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 January 29 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.

[grweber1]

As jd1923 stated, his Calmark cover he sold me is a great investment. Here in Minnesota the summers are hot and humid, winters are cold and with lots of snow. We keep the Calmark cover on the Oliver when not in use (only takes 10 min max to cover it by my self, not afraid of ladders!) It keeps all of the nasty green pollen off in the spring and summer, Keeps the oak leaves and what ever wants to fall on the Oliver safe and clean. Never any mold and the cover breathes plenty good. When there is an abundance of snow on top I just use a soft floor brush to push it off. Also the cover has a nice zipper spot at the door so you can get into your Oliver to do a winter check if you want.

[Patriot]

@ripple963
We have used a Calmark cover since we took delivery of our Oliver in 2020 and still do along with our “Ollie Hangar”. Keeping the weather and especially the UV rays off the ceramic coat treated gelcoat and caulked areas is highly recommended when storing your Oliver. We have never experienced any gelcoat damage using our cover. The Calmark cover with a zippered entry door allows us quick and easy interior access where shrink wrapping your entire Oliver may or may not. If you opt not to cover your Oliver, you may want to consider buying a cover for your Truma AC to keep birds from nesting in it.
I will say that it sure is nice to remove the cover in the Spring to a clean and polished Oliver.
All the best with your decision.


 

We use the Little Giant ladder/plank system which makes covering and cleaning our Oliver much safer and easier than hanging off  a ladder.

Edited Monday at 08:33 AM by Patriot

[Chris Scarff]

I'm not sure if this is still the case, but in summer of 2024 while I was at Oliver for service, Jason E. said CalMark no longer made the covers "specifically" for Olivers and he could not get more either.  I was hoping to purchase one then.  

I have since purchased a non-CalMark cover from another Ollie owner at the Hiawassee, GA Egg rally in 2025. The previous owner built an aluminum cover for his Ollie. 

Honestly, I have not yet taken it out of the bag it came in - I camp too often during the winters.

[topgun2]

2 hours ago, Chris Scarff said:

I'm not sure if this is still the case, but in summer of 2024 while I was at Oliver for service, Jason E. said CalMark no longer made the covers "specifically" for Olivers and he could not get more either.  I was hoping to purchase one then.  

Curious - I sent CalMark an email asking if they still made covers for the Oliver Elite II and what the pricing might be.  Below is the reply I just received back from them:

Dear Bill

Thank you so much for reaching out and requesting a quote from us. We truly appreciate your interest in our covers and the opportunity to be considered for your cover needs. 

We wanted to share a quick update on timing. Our current production schedule is already fully booked through the end of February. At the same time, we’re in the process of improving and expanding our cover product line, with new options and updates launching in March. Because these changes may affect both available choices and pricing, we aren’t issuing new quotes right now—we want to be sure anything we provide reflects the most accurate and up-to-date offering.

We absolutely don’t want to leave you waiting, though. As soon as our March details are finalized, we’d be happy to reconnect and provide a Fast quote customized to your needs. If you’d like, we can keep your request on file and reach out right away when the updated information is available.

Thank you again for your patience and understanding. Please feel free to reply with any questions in the meantime.  

Natalie Miller

President/Owner

 

CalMark Cover Co. Inc. 

(800) 838-7236

[Patriot]

1 hour ago, topgun2 said:

Curious - I sent CalMark an email asking if they still made covers for the Oliver Elite II and what the pricing might be.  Below is the reply I just received back from them:

Dear Bill

Thank you so much for reaching out and requesting a quote from us. We truly appreciate your interest in our covers and the opportunity to be considered for your cover needs. 

We wanted to share a quick update on timing. Our current production schedule is already fully booked through the end of February. At the same time, we’re in the process of improving and expanding our cover product line, with new options and updates launching in March. Because these changes may affect both available choices and pricing, we aren’t issuing new quotes right now—we want to be sure anything we provide reflects the most accurate and up-to-date offering.

We absolutely don’t want to leave you waiting, though. As soon as our March details are finalized, we’d be happy to reconnect and provide a Fast quote customized to your needs. If you’d like, we can keep your request on file and reach out right away when the updated information is available.

Thank you again for your patience and understanding. Please feel free to reply with any questions in the meantime.  

