Use of car covers? Pros-vs-Cons

[DenverSteve]

I can't imagine a mold problem but Pro - Keeps sun and some dust off the car. Con - they can cause contact scratches even if they are small. I have one but never use it. I would if I were leaving the car for more than 6 months.

[Ghostrider 310]

I used mine all the time, it never marked the paint. One situation I liked to avoid was the formation of condensation under the cover. I don't care what level of stormtech the cover states it deploys when it rained I always removed it after the event to prevent mold or any other problems of trapped moisture.

[vath2001]

Depends on the type and location of use. I use one for winter storage in the garage to keep the dust off the car. But I have a simple interior car cover.

[wvboxst3r]

I use one when car is going to be sitting for a couple of days and all the time at the beach. At the beach we do not have garage and the pine sap, needles and leaves along with sun really forces me to cover it.

[jdiba]

Originally Posted by wvboxst3r

I use one when car is going to be sitting for a couple of days and all the time at the beach. At the beach we do not have garage and the pine sap, needles and leaves along with sun really forces me to cover it.

I imagine the salt can't be too great for it either ? I'm sorta starting to shop for a beach cottage on Cape Cod and the one requirement I'm hanging on to is its either got to have a garage, or the land to build one on.

[wvboxst3r]

Salt is an issue that can't be resolved with a garage(completely). It is in the air and on roads, the best option is lots of fresh water. The most damage is the under carriage not getting rinsed. I only spend about half of the year in the south. I m more concerned with paint damage from the birds and trees. The sun on the interior. Also the pine needles are the worst thing for drains(gutters on houses) so I worry about rain getting rerouted into car.

That is my reasoning for using the cover out weighing the possible damage from a good fitting soft water resistant cover.

[ProjectM96]

Pro's:

Protects your car from sun damage, rain, snow, bird poop, and sometimes scratches from kids playing around it or people hitting their doors against it.


Con's:

Unless you buy the Porsche car cover and tie it down well, every other universal cover will just fly off with the wind no matter how much you tie it down.

Covers become weaker with time and weather. Eventually, birds will rip pieces off to use in their nest and it will rip easily.

Unless the inside is cotton, car covers can cause tiny scratches in the same way that car wash brushes make tiny scratches.

Dust. They are very dusty and dirt sticks to them. It will make your car dusty.