I haven't tried the second option, but it sounds like a good choice if all
you want to do is keep the interior cool for short periods rather than
protect the
paint from harmful rays over long periods of sitting outdoors.
As for full covers:
Inexpensive covers won't last long in the AZ sun, my advice would be to
buy a
lightweight, thin reflective cover and just resign yourself to replacing
it yearly.
The best alternative at the other end of the scale is a Sunbrella cover,
which will be
long-lasting (at least 5 years or longer) but will set you back around
$400... probably worth
it if you really need a good sun-proof cover; it's a lighter canvas-like
material but it isn't as compact
as some covers when stowed. Another high-end possiblility is the very
lightweight "Stormproof"
material, which isn't quite as expensive, but I haven't tried one so I
can't vouch for that material.
To cut down on chafing, you need to buy a custom-fitted pattern, which
means the
"cheap" alternatives won't be so cheap.
Full covers aren't all that difficult to use, just takes a minute to put
'em on and take 'em off.
I don't have a late model Vette, but I live in CA and have more cars
than I can keep indoors,
so I've owned a lot of car covers; Sunbrella is by far the best I've
owned. Most covers are one
of the composite Kimberly-Clark-type material (rather than fabric) that
starts disintegrating after
a year and can't be successfully washed (but I admit I do keep buying
them because of price),
or they are so light that the slightest breeze pulls them off the car,
hence my recommendation
for custom-fitted.
Andrew DeFaria wrote:
> Living here in sunny Phoenix and approaching the summer I'm wondering
> what are some of the better options for covering my 2008? What I'm
> looking for is something simply and hopefully not too expensive but
> effective. Summers here are often in the 100's and 110's! I'm looking to
> keep the inside of the car cool primarily.
>
> As I see it there are about 3 options. First is the windshield covers -
> we've all seen them - you put them up when you are leaving the car and
> they are propped up by the sun visors usually. Cheap and easy to do I
> think I should get one of these no matter what for those quick trips to
> say the grocery store when the other options seem a bit much...
>
> The second kind I've seen seem to be compromise between the windshield
> screens and the full car cover in that they attempt to only cover the
> windshield, roof, back window and side windows. Seem like a good
> compromise in that they would stop the interior from heating up by the
> sun shinning through the side or read windows. Additionally I have a
> transparent top. Seems like this solution would keep the interior
> cooler. Cons: It's probably a little more time consuming/cumbersome to
> put on.
>
> Full car cover. While these obviously cover the most and probably
> protect the most, I can't picture stopping at a grocery store, for
> instance, and going through the bother of pulling out and putting on one
> of these. Then again, it'd be good to get one of those to put on when I
> park my car for the full day while at work.
>
> I just don't want to have to buy all of them!
>
> Can anybody share their experiences with these types of car covers...
> --
> Andrew DeFaria <http://defaria.com>
> How many of you believe in telekinesis? Raise my hands. . . .
>
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