I'd avoid those temporary shelters!!!

I have one that I put up in the fall with its only intent being to deflect the walnuts falling from the 75ft tall tree that I must park under. 3 years ago, when it was new, we got a real crazy, real early, real heavy snowfall in October. It was more then the shelter could hold and it collapsed, kinda sorta partially, with the BudChev under it!! I got really really lucky! It fell sort of sideways and missed the BudChev somehow, but it did go pretty deep into the side of my '98 Regal GS. The weight was so heavy that when it fell it snapped a 4" x 4" post with a basketball hoop on it back there, and that also fell right on the hood of the Buick too. It was totally nuts. And I went totally nuts that night. It was like 3 in the morning and I had to cut the tarp and shelter up to get the BudChev out from under it - and I was screaming, cursing and crying through the whole process which made the whole storm seem even more eerie to the rest of the neighbourhood. That storm brought down a lot of trees too because they hadn't shed their leaves yet and the trees could not hold the snow either. The crack of those trees sounded like gunfire in the night. By morning you could not even drive down my street, but the BudChev was fine. But I'll never be the same.

The Bud Chev went into storage the next day. I rebuilt the shelter the next year, but rather then using a tarp style cover, I covered the frame in plastic chicken wire. It deflects the walnuts, but won't hold snow or water and can't be blown around by the wind.

If you must use a temp shelter don't cheap out!!! The one I used was hardly cheap - it cost me $400! But it wasn't properly anchored, which is hard to do on pavement, but do not skip this step either. Drill the pavement and anchor it right - that might have made the difference for me.

I still think these things are a bad idea for resisting snow cause they just don't shed the snow well enough

 

This is the cover I've been considering:

Coverking StormProof Car Cover - 200+ Reviews on Coverking Custom All-Weather Car Covers for Snow & Ice

 

Jason let me know how it fits, since we have similar car shapes now.

I want to buy one, but without having a HS kit and having the stand up spoiler, I don't want to invest money into a fit cover and not have it actually fit.

Also, I have a general question about car covers. Say it snowed, or rained, etc. You take the car cover off, do you just fold it up dirty and put it in the pouch and then put it on later still dirty? Do you have to clean them constantly?

I never understood that part.

 

They don't fit in those pouches anymore anyway without a lot of work. I rarelly clean mine... gets dirty on the outside, so just make sure you put it on the right way everytime and you won't haev a problem if you ask me.

 

My car cover folds up very compact actually. It has a bag that it fits in no larger then a grocery store plastic bag. My last cover was bulky, fluffy and held dirt that was very destructive to the paint.

There is no great solution to taking the car cover off in the rain except to avoid doing it. The worst part is that the inside/ bottom of the cover gets wet when folding it up. If it is not raining but the cover is still wet from rain then I will quickly towel the cover off before removing it - it wipes dry very easily. If I know its going to be raining in the morning when I'll need to uncover it, I won't cover the car at all the night before. There wouldn't be much point since the car is going to get wet and dirty when I drive it anyways.

I've never had to wash this cover yet. I only put it on the car when it is clean, and usually use the "car duster" before putting it on to keep the inside clean. The outside gets dirty sometimes, but rain washes it pretty clean.

 

Same here I never put my cover on a dirty car. It really doesn't get dirty, I just kinda shake it off before I roll it up. It's easier to just let a wet car cover dry on the car. I try and avoid putting it on when I know it's going to rain. The only time I ever put it on when it rains is when we are having storms, then I will risk it. Since I have 2 Montes and the 03 is garaged, I use my old Wolf Noah cover for a dust cover more or less, then if the 2nd cover that I bought for the 05 gets wet, I just drape it over the other car to dry.

 

Thanks, I will have to keep it in mind.

Now that I have 2 cars, I don't see myself driving them all that much, and like this week the Monte was FILTHY just from sitting in the rain.

 

I will definitely let you know what I find when I cover my Monte this year.

Here's a couple of things:
1. - Between the 3 cars, the only one I bought a storage bag for it the Camaro. Right now we use the Camaro's storage bag to put the Mustang cover in. I fold the Monte one up and tuck it in the trunk, no prob (when I went to the Monte Nats, I put the cover in the Grand Am trunk so NOT to have extra crap with me).
2. - As for a cover that gets snow, rain, and other debris on it from being outside, usually a rain storm rid the dirt and leaves (if not, I will brush that stuff off by hand). I fold it in a way that the surface that touches the car should stay 90% clean (by only touching itself as it's folded). The dirty side is also not as dirty as you think. I have not washed the Mustang or Monte covers yet. I only washed the Camaro one once as where I had the Camaro at the time, the second year I covered it, the wind pushed the cover off and the ground behind it was a mud pit. Had to wash the cover at a launda-mat (big washer) and then hang dry the cover. Instructions are specific to NOT use powder detergents, only liquid and to not use a dryer.
3. - The most important rule.... Never put the cover on an ovbiously dirty car. I've taken a car for a ride for a day, got it home, still looked clean, covered it. Zero issues (that was in the Camaro days). Where I live now, once the car is read for summer driving, I can't re-cover it due to a Lake-based insect issue (they crawl under the cover and die, leaving a bigger mess on the clean side of the cover and the car's paint). Very irritating!!

 

Gotcha! Thanks for that explanation. I may know what I want to ask for this Holiday season lol

 

Junior...Lovin that cover of yours.