Hi all,
What with the weather, I’ve been looking at those ‘car cap’ half roof cover things as a means of protecting my vinyl soft top from the frost.
Simply, is this a good idea or a bad idea?
Cheers,
cj
I have no need of a Car Cap as my car is garaged but, why would it possibly be a bad idea?
It may not do any good but I can’t see why it should do it any harm.
I am puzzled by the question but then I am an old geezer..
Hey P.A.,
In my slightly hypochonriacal mind it could potentially be a bad idea for several reasons.
The big issue is condensation - you’ve supposed to remove them every three days, anyway. But there’s also the risk of it getting frozen to the hood and causing damage that way, damage to the hood via abrasion, damage to the bodywork where the straps attach, etc, etc…
Basically I was just trying to find out if anyone else was using one, and what sort of positive or negative experiences they’ve had.
Have you not thought of pouring warm water onto the Car Cap if it is frozen to it, to allay any fears you appear to have?
I don’t have a car cap but I do have a rain cover of the tarpaulin with eyelets and bungee cord variety. I think they’re essentially the same thing.
In the cold weather mines been great, no frost on the windows or the hood, I think thats a win.
On the bad side, it rubs the paint work and after a few days in severe wind I found that in places, my cover was looking quite pink where it was once grey - having stolen paint from the car!
Due to the way my cover attaches there’s plenty of airflow so no issues with mould etc but at the expense of a bit of paint (if you’ve seen my car, you’ll know thats not an issue lol)
I too made a cover out of tarpaulin (for a saab 93 convertable i had ) and had the same trouble with rubbing on the paint work so bought one of those cheap soft nylon car covers and cut it in to strips about a foot wide and had them sewn around the sides to stop the rubbing of the paint.
Now use it on my 5, best thing i have saved from one car to the next.
I’ve used them in the past; after a couple of years, the elastic on the straps has gone, so you end up lashing to the the wheels. Easier to put on than a cover, and, unlike a cover, you haven’t got the bother of dragging in a huge wet sodden mass into the house. Plus those cheaper covers scratch bodywork; had no problems with a Halfords cap, small size.
My other car has a shower cap on it because the roof needs stitching up. I’ve fashioned some “hooks” out of cable ties for the rear and the front uses velcro straps around the mirrors and windscreen wiper.
It’s done no harm to the roof (which is pretty delicate) and it’s not harmed the paint on the mirrors.
Right - thank you all. Very much appreciated, and it seems like it’s worth trying. Judging by the amount of frost on the roof this morning, it can hardly make things worse, anyway.
AT - quick question. That small Halfords’ job is exactly what I’ve been looking at; the ‘instructions’ (yes, really) recommend placing a cloth underneath to protect the roof from abrasion - did you actually bother doing this?
Very best wishes to each of you, and thanks again.
No; vinyl roof, what abrasion is going to happen?
Mine didn’t come with instructions, but it was an older blue proofed nylon design. Newer ones seem to be a bit different. The small size was still big enough foir the straps to hook on the bumpers.
Well, I now have a brand new blue one from Halfords in small size - which is actually pretty massive on the 5. So big I clipped it to the wheel spokes…
Cheers once again all.
i had a car cover which claimed it was the softest ever and all the usual stuff, but it put micro scratches allover my paintwork… dont like them really to be honest…
Charlie
Hmmm, not terribly impressed with the Halfords car cap. I was away for two days and came back to find it iced to the bodywork, having let quite a a lot of water through. Asking a lot in this weather, though, I suppose. It did a reasonably decent job of protecting the roof, though, no maybe a more fitted alternative is the way to go. Anyone able to recommend a supplier?
Cheers - and hope you’re all ‘enjoying’ the snow…
I doubt any car cap is as weather proof as you want. I used one for years, and it served its purpose; ie. keeping the worst of the weather off the roof, and importantly, away from the seals. If you really want it water proof, then you could try a tent-proofing wash agent.
If fitting a car cover, generally the fully waterproof covers are not recommended because they trap condensation. So most of the decent covers utilise a Goretex-like membrane, which besides being a bit delicate, doesn’t perform all that well in this weather.
If frozen to the roof, a little warm (not hot) water suffices to release it.
I appreciate all of that, AT (particularly the point about waterproof covers and condensation). I think the Halfords one is probably a little bit too large, however - it’s not sticking to the roof, so much as the bodywork. My roof is sound at the moment - and treating it with some AG Vinyl & Rubber Care the other day has brought it up beautifully as well as helping it repel moisture - but maintaining the condition of the seals is obviously a concern.
Thanks - as ever - for the response.
Interesting idea with tent proofing wash, incidentally. The Halfords ‘small’ cap is so large on the 5 that air circulation is unlikely to be an issue.
Moss do a fitted cover for the Mk1; American made, but its designed really to protect the interior from sunlight, so I doubt the material is particularly resiliant. If the material touching the bodywork is the issue, why not make some mods to the Halfords cover (sewing machine, or tape); you’ve just got to double over some of the corners for a reduced area. These covers are as cheap as chips, unlike the fitted ones, which are often not much less than a full cover. As said, I’ve used these for years, in very cold, wet weather, with no issues.
Mike Satur does a fitted hood cap for a the MGRV8, called the Sunmate. They also do a product called the Hoodmate, which is a minimalist effort; it literally just covewrs the hood, not the windscreen, and is designed merely to protect the hood from tree sap etc. £50 for the privelage.
This is a fair point… To the haberdashery, Batman!
(Sorry, it’s been a very long day…)
Be wary if you’re worried about your paint but if you’re looking for a cheap car cover this might be relevant:
http://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/protective-car-cover-lidl-from-toda/815663
I bought one of these on the basis that as it was so cheap if it wasn’t quite right it didn’t matter…
It wasn’t quite right, bought the small/medium and was huge and not particularly great quality so it’s going to be tranformed into boot liner for my x-trail for when I have bikes in the back.
My wife went to halfords for a car cap and whilst ok (and also huge) I think that there are just problems with any that you end up getting (quality vs price vs car scratchy).