Carcoons - are they any good?
Discussion
I have a standalone double garage. It is not the driest garage in the world and my winters are a constant battle against the damp. The garage is reasonably ventilated but the corners/walls tend to be damp (i.e. not in a direct line between the up and over doors and the garage door)
I've tried all sorts of different ideas incorporating combinations of fans/heaters/dehumidifiers.
I have dithered about investing in a carcoon for many years as I am very sceptical about their properties.
I doubt that the filter can extract moisture such that only dry is circulated.
If the garage is damp surely you will simply be passing damp air over the car?
The main advantage I can see is that the bubble insulates the car and will slow the rate of change of temperature - which is one of the main causes of condensation. My thinking is to get one and stick the dehumidifier in the carcoon with the car.
What's the opinion here?
I've tried all sorts of different ideas incorporating combinations of fans/heaters/dehumidifiers.
I have dithered about investing in a carcoon for many years as I am very sceptical about their properties.
I doubt that the filter can extract moisture such that only dry is circulated.
If the garage is damp surely you will simply be passing damp air over the car?
The main advantage I can see is that the bubble insulates the car and will slow the rate of change of temperature - which is one of the main causes of condensation. My thinking is to get one and stick the dehumidifier in the carcoon with the car.
What's the opinion here?
There is some good stuff if you use the search on "Carcoon".
However in summary, I kept my TVR in an external version for 2 years. It was a superb bit of kit. It has 2 fans with Charcol filters and runs off the mains, and also connects to the battery in the car. I believe that it will occassionally run off the battery of the car, but will always leave enough charge in the battery to start the car. Useful if you have a power cut.
If you had more than 6 inches of snow you would have to brush it off the carcoon. Importantly if some thug lobbed a traffic cone onto it, it would just bounce off without any damage to the carcoon or the car. Over the time I had the car in the carcoon, all the oxidised aluminum came up like new. You could put the car away wet and within 24 hours it was bone dry. A fantastic piece of kit.
When we moved we had a nice dry warm garage and I still used the carcoon indoors.
takes 5 minutes to put the car away / remove from carcoon.
I was so impressed, I kept it, even though I do not have anything to put in it at the moment
However in summary, I kept my TVR in an external version for 2 years. It was a superb bit of kit. It has 2 fans with Charcol filters and runs off the mains, and also connects to the battery in the car. I believe that it will occassionally run off the battery of the car, but will always leave enough charge in the battery to start the car. Useful if you have a power cut.
If you had more than 6 inches of snow you would have to brush it off the carcoon. Importantly if some thug lobbed a traffic cone onto it, it would just bounce off without any damage to the carcoon or the car. Over the time I had the car in the carcoon, all the oxidised aluminum came up like new. You could put the car away wet and within 24 hours it was bone dry. A fantastic piece of kit.
When we moved we had a nice dry warm garage and I still used the carcoon indoors.
takes 5 minutes to put the car away / remove from carcoon.
I was so impressed, I kept it, even though I do not have anything to put in it at the moment
Edited by gf15 on Monday 25th July 22:05
Edited by gf15 on Monday 25th July 22:22
Andy 308GTB said:
I have dithered about investing in a carcoon for many years as I am very sceptical about their properties.
I doubt that the filter can extract moisture such that only dry is circulated.
If the garage is damp surely you will simply be passing damp air over the car?
They work very well.I doubt that the filter can extract moisture such that only dry is circulated.
If the garage is damp surely you will simply be passing damp air over the car?
There's a zipped vent at the back of them which you can initially leave open so the car dries with the air flowing over it. Once you close the vent you're supposed to have a little controlled environment in the bubble so you don't get any condensation.
I have a couple of cars in them in a barn which is damp and a bit draughty - they look just like the day they went in when you unzip them. I don't think any of the copies (Airflow etc.) work in the same way.
Edited by Trommel on Monday 25th July 22:27
I bought one when they first came out (must be mid 90s or maybe even earlier?) I can confirm what everyone else has said and add that they seem to last as well. Mine has been running permanently for the last two years and was used every winter before that. One of the fans now has a dodgy connection, but that's it after countless hours of use.
The other good thing is that it seals the car from the outside world...any mice looking for comfortable winter lodgings will not look past the unappetising plastic of the Carcoon.
Maintaining airflow is the secret - if you keep the rear zip half open the car will stay dry, even if the garage is quite damp.
One more thing - if you keep the boot (or windows) completely shut you can find the carpets and trim get damp as there is no airflow.
oh...and if you're wondering, I have no connection with Carcoon!!!
The other good thing is that it seals the car from the outside world...any mice looking for comfortable winter lodgings will not look past the unappetising plastic of the Carcoon.
Maintaining airflow is the secret - if you keep the rear zip half open the car will stay dry, even if the garage is quite damp.
