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Who stores their car outside with a cover? I scored a free 4th gen cover for my car yesterday on craigslist but I'm nervous about mold and mildew and trapping moisture in the car. My garage is taken over with power wheels and kid crap and my motorcycle, I know motorcycles sometimes get rusty under covers so I keep the bike inside. What's better, cover or no cover outside in summer? It goes in the garage in winter, but this summer I'm not driving it much since my job site is mud and ruts and I can't drive it to work.
Depends, mostly on ambient humidity I find. Here in el pass car covers work fine until the sun and wind tear them up. Our humidity is incredibly low. When I lived in Savannah you might get mold and mildew within a few weeks/months on the cover.
In addition, depending on the quality of the cover it might scratch your paint. Generally surface scratches but if the car is dirty or you get dust in the air (like el paso) it can get between the cover and paint. When the cover moves in the wind it can/will leave fine scratches.
I guess it is a trade off. Not sure that answered your question.
^^^
VA is like a ******* greenhouse in the summer. Definitely use a car cover if it's outside and the paint is still in good shape. Drive it to air it out and wash it on the regular. You don't want dirt/dust to get trapped underneath and the wind to flap all over the car. Remember the bras on the 3rd gens in the 80's and 890's? Paint didn't do so well if they were kept on for long periods of time. Same thing.
The paint sucks, but sitting outside in 2009 faded all the gage needles, took a toll on the front fenders paint, and brittled the dash pad so it broke when I tried to remove it. The last thing I need is mold or water getting somewhere it shouldn't.
Another concern I've heard is that keeping your car under a cover will trap moisture and leads to a quicker degradation of bushings (depending on the material of your bushing). I think car covers are like anything else, there are trade-offs. If you let it sit under their for months on end without moving it, you will have some problems. Maybe your paint not fading means more to you than having to replace a bushing a little early. I'm not sure there is an all encompassing answer if you have to store your car outside.
you could put a small de-humidifier inside the car under the cover if humidity in your area is a problem...although you need to empty them when the collection tank gets full
I have a sail boat in salt water marina for 18 years. I leave a 60 watt light bulb on inside the cabin. Needless to say there is a huge amount of "marine layer" nightly and my interior never has the "smell" and all my fabric covered cushions are dry
as noted car covers have +/- especially outside. dust gets under them so paint chafe/scratches can happen if the cover is left to flap around in the wind
I got an all weather outdoor car cover for my Z28 and I wish I had gotten one sooner. I have had it on my car for 2 years with no issues. I wouldn't worry about mold and mildew getting in your car unless you have a water leak or something.
........as noted car covers have +/- especially outside. dust gets under them so paint chafe/scratches can happen if the cover is left to flap around in the wind
^^^^
This!!
I had to park my Corvette outside, for about a month, due to an unplanned garage construction project. Kept it covered to keep it out of the sun, as well as keep any flying debris off of it, during the construction. There was some chaffing of the paint, around the corners of the car, due to the wind flapping the cover.
I have a California fitted car cover and it's held up for 4 years. Va weather and hurricanes. No paint issues from it. I got the Noah cover, was around 350 at the time I got it.
I have a California fitted car cover and it's held up for 4 years. Va weather and hurricanes. No paint issues from it. I got the Noah cover, was around 350 at the time I got it.
Also it's cat friendly
Same one I have, very good cover. I have washed it a few times at local laundromat
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Outdoor car covers 
