Technology and chemistry have caught up with the car cover, making today's covers marvels of protection. The key is not so much choosing one particular brand over another, but taking the time to consider exactly what it is you want from a Lite car cover. That may sound strange, considering the "a cover is a cover" mentality, but modern covers offer a variety of features and options tailored to the needs of you and your car.
Protection from What?
Ask a 100 car enthusiasts what they want a car cover for and you could very well get a 100 different answers, but the common thread will be protection.
"Car owners," Williamson begins, "are mainly concerned about protecting their investments, but for a variety of reasons. They may want protection from tree sap, rain, snow, sleet, or sun. Or if they're close to the ocean, salt. But protecting the investment is almost always the main concern."
High quality outdoor car covers are specifically designed do this with UV protection and waterproof, breathable fabrics to guard against the elements. Breath ability Premier Car Cover and UV chemistry are paramount to the lasting protection of an outdoor cover. Without breathable fabrics moisture can become trapped under a car cover and ultimately damage your car's paint, while UV protection blocks the sun's harmful ultra-violet rays to prevent fading. Just how important UV protection is can be appreciated by learning that UV chemistry is generally one of the most expensive parts a manufacture puts into their covers. For example, Budge Cover puts the same UV chemistry in clear coat paints as they do in their car cover fabrics.
But what about the people that only park their precious cars in a garage? Do they need all that breath ability and UV chemistry? Few car lovers are aware of many indoor covers that don't feature the same element protection of outdoor covers but are perfect in for them in two other ways.
"When we hear from folks that park their cars inside," Williamson says, "they mainly have two concerns: dust and objects falling against the car."
Most people do not have a garage as clean and tidy as top Nextel Cup teams, so there are bound to be rakes, shovels, bicycles, pets, or a hundred other objects just waiting to topple over and scar a vehicle's finish.
"For that reason, we encourage people to get a thick four- or five-layer budge car cover to protect against items falling in their garages," says Williamson.
Protection from the elements and damage are certainly the most common reasons why people buy car covers, but there are more hazards to consider such as protection against theft.
"A car cover, obviously, works to protect the outside of your car," Williamson says. "What is seldom thought of, however, is that they also serve to protect the inside of your car as well."
How? The old cliche works here: Out of sight, out of mind. Sure, an anti-theft device such a car alarm or steering wheel lock work well as deterrents, but what they don't do is conceal your car and its interior. Potential thieves rarely go for what they can't see and besides a garage a car cover is the next best thing in cloaking your car from prying eyes and crowbars.
What Do YOU Want in a Car Cover?
The custom car cover for this A4 provides a nice snug fit even around the side mirrors.
The first thing you need to ask yourself before buying a car cover is what are you trying to protect your car from? Is it from the elements, or from dust, from
dings and dents, or from theft, or maybe even a combination of all of these? Whatever your reasons there is a car cover to suit your needs, but there are a
few basics to keep in mind.
"We encourage people to look for the highest warranty that they can find in cover," Williamson explains. "They should look for, not only the water
resistance of a cover, but also the breathability. Often times you'll get water trapped underneath the cover. If there is not any breathability you'll get
condensation and then the car cover will rot and may affect the paint. What we at Budge Cover feel we have is the best balance of both properties:
waterproofing, breathability, UV durability and softness."
Cheap car covers tend to have very little UV protection, if any at all, so the rule "you get what you pay for" applies here.
"The more expensive car covers have more UV protection, therefore more sun protection, and better protection over a longer period of time," says
Williamson.
Enthusiasts searching for added protection from damage should look for car covers with four or five layers that can be used as extra padding. The extra
layers will go a long way toward protecting against errant objects and people trying to squeeze by your car in a tight garage.
This one's important: get a custom made Duro Cover. Sure they cost a little more, but
a custom made cover offers the best fit for your car, which will save you time and stress when putting the cover on, and gives the added benefit of being even
tougher against the elements.
"For people that are really concerned about protecting their investment," Williamson says, "we encourage them to buy custom covers. They fit like a glove
and you don't have to worry about them blowing away in strong winds."
Easy On, Easy Off
If the front of your cover isn't already clearly designated, like this one, place a mark of some sort on the front to help you line up the cover on your
car.
There is a misconception floating about that car covers are difficult to put on and take off - simply put, this is a fallacy. On average, it takes people about
45 seconds to put on or take off a car cover. That is not a lot of time to give your ride added protection. Just use the tips below and you'll be a pro at
handling your cover.
Cover a clean vehicle only. Dust, dirt, and grit between a cover and the finish can cause scratches, swirls, abrasion and dullness. If you have a breathable
cover, your car does not have to be totally dry before you put on the cover.
Put on a clean cover. Bringing dirt to a clean car via the cover only increases the odds for damage. Spot cleaning when necessary will minimize this risk.
Take off a clean cover. If your cover has collected dirt, leaves, etc, clean it off before you remove it from your car. Tips on cleaning a cover are below.
