Camco 45392 RV AC Cover, Dometic Brisk Air, White

If your rig sits between trips, the rooftop air conditioner takes a beating you never see. Sun, tree sap, pine needles, bird droppings, blowing grit. All of it lands on that shroud and works its way into the unit over time. The Camco 45392 is a simple fix. It's an Arctic White vinyl cover cut to fit Dometic Brisk Air rooftop air conditioners, and it slips over the shroud to keep the weather off while you're parked or in storage.

This one's shaped for the Brisk Air family, so it hugs the shroud instead of flapping like a loose tarp. The cover measures 33 3/16 inches long by 30 5/32 inches wide by 15 inches high, which is the footprint of a standard Brisk Air rooftop unit. Before you order, climb up and measure your shroud. If it lines up with those numbers, you're in the right place. If your rooftop unit is a different model or a newer style, check the dimensions first so you don't end up with a cover that's too tight or too loose.

What keeps it on is the locking draw cord. You pull the cover down over the shroud, run the cord around the base, cinch it, and lock it off. That's what gives you the snug fit and stops a gust from peeling it back on a windy night. We still like to check the cord after the first big blow and re-snug it if it's backed off at all. Takes ten seconds and saves you chasing a cover across the campground.

So why bother covering a rooftop AC at all? Two reasons. First, protection. Vinyl sheds water and wipes clean, and it keeps dirt, leaves, and UV off the plastic shroud so it doesn't chalk and turn brittle over the years. That shroud isn't cheap to replace, and a few seasons of sun is what usually cracks it. Second, drafts. With the cover on, you close off the path cold air uses to sneak down through the unit into the cabin, which helps on a rig that's stored somewhere cold.

One rule we won't skip. Take the cover off before you run the air conditioner, and take it off before you drive. A cover over a running AC blocks airflow and traps heat, and a cover left on at highway speed can tear loose. This is a storage and parked-rig cover, not something that stays on while the unit is working. Pull it, run your AC, and put it back when you park for the season.

The Arctic White finish matches the look of most factory AC shrouds, so it doesn't stick out on the roof. The vinyl is easy to hose down if it gets muddy, and it folds up small enough to stash in a bay when it's not in use. The packaging is bilingual English and French, so it's the same cover whether you're camping in the States or up in Canada.

Putting it on is a two-person job the first time and a one-person job after that. Set a ladder on the side of the coach, work the cover over the front of the shroud, then walk it back until it drops over the whole unit. Reach under, run the draw cord around the base, snug it up, and lock it. When you're pulling in for winter or a long stretch in the driveway, that's your cue to cover the AC along with your usual layup routine. When you're ready to roll again, off it comes and it goes right back in the bay for next time. For a few bucks, it's cheap insurance for a part that's a pain to replace.