below the gutters and weighed down with 9" hollow blocks suitably finnished to match the van and get the newsprint out from under the mats then window shut and dehumid..... if you get iot dry then open the windows a crack to get airflow. oilfilled heater is nice dry air, i leave one hooked up in our all the time
mm
iphone picky yet

[Charlie1950]

The suggestion I've had is the possibility of trapped moisture between the tarpaulin and the exterior bodywork. Not too concerned about the inside of the van because like you, in my opinion the permanent puddles that are in the two footwells have got to be worse than any possible internal moisture caused by the tarpaulin. I don't have problems with smell because my leak is purely the windscreen and by lifting the carpets in the footwells the puddles just sit on the floor panels which I soak up regularly. The rest of the van is totally dry (touch wood)!

Until I covered the van, I was constantly putting absorbent materials in the footwells to soak up the water, and quite often that wasn't enough to stop puddles forming.

As it's a HI-Top trying to construct something similar to a car port is a non starter.

Thanks for your input.

Charlie.

[Charlie1950]

Thanks for the idea of just covering the roof and tying the cover down to blocks. I hadn't considered this prior to buying a tarpaulin to cover the whole van, but certainly will do so if I find any problems or hear from others of any problems occurring as a result of vans being completely covered. That could still be an option even without problems, as i periodically need to move the van to get items out of the garage, and just removing a roof cover would be easier than removing and 8m x 5m tarpaulin.

Charlie.

[Cableguy]

Mike, I'll text the photo to you. Still haven't sorted my firewall.
Assume you can accept picture texts??

[Charlie1950]

Mike, I'll text the photo to you. Still haven't sorted my firewall.
Assume you can accept picture texts??

No chance of you putting it on here I suppose?

Charlie

[Cableguy]

Charlie, the photo is of somat else:-D
Could take a pic of my cover if you like.
Incidentally, have just been and had a look in the van. The cover's been on since Monday and the dehumidifier had shut off as the tank was full. Blimey, must've benn pretty damp!