Natalie Miller

President/Owner

 

CalMark Cover Co. Inc. 

(800) 838-7236

Bill,

I just spoke with Deanna at CalMark who basically said everything you mentioned above. She also added that Oliver TT has opted to no longer stock and sell CalMark covers. Deanna also said that they are “in a restructuring pause right now”. My SWAG is that there will be a price increase. 

-David

Edited Monday at 07:45 PM by Patriot

[topgun2]

1 hour ago, Patriot said:

My SWAG is that there will be a price increase. 

You can almost bet on that one.

[Chris Scarff]

Good luck to the future Oliver orders.  We'll keep others in the "know" as we also learn . Thanks Bill & David for doing leg-work.

[ripple963]

On 1/29/2026 at 10:41 AM, topgun2 said:

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?

Additional info: the trailer will be stored in a paved parking lot that gets plowed, but the trailer would still have snow piled around it from time to time.  Expected storage time each year would start sometime between November and early January; we would start using it again late March to sometime in April.  It's Maine, so it gets windy...  No electric available at the lot.  The lot is on the mainland; we live on a nearby island, but we go to the mainland a few times per week, so we can check on the trailer from time to time.  We used to have an Airstream Basecamp 20x; it was stolen, which has led to our purchase of the Oliver.  On occasion with the Basecamp we would use the trailer for an "on the mainland overnight" if our plans didn't line up with the ferry schedule to get home.  It would be nice to be able to use the propane heat on such occasions, but the plumbing will have all been winterized.

My thought is that if I can design a flow thru into the shrink wrap and just wrap the top half of the trailer, then that would be adequate protection from any snow damage / snow and ice accumulation on the roof.  Ventilation would be 2" foam blocks spaced around the lower edge of the shrink-wrap, with 5 or 6 rain protected vents towards the top of the wrap.  There would also be a "boom" to hold the top of the wrap above the a/c, vents, etc - which would allow us to crack the vent in the trailer to help avoid condensation.  

 

[ripple963]

On 2/2/2026 at 10:43 AM, Chris Scarff said:

I'm not sure if this is still the case, but in summer of 2024 while I was at Oliver for service, Jason E. said CalMark no longer made the covers "specifically" for Olivers and he could not get more either.  I was hoping to purchase one then.  

I have since purchased a non-CalMark cover from another Ollie owner at the Hiawassee, GA Egg rally in 2025. The previous owner built an aluminum cover for his Ollie. 

Honestly, I have not yet taken it out of the bag it came in - I camp too often during the winters.

Thanks for the info.  I reached out to Calmark last week.  They said they're not taking new orders right now, but are expanding their capacity and hope to take new orders soon.  I plan to reach out to them in the spring to learn more about what they might have to offer.

[tallmandan]

In April of 2025 I asked for a quote from Calmark for a cover.  I was quoted $1450 including shipping and also informed that they changed their fabric resulting in cutting the warranty from 6 years to only 3 years.  I spoke with Natalie on the phone and she was very nice.  They were not able to source the same fabric anymore (as of then) and could no longer warranty it for 6 years as on previous covers. 

I told her I live at 6300ft elevation in Colorado and the UV sun exposure is absolutly brutal.  I store the trailer at an RV lot where it is uncovered and it takes the sometimes intense wind and wind gusts we have here. 

I'd like to have a Calmark cover but just couldn't stomach almost $1500 with only guarantee for 3 years.

I decided to contiue with the much cheaper cover I have been using.  It's good quality compared to most of what's out there, which is a lot of cheap junk.  I do think it's caused light rub marks on the fiberglass in a few spots from the whipping wind even though it does secure down pretty tight.  They seem to buff out with some McGuires one-step compound and wax, but it's obviously not ideal.  I decided this was the lesser of two evils compared to the damaging sun exposure.  The 15-18 foot size fits the LEII pretty well even though it's cut for a trailer 8ft wide. It reaches to cover all the way up over the front jack.

Hopefully Calmark will be able to revise it's offering.  But in the meantime, this is an alternative with caveats...

IMG_3362.HEIC

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01KHX27HS/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_6?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&th=1

IMG_3362.HEICIMG_3362.HEIC

Edited 20 hours ago by tallmandan