Car Covers

We haven't discussed car covers here so I decided to start a thread on them.
Kimberly Clark used to publish a video that advertised their fabrics as well as Mother's detailing products. I don't know if the video is still available.
I bought my Weathershield custom-fit cover from www.autoanything.com at a good price. It has been ( pun intended ) a mixed bag. It is almost perfectly waterproof but breathable because it is made of Nextec. It has never torn. It did fade. The negative aspects are : its slipperiness, which can allow it to slide as you try to position it / The inability of the elastic to keep it on in a strong wind ( Grommets at the sides allow you to tie a provided rope under the car ) / stretching of the elastic / lack of reflective material to keep people from backing into your car at night / a storage bag that is too much of a hassle to pack it into. If you have a conventional radio antenna, there is a grommet kit provided to make a hole for the antenna. A security cable is available at additional cost.
AutoAnything recommended the Weathershield cover for people who want waterproof material above all. Some of the Kimberly Clark fabrics are only water repellant but offer more cushioning against door dings.
Covers can be enough trouble to put on and remove that you stop using them. You must keep the car clean or risk scratching the paint as the cover moves dirt around.
Hope that is some help to anyone considering a cover.
Doug



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/03/2007 03:56AM by Doug Delmont.

Update-
My Weathershield car cover came with a rope to tie under the car between two grommets. The rope tends to loosen and even untie itself in high winds plus it is hard to throw the end far enough under the car to reach it from the other side and tie it up.
I bought a pack of two adjustable bungee cords with integral hooks from Home Depot. The cords are made in Malaysia and are 48" long but can stretch to 6 feet. I tied a rope to one cord, so now I can whip the cord under the car so the tied-on rope protrudes from the other side. I hook one end of the bungee cord to the grommet on one side and go to the other side. I then grab the rope and pull until I can get ahold of the other hook and fasten it to the other grommet. This system keeps the cover tighter than the old rope did and is easier to use. So far so good.

I read recently that the Weathershield cover can be laundered in a washing machine. I prefer to rinse it in a bath tub to treat it gently.

The cover is grey and has not reflective or high visibility features to keep motorists from backing into a covered car. I place a traffic cone I bought from Home Depot behind the car to catch everyone's eye.
I'm experimenting with using the cover both at home and at work now.
Doug



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/21/2007 10:12PM by Doug Delmont.