5 benefits of car covers - how can they protect your investment?

Why Buy A Custom-Fit Car Cover? To help protect your investment and keep your vehicle looking show-room new. Keeping your vehicle covered with a car cover can:

• Prevent unsightly dents, dings and scratches

• Shield it against finish-destroying man-made and natural hazards

• Act as an excellent theft deterrent

• Put a barrier between your paint and damaging weather

• For the fifth car cover benefit visit AutoAnything.com for more details

Dents, Dings and Scratches Reference

There's a certain feeling you experience when you discover that first dent, ding or scratch on your new vehicle. Unfortunately, they're a fact of life and nothing short of covering your vehicle with reactive tank armor will truly prevent them. However, using a car cover adds a layer of protective padding to cushion against runaway shopping carts, absent-minded car doors or other blows.

Natural Hazards Guide

Birds, trees, dust. They certainly seem harmless enough, but without a car cover, they can inflict serious damage to your prized vehicle.

Our fine feathered friends seem to have impeccable aim when it comes to leaving their droppings on our vehicles. Outdoor car covers catch bird bombs before they splatter against your paintjob. Plus, the majority of outdoor car cover fabrics are not harmed by the droppings acidity outdoor car cover fabrics.

The shady spot under a tree may look like a welcome spot to park your vehicle. However, with nuts, berries, sap, pollen, not to mention the roosting birds, parking under a tree can wreak havoc on your vehicle. A car cover can help keep your vehicle cool, even in the sun. Or, if you do park under a tree, a car cover can safeguard your vehicle from the onslaught.

Your vehicle's paint is only about 0.006 inches thick. Whether indoors or out, when dust sits on your paint it turns abrasive and causes minute scratches. By the time you notice them, it's already too late. Both indoor car cover fabrics and outdoor car cover fabrics are designed to keep dust away from the surface of your vehicle.

Theft Deterrent Reference

Though it may only look like a thin layer of fabric, a Covercraft car cover can do an amazing job at keeping thieves away from your vehicle. Since time is crucial in not getting caught, thieves often pass by covered vehicles, which take longer to get into, and go after easier prey. And, if you add a lock and cable to your car cover, you will not only keep your cover secure, but your vehicle becomes even harder to steal.

Damaging Weather Guide

You don't have to be a meteorologist to know that harsh weather can do a number on your vehicle's finish. An occasional spring shower poses no real threat to your vehicle. However, seemingly harmless rain can find its way into tiny scratches or blemishes and start the corrosion process. And, acid rain - well, the name says it all. A water-resistant car cover will keep your vehicle high and dry.

Harsh UV (ultraviolet) rays and the intense radiant heat of the Sun can cook the color right out of your paint. A car cover is like sunscreen for your vehicle, blocking harmful UV light and preventing photo degradation. And, a lighter colored car cover will yield a reflective cooling effect.

It's not the cold that gets to your vehicle's finish - it's the moisture and salt. These two corrosive cohorts are in cahoots to ravage your paint. Fortunately, a car cover can keep both these culprits away from your vehicle.

The fundamental advantages of custom-fit car covers

A custom-fit car cover is specially tailored to the lines of your vehicle. No detail is left unturned. Custom-fit car covers hug every contour of your vehicle and feature sewn-in mirror pockets, plus grommet holes for antennas.

On the other hand, low-quality universal-fit car covers are baggy and can slip, slide and rub against your paint, destroying your finish. Additionally, the poor fit allows the harsh elements to creep in at every gap and defeat the purpose of the cover.

The specialized cut of a custom-fit car cover is far and away the best choice to wrap up and protect your vehicle.

When deciding which car cover is right for your vehicle, we advise that you consider:

• Where you park and how often you use your vehicle

• The weather in your area

• What color is right for your vehicle and storage needs

Where You Park and How Often You Use Your vehicle

• When you park outside and cover up every day, you may want to choose a lightweight outdoor car cover that's simple to use and easy to fold.

• For those who park in crowded lots or on streets with children at play and heavy pedestrian traffic, a thicker heavyweight outdoor car cover that provides some dent and ding protection is best.

• If you garage your vehicle and frequently cover and uncover it, a lightweight indoor car cover is ideal.

• Choose a heavier indoor car cover to keep your classic safe for long-term storage.

• A super-soft indoor car cover lets you pamper your "baby" and keep it safe and secure.

The Weather in Your Area

The ideal car cover for your vehicle is greatly influenced by your local weather. Many materials have been developed to deal with specific inclement weather conditions. Rainy parts of the country like the Pacific Northwest and Deep South would demand an outdoor car cover with exceptional water resistance. The coastal areas along the Atlantic, Pacific and Gulf of Mexico need a car cover that will protect from and last in salty air. In the sunniest zones of the country like the desert Southwest, a Weathershield car cover with extra UV and photo degradation protection and reflective properties makes the most sense.

Tips on What Color is Right for Your vehicle and Storage Needs

Car covers are offered in an array of colors, but picking the right hue isn't solely a matter of personal taste. Here are a few tips and points of reference to help you with your choice:

• If you live in a sunnier climate, you'll want a lighter colored fabric for outdoor storage.

• If you have a lighter colored vehicle, a lighter colored fabric is safer for your paint. Bright colors, although thoroughly, tested could bleed under certain conditions.

• If you're looking for style, a vibrant color can lend your vehicle character or compliment its finish.