Outdoor car covers

[MonsterMax63]

Hi everyone. I'm looking at getting a decent car cover for my E63S, so needs to be good quality and fit for outdoor use. A couple of years ago, I ordered an outdoor cover for the same car from a supposedly reputable company in the northern England. It was nicely made to be fair, but a little too small - my guess is that they cut it for a regular W213 E Class, not realising that the E63S is marginally bigger, not least because of slightly flared arches. Turned out to be a tight fit which left a few scratches. Took it up with the company in question and they didn't want to know, not having the time to chase them, I just took the loss. So I'm hoping for a better experience this time.

A few weeks ago, many of you recommended Royal Steering Wheels, who provided a fantastic product, so that was a great steer (boom-boom...) and wondered if I could tap into your knowledge once again.

Any recommendations appreciated!

Bill

[Strangely Brown]

I used to put a cover on my MX-5 but I gave up with it because it scratches the paint. If the car is outside and it is windy, dust and grit will get up under the cover and the cover movement on the car, even slight, will rub the paint. Personally, I would now only ever use a light dust cover inside a garage with no wind. No more outdoor covers for me.

Just my £0.02. Other opinions are available.

[Mr Ben]

I’d second the above… a bloody faff too! Keep it relatively clean and left… no trapping moisture either!

When I bought my new to me TVR in the summer I researched this topic massively, consensus being a ‘plastic’ car covers do even more damage.

I got so stressed out I built a carport instead!
Appreciate this is overkill and may not be feasible.

[renmure]

As above, I remember spending a lot of money on an outdoor cover for an Elise, made by a company who specialised in making outdoor covers for Elise’s.

It fitted perfectly and had lots of tethers to keep it secure but still buggered the paintwork.

[don logan]

The only things I’ve ever used that were any good outside were Carcoons but not exactly quick and easy to use

Everything else ends up with moisture underneath it that creates it’s own problems

[swisstoni]

Modern cars are just fine without outdoor covers.
If you use a cover on a car that isn't clean, the paint will be abraded as the cover moves even slightly. So you really have to ask yourself when is your car ever perfectly clean.

Then you have to decide where you are going to store your dirty, frequently wet car cover when you want to use the car.

If I use a cover at all these days it's one of the small ones that cover just the glasshouse of the car. Good for leak prone convertibles and hardly touches any paintwork.

[Mr Tidy]

I bought a car that was going to live outdoors and came with a custom-fit outdoor cover, then read that the car had to be clean and dry before fitting it. Realised I was never going to wash it every time I got home after using it, and I'd need to find somewhere to put the cover when I went out so I decided to sell it.

Tried to fit it for a photo or two for an advert and it was a real battle to get it on the car, which only reinforced my decision to sell it.

I can't see getting wet being anything like as damaging to a car as a cover that moves about in high winds abrading the paint!