Car Cover Question

[Bimmer-Bob]

Does anybody here use a car cover? I've never really considered one before, but I've recently moved and my new place doesn't have a garage or even a carport. So my car is just in the driveway under a great big oak tree. It seems like every day or two I come outside to find a fresh application of bird crap or tree sap somewhere on the paint, and it's becoming annoying.

I guess my question is, would it be more or less annoying to deal with uncovering and recovering a car that is driven daily? Am I being too anal?

Secondly, anyone have any experience with specific covers? I like the look of the black BMW form-fitting cover, but it looks like it's meant for indoor duty. There is also an outdoor cover that looks pretty good but more bulky and probably more time consuming to get on and off. Is there anything really wrong with using an indoor cover outdoors, besides probably reducing the useful service life of the cover? Is the outdoor cover water repellent or anything? I'm in TX, so no snow (and even very little rain at the moment). Like I said, my main concerns are sap and bird droppings.

Thanks for any input.

[MPFit]

I'm getting one for same situation. I'd rather deal with putting it on/off than dealing with washing spots off all the time, and bird droppings can be hell on your paint if not treated quickly (especially in a sunny area like Fla where I live, and SA-Tx where you live)

Outdoor coverings I'm sure are a heavy duty plastic-ish type cover which can completely prevent anything like sap and bird droppings from seeping through it to the car. Indoor I think are slightly less thick and MAY allow some of what collects on top of it (specifically if it is a liquid) to seep through and get to the car - they are more for protection of paint from things like dust etc..

I'd say get the outdoor, for protection purposes I'd venture a guess and say its superior to the indoor.

[zkeeper]

Over the years have had a fair share of cover experience.

Re: taking off and on each day, will be a bit of hassle but the payoff for you may be worth it emotionally. It gets "old" real fast. On other hand keeping surface clean and bird free does to. You will find tho that once the cover gets dirty, bird splashed, tree sap'ed, you will not enjoy putting in the trunk and it will have to be washed off on regular basis and then allowed to dry. Again a bit more maintenance.

Yes an indoor cover will not be very good outside, but in your climate it might work. They are usually lighter in weight, and can be washed and dried a bit quicker. Get a good one; there is little "ding" protection but that does not seem to be your issue now. The BMW one would be fine...have not seen it except in pixs. Form fitting WILL keep it on the car in wind tho..and thats a plus when a storm comes up at 2am.

Whatever you choose, make sure the inside liner is extremely soft, as its against the paint and the whole cover shifts in wind/storms etc..and that is abrasive to paint and wax = another maintenance issue in keeping potential scratch levels down. The car has to be clean before using a cover...so when you come home in PM, if the surface is dusty, or dirty or its rained, its an iffy proposition to use a cover. You will need to keep a fairly dust free surface and perhaps wash and wax a BIT more often. BUT again, if the outside environment bothers you more than get a good outside cover that has a good lining, [this will make it heavier..and almost a mess when trying to take it off and stow in the trunk...unless you have a safe place to sort of hang it up to dry. If not then it will stay wet in the trunk all day...another sort of mess to think about.

Calcover.com is a good place to look things over. BavAuto.com has many as well. Do some due dilgence on it..and make the best decision for you and the car. There is a lot of extra work either way, especially when you cannot park anywhere else. But it just might work for you..good luck.

[Xtian]

I'm a long-term fan of the NOAH car cover as sold by http://www.calcarcover.com/

I have not yet ordered one for my 1-series, but have owned them for various vintage Mustangs and Cougars.

[Bimmer-Bob]

Thanks for the feedback so far guys. It sounds like, as I expected, that the car cover is a bit of work, and while it may make some things easier (i.e., not having to clean bird poop and sap off of your car as often) there are some trade offs. I guess the outdoor cover is probably a better idea, but is there anyone with the indoor cover that can speak to the protection it offers? Specifically, will it protect against sap? I'm sort of leaning towards the outdoor cover (it's a bit cheaper, btw) because I'm afraid that sap may seep right through the indoor cover. Anyway, I'm still not totally decided as any cover seems like it may be a bit of extra work. On the plus side, I do have a trunk liner, so I'm not too worried about putting a dirty car cover in the trunk, I guess. But still not decided if the extra work each day is worth keeping a little bit of sap off of my car. I guess I need to think on it some more.

Anyway, thanks again.

[BBursey]

Bob -

Would something like this work? Other than looking a little awkward in your driveway, the tent would address your falling object issues without the inconveniences of a cover. Maybe one without sides would be less intrusive in your yard and maybe stand up better to the weather?

Bryan

[BlackjackMulligan]

I would think the main issue with using an indoor cover outside is if it rains, won't it absorb the water and become a big saturated mess?