One more thing - if you keep the boot (or windows) completely shut you can find the carpets and trim get damp as there is no airflow.
oh...and if you're wondering, I have no connection with Carcoon!!!
expression of interest here - Mr Page is a member of our club – Sporting Bears Motor Club – and has advertised in our club magazines for a few years
see his web site for the newer and even more convenient products
I had an indoor Carcoon in late ‘90s and can confirm they are very good, yes you could put your car in wet and it would dry out but if putting away for a while you’re still better off washing and chamoising it first if you can otherwise it'll dry with the muck still on the car as normal
As well as air circulation you get battery conditioning, not when I had mine but I bought a power and charge unit a few of years back just to use as a battery conditioner as Carcoon were selling them at a good price at the NEC and that has worked very well too
I think it was from the Carcoon leaflet I learnt that mats and carpets in the garage hold moisture making things worse and that a garage door acts as a radiator when the sun is on it so be aware of these things for the garage and its contents generally
see his web site for the newer and even more convenient products
I had an indoor Carcoon in late ‘90s and can confirm they are very good, yes you could put your car in wet and it would dry out but if putting away for a while you’re still better off washing and chamoising it first if you can otherwise it'll dry with the muck still on the car as normal
As well as air circulation you get battery conditioning, not when I had mine but I bought a power and charge unit a few of years back just to use as a battery conditioner as Carcoon were selling them at a good price at the NEC and that has worked very well too
I think it was from the Carcoon leaflet I learnt that mats and carpets in the garage hold moisture making things worse and that a garage door acts as a radiator when the sun is on it so be aware of these things for the garage and its contents generally
Edited by na on Tuesday 26th July 00:21
Bought an indoor one two years back and they are worth the money. I was put onto them by a specialist garage who have 10 garages, all in breeze block, and they protected the stored cars during the winter perfectly. I have a wooden garage unheated and the Carcoon avoids corrosion completely. oh, if you push a bit you may well get 15% off too!
gf15 said:
There is some good stuff if you use the search on "Carcoon".
However in summary, I kept my TVR in an external version for 2 years. It was a superb bit of kit. It has 2 fans with Charcol filters and runs off the mains, and also connects to the battery in the car. I believe that it will occassionally run off the battery of the car, but will always leave enough charge in the battery to start the car. Useful if you have a power cut.
If you had more than 6 inches of snow you would have to brush it off the carcoon. Importantly if some thug lobbed a traffic cone onto it, it would just bounce off without any damage to the carcoon or the car. Over the time I had the car in the carcoon, all the oxidised aluminum came up like new. You could put the car away wet and within 24 hours it was bone dry. A fantastic piece of kit.
When we moved we had a nice dry warm garage and I still used the carcoon indoors.
takes 5 minutes to put the car away / remove from carcoon.
I was so impressed, I kept it, even though I do not have anything to put in it at the moment
So that's it in your garage, still blown up......but empty?However in summary, I kept my TVR in an external version for 2 years. It was a superb bit of kit. It has 2 fans with Charcol filters and runs off the mains, and also connects to the battery in the car. I believe that it will occassionally run off the battery of the car, but will always leave enough charge in the battery to start the car. Useful if you have a power cut.
If you had more than 6 inches of snow you would have to brush it off the carcoon. Importantly if some thug lobbed a traffic cone onto it, it would just bounce off without any damage to the carcoon or the car. Over the time I had the car in the carcoon, all the oxidised aluminum came up like new. You could put the car away wet and within 24 hours it was bone dry. A fantastic piece of kit.
When we moved we had a nice dry warm garage and I still used the carcoon indoors.
takes 5 minutes to put the car away / remove from carcoon.
I was so impressed, I kept it, even though I do not have anything to put in it at the moment
Mmmm, you're living in there aren't you?
Andy 308GTB said:
What's the opinion here?
Get one 
Can be a pain to get a car into at first
You have to make sure the floor is free of anything sharp, for example, you'd waste a few hundred pounds if you try and put a heavy car in one on a load of "crush'n'run"
Keep junior away from it, or he will try to pop it!
Leave the car with the windows open a tad or the interior can go moldy
Overall, a decent way of keeping your car rust free
One thought - you might want to pay a bit extra for one with a frame - either carcoon or air chamber. I had the old bubble one and it was a pain to open and close and I managed to put some scratches on the car pulling it on and off too quickly.
I moved to an air chamber with a frame and it takes two minutes to open or close, plus you can go inside and do some little jobs without having to take the car out.....
Charlie
I moved to an air chamber with a frame and it takes two minutes to open or close, plus you can go inside and do some little jobs without having to take the car out.....
Charlie
For 4 years I've rented three flat roofed lockups that do get damp in winter. I found that I could get 4.5x1.8m framed type airchamber inside and still close the up and over door. The first one I bought was an Airflow unit, the other 2 are Hamilton Product Cair-O-Ports. Both have plus and minus points, but I've found that the units themselves stop any damp getting onto the cars.
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