Should You Cover Your RV for the Winter?

To Tarp or Not to Tarp... That Is the Question!

If your RV roof is clean, sealed, and well-maintained, it is built to handle whatever Mother Nature throws its way without any extra protection. Just think about all the brand-new RVs sitting out on dealer lots year-round in every kind of weather—they manage just fine!

That said, as an RV technician who has seen plenty of winter storage mishaps, I strongly recommend staying away from standard hardware-store plastic tarps.

While throwing a blue tarp over your rig might seem like an inexpensive quick fix, draping non-breathable plastic over your roof and down the sidewalls seals in air. This traps condensation and creates a perfect breeding ground for mold, mildew, and costly dry rot. Your RV needs to breathe so trapped humidity can escape freely.

If you want peace of mind and extra protection from UV rays, snow, and sap during the off-season, invest in a breathable, purpose-built RV cover or an outdoor shelter. Custom RV covers use specialized woven fabrics engineered to shed rain and snow on the outside while letting trapped moisture evaporate from the inside.