Outdoor car cover options?

[pablo993]

SidJames said:

yes indeed he is.

Here's a link to a company I've used for years. No problems with moisture in the car, totally fitted. I used a couple of additional flat straps to stop it moving around in higher winds.

http://www.covercraft-europe.com/our-covers/car-co...

Hi - well it looks as if your in the minority. The covers I looked at are tailored to the car and suggest that it wouldn't blow up from the car underside. They also quote as being 100% water tight. But after reading through the above thread am now in two minds if a cover is a viable solution.

[kambites]

100% water tight is bad - the cover needs to let any water that does get under it out. I think really good covers are somehow hydrophobic on the outside causing water to run off, but wick any water that does get underneath away from the paint.

[Leptons]

Why would you put a cover on a daily driver? Youre driving it in the wet/salted roads and then putting a cover on top of all the muck I'd going to do more harm than good.

[pablo993]

kambites said:

100% water tight is bad - the cover needs to let any water that does get under it out. I think really good covers are somehow hydrophobic on the outside causing water to run off, but wick any water that does get underneath away from the paint.

They're quoted as being fully breathable - just trying to get an idea if a cover is the way to go

[pablo993]

Leptons said:

Why would you put a cover on a daily driver? Youre driving it in the wet/salted roads and then putting a cover on top of all the muck I'd going to do more harm than good.

When I say daily driver what I should have said my main car - however I do cycle to work so is mostly used in the evenings and weekends. The idea behind the cover is that when the weather gets really bad I can cover the car for the whole week if required or longer in order to keep the bodywork in good shape.

Any advise is much appreciated

[SidJames]

pablo993 said:

Hi - well it looks as if you're in the minority. The covers I looked at are tailored to the car and suggest that it wouldn't blow up from the car underside.

won't happen.

Mine were fully fitted and elasticated, and they will stay put for 99% of the time.

[sday12]

pablo993 said:

sday12 said:

Don't. I'll kill your paint.

So your suggestion would be to leave it outside without a cover?

Cover will do more damage than good IMHO, get a lock up, make sure it is dry.

[pablo993]

sday12 said:

Cover will do more damage than good IMHO, get a lock up, make sure it is dry.

Lock up's are few and far so figured a cover would be an option over the winter months, however after this thread might give it a miss.

[pablo993]

pablo993 said:

Lock up's are few and far so figured a cover would be an option over the winter months, however after this thread might give it a miss.

Rang the local council as advised - good price £6.59 a week
However none available in my area and if there was it'd be a long wait - looks like I'll be keeping an eye on the weather reports and give the cover a miss.

[Khaki Suit]

Got a Classic Additions outdoor cover for mine and no complaints so far. I do wash it thoroughly before it goes under the cover though so there is no dirt on the bodywork. It's apparently made from the same material as a wetsuit? Feels soft and sponge like to the touch, fully breathable with straps to stop it flapping about.

Hopefully I won't be swearing about it in the spring when I need a full re-spray like this thread would have you believe....

[swisstoni]

OP originally said he was going to use a cover on a daily driver and later corrected this.
If you put a cover on a dirty car you certainly will need a respray after a while. If the car is clean, that's a different matter.

[pablo993]

swisstoni said:

OP originally said he was going to use a cover on a daily driver and later corrected this.
If you put a cover on a dirty car you certainly will need a respray after a while. If the car is clean, that's a different matter.

That's correct which I corrected later in the thread - no commuting required just evening and weekends, the advise so far however doesn't really revolve around how often I use the car but that covers are generally bad for the paint work etc. If anyone differs from this I'm still in the balance.

The covers I've looked at so far range between £200 and £400 and are multi layered breathable and tailored to the car so in terms of covers I'd anticipate they would be at the better end of the spectrum.

As always - thanks for the sdvise

[Ej74]

I have a carcoon for my open top car. It lives in it for most of the year March until Dec

It has withstood high winds and snow no issues just brush it off and has a built in trickle car charger

The bonus is the car comes the way you put it in

Edited by Ej74 on Monday 22 December 21:28

[B'stard Child]

I have several car covers - all of them are outside covers but use of all them only inside now where they can keep dust off during periods of storage in a draft free environment

My experience of using them outside has not been good even if the car is spotlessly clean before covering

[pablo993]

Ej74 said:

I have a carcoon for my open top car. It lives in it for most of the year March until Dec

It has withstood high winds and snow no issues just brush it off and has a built in trickle car charger

Now that's another option - looks as if it doesn't take up anymore room than a regular car space and secured with the car sitting on the base. I guess there must be some kind of internal frame work, my only concern would be if there was a frame would it not keep crashing against the car in windy situations. Do you have a link - might be worth further investigation.

[kambites]

I don't think they have a frame; they're semi-sealed and inflated by a constantly running electric air pump.

https://www.carcoon.com/carcoon-double-skin-outdoo...

[Ej74]

It's on my front drive !
No internal frame but if you can shield it with a fence it doesn't flap so much.

In addition the way it moves relative to base I think keeps it most of time touching the car