Had a clear Perspex panel fitted to Winter Cover

Asgard

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Spent a good bit of time debating whether to try putting a clear panel in our motorhome winter cover. [ Dethleffs T1)
There were quite a few folks who thought it probably wouldn’t work.
So last month went to a sail maker ( Highwater Sails Plymouth) and they gave me a sample piece of Perspex which I put over a
portable solar panel ( not the one on the roof of van) to test viability. It worked fine.
The sailmakers Andy & Dan then did a very neat job on sewing in the new panel 122cm & 68 cms or 4’x2’3” ( for us old codgers)
Pleased to report both starter & leisure batteries charging really well.
See photos

FC82CDC3-5039-4A91-ADE6-1E8C62FB1A33.jpeg389B4572-02C2-416C-A26E-AE726C00316B.jpeg
 
Spent a good bit of time debating whether to try putting a clear panel in our motorhome winter cover. [ Dethleffs T1)
There were quite a few folks who thought it probably wouldn’t work.
So last month went to a sail maker ( Highwater Sails Plymouth) and they gave me a sample piece of Perspex which I put over a
portable solar panel ( not the one on the roof of van) to test viability. It worked fine.
The sailmakers Andy & Dan then did a very neat job on sewing in the new panel 122cm & 68 cms or 4’x2’3” ( for us old codgers)
Pleased to report both starter & leisure batteries charging really well.
See photos

View attachment 61266View attachment 61267
Really good idea, certainly helpful to know this works!
 
Looks like a neat job there.

Not sure if covers are a good idea generally, but that is a different discussion entirely.
 
Looks like a neat job there.

Not sure if covers are a good idea generally, but that is a different discussion entirely.
Hi Wildebus, We shared your reservations about motorhome covers ( apart from stopping our solar panel working for free,). But we are parked under very high neighbours trees which deposit all sorts of debris. Due to long term parking during the current pandemic noticed the start of paint fade ( this Dethleffs van was 2 years old Sept ).the cover we have is a very soft, very flexible breathable fabric ) which we have had since buying the van and didn’t use till now. If your reservations include thinking the cover will rub the paintwork then this is more like a polishing cloth than an abrasive. But I understand your thinking.
 
Hi Wildebus, We shared your reservations about motorhome covers ( apart from stopping our solar panel working for free,). But we are parked under very high neighbours trees which deposit all sorts of debris. Due to long term parking during the current pandemic noticed the start of paint fade ( this Dethleffs van was 2 years old Sept ).the cover we have is a very soft, very flexible breathable fabric ) which we have had since buying the van and didn’t use till now. If your reservations include thinking the cover will rub the paintwork then this is more like a polishing cloth than an abrasive. But I understand your thinking.
Hi,
it was the rubbing aspect indeed that would be my concern. For example, I live in a very windy place and a cover would be constantly moving around. So any kind of grit that has stuck to the cover inside could scrape back and forth (bit like grit in a sponge when washing the car :( )
But it can be case of choosing the lesser of two evils of course. And putting that aside, your mod with the panel really looks neat :)

As well as the wind I have an enormous pine tree I park under and that is a right pain. Apart from killing solar pretty much in the summer, the pine needles fill the screen scuttles and the carpet gets covered in needles that embed themselves into the pile and stick out enough to stab you when just wearin socks. Maybe I should consider a cover myself!!
 
Hi,
it was the rubbing aspect indeed that would be my concern. For example, I live in a very windy place and a cover would be constantly moving around. So any kind of grit that has stuck to the cover inside could scrape back and forth (bit like grit in a sponge when washing the car :( )
But it can be case of choosing the lesser of two evils of course. And putting that aside, your mod with the panel really looks neat :)

As well as the wind I have an enormous pine tree I park under and that is a right pain. Apart from killing solar pretty much in the summer, the pine needles fill the screen scuttles and the carpet gets covered in needles that embed themselves into the pile and stick out enough to stab you when just wearin socks. Maybe I should consider a cover myself!!
Hi, you have exactly the same conditions as us with costal winds with (our highest wind speed of 122 mph )inside the harbour back in 1987 ( rare, yes, thankfully) however we had a caravan written off by neighbours branch in early 1990,s
Trouble with neighbours tree is that unless you have given them written warning of the potential damage to your property their insurer will not compensate. This cover was given to us by the dealership,as they lost the one we had
when they serviced it. It is called a Riviera cozi deluxe, it was obviously 2nd hand but made from a different material then we had had before ( causing those same reservations that you have).To deal with the channel blockages in the scuttles/scuppers we used to take fine garden netting and roll it into to a long tube to fill that gap & stop needles & let the water thru.
 
My neighbour put up a shed in his back garden. one day it ended up on his driveway after being carried over the garage roof. a few years ago I spend ages redoing a old a gazebo frame as a little beach shelter :) Wind destroyed it about a week after I finished :(

Interesting idea on the netting ... I'll have a look at that (y) I think you can get quite fine plastic stuff as well as the metal type?
 
Sounds like the Highland Clearances all over again, with all that wind !
Definitely NOT the metal stuff attaching a photo of what we used green plastic.rolls up easier than a newspaper!
I was a bit concerned to see some of paint showing very early signs of fading after just two years and that also
was another serious reason to put the cover on. Where we are located it is a designated area and all trees are protected, but that doesn’t mean they should not be unmanaged ( or property, safely maintained) . But again another
fraught subject.
Let us know what happens , good motorhoming.

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