Using a car cover for the winter when outside overnight?

[bswapw]

With the weather change anyone got any views or recommendations as to using a car cover to avoid the usual snow and frost etc on the cherished E320 - wifie has the garage for her slk!
thanks

 

[david_h]

By far the best system out there.

http://www.carcoon.co.uk/

 

[glojo]

Hmmm,
Thinking on the hoof here, I feel you are going to cause more 'damage' than avoid?

I take it you are going to use the car most days?

If the answer is yes, then the vehicle will have a layer of road film on it, containing, mud, grit dust etc!

By dragging a cover, both onto and off of the vehicle, this abrasive layer is going to be dragged all over your bodywork!!

If you wash the car before putting a cover on, then it will have to be perfectly dry otherwise you are trapping the water!

If you are simply trying to protect your car from the elements then perhaps covering the windscreen on really cold nights might be the answer?

Good luck with the decision

John

 

[portzy]

I tried this idea but if its a case of the cover coming off and going back on everyday?....., as John pointed out it will hurt your paintwork. I ended up with this:

http://www.yorkshirecanopies.co.uk/

Portzy.

 

[grober]

preheater or carport?

I see you are from Aberdeen and I know you will get more than enough frost and snow every year. Have you room on your property for a carport in addition to your garage? OR does your car have a preheater you could use to defrost the car before driving off. In my days in Aberdeen I used to use a long handled soft brush to remove the worst of the snow before finally defrosting the windscreen etc. This proved difficult if the snow was still falling of course! For a quick defrost a long spouted indoor watering can filled with warm water out of the hot tap (not boiling) quickly removed windscreen frost and freed up the wiper blades but you need to operate the wipers a couple of times only and drive away quickly to dry the screen or it just freezes over again. I favour this method because it stops the phenomenon of windscreen chill where you defrost the exterior screen with an alcohol based de-icer. This actually chills the screen inside causing your breath to freeze inside the windscreen as you drive along with a further loss of visibility!
Some folks give dire warnings about cracking screens with this method. All I can say is I have used it without incident for 10 years on a variety of cars.
see this post for details of the merc webasto preheat system. http://web.mac.com/drsunilpatel/iWeb/Site/STH .html

 

[glojo]

For us folks who live on the English Riviera we never experience these problems!

Touching palm tree's as I type (touch wood)

Regards,
John

 

[BTB 500]

I also think a car port would be the best bet, if possible. I've had a cover on my SL for 2 years, but I don't use the car every day and yes it should ideally be kept as clean as possible. Having said that, fitting/removing the cover involves no 'dragging' whatsoever if done correctly, and a properly fitted (=expensive) one doesn't flap about in the wind ... which probably would cause scuffing to the paintwork in time. Damp isn't really an issue - all decent outdoor covers are breathable.

Mine came from Covercraft:

http://www.covercraft-europe.com/

They are tailored to fit the vehicle exactly, for example the pockets on mine are shaped to fit the rectangular door mirrors on my '97 ... the '99 has curved mirrors and requires a different cover.

 

[grober]

Cover not practical on a day to day basis.

Having said that, fitting/removing the cover involves no 'dragging' whatsoever if done correctly, and a properly fitted (=expensive) one doesn't flap about in the wind ... which probably would cause scuffing to the paintwork in time. Damp isn't really an issue - all decent outdoor covers are breathable.

Remember in this scenario the guys "cover" is going to covered in 2-3 inches of snow every morning and possibly frozen solid! I think a cover would be fine if the car wasnt used at all during a period of snow but if its used every day ???? When the car comes home at night its going to be covered in fine mix of road grit, salt and water as" Riviera- John" said already. In those circumstances putting a cover on will be counter productive. There is a possible arguement in favour of a windscreen cover and some folks use that but a car port is by far the best solution as you suggested.

 

[Shude]

They are tailored to fit the vehicle exactly, for example the pockets on mine are shaped to fit the rectangular door mirrors on my '97 ... the '99 has curved mirrors and requires a different cover.

