Car covers

[Old spanners]

I have been looking for a new car cover as the one I bought last year has had too much of the sun during the summer and has turned into more of a wet blanket.
Paid about £60 for it and although it seemed well made with a heavy plastic breathable outer and cotton inner the whole top part is now completely porous.
Anyone any recommendations?

 

[BTB 500]

Decent outdoor covers are expensive - I used a Covercraft Noah on my SL:

Covercraft Custom Fit Car Covers - Covercraft Europe

I had it for 3 or so years and it was still in excellent condition - a member here bought it when I moved to a house with a garage.

 

[optimusprime]

You need a cover craft monsoon car cover, thats is a full waterproof cover made to measure for your car Pockets for the wing mirrors and 4 breather holes with flaps to cover them so rain wont get inside .Mine was like i had just put it away .That was after 6 monthes of bad weather .Just ordered some bungge cords to strap it down .Wind was a problem last year .But i wrap it up in bed blankets before i put the cover on and then i tie them on to the door handles .Do this just as extra ptotection of the paint work .But the cover is smooth inside if you need to just put that on. But for you , an all year round cover is what you need .You need a breathable cover. They have those covers also called Typhoon .I have the address if you need more info...

 

[Old spanners]

Thanks for that info. As I'm keeping this car in France it seems to be the sun that's ruining the covers and I've gone through two in three years the first one was much more expensive but the same result. So I'm starting to think that it's just another cost of not being able to keep the car under cover.

 

[BTB 500]

Comparison chart for the various Covercraft fabrics here:

Covercraft Europe Custom Fit Car Covers

UV protection is one of the categories they are rated on there. As mentioned they fit the car precisely - different versions for the R129 depending on whether your car has rectangular or oval door mirrors!

 

[Old spanners]

You need a cover craft monsoon car cover, thats is a full waterproof cover made to measure for your car Pockets for the wing mirrors and 4 breather holes with flaps to cover them so rain wont get inside .Mine was like i had just put it away .That was after 6 monthes of bad weather .Just ordered some bungge cords to strap it down .Wind was a problem last year .But i wrap it up in bed blankets before i put the cover on and then i tie them on to the door handles .Do this just as extra ptotection of the paint work .But the cover is smooth inside if you need to just put that on. But for you , an all year round cover is what you need .You need a breathable cover. They have those covers also called Typhoon .I have the address if you need more info...

Thanks, looks like I'll have to do a little manipulation of figures to keep "Madame" happy with the ongoing expense of my car for a reasonably priced star!

 

[GP801]

I used a Covercraft HP. It coped with the Tuscan weather for 4 years before the sun rotted the stitching and it all fell apart. This time I think I will "upgrade" to the Noah or Monsoon version.

 

[Alex225]

To be honest, Covercraft offer the same types of covers as a few other companies out there. I use Coveryourcar.co.uk as I got to know the chap who runs the place.

Essentially for a fairly long term storage solution you want something breathable so look for either a Monsoon or Stormforce cover, I have owned both.

The Monsoon cover has vents in the top and is basically rubber with with a lining. It's not entirely breathable so normally not recommended for very long periods of time. That said I used one to store my Twingo under for far longer than recommended and it turned out fine. Also I like these as they're heavy and don't move in the wind at all.

The other option to consider is the Stormforce material. This is far lighter but still completely waterproof. This claims to allow moisture to evapourate through the material. This are probably a safer bet for long term covering but are lighter so do move a little more. I'll have my CLS under one until spring next year now.

Have a look on Google for the best prices for either type of cover. Covercraft, Coveryourcar etc. are distributors of the same brand so may find some places more of less expensive, I believe Cover Zone is actually the manufacturer (Car Covers, Motorcycle Covers, Car Mats & Accessories | Coverzone).

Hope that helps OP. There is a lot of bad press from the detailing people about covers but when used correctly, they can be very effective. You can unveil your car after a few months and it should be the same as when you put the cover on.

 

[optimusprime]

As i said before Old Spanners The Monsoon is a fully waterproof car cover, and its not breathable .Main use is for the bad weather thats on the way .For hot climate you do need a breathable cover or it will ruin the paint work. How about a good gazebo with tie downs .?
Just fitted my Monsoon cover on to the car yesterday.I will look under the cover from time to time .I use old linen .All my friends keep them , rather than throwing them out Then i secure them to the door handles with cord .Last year winds were so bad i never used it . But this year i have a lot of bungee cords to strap it down .Thats if Maria comes calling .I had 8mm bungee off the bay but i think they are a little to strong ,so i am going to get some 6mm next time ..My car looks a lot like those above now .

 

[Marku]

There really is no alternative to a proper cover. Working up to finally getting one for the 450 after several cheap ones which in some cases did not even last the year and it is under cover. The sun was the worst degrading some of them until they almost fell apart. You can expect to pay between £200 and £300 but I have convinced myself that it is the only option and I only want to keep the dust off.

 

[optimusprime]

Marku i hope you find a good cover .But the sun is a killer .

 

[ellmo]

Marku i hope you find a good cover .But the sun is a killer .

agree the sun is a right pain when it comes to looking after cars!
plant a nice line of trees an wait 20+ years...

 

[optimusprime]

You would all roll with laughter if you saw my engine .Took ages to get the king size duvet inside the engine in to the vital areas that coolant pipes are .

 

[Red C220]

Covercraft on our SL which I only put on for pretty awful weather.

We're moving in the new year to somewhere which has a garage and room for me to build more.

Ed that does my detailing says he can see the marks on the paint made by the cover, but the upside is it stops it getting covered in bird crap and tree detritus and stratches from the postmans bag buckle as he walks by.

I'll be happier when it's in a garage. But until then this has been ideal.

 

[Alex225]

Ed that does my detailing says he can see the marks on the paint made by the cover, but the upside is it stops it getting covered in bird crap and tree detritus and stratches from the postmans bag buckle as he walks by.

If anyone can see that Ed definitely would. Exceptional skills at detailing.

Thing is with the covers is like you say a tiny bit of marring which you may only see under a halogen light vs all the other things they will land on your paint. I’d still use a cover over winter or for long term storage.

 

[MBeez]

That covercraft has a nice fit on the car