Caravan Cover Size - How to Measure Correctly
At Caravan Cover Shop, our primary concern is ensuring you get the best cover to match your needs.
And cover SIZE is the most important aspect of all.
BUT! It is not enough to rely on manufacturer's size specifications, whether these are displayed online or in your Owner's Manual.
How these measurements are advertised varies widely between manufacturers. Where most will display external body length dimensions, some manufacturers use internal dimensions. Some manufacturers even refer to the full travel length including drawbar. And manufacturers will display measurements in either feet and inches or metric.
In short, it’s a minefield!
There is also the fact that online specifications don’t take into account an owner's individual setup, i.e. sometimes there are front or rear-mounted accessories fitted (storage boxes, bike racks, spare wheels, etc.) and there is no gap available for a cover to slide between. In these instances it will prevent a cover from being fitted to the main body panelling only. In such cases we need to know the overall length measurement including any such accessory areas.
We follow the MMM principle – ‘Manual Metric Measurement’ is KEY!
Before committing to a purchase, we strongly recommend that you manually measure the metric Body Length / Body Width / Body Height of your vehicle to ensure you are selecting the correct size.
Measuring Length:
Where possible, length measurements should be taken along the base of your vehicle between the longest points excluding drawbar, gas bottles, storage box, stone-guard at the front, and excluding any bike racks, jerry-cans, spare wheels at the rear (refer to image below).
HOWEVER… If there is not a sufficient gap for a cover to slide between any accessory areas and the main body panelling, these will need to be included in your overall length measurement.
Measuring Width:
Simply measure across the rear panel between the side panels, but be sure to exclude the side awning.
Measuring Height:
Simply measure the side wall height (the 'drop measurement' between your roof-line and the vehicle base).
Be sure to exclude any ground clearance when measuring and exclude any rooftop accessories (e.g. A/C units), as the cover fabric should bend over these without impacting the overall fit.
Each cover size listed on this site displays the various imperial sizes available for that brand (e.g. 20'-22') along with each size's respective metric dimensions (Length x Width x Height) to assist you in making sure you choose the best size possible.
CRITICAL TIP: always allow an additional 150mm–200mm by adding this to your overall body length measurement and choose the closest cover size above this. This will ensure an easier fitting and removal process and will guarantee your cover is not too short or tight-fitting. A cover that is too tight will make it difficult to use the side access panel zippers, which may then fail during installation.
If in any doubt, please contact us using our Online Contact Form or Click to Call us on 1300 044965 for assistance.
WHAT ABOUT COVERING ACCESSORIES?
As briefly outlined above, we do not recommend covering drawbars, storage boxes, gas bottles, stone-guards at the front, or spare wheels, jerry-cans, bike racks at the rear. However, we understand this might be your preference or you might have no option available.
If covering such accessory areas is required, we recommend placing additional soft padding over any corners, edges, pressure areas, or anything sharp or protruding. 'Pool noodles' are ideal for this purpose as they are inexpensive, readily available, and can be easily cut to size and placed over any areas you feel will benefit.
Doing this will add a further layer of protection over any areas at risk of unwanted wear and tear when there is cover movement in windy conditions.
As outlined above, please keep in mind that your decision to cover any additional accessory areas will mean that these need to be included in your overall length measurement to ensure you select the best cover size.
Lastly, if you are considering buying an Aussie Cover, if you need to cover your storage box at the front, rather than connecting the male and female side-release buckles in the middle across the front cover panel, try connecting them to the buckles on the shorter straps that are stitched to the hem on both sides toward the front. Doing so will likely mean a better overall fit across this front panel area.
IMPORTANT NOTE FOR OLDER / VINTAGE CARAVAN MODELS / SHAPES
Covers for caravans, hybrids, pop tops and ‘C’ class motorhomes on this site have been designed to fit the modern angled front panel profile of modern vehicles. This means that the cover's roof length is generally around 400mm–600mm shorter than the base length (depending on the brand), which accounts for that angled front panel.
If you own an older / vintage vehicle that does not conform to the angled front panel profile of modern vehicles, please complete our Online Contact Form or Click to Call us on 1300 044965 to discuss your options.
REMEMBER – IF IN DOUBT?
If in any doubt or if you have any questions at all, simply complete our Online Contact Form or Click to Call us on 1300 044965 and we will gladly assist.