[Bimmer-Bob]

@Bryan: That's pretty cool, but my neighbors might have a fit. Not to mention my wife. But really, it's not too ugly I think, and would really do the trick with minimal effort on my part. I'll have to re-read my lease and see if there's a clause about what I can and can't put in my yard...

[Bimmer-Bob]

Well, I think it's going to have to be a car cover. There's a neighborhood cat that seems to like to sleep on my car, esp. right after a wash and it's driving me NUTS. I'm pretty sure it's from across the street - the lady lets her cat roam at will for some odd reason. I seriously spent about 30 minutes concocting a plan to poison it or something, but realized I'm not really that kind of guy.

A cover would be much easier, I suppose - well, easier for everyone but me, who will be stuck putting it on each night and pulling it off in the morning. But at least I won't have to resort to wringing a cat's neck...

But I have to say, just to vent: WTH is the matter with people that let their cats out? We don't live out in the country. You know it's going to wander all over the neighborhood and get into other people's stuff. You're basically saying that you don't give a $h*t what your neighbors think, and don't really seem terribly concerned about the cat's welfare, either. Who gets a cat just to let it loose anyway?

[wolfe]

I had the BMW outdoor cover for my old car, and as car covers go I found it to be very good. It has a clear window in the rear, so if you're anywhere that they're militant about parking, people can verify your car/license plate without having to mess with it.

It's made of NOAH fabric, and was soft and breathable. The fit was excellent, elasticated and had nylon eyelets so you can attach a cable lock (I just used a piece of soft rope when it was windy).

It was easy to clean, just turn it inside out on the car and hose it off. Or you can wash it (no soap I think?) at a laundromat.

It comes with a NOAH bag with velcro closing, and it's waterproof. I had to put the cover away wet many times, and left it inside the house with no leaks. I think the bag is stitched to the cover with straps, but I cut them off as I found it worked much better without.

The only thing that really turned out to be a drag was when I'd get home with a wet and/or dirty car. I tried to never put the cover on unless the car was clean, as I figured with wind etc. it'd be like grinding grit right into the paint.

It did really help though, especially with UV. If I was parking outside at home now I'd get another BMW outdoor cover in a heartbeat.

Cats will obviously still sleep on it with a cover (found footprints on mine regularly) but I never noticed any damage to the paint.

[Bimmer-Bob]

Thanks for the input. I actually just bought the BMW outdoor cover from Tischer. It's rolled up in my living room right now, but I'm going to give it a try today once I wash my car.

As you said, the quality looks great, and the fabric is nice and soft and seems breathable.

[wolfe]

Hope I'm not being captain obvious here - I found this video really helpful in stopping it blowing around too much while putting it on/taking it off:

[Bimmer-Bob]

No, that's actually helpful, thanks. The BMW cover includes instructions that are pretty similar to that, but it's useful to see it done as well.

[TOGWT]

There are a couple of problems in using a car cover designed for indoor use;
• There is no inbuilt UV protection so the FL sun will cause the fabric structural damage.

• The typical downpours seen in FL will make the cover very difficult to handle as it will not reject water but allow it to permeate the fabric.

• A wet cover will trap moisture and may cause hazing as the moisture permeates.

• An indoor cover is no match for a FL hurricane and at best will tear or be blown away

If I need to park my car for an extended period I use two covers-

During high winds the use of this system will avoid paint surface marring from the cover being buffered by high force winds

1. Dustop™ - 4 layer cover with maximum dust protection and its soft inner layer protects paint.

2. Weathersheild™ HD- primarily for intense sun environments and long-term storage provides optimum protection from a multi-layer breathable (heavyweight) fabric.

[TOGWT]

Placing Cover on Vehicle

Do not place a car cover on a dusty or dirty car (dry surface with a waffle weave towel or remove dust with a car duster) Ensure that the cover fits well and keep the cover clean (dust / dirt between the inside of the cover or the vehicle surface will cause scratching) Purchase a good quality cover that is manufactured from a durable fabric suitable for your local climatic conditions and expected usage.

To place car cover on vehicle; start by placing the rolled-up cover on the centre of the roof (do not drag cover across vehicle surface as it may cause scratching) unroll from the middle to the rear of vehicle and then middle to front, unroll left side and then right using mirror `pockets' (if fitted) Ensure that cover is `tight' and attach cable and lock (if required) Remove from vehicle opposite to the above and store dry cover in storage bag (if supplied)

Ensure that cover is `tight' and attach cable and lock (if required) Remove from vehicle opposite to the above and store dry cover in storage bag (if supplied)

In strong wind conditions when removing the car cover use the side mirrors as 'anchors’. Remove the front and back portions and then roll towards the top. Then, remove the mirror pocket from one side mirror, then the other. Use a similar method when covering the car, by first attaching the mirror pockets to the side mirrors.