Winter cover?

[ripple963]

Picking up a Legacy Elite II at the factory in March.  We live in Maine, and will need to store the trailer outdoors in the winter.  Any recommendations on covering the trailer for the winter?  I’ve read that it’s controversial, but the Oliver seems more like a nice boat than other trailers; our 28’ powerboat stays outdoors at a boatyard under shrink wrap, and with proper preparation does well - no mold or mildew issues as long as she’s cleaned up nicely in the fall.  Any suggestions appreciated - thanks!

[topgun2]

I'm not experienced with "shrink wrap" - particularly on a fiberglass RV.  

CalMark covers are relatively expensive but are used by many of us.  I've used a CalMark cover for the past ten years and have had zero issues with mold, mildew, scratching, etc..  There are a number of threads and posts here on the Forum in this regard.

Good luck.

Bill

p.s.  Perhaps additional information might help in any advice you might receive here - is your storage near the water (salt water)?  Is it protected in any way from the wind, is the storage in a "dry" area , on pavement or on gravel or grass?  Is there electric available - for heat and/or dehumidifying?

[jd1923]

5 hours ago, ripple963 said:

Picking up a Legacy Elite II at the factory in March.  We live in Maine, and will need to store the trailer outdoors in the winter.  Any recommendations on covering the trailer for the winter?

First year recommendation, stay south until May! Enjoy camping on the Gulf Shore or in the Smokies or somewhere else nice and get past this first winter! 😂

I’ve not had good experiences with covers and prefer going without. Put a cover on our tow vehicle, a couple summers ago, to get rub marks from the wind and the Pack Rats were thankful for the dark space. Never again!

Our Ceramic Coating professional said the same without me asking. Our Oliver, now freshly polished and coated will live outdoors in the Arizona sun and elements. An indoor space would be nice, but not happenin’ for us either.

I sold the Calmark cover that came with our hull used to @grweber1 in Minnesota where I guess a cover is needed for lots of ice and snow! Maybe Gary can chime in. I imagine his covered Oliver is deep in snow by now!

I like the idea of shrink wrap. It will not blow in the wind and scratch the gelcoat. You’d winterize first, have your LiFePO4 batteries at 60% SOC and disconnected.

If you’re getting your 28’ boat done, ask for a package deal to include your new 19’ rolling hull! 😎

Edited Thursday at 06:19 PM by jd1923

[Zodd]

We live in North Idaho, where we experience snow and ice. We use a Clamark cover for our Oliver, and it has been excellent. Our Oliver is parked on the side of the house next to the garage and fence, so it doesn't get much direct wind. To protect against any potential damage, we place padding on the sharp corners, such as the bumper and solar panels, ensuring that nothing gets scuffed. I haven't noticed any signs of the fiberglass being scratched since we have a ceramic coating. If it were exposed to more wind, however, that could be a concern.

Putting the cover on can be a challenge, but we've developed a great system that makes it relatively easy. When we take the cover off, we roll it up so that it fits in a plastic tote. We roll it in a way that allows us to simply lift it out at the end of the season and place it on top of the Oliver. Then we roll it forward and let it drop off the sides. This method is much easier than the first time we rolled it on on the ground and tried to lift it up and over.