By William Coleman
A caravan cover is an essential part of a caravan inventory and can protect your leisure vehicles from more than just the elements. Pro-Tec Covers will ensure your van stays safe in both storage and transit.
We’ve all pulled up on-site and pitched up only to find the caravan covered in a layer of squashed bugs, dirt and debris. One major issue having no cover can create is chipped windows. Not only do you have to clean the van on site, but you also have to check the van over for further damage that can sometimes lead to the van needing immediate repair.
With a good quality cover, you can remove a large part of these potential nightmare scenarios, not to mention saving a shed load of cash down the road.
You can buy a cover off the shelf or order a generic one online, but you run the risk of it not fitting or ending up with a poor quality one. To avoid all that wasted time and money, you should look into investing in a Pro-Tec caravan cover.
Not only are they handmade right here in the UK but the technology used for these covers has been developed in the UK too, Scotland to be exact.
We spoke with Nicole Topham from Pro-Tec to find out more about the covers and how best to use them for storage and travel.
CaravanTimes: It has been a while since we caught up with Pro-Tec, and we won’t be seeing the team at the February NEC show. So, how has Pro-Tec been this year?
Nicole: Fortunately we are one of the lucky businesses that were able to stay open through both our national lockdowns this year. The majority of our staff did go on furlough, but we remained open and manufacturing with a small team.
Alongside making covers, we dedicated part of our manufacture towards making PPE for the NHS during this period. As the year progressed we steadily got busier, our staff members slowly came off of furlough and we went full steam ahead to get our orders manufactured for all our new and existing customers.
The increase in people getting into ‘staycation’ holidays really had an impact on our business and orders – definitely keeping us busy through these uncertain times!
CaravanTimes: There has been a huge increase in newcomers to the world of caravan and motorhome holidays. Would you advise new leisure vehicle owners to invest in a cover?
Nicole: We would definitely recommend investing in both a storage cover and front towing cover when purchasing a caravan or motorhome, as it is protecting your investment.
However, we would always advise any customer to do their research before making a purchase. We know there are a lot of online forums and friendly experienced caravan and motorhome owners who are always happy to advise newcomers to the community who are seeking information on protecting their vehicle.
CaravanTimes: What are the benefits of having a Pro-Tec cover?
Nicole: The fabric we use to manufacture our covers is exclusive to us and designed with vehicle protection in mind. Our fabric, which we call ‘CaravanShield’ is manufactured by a company in Scotland, and not only is it waterproof and UV-stabilised, it is also highly breathable.
This breathability ensures you will not encounter any issues with condensation build up on your vehicle. The fabric we use also has a non-abrasive inner lining, ensuring that no damage will occur to your windows or paintwork when using our covers.
Not only is our fabric manufactured in the UK, but from start to finish, all of our covers are made in house in our factory in Bradford, West Yorkshire – so you can be assured not only are you supporting a small UK business with your purchase, but you are also supporting the British manufacturing industry.
CaravanTimes: Your covers are quite different from what can be bought off the shelf. What makes your covers so unique?
Nicole: Unlike off the shelf covers, our pro-tec covers are fully bespoke to each make and model of caravan or motorhome. This means we can tailor both our covers and service to ensure any requirements for the covers are met.
All of our full storage covers come with door access for your habitation door, and allowance for any external items such as TV aerials, bike racks etc. We can also add clear panels for solar panels, or additional access points if these are required by our customers.
Every one
of our storage covers also come with our exclusive Easy-Fit system that is only available on a Pro-tec cover. This Easy-Fit system means it is far easier to fit your cover no matter how big your vehicle. You simply roll up the rear panel of the cover, and walk the cover from the front of your vehicle to the back using the extending poles provided and then secure the straps underneath.
CaravanTimes: Storage is very much on people’s minds at the moment. Is a cover essential for storage?
Nicole: If you are storing your caravan/motorhome outdoors it is definitely beneficial to have a cover. Not only does having a cover protect your vehicle from condensation, rain and UV, it also keeps your vehicle clean so you’re not spending precious time cleaning your vehicle before your trips when you could be off and away on your holidays.
Covers can also act as an extra level of security against theft or vandalism. Some storage sites also require that your vehicle has a cover on to store your vehicle, so this is also something to consider.
To find out more about Pro-Tec and its unique and bespoke covers, check out its website
