Outdoor car cover for the warmer months?

[Caldrin]

Hi all

During the Winter months I use an In The Garage outside Car bubble to keep my Westfield nice and safe seems do be doing a great job so far. 

But wanted to change to something else for the summer as its a bit of a pain to keep getting in and out of the bubble.. Was thinking one of those folding car tents


But wanted to see what everyone else uses.. well those people that don't have access to a proper garage anyway haha

[eggontoast]

I have one of these. It's just about big enough and is the biggest could fit in to my situation but a bit damp/condensaty in the winter. I could run a dehumidifier in the winter but the back 1/4 is on unsealed ground so I don't think it'd be much help. Or maybe just quite inefficient. 

 

https://www.houseoftents.co.uk/portable-garage/67835.html

 

Very sturdy though, totally unaffected by the high winds these last two years, and there's enough room to work around the car as well, including lifting th engine out with a crane. 

[eggontoast]

I might get an indoor bubble for inside the tent for next winter when driving is at its minimum, but the drive in drive out facility of the tent as is is bliss. This comment is coming from previously just having a cover which couldn't easily be put on if the exhaust was hot.

[Caldrin]

The bubble I am using is great keeps everything nice and dry during the winter months, but yeah a bit of pain to turn off unzip right around the car then getting back in need to alight it up right so you can zip it all back up.. was looking for something a bit quick for the summer so did not have to worry about  it.. but yeah that one you linked looks decent as well .

[mega ade]

Aren't those pram hood style covers expensive i keep my car in a carcoon over winter perfect but as said pain to unzip during summer so ive tried numerous car covers from £20 to £100 and all leaked within a short space of time with continuous use as did tarpaulin from screwfix so I went on Amazon and purchased a cheap pond liner for 30 quid and it looks much like a black tarpaulin but it doesn't leak done the whole of last summer right up to December and the car is now out of carcoon and under it again still ok best 30 quid spent in a long time I just put paving bricks round the bottom more if windy does the job perfectly 

[Caldrin]

Yeah the hood covers are around £500 or more depending on the size.

Have always been a bit weary about standard car covers especially if it gets hot as they can sometimes damage paint work.  

[mega ade]

Thats true so I always put a cotton type cover over first to protect it and remove the cover every 2-3 days to ventilate even through the summer to stop any condensation building up even if only for an hour or so.

[Caldrin]

12 hours ago, mega ade said:

Thats true so I always put a cotton type cover over first to protect it and remove the cover every 2-3 days to ventilate even through the summer to stop any condensation building up even if only for an hour or so.

Yeah that is a good call really.. might go down this route then to save a bit of cash. 

[mega ade]

Just let the exhaust cool enough before throwing a cover on i hook mine over the head light and wing mirror to hold it out of the way if in a hurry when raining still covers the important parts

[Tugger]

14 hours ago, Caldrin said:

Yeah the hood covers are around £500 or more depending on the size.

Have always been a bit weary about standard car covers especially if it gets hot as they can sometimes damage paint work.  

Yes, this. I learnt this the hard way with a Triumph Herald convertible I had as a 'youngster', I would stick a plastic cover over it when not in use, then one hot day I'd discovered it had stuck itself to the paintwork and left permanent marks where it had stuck, from then on I always used a cotton dust sheet between the car and the plastic cover.

[Andrzej]

During summer, when I know I will ride my Westfield more often, I just drive onto the Carcoon floor and, when the exhaust is cold, cover the car with the bubble without zipping it—just using it like a regular car cover. It’s waterproof, at least for light rain, and if some water gets on the floor, it does no harm to the car. This zipping and unzipping is no fun at all

[Euan Hoosearmy]

When my westfield was living in a carcoon, it's back in one again this year. I just unzipped the two short sides and one long side and then moved the top over to the side which was still zipped. I'd generally put some weight in (wheely bins) and do the bubble back up.

 

When I get back, it's re-open the bubble the same way, remove the bins and put the car back, the can cools down pretty quickly and so the bubble can be done up after a few mins. 

 

This does depend on having space to the side of the bubble to take the detatched bubble while you get the car in and out.