Car cover good idea or bad?

[Besh]

I'm leaving town for 6 weeks. I planned to put a car cover who is designed to be used outside.

Here come the guy at my job who know everything...He told me it's a bad idea because of the moisture and condensation with rain and sun after.. things like that.

He, still put a doubt in my head.. So I ask for your opinion!

Should I use a car cover or not? Of course the car will be fully washed before I put the cover.


A) I live in Vancouver, so no chance for snow or ice.
B) Carcover can be used outside
C) 6 weeks

Thank you

[sonicbimmer19]

I opted for a $1 drop cloth vinyl made for painting because I didn't want to spend $400 on BMW car covers and it backfired. After it rained, the water couldn't evaporate so it smeared into my paint lol.

Honestly though, 6 weeks isn't really that long time. I wouldn't get a car cover. Just make sure when you get back, wash your car gently so you're not rubbing dust into your paint.

I thought in Canada, it rained and snowed 24/7. I guess I was wrong.

[IDBMW]

I would not use a car cover.

For six weeks I would find somewhere secure and covered like a storage place. Then you don’t have to worry about your car. And if you are only doing it on occasion it will cost less in the long run than a car cover. And the peace of mind is priceless.

What I have done when I have to leave my vehicle out for a few days is put those window shades inside the front and rear windshields.

[BimmerEnthusiast99]

6 weeks is nothing. If buying a car cover just for this time period, save your money.

FWIW, I have had to leave one for a couple of months outside in the Texas heat, rain, etc., and the finish is still fantastic.

[audimotion]

I agree, 6 weeks isn't too long unprotected. The only thing I would be concerned with is bird droppings. They can really mess with paint if not cleaned up at some point. My wifes black ML has a huge "paint stain" on the hood from a bird dropping that will not come off, not even after a buffing. Other than that your car should be fine.

[nato-main-man-5am]

The OP's use case is different than mine. I don't have covered parking and do have trees and birds in the area. I don't want birdsh#t sitting on my car overnight, let alone longer, so I use a car cover whenever possible.

(Whenever possible = I won't put a cover on a wet car, so when it rains when I have the car out, I leave it uncovered until it dries, and ideally till I wash it.)

It is important to get one of the proper outdoor, breathable covers, only cover a clean car, etc.

I managed to find a cover for half off, unused by a forum member that didn't need it.

But I agree with the comment above: For a one-off situation, finding covered secure storage is much better.

[J0E]

A car cover is fine as long as it's a perfect fit to your car. Do not buy a generic cover or a "universal" fit one. I used to have a wrangler. The previous owner was off 6 months at a time with the military and left it with a fitted cover in the sun and salty air of San Francisco. Nothing ever happened to the car and it looked good when I bought it. Then I sold it for a new one with the new body style and went away for 3 weeks just a week after taking ownership of the wrangler. I used the old wrangler cover because it was "good enough". Well it didn't fit right and the cover whipped up and down on the hood in the wind for the entire 3 weeks. I got back and it had worn through the clear coat on a few spots on the hood. This was a week old vehicle!

Needless to say, I am afraid of car covers now but really it was simply because I used the wrong cover for the job. A coat of wax and a fitted 135i cover will probably be fine. This is one area where you don't want to be cheap about it.

[Section147]

There are dozens of quality car covers out there that don't cost anywhere near $400...

[doublevanosrc]

As long as its an "outdoor" cover of a very high quality you will be fine. Outdoor covers are made to breathe to avoid moisture trapping. Most outdoor ones are water resistant as well to avoid the cover getting wet.

[theonlynameleft]

My cover (cant remember where I bought it from but I think it was carcoverscanada or something like that)

I got the highest version of it which is safe for the rain/ice/snow as my car unfortunately has to stay outside. 2-4 weeks from now I am bringing it back out though most likely.

Either way, the cover has a lock and cable included and it doesn't blow around at all (it came off when it was windy before I put the cable through and locked it cause I forgot to do that. Only other complaint with the cover is that the very bottom of the front bumper is not covered, maybe 8" long where I can see the bumper but it doesn't blow around or anything like that. I went to plug the tender in for the battery a week ago and everything is still perfect condition, no water marks on the car or nothing. I was worried that the cover was going to be frozen to the car...