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  1. #1

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    Water proof Car Cover help.

    I have never had a carcover & want to protect from rain mostly & small birds landing on car. My procedure would be:

    -Keep car covered weekly while sits in drive way outside.
    -Take cover off before weekend drive & just before taking off wash the cover itself while sits on car so its easy to clean. I figure it will need a weekly clean as in just one week my car collects bird poop & leaves etc. Then dry it out on the line or something.
    -Before putting cover back on the car wash car & dry well.

    Would the cover start to wear after a while from being washed & moved around frequently? I tend to think the cover will develop sharp edges or coarse inside as it ages & will start to add fine scratches to the car just by simple putting it on & taking it off.

    Would you agree?

    thanks

  2. #2

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    Re: Water proof Car Cover help.

    Manix- Noting that different people will have different priorities (and thus accept different trade-offs), I don`t think the Car Cover idea will work out the way you`d like. I used (very high-quality) covers for a few years before finally just giving up on them, and IME:

    -None of the "waterproof" or "weatherproof" covers really were
    -None of the "breathable" ones really did that very well either
    -Once a cover gets rained on you have one *BIG* hassle on your hands and the car under that cover will need washed (at the very least) even if it was clean beforehand (and even if you thought the cover was clean too, just worked out that way)
    -Washing the cover while on the car never worked for me if only because you need to use some kind of soap/detergent which you *DO NOT* want to get on your car (and it will get on it since the covers aren`t really waterproof). Just rinsing it off didn`t get the cover clean, only made a further mess of the car
    -Drying a wet cover is a lot more of a chore than I ever imagined even though I have big garment racks/etc. on which to spread it out. I ended up using a laundermat for both the washing and most of the drying, letting it finish drying at home on the racks (I wouldn`t expect a clothesline to work very well if at all)
    -No matter how meticulous I was about keeping the car and the cover clean (and most people can`t *imagine* ) using the cover always resulted in some degree of marring. Always. Even with never-dirty covers on Garage Queens which were alway spotless. It created worse problems than it solved every time, even on vehicles that were outside 24/7/52

    So I have some nice (and very expensive) car covers stashed away that haven`t been used in ages. I even quit using them on the Garage Queens.

    Unless there`s some issue with *HIGHLY* corrosive rain or some kind of Industrial Fallout, using a cover to protect against rain is replacing a minor issue with a slew of *MAJOR* ones.

    But hey, that`s just my experience and if somebody has a real problem with birds/etc. then they might have utterly different priorities and find the cover is worth the negatives. Though I have to say that IMO it`d have to be one *VERY* extreme situation and one *very* determined person for the approach to be feasible long-term. I can`t *really* imagine very many situations where it`d be worth it. And no matter what, I`d expect a cover to result in marring.

  3. #3
    rlmccarty2000's Avatar
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    Re: Water proof Car Cover help.

    Don`t plan on washing the car cover. They are bulky and just a pain to wash and dry. Get a good cover, for me the best ones are the fabric woven covers. You will get scratches on your car from even the best covers due to dirt getting between the car and the cover, no way around it. I use one because of tree sap. For me the pluses out weigh the minuses. Plan on buying a new cover about every 2 years, the sun and other elements break down the material of the cover. Make sure the cover is breathable, if not water will get trapped under the cover and cause spotting.

  4. #4
    dansautodetailing.com Stokdgs's Avatar
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    Re: Water proof Car Cover help.

    I only have experience with car covers, mostly in California and Washington State..

    The type of cover has a lot to do with how well it will protect the paintwork, how easy and lightweight it will be, and how hard it will be to wash it and dry it..

    Have seen all the bulky, multi-layer, thick, huge, never fit correctly, excuses for car covers, and never purchased those..

    The newer fabrics out are definitely easier to manage, and if you are just looking for protection from junk in the sky or birds, etc., then I would look at the lighter, almost parachute type fabrics that are very easy to install, remove, and wash..

    It is possible today, to purchase a really nice, fitted for your vehicle, fits very tightly, light fabric car cover that will fold into a small bag when removed..
    This type is the only type I prefer to use..

    It is not so light that it is fragile like for example, a very soft cotton, but a type of fabric that is able to protect the finish from junk and UV, give pretty good protection from rain, yet will dry in a few minutes if the sun comes out, and the car will not be dramatically different underneath it..

    And I have also washed this type of cover ON the car with just plain car wash soap and a soft brush, rinsed it all off really well, let it dry on the car, removed it, and the car was just fine underneath..

    The car cover was now very clean again and you get to start over... The car covers were never damaged by this process, and are still with the vehicles somewhere today..

    Look at this place Custom Car Covers | California Car Cover Co. Official Site
    Good Luck !
    Dan F

  5. #5

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    Re: Water proof Car Cover help.

    Stokdgs- Ah, sounds like the covers have come a ways from back when I used them. I find it especially interesting that the car`s not a big mess after the cover gets wet.

    And yeah, the CA Car Cover Co. does sell some good stuff!
    Likes Stokdgs liked this post

  6. #6
    Hooked For Life Bill D's Avatar
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    Re: Water proof Car Cover help.

    I used to use two covers one on top of the other and they did a somewhat decent job of keeping out the rain. I washed the covers in the washer and dried them in the dryer with no problems.
    Treat it like it`s the only one in the world.

  7. #7
    dansautodetailing.com Stokdgs's Avatar
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    Re: Water proof Car Cover help.

    Quote Originally Posted by Accumulator View Post
    Stokdgs- Ah, sounds like the covers have come a ways from back when I used them. I find it especially interesting that the car`s not a big mess after the cover gets wet.

