2005 xk8, Any ideas tips on how to protect car finish from car cover chaffing? Live in condo resort without covered parking. Only storage available is at lest several miles away. Using a direct fit cover but wind blowing causes rubbing and paint chaffing. Any help is appreciated. I will be painting car but to avoid this situation.

 

A very difficult problem to resolve. What might work is to securely fasten some bubble-wrap at the rubbing points such that it cannot move at all, and then put the cover over. Why do you need to cover the car anyway ? Most people here in England with its notoriously damp and wet weather leave the car outside uncovered. If you have a convertible, you can usually get covers just for the roof to protect the material from UV light and fungus/lichen attack.

 

Live in Florida, sun is brutal here. the wind is the issue here constantly blowing thus rubbing paint.

 

So what do all the other condo owners do with their cars ? Wind blowing a car cover does end up with the paint rubbed and damaged. What is needed is some sort of frame around the car to keep the cover off the paintwork. In Italy, which also has brutal sun, you see lightweight roofs over car parks at seaside "stabilimento di bagno" and also at some autostrada service stations in the south. Maybe all the condo owners could combine to get one put up.

 

I have no idea if this would work or not, but isn't the 2005 still largely steel bodied? I wonder if strategically placing a bunch of those super magnets on the outside of the cover would help hold it tight enough to keep the wind from flapping it around? Along with putting in more than just one center grommet along the edge so you could use several elastic cords to pull it tight at the bottom. Of course if its a daily driver, all that would get old pretty quick. I have a crew-cab pickup truck that has to sit outside under a carport. I'm not having any such issues, but its incredibly heavy, multi-layer fabric and fits like a glove. Maybe just having a heavier car cover and/or a better fitting one would help too. Just tossing out theories here.

 

Lay some heavy quilts, thick blankets, moving pads, on the car first and maybe strong magnets to hold the quilts in place then put the cover on. Just a thought.

 

redxk8,


Have used a fitted cover for years in a very hostile environment.


Some lessons learned;


- obtain a high-quality cover. Covercraft is good. May be others, after some failures I stick with what worked.
- Better covers have a flannel/terry cloth-like interior surface. Shouldn't damage car if only small movement.
- I use "cover clamp" bungee cord attachments. Small cover clamps with hole for bungee cord hook.
- Use 3 undercar bungees: immediately in front of front tires, center midpoint of wheelbase, immediately behind back tires.
- Bungees tautness should be just short of stretched tight. Slight droop. Real taut will hold cover tight, but keep stretching cover until it's too large. May shorted cover life. Too loose may allow bungee hooks to shake loose in buffeting wind.


This approach both keeps cover from flapping in the breeze, and wraps cover slightly under ends and side of vehicle. Keeps cover well away from ground, and improves air flow under vehicle.