Reevaluating the whole covered storage thing
When we got Qubie we’d initially planned to rent a covered space for her. Clearly, ideally, I could have my own covered space built on my property. Hell, if we’re talking big I could have a climate-controlled barn created for her! But, that’s not going to happen without moving and moving isn’t going to happen, at least short term.
Why a covered spot? To limit weather exposure, of course. UV and rain play havoc on sealants, paint, and rubber, causing all kinds of bad effects over time. Caulk dries and cracks leading to leaks in the roof, paint fades, tires age prematurely. The only downside is cost. Covered sites can demand a premium for this protection. Then it becomes a cost-benefit argument. I fell on the side of the additional protection being worth it both for peace of mind as well as impact on resale value since it should be in better shape in 10 years while being covered than if it were uncovered the whole time.
There was a place under construction as we waited for Qubie to be built that was supposed to have covered spaces. I was in contact with them and on the list for one of the spots when they opened. Unfortunately, Qubie beat them. We took delivery of Qubie in the first week of August and they weren’t open yet. So I found a “temporary” place for her, uncovered, in a gravel and clay yard that would suffice until the covered spot was completed.
We waited, and waited, and thought about it and thought some more. Finally, when weeks turned into months, I proposed that we make our temporary spot permanent and buy a custom-made RV cover for Qubie to protect it from the elements. I weighed out the pros and cons again.
- With the difference in price per month on the covered storage compared with our cheaper uncovered space, we could pay for the cover easily in the first year. After that, it’s money in the bank.
- However, it’s non-trivial to put the cover on and take it back off. Getting Qubie protected is no longer a matter of pulling into a parking space.
In December I ordered the cover. The place I ordered from was backlogged so the cover wasn’t supposed to be in my hands until early February. Oh well, the first winter she stays uncovered.
It’s February now and I wrote to check on the cover. They had a hiccough, but told me I should have it by March 1st. My brain started working again. If I get it March 1st, that’s only 3 weeks before our first trip of the season. I starting thinking about schlepping that cover up on top of Qubie, wrangling it straight, getting all of the flaps situated correctly, installing padding to the “pointier” parts of Qubie so it doesn’t tear the cover, etc. Then reversing all those steps every time we want to take her out. Also I’d have to clean the cover occasionally, which would mean getting it home, putting it on Qubie there, then scrubbing it while on, letting it dry, removing it, blah, blah, blah.
I know me. I’d start doing math in my head. “Well, we’re going to be taking her out again in 2 weeks. Is it really worth the trouble to get the cover back on?”
Bottom line, a cover is only useful if it’s covering something. In 2 or 3 years I could see us being sick to death of the cover.
Screw the cover.
I wrote the cover company and canceled my order. I called the storage place — they’d finally opened in January — and confirmed they had spots available. Then I got Qubie under cover, just in time for the hail and tornado watch that’s cruising through.
There are other benefits. Better security including cameras, asphalt roads and concrete parking pad instead of clay and gravel (that turns into an enormous mud pit in the rain), there are lights in the ceiling for nighttime access, and a standard electrical outlet (not 30A or 50A, unfortunately) if I need to run tools or maybe for a trickle charger in the winter.
Phew.
Shallow Roots 