    And yeah, the CA Car Cover Co. does sell some good stuff!
    Amigo !
    I started out using the absolute best cotton car covers from a place called Beverly Hills Motoring Accessories out of Beverly Hills, CA., back in the early 70`s, and even back then, their covers were the exact pattern of the vehicle, they used really good elastic to hold the covers on tightly and grommets to allow you to attach a plastic covered cable from one side to the other and lock the cover..

    I believe the Cal Cover place took over for that business when it went out and if that is the case, that explains why these people also make really great fitting, working covers...

    Have never had an issue with any of their covers and I have had many at a time, but not nearly as many covers as you have..

    Yes, the newer fabrics today are way nicer, easier on the paint because they are not heavy, and dry in minutes rather than hours like the older covers needed..

    And as we all know, the key the absolute key to keeping bad things from happening to the paint under the cover - the vehicle has to be absolutely clean before you put the clean cover on it. And of course, after a while, stuff may get up under and on top of the cover and that calls for a wash and dry..

    I have also even washed the cover inside-out on the vehicle to get both sides really clean and dry quickly...

    Cant think of a better place to do this than the actual shape it was made for - the vehicle...
    Dan F

  8. #8

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    Re: Water proof Car Cover help.

    Quote Originally Posted by Accumulator View Post
    Manix- Noting that different people will have different priorities (and thus accept different trade-offs), I don`t think the Car Cover idea will work out the way you`d like. I used (very high-quality) covers for a few years before finally just giving up on them, and IME:

    -None of the "waterproof" or "weatherproof" covers really were
    -None of the "breathable" ones really did that very well either
    -Once a cover gets rained on you have one *BIG* hassle on your hands and the car under that cover will need washed (at the very least) even if it was clean beforehand (and even if you thought the cover was clean too, just worked out that way)
    -Washing the cover while on the car never worked for me if only because you need to use some kind of soap/detergent which you *DO NOT* want to get on your car (and it will get on it since the covers aren`t really waterproof). Just rinsing it off didn`t get the cover clean, only made a further mess of the car
    -Drying a wet cover is a lot more of a chore than I ever imagined even though I have big garment racks/etc. on which to spread it out. I ended up using a laundermat for both the washing and most of the drying, letting it finish drying at home on the racks (I wouldn`t expect a clothesline to work very well if at all)
    -No matter how meticulous I was about keeping the car and the cover clean (and most people can`t *imagine* ) using the cover always resulted in some degree of marring. Always. Even with never-dirty covers on Garage Queens which were alway spotless. It created worse problems than it solved every time, even on vehicles that were outside 24/7/52

    So I have some nice (and very expensive) car covers stashed away that haven`t been used in ages. I even quit using them on the Garage Queens.

    Unless there`s some issue with *HIGHLY* corrosive rain or some kind of Industrial Fallout, using a cover to protect against rain is replacing a minor issue with a slew of *MAJOR* ones.

    But hey, that`s just my experience and if somebody has a real problem with birds/etc. then they might have utterly different priorities and find the cover is worth the negatives. Though I have to say that IMO it`d have to be one *VERY* extreme situation and one *very* determined person for the approach to be feasible long-term. I can`t *really* imagine very many situations where it`d be worth it. And no matter what, I`d expect a cover to result in marring.
    Thanks for taking the time for this detailed post, given me much to thick of.

  9. #9

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    Re: Water proof Car Cover help.

    Quote Originally Posted by Stokdgs View Post
    I only have experience with car covers, mostly in California and Washington State..

    The type of cover has a lot to do with how well it will protect the paintwork, how easy and lightweight it will be, and how hard it will be to wash it and dry it..

    Have seen all the bulky, multi-layer, thick, huge, never fit correctly, excuses for car covers, and never purchased those..

    The newer fabrics out are definitely easier to manage, and if you are just looking for protection from junk in the sky or birds, etc., then I would look at the lighter, almost parachute type fabrics that are very easy to install, remove, and wash..

    It is possible today, to purchase a really nice, fitted for your vehicle, fits very tightly, light fabric car cover that will fold into a small bag when removed..
    This type is the only type I prefer to use..

    It is not so light that it is fragile like for example, a very soft cotton, but a type of fabric that is able to protect the finish from junk and UV, give pretty good protection from rain, yet will dry in a few minutes if the sun comes out, and the car will not be dramatically different underneath it..

    And I have also washed this type of cover ON the car with just plain car wash soap and a soft brush, rinsed it all off really well, let it dry on the car, removed it, and the car was just fine underneath..

    The car cover was now very clean again and you get to start over... The car covers were never damaged by this process, and are still with the vehicles somewhere today..

    Look at this place Custom Car Covers | California Car Cover Co. Official Site
    Good Luck !
    Dan F

    Thanks for the advice! I will look into those covers.

  10. #10

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    Re: Water proof Car Cover help.

    Stokdgs- We`re dating ourselves with references to BHMA! But yeah...I still have covers from them, the cotton one for the Jag is still OK after 30 years. Even have a little bottle of BHMA Car Cover Shampoo around here somewhere

    I tried a number of their different fabrics, but my experiences with their "outdoor-suitable" covers weren`t as positive as yours...but again, the newer/lighter fabrics could make all the difference.

    But that marring issue...if *I* can`t avoid it with a Garage-Queen (both the Jag and the S8 have <20K miles), then I really wonder how well it`ll go for others.

    Hey, this is another case where I`d genuinely love for somebody to prove me wrong and have an experience that differs from mine

 

 

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