What cracks me up is the little hood sewn into them for the bonnet ornament

 

[BTB 500]

What cracks me up is the little hood sewn into them for the bonnet ornament

Excellent! But not required for my SL

 

[Flash]

When I as living at home with parents I bought my first brand spanking new MB and there was not any space in our garages for it. So one day I said to my Dad I was going to possibly buy a car cover for it and my Dad replied “…not on my drive son because that’s what people do on council estates”.

Car covers can cause more harm than good to the paintwork.

 

[Shude]

When I as living at home with parents I bought my first brand spanking new MB and there was not any space in our garages for it. So one day I said to my Dad I was going to possibly buy a car cover for it and my Dad replied “…not on my drive son because that’s what people do on council estates”.

Where I live now only the council houses have garages, everyone else has to park on the street!

 

[BTB 500]

A £300 cover from Covercraft etc. isn't quite the same as a £20 PVC one from Halfords ...

 

[glojo]

A £300 cover from Covercraft etc. isn't quite the same as a £20 PVC one from Halfords ...

Hi Bill,
The link you supplied certainly had some very nice covers but I still feel need more convincing about using one every day!

The car comes home covered in road dirt, grit etc. It is pouring with rain.

Are you suggesting the owner wash the car prior to putting the cover on, or are you saying it is quite simple to install this cover in the pouring rain in perhaps darkness and not drag it over all the filthy muck that is on the vehicle?

The car is being used every day, where will the cover be stored especially as we are talking about winter months where we have lots of rain etc. The driver will need to take this sopping wet cover off, make sure it doesn't fall onto the ground and get contaminated, and also make sure the rain on the cover does not get onto their work cloths etc. It will have to be stored somewhere to allow the water to run off.

I am NOT against these excellent covers, they appear to be a first rate product, but the question relates to the use of a daily used vehicle and I need more convincing over the practicalities of using a cover for a car used daily!

Regards,
John the Inquisitive

 

[Shude]

Are you suggesting the owner wash the car prior to putting the cover on, or are you saying it is quite simple to install this cover in the pouring rain in perhaps darkness and not drag it over all the filthy muck that is on the vehicle?

Of course you'd have to be insane to put a wet car into a garage but I bet people do!

I would not use a car cover on a daily basis, a garage (if dehumidified) is a good choice but I'm led to believe that a carport is probably the best compromise, purely for car storage.

 

[glojo]

a garage (if dehumidified) is a good choice but I'm led to believe that a carport is probably the best compromise, purely for car storage.

I think some of us are more fortunate than others, but the question is solely about the use of a car cover for a daily used car.

I am a great fan of using a good quality car cover for vehicles that are not regularly used, even those kept in a garage.

Not sure about a de-humidified regularly used garage! Would you be for ever trying to de-humidify the atmosphere? I am thinking how the doors will be regularly opened and the place is NOT air tight.

John the inquisitive

 

[BTB 500]

the question is solely about the use of a car cover for a daily used car.

Hi John

Being pedantic there wasn't actually any mention of the car being used daily, and I did say I thought the best option would be a car port!

 

[glojo]

Hi John

Being pedantic there wasn't actually any mention of the car being used daily, and I did say I thought the best option would be a car port!

Hi Bill
Thanks for clarifying your post.

I must confess those covers do look nice. I dread to think how much one would cost for my 'stretched limo'?

John

 

[BTB 500]

I dread to think how much one would cost for my 'stretched limo'?

Think you'd need scaffolding (or a crane?) to get it on and off, too!

 

[c955]

I can vouch for the £300 car cover from this place - think it's identical to BTB's. Mine does indeed have the little pocket to accommodate the bonnet target

http://www.thecovercompany.co.uk/

I can say that it's totally waterproof. The manufacturers claim it's breathable too, though I haven't really had any chance to confirm this (we're only just coming into autumn after all).

I don't use my car very frequently at all and try to make sure it's in pristine condition before putting the cover on. I don't think I'd recommend this type of cover for everyday use at all.