Shredded Car Cover

[egsj]

Hello all.

I was pretty miffed this morning to find the car cover on my Traveller ripped in several places at the front from the grille up the bonnet to the top of the windscreen. (The car itself is fine.) I’ll try to load photos in a minute, but the browse-upload thing didn’t work last time I tried. I don’t know if the rips were the result of a deliberate act by someone trying to see what was under wraps or by a drunken idiot causing damage for fun (I live in a rowdy student area), or if this might be the work of the wind. I’m wondering if it’s possible to have the straps too tight under the car (I try to get them as tight as I can or the cover just rides up the car’s body), and if the wind can chafe the material against the car’s sharper parts (bonnet crest thing, front bumper bits) and then let rip along the fabric from there. I’ve had a couple of smaller rips before, which I’ve fixed with silver masking tape, but it would take a hell of a lot of tape to fix the massive, multiple rips I found this morning. Has the same thing happened to anyone else’s car cover?

I guess I should buy a new one. (Getting a garage is not an option at this point.) I’ve only had this one a couple of years. Is that the natural life cycle for these things? It was pretty pricey. I went for a breathable ‘Cover Systems’ cover designed for Travellers as I’d heard that was a good brand. Are there any Traveller cover brands anyone would particularly recommend? And any I should avoid?

Jamesy

[silloyd]

I bought a Stormforce breathable cover for my Traveller in September 2009. In December 2010 it developed a hope (see below):[frame][/frame]

The cover came with a 2 year warranty, so I contacted the supplier (Cover-Zone) who, after reviewing photos of the problem, sent me a warranty replacement without quibble. Customer service was excellent.

Worth checking when you bought it and whether it's under warranty.

[bmcecosse]

I had one of these - didn't know it had a two year warranty ! Only used in one summer - (car indoors over winter) and then part way through the second summer it went brittle due to the sun - and would wear through/rip very easily - and no longer kept the rain out. I always was careful to wrap tape round the sharp aerial (retracted of course!) and a couple of other points before I fitted the cover. I asked Cover Zone about it - their reply was that it should only be used to keep rain off - not used in bright sun......... They never suggested a warranty replacement. I just changed the garages around and now keep the car indoors at all times. Biggest waste of money I have made in a while..........

[silloyd]

Hmm, sounds like they gave you a bit of a dubious response as their website (http://www.cover-zone.com/stormforce-car-covers.htm) clearly states that the Stormforce covers (like mine) "... protect against hot sunshine, rain, hail, snow, frost, tree sap, birds, pets, dirt, dust, scuffs & scratches and are 100% ultraviolet resistant."

[bmcecosse]

Ahh - don't think mine was 'stormforce' version - but neither was it the cheapest - cost me ~£100. And there were no sun warnings with it. I should probably have made more of an issue - but I was so fed up with the thing (it's a menace to have to crawl about on hands/knees doing up the straps each time) that I just decided I wanted no more to do with it.

[EwenCameron]

The neighbours cat decided my stormforce cover would make a great scratch post. I now have loads of scratches/holes all around my cover. The cat has ripped it right through on all the corners. The owner just said a cat can do whatever it wants. I have tried putting down cat repellant and Silent Roar Cat Deterrent Repeller Lion Manure Pellets which I think have started to work. I think the cover was great but mine also yesterday was found underneath my car even although I had tied down very tightly.

[egsj]

Thanks, folks. Any other tips out there? I've just seen that a Stormforce cover for a Traveller would set me back about 160 quid. And there are lots of cats roaming my local streets! (I bet some of them would like to have a go at my moggy...) Did any of the scratches get through to the paintwork, by the way?

I don't have a warranty for my Cover Systems product. Anyhow, as I say, I'm still not sure if the rips were the work of the elements or someting more malicious. (Maybe a giant cat with four-foot claws?! )

I still can't load the pictures of the spectacular damage. I have a couple of gruesome jpegs to show. Any advice, anyone?

Jamesy

[bpr81a]

Instructions on how to upload pictures can be found here http://www.mmoc.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=31197

[egsj]

Thanks, John. I've tried all that several times. I get the blank screen treatment when I press Preview, which presumably means my photo is too big. But how do I shrink it on my PC before I send it?!

Jamesy

[egsj]

[frame][/frame]

Here's a photo of the damage. It had got worse by last night and this morning the cover was in shreds all over the road. It's now in the bin. I'm not impressed...

Jamesy

[egsj]

And here's another angle on the fabric carnage...[frame][/frame]

[egsj]

Actually, when I sorted out the mess this morning I noticed that the car had moved forward a few inches: the front wheels were completely on top of the cover and I had to reverse to extricate it. Strange, as I was parked on the level, with the handbrake fully on. Must have been nudged from behind by a bad parallel parker. I guess that produced extra tension at the front, and that's how the wind-shredding got under way. Has this happened to anyone else?

Jamesy

[pjh56]

My Monsoon cover tore away from the elasticated skirt a while ago, rendering it unable to be repaired. It has also degraded in several places and I have used duck tape to cover these. After only having the cover for a short while I noticed the air flaps starting to split, contacted Coverzone who offered to do a repair, but I decided to leave it as the cost of sending it back didn't seem worth it.

It's now in a pretty shoddy brittle state after it being on the car for about 1and 1/2 years. The only consolation being after the awful winter we've had when I opened the car the other day it was as fresh and dry as when I put it away 6 months ago and the paintwork is in really great shape.

I personally think they are a bit pricey but you get what you pay for????? My expectations are quite high especially when you are paying a three figure sum for a cover. I shall definitely patch the one I have until I have no other option to replace, but with which one i'm not sure. The term "once bitten twice shy" comes to mind.

[xpress]

i reckon there's no difference between the 100 quid covers and the 20 quid ones from the fleabay.