Keep your cover off the ground. If your cover should touch the ground, shake it out and make sure it is free of dirt and grit.
Unfold going on, fold up going off. Never drag or slide your cover - sideways
motion could The Shield cause particles of grit to scratch the surface of your car.
Putting the MAX Cover On
On average, a person can put on a cover in about 45 seconds.
1. Mark the front of the cover with the word "front" to help you get it positioned correctly on the car.
2. If your vehicle has an outside radio antenna that doesn't unscrew or retract flush with the vehicle body, you will have to provide an opening in the cover.
Place the cover over the antenna before moving to the next step.
3. If your cover has side-mirror pockets, position the cover over the mirrors.
4. Stretch the ends of the cover over the front and rear bumpers.
Caution: If the car
Car Cover
has just been driven, be careful not to allow the cover to come in contact with hot exhaust pipes.
Tip: Some vehicles may have sharp bumpers, hood ornaments or moldings. You can minimize abrasion and the possibility of tearing the cover by reinforcing the
inside of the cover and taking extra care when installing and removing the cover.
- Release both ends of the cover from under the bumpers.
- Fold both sides of the cover onto the top of the vehicle into a pile approximately 2 feet (60cm) wide.
- Start at the front of the vehicle and fold the cover in 3 foot (1 meter) folds from the front to the back.
Taking Care of Your Budge Car Cover
You did the right thing and purchased a quality car cover and slipped it on your car successfully - but your not really done. Proper care of a car cover is
simple but vital to prolonging the protective qualities that you purchased the cover for in the first place.
Cleaning your cover is easy as they are washable in large commercial washing machine (preferably one without an agitator), but DO NOT put a cover in the
dryer. This cannot be stressed enough, as Williamson states.
"You can put a car cover in the washing machine but it can't go in the dryer. Good quality car covers are made of fairly versatile fabrics as long as you
don't put them in the dryer. Other than that they are pretty much a no-brainer product. We encourage people to use water a light detergent like
Fantastic)
All Purpose Cleaner because many of the harsh detergents, such as the type you use for your clothes, can get trapped into the cover and make it porous, thus
reducing the cover's protective qualities."
You can hand clean small areas with a brush, but for a washing machine use two cups of cleaner. Rinse thoroughly making sure all the cleaner is washed away, then just air dry. Light amounts of dust can be hosed off while the cover
is on the vehicle.
If there isn't time to air dry a cover, is it safe to simply roll the cover up and plop it in a trunk? Williamson says yes, but make sure the cover is
resistant to mold and mildew - even another reason to get a quality cover.
There is a high quality Car Cover out there for virtually any car of any size or
body style.
"All of Budge Cover's fabrics are mold and mildew resistant so they won't support bacterial growth. The cover may be wet when you pull it out the next
time, but if the cover is in your trunk for a period of time, the moisture will just evaporate away. The polymer technology will not melt. Well, our fabrics
melt at more than 200 degrees Fahrenheit, but you don't see temperatures above that, so the cover is safe to leave in your trunk."
Here lies the reason not to put your cover in a clothes dryer where temperatures exceed 200 degrees Fahrenheit. The trunk of your car is fine, the dryer is not.
When storing your cover you always want to have the outside of the cover, well, on the outside, or in other words, exposed when storing. This is to prevent
harmful particles from getting on the inside of the car where they may be dragged across your car's paint the next Car Cover FAQ time you use the cover.
Depending on use, a car cover can last from six to ten years.
Much like a new car's resale value begins to drop the second you drive it off a lot, a car cover's protective chemistry begins to break down almost immediately
when it is exposed to the sun, but better the cover catches the brunt of the sun, then your car's paint.
"There is a chemistry that's put into the car cover that basically decelerates or prevents the degradation of the car cover fabric," Williamson says. "So, the
way we explain it is, if you didn't have your car cover on, the sun would be degrading your clear coat paint."
Much like a paint job, a variety of factors such as frequency of use, exposure and even the UV chemistry and how much a manufacture puts into a cover,
determines how long the protection of car cover will last. Seat Covers There are, however,
some guidelines Williamson can offer.
"Typically, for our customers who are using their covers a few times week, they can expect the cover to last about 10 years. In very harsh, sunny climates a
good car cover will still last about six to eight years."
Yes, you can keep the cover in your trunk even in hotter climates, just don't ever put it in the dryer.
Now You Know...
The bottom-line on car covers is this: if you love on your car, spend the extra money for a quality car cover. Why spend thousands on a paint job, or even more
on a new car, and then turn around a buy a cheap "shower cap" cover to save 50 bucks? Cheap car covers do little more than simply cover your car. They offer
minimal protection from dents and dings, the suns rays and other harmful elements, and may not even be there after a windy night outside. Even worse,
they can actually trap paint-damaging moisture underneath the cover, which can be more harmful than having no cover at all. You spend a lot on your car, so
give it the protection you would want by going the extra mile and plunking down http://www.autopartshipper.com
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