Car Shelters

[Maya]

Hi all!

My A40 is living outside (my mum insists the garage is for storage of things smaller than cars!) and I'm looking for something to protect it from the elements, especially as we head into winter. I've been using a car cover from Halfords, but I'm finding it causes a lot of condensation on the body and even in the cabin.

Does anyone have any experience of using shelters? The kind that are essentially tents for cars? There seem to be a lot of options around and I'm not quite sure what to go with.

[Easty1887]

Hi Maya,

I haven't used a shelter myself although I have looked into it extensively due to being in the same situation as you with keeping my A40 on the drive.

I thought Dancovers seemed to have a lot of options at what seems to be good prices. Also the Clarke garage/workshops look good.

At the meet in Coventry a few months ago I was tipped off about using cheap clay cat litter to keep internal moisture at bay. I put a tray of it in the front passenger footwell and boot when stood which does seem to do the trick. I just get the cheapest stuff from B&M but so far haven't had to change it.

As for external condensation under the cover, I too get this which is concerning as the goal is to keep moisture off of the car!

Fingers crossed someone has some advice on the shelters.

Dave

[Mike Hodgson]

I had a Dancover for some time ,just long enough to take an A40 and plenty of width to allow you to drive in and open door .Mine was on hard standing so ground anchors were not possible but i worked out a system where the car was the main anchor.
https://www.dancovershop.com/uk/product ... s-6.1.aspx

[austina40sam]

Looks like a good set up Mike, Have you still got both cars. Both the cars look really nice.

[Dave the rave]

Looks like a good set up Mike, Have you still got both cars. Both the cars look really nice.

Errr, "both" cars are the "same" car Samuel

[Keith Bennett]

Only the more expensive weatherproof covers give much in the way of protection. To a greater or lesser extent they produce condensation within the micro-climate they create. And the cabin itself also creates its own micro-climate which will lead to dampness and, eventually, mould.

The key to preventing this is a continual movement of air and, to this end, the exterior weatherproof cover does nothing to prevent that and - indeed - can cause damage to the car's bodywork if wind moves its interior surface across the paint.

Cars are designed to live outdoors and the A40 is no exception (*but see below). The simplest way to ensure air movement is to leave both doors' windows cracked open. The Mk1 glass locks when lowered about an inch providing the interior door handle is in the locked position; the Mk2 glass, with its winding handles, can just be cranked open to allow that inch gap which is all that's necessary.

To prevent driving rain penetrating the air gap, obtain a sheet of sturdy baking foil. Cut a piece 34" long by nine inches deep. Fold that dimension three times to make a 3 inch deep strip.

Position the foil so that the top stands above the door's top edge and fold it inwards and down so that it meets the rubber sealing strip fitted to the door.

Next, move the entire strip so there's about an inch overhanging the rear of the door and fold that inwards to meet the same rubber sealing strip.

Now carefully fold the overhanging foil along the angle formed by the slope of the door's front edge. You will need some scissors to trim the excess in order to then fold the foil, as before, over the door frame to meet the rubber sealing strip.

Repeat for the other door.

You now have weatherproofing items which allow air to enter the cabin while still preventing rain from doing the same. Naturally they would need to be removed before driving the A40 but, with care, the strips should last a while (and being so simple, can easily be replicated).

I used this trick many years ago when Gab had to live outdoors when Bar & I married and we were broke. Some years later we bought a house with a garage. Of course, during wet weather the air itself is wet but not carrying physical droplets of water; nonetheless the cabin should air itself when the humidity decreases.

*The biggest danger to an A40 parked outdoors is a build-up of detritus like leaves, moss etc falling through the grilles at the lower edge of the front windscreen. The plenum chamber into which they drop has two drains specifically formed to allow water to leave it but, of course, those drains must remain clear if they are to work efficiently.

They emerge into the engine bay as two very shallow indentations pressed into the bulkhead: one can be found to the right of the heater unit between the wiper motor, while the second one appears on the other side of the heater by the master cylinders.

A wire coat hanger, straightened and suitably curved, is a good probe to unblock anything lodged inside the chamber and, for an outdoor car, it's sensible to check the drains free-flowing a couple of times a year and certainly before the winter closes in.

Blocked drains will allow trapped water to rust out the bottom of the chamber and this is a tiresome and expensive job to repair, usually necessitating the removal of the dashboard and the wiring behind it. Some A40s may already be suffering from this (a damp parcel shelf is the usual giveaway) so if one wishes to flush the chamber through with water, it's sensible to lay a towel along the parcel shelf before commencing operations.

[Easty1887]

Maya did you make any progress with your car shelter?

I have been looking at a tailored Richbrook cover, for the A40 they start at £109 for a three layer or £185 for a four layer cover. I can't see much about them online other than the official website and a few auto express reviews but I think it will be worth a punt.

I have a cover from Amazon which claims to be 5 layers but as it's a universal cover I have to use ratchet straps, spring clamps etc to hold it down to try and prevent rubbing which is such a faff to put on and off.

Do you use your car as a daily?

[Maya]

Maya did you make any progress with your car shelter?

I have been looking at a tailored Richbrook cover, for the A40 they start at £109 for a three layer or £185 for a four layer cover. I can't see much about them online other than the official website and a few auto express reviews but I think it will be worth a punt.

I have a cover from Amazon which claims to be 5 layers but as it's a universal cover I have to use ratchet straps, spring clamps etc to hold it down to try and prevent rubbing which is such a faff to put on and off.

Do you use your car as a daily?

Unfortunately I didn't make any progress finding a solution. My car is off the road for now, pending a wiring loom replacement, so it should be safe from gritters, but the elements are still an issue.

I'll probably get a marquee-type shelter at some point in the next few weeks. If nothing else, it might enable me to work on the car while it's raining.

[Keith Bennett]

A scruffy bit of paper has just come to light when I cleaned out Gab after the NEC. On it is these sparse details, below.

A visitor told me of a cheap car cover. Its eBay number is 320653039373 and is called "the Maypole".

He expressed satisfaction with his, but of course I cannot comment one way or the other.

[Dave the rave]

'Ere yar dudes :-

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/320653039373 ... media=COPY