Covering cars when towing

BigBlockTank, you are absolutely right, everyone should do what works for them.

Just curious though, where do you put the enclosed trailer once parked at a RV park? If you can find a pull-through long enough, the car has to be put somewhere else, I would assume, for daily outings.

Safe travels,
MM.

We have a sand car that I can't afford to replace if anything happens, so we got a 24' enclosed trailer. At the end of the day, the car goes inside the trailer, locked up and safe.

And that's not mention the safety on the road, from road hazards and thieves if my back is turned for a minute.

Our enclosed was $6500 and is a good trailer that tows well. I think unloaded it's right at 3000 lbs, and the sand car is about 1900 lbs.

Just my solution and a thought for you. Everyone's answer is not right for everybody.

I towed our Saturn for about 40,000 miles without any protection for it. There was some very minor damage to the paint after all those miles, even though I had a rock shield on the MH.

Just a note, for those that don't know about the Coastline covers, they have a soft material on the back of the cover. Keeping a good wax on the car allows for the cover to move without scratching the paint.

The cover wraps all the way under the front and around the front fenders and up to the windshield. I've never had rocks or sand get under the cover as it would be rather difficult.

The cover can also be washed in a washing machine (most likely the large type of unit at a Laundromat) but I've never done it as I keep it clean.

MM.

I wouldn't use a typical car cover or anything loose fitting, because if it starts flapping in the wind, it will destroy your paint. As long as it's something tight and designed to be on the car while driving, like a car bra, you're fine. I saw one guy who had some sort of plastic film that sticks to the car, that covers the same area a bra would, and he said it was great, except if you leave it on for to long, the sun bakes it on. And he couldn't remove it.

We have ordered a Le Bra for our CRV. We have never used anything since our coach has rear mud flaps and a full width rear flap. All was well until we got to a road in Oregon that had just been resurfaced with tar and chip. We drove about 50 miles on it and ended up with a lot of tiny chips in the plastic below the level of the edge of the hood.

I've read the warnings about grit getting under the bra but my plan is to remove it often and clean under it. We've talked to a number of RV folks who use them and have had no issues.

I have a cover from Coastal Covers, now called coastlinervandoffroad.com/. It has been used for 10 years now, and is easy to put on. However, I either rinse down the car before I put on the cover or don't use it. I am afraid that sand and dirt on the car will be abrasive. Actually, I stopped washing it down all the time a few years ago, as the Saturn is less than shiny now anyway. But when it was new (newer) I did keep it clean.
Happy Trails.

Goldencrazy wrote:
I have a nice cover from Coastal Covers in California. It covers the front of the car including the windshield. Fits perfectly and not difficult to install. Used it on trip to Alaska and it was great. I tow a Smart Car 4 down.

We have the same cover for our Honda. When we had our first Honda ('07), I received a broken windshield and broken fog light from rocks. The cost to repair those would have bought me the cover from the start.

So, I had everything fixed, bought the cover and all has been good with the world. When we bought the new Honda ('13), I bought a new cover as the front end was redesigned and the old cover wouldn't fit. I haven't found any abrasions from sand or rocks.

I keep a good wax on the front end of the Honda.

Rocks can come from passing vehicles so anything other than a good cover for the toad, you will be at risk.

MM.

I have a nice cover from Coastal Covers in California. It covers the front of the car including the windshield. Fits perfectly and not difficult to install. Used it on trip to Alaska and it was great. I tow a Smart Car 4 down.

I'd 3rd the Protect-a-Tow.

There have been several posts on this forum testifying how will the Protect-a-Tow served them on their trips to Alaska.

I have mud flaps behind each rear wheel and very little gets beyond them.
I generally only use the Protect-a-Tow when it’s raining. It does allow fine grit to settle on the toad but I've not had a problem with any real damage.

The Protect-a-Tow also helps keep the MH rear end and camera from fogging over when it rains. It’s also easy to hook up and take down.

Dave