Car Covers. How to use?

[SOG35]

i have a very nice custom sunbrella car cover. So far I have not been able to make good use of it. I have covered parking, but rain can still enter my parking space. I`d like to cover my car more often but if my car is even a little dirty I`m afraid of maring. Also it rains 200 times a year in hawaii so a wet cover is not a good idea.

so far the only use i have for it is during camping trips and covering up between applications of sealents. any tips on using car covers?

[Jngrbrdman]

The only time I use a car cover is when I leave the car at the airport for an extended period of time and it is uncovered. The cover protects it from window shoppers, scratches from other travelers getting in their cars with bags, bird droppings, polluted rain that is incredibly present at the Salt Lake International Airport due to the lake being several hundred yards away, and a number of other things. I wouldn`t find as much value in the cover daily at work or in other situations where the car wasn`t parked for more than a couple days. In your case where it rains all the time it will be very hard to effectively use a car cover on a daily driver. In your situation it is probably not a good idea to use one unless your car is clean and dry. Don`t ever store the car cover wet because there is a chance of mold growing on it and transfering to the inside of your car. As humid as it is where you are its not worth taking chances. Unfortunately part of having covered parking in Hawaii is that you are going to get wet occasionally. If the cover isn`t going to get too wet in the process then you could probably QD your car prior to using the cover and then just make sure you let the cover air out before storing it in your trunk or someplace like that.

[robman]

I personally didnt care for the Sunbrella cover. It was a heavy cover that seemed to drag and I did note more swirling. I have since switched back to a slightly less expensive cover (evolution 4). Its lightweight, a little bigger but the material is soft and more breathable so it dries very quickly. I personally cover the car as long as its at home or at work even on a dirty, wet car. Just dont drag the cover on the paint.

To me its much worse to have those large spots of water drying in the hot hawaiian sun thoughout the day. If the car is really dirty, I`ll hit the tops with some S&W before covering.

Aloha,
Robert

edit: If you put the cover in the trunk wet, its even more important to recover the car when you reach your destination. A cover like the evolution 4 will dry in about 30 minutes of dry weather, even overnight.

[Bill D]

Weathershield and Weathershield HD are the current ultimate covers. You can shake them and they become dry or nearly dry depending on how much rain fell quickly

[derek37]

anyone know the best way to wash/clean your cover?