How an Incorrect Car Cover Can Lead to Rust
Andrew P. Collins
The latest car news and reviews, no nonsense
Just a quick announcement for those of you who park outside and use a cover on your vehicles—the wrong type for your climate can be worse than having no cover at all. I unintentionally turned my old International Scout into a mini sauna for a few days—not a situation I would wish on anyone!
Last winter, I stored my old Scout in a barn with a weighted blanket-style cover from CoverSeal. Its primary purpose was to keep mice from getting inside the vehicle. The heavy skirt around the edges effectively secured the cover to the ground, eliminating the need for straps. It performed wonderfully indoors and kept the pests out.
This summer, I’ve been parking the truck next to my house. I've been working on replacing its rear leaf springs (a task that was delayed because I ordered the wrong parts, oops), so I put the heavy CoverSeal cover on it before a major rainstorm.
If you choose to use a tightly fitted cover, ensure that moisture has a way to escape. Otherwise, you might end up with unwelcome guests under your project car.
It did keep the top of the vehicle dry, but not the bottom. The weighted skirt that was effective at keeping mice out couldn’t prevent rainwater from seeping in, turning the area beneath the truck into a swamp. Certainly not a suitable environment for an old, rust-prone vehicle. Thankfully, it hadn’t sat like that for long, but when I saw how muddy the ground was under the truck, I was quite distressed.
I was taken aback by how quickly the area under the sealed cover turned into a swamp. I even spotted a toad hanging out with a worm down there. It seems they are even more resourceful than mice when it comes to finding ways in.
In any case, my experience serves as a good reminder of how differently various car covers perform, so I thought I’d share it. This CoverSeal cover was excellent for indoor protection and keeping rodents at bay, but it clearly doesn't allow moisture to escape quickly enough for outdoor use in a New York summer.
So when you're in the market for a car cover, take the time to match the product with the environment it will be exposed to.
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How an Incorrect Car Cover Can Lead to Rust
Not all car covers are made the same; a cover that is effective at keeping mice away may perform poorly when it comes to protecting against rain.