PU Gizmos solar cover question

[outdoors5]

I'm thinking of buying the PU Gizmos solar covers.  Can you keep the covers installed on top of the bunkends and the slideout dinette, when lowering the rooftop to close the PU camper?  If not how long and how much work is it to install and reinstall each time, when you need to raise and lower the PU roof.
Thank you for your help!

[Tim5055]

While many folks have said they leave them on all the time, I do not.  From on trip to another I'm not always sure I will need them.

It only takes a moment to put them on.  For us, we crank it up about a foot and attach the PUG at the top with two clips.  Then as it cranks up we straightern up the roof and attach more clips.  By the time the roof is up the PUG are in place.

[wavery]

We leave ours on all the time . In fact, I put a stitch of HD nylon thread everywhere that I used to have a clamp. I find the clamps unsightly (at best). They got quite rusty.

I found putting them on and taking them off each time just added one more step to setting up camp........like it doesn't take long enough as it is :eyecrazy: .

For my yearly cleaning of the vinyl top on the bunk ends, I will simply clip the threads, then replace them when I put the Gizmo's back on. I put the stitch through the binding tape on the Gizmo and the bunk-end top then tie a square not on the outer edge.

[Recumbentman]

I added Velcro to the top end of mine and keep them installed all the time. not only do they keep the bed ends cooler, but they keep the roofs on the bed ends cleaner. not to mention that it is so much easier to get the leaves and anything else off the tops when folding down. I understand that when you order gizmos now, that you can request that Velcro to be sewn on for you for a slight extra charge. that would be the way I would go.  

[tknick]

We use the clamps to keep ours on and yes the clamps are ugly.  I just haven't gotten around to doing anything more permenant.  The clamps will definitely NOT stay on when you close up the pop up.  The gizmos might stay relatively in place, but the clamps will not.  Because of that, we take ours off and throw them in the storage locker.  They only take about 2 minutes per side to put on and the slide out one can be put on after the roof is compeltely up.  The bunk ends are almost impossible with the roof up unless you're 7' tall or have a ladder with you.  We put ours on when we pull the ends out before cranking the roof up.

travis