car covers

[richardg]

So I currently do not have a garage and I have a few questions about car covers. First off I live in Michigan. We get very heavy snow in the winter and there is a lot of salt on the roads. I do not intend on driving this car in the winter so I need it parked. So I was wondering what car covers work well outside. What are the dangers of prolonged car cover use, say 3-5 months in the winter. How long does it take to properly put the cover on the car and take it off. There may be times when there is 10 inches of snow just piled on top of the car. Also can the cover scratch, scathe, or damage the finish of my car in any way?

[chris_b_owens]

it's a great idea to not drive your car in the winter....the conditions can be extremely harsh. anyway i've bought a few different covers for my cars in the past and none of them seem to be good enough to stay outside. if i were you, i'd either park it inside or under a carport...or double up on the covers. either way good luck!

[richardg]

any other feed back?

[JohnnyRoaster]

I say get some good snow tires and drive it year round. The salt may not be great for it but sitting around for half the year isn't good either. If you do decide to park it, you would be better off finding a place to store it. Be sure to start it up once a week or so.

[consolidated]

Originally Posted by richardg

So I currently do not have a garage and I have a few questions about car covers. First off I live in Michigan. We get very heavy snow in the winter and there is a lot of salt on the roads. I do not intend on driving this car in the winter so I need it parked. So I was wondering what car covers work well outside. What are the dangers of prolonged car cover use, say 3-5 months in the winter. How long does it take to properly put the cover on the car and take it off. There may be times when there is 10 inches of snow just piled on top of the car. Also can the cover scratch, scathe, or damage the finish of my car in any way?

It sounds like you need a tight woven breathable fabric cover or breathable multilayer spun material cover. I have two Coverking covers, also look at Covercraft. Believe it or not I actually use both covers sometimes for harsh weather, soft lined Autobody Armor with a lightweight Stormproof outer. If you get a custom formed cover it'll barely move in a strong wind and keep scratches to a minimum.

[richardg]

you guys are the best. i found some of the coverking covers but what makes a 200$ cover different from a 400$ cover. The product descriptions i have found do not do a good job of explaining this. Also should I take the cover off from time to time. Maybe air the car out?

[schadenfreude]

Originally Posted by richardg

you guys are the best. i found some of the coverking covers but what makes a 200$ cover different from a 400$ cover. The product descriptions i have found do not do a good job of explaining this. Also should I take the cover off from time to time. Maybe air the car out?

Comparison information on them is overall pretty scarce. The best compromise of the features I wanted was their stormproof line. Breathable, waterproof, and soft. I'll be ordering one soon.

Here's their fabric comparison page.

[Cyber]

Whatever you do, keep a good coat of wax on car. Mitigates cover scratches I think....