Best truck cover for storing outside?

Hey everyone, I'm looking to store my Taco for a few months while I'm away. It'll be held outside, so I'm wondering if anyone knows of any good ways to cover it up and keep it away from the elements. Mostly rain since we have major hard waterspots here, I'd come back to a dalmation if I just left it bare.

 

I have one of these that has been used to cover a vehicle for what would now be a little over three years.
I'm in the woods with a one car garage, and HAD to get something to protect the second car from the forest and the elements.
It is a custom fit, and mine fit like a glove. Lots of storms over those three years and it's never slipped an inch.
No moisture damage to paint, despite being left on for extended periods. (moisture being the biggest concern when it comes to covering a vehicle for an extended period in a wet environment)
I had a hard time swallowing the price originally, but in hindsight it was a no brainer.

https://www.covercraft.com/us/en/product/custom-ultratect-car-cover.C-CCUT

 

The best cover will be one that does NOT touch painted surfaces.
ShelterLogic's 'garage in a box' comes to mind.
Perhaps an RV storage facility may have a small open spot for it.

 

Why?

 

Because it will scratch your paint.

 

Storage Unit?.... at $25-$35 a month it may be worth looking into... just back it in and squeeze out the door.

 

I would have to disagree with that. Just because the car cover is touching your paint, it doesn’t mean it will scratch it. I’ve covered plenty of motorcycles with covers and never scratched the paint.

 

I guess with a white truck you're probably okay. But with the cover blowing around it definitely will scratch paint.

 

If only... a Storage unit big enough for my taco is $300-400/mo here

 

Condensation, dust accumulation at points of contact, abrasion resulting from movement of the cover due to wind, provides additional cover for those critters that love to chew on plastic parts (like wire insulation), etc.
Contrary to @Kairide's comment, much of a motorcycle's cover does NOT rest on painted surfaces - that won't be the case with your Taco.
JMHO.

 

Condensation is the BIG one.

Even knowing the danger, I destroyed the mirrors on a brand new ZX-12 using a cheap cover, simply because I thought it would be okay on the porch and out of rain's reach. The Florida humidity alone did it in, in less than 30 days. Fortunately, as you mentioned, the only painted surface the cover was actually resting on was the mirrors.

As for abrasion, I haven't had any issues, but it's probably only due to the high quality of cover itself, and a routine that at least initially, might have been considered extreme by some. A few trips through a cheap auto wash will likely result in more damage than a high quality, properly maintained car cover will produce in a year or two.

JMO, everyone's experience will vary.

Oh, and I did get rodent damage while covered, but to be fair, my uncovered F-350 got it too. lol

 

My brother and father used one of these for a few years with good success, but you've got to keep, at the very least, the fan end out of the elements.
Really I'd think the whole thing for long term storage.

 

Where do I get one of these!

 

So I looked at "garage in a box", seems the issue is it's meant for "temporary" storage whatever that means. From my reading, it seems it doesn't hold up very well for long periods of time in the elements (big winds can carry it away for example which we can get). Otherwise, this would be perfect since I have a giant backyard.

 

Those cheap carports advertised everywhere down south are pretty durable and protect the car from precipitation. They allow good airflow for condensation elimination too.

 

We use something like below which came from Costco. We store our SxS during the summer at our RV Park. I believe they are around $250

https://costcocouple.com/steel-frame-canopy-with-side-walls/

 

Rent a storage unit for a few months. Pay the rental for the time you'll be gone plus 1 month.

Fill the tank add fuel stabilizer, change the oil, disconnect the battery. If you can, set it on 4 jack stands, then lower the pressure in the tires.

Remove all food and trash, then vacuum it. Don't want to leave any mouse/bug food.

 

couple problems with those inflatables........

what happens if the power fails?

what happens if the fan burns out?

What happens if the bubble gets a hole or a rip or tear?

I'm sure the inflatables are great, if you are around to maintain a watchful eye.

 

Personally, I will never use another outdoor cover as I had a Porsche 930 turbo under restoration waiting in a paint shop's lot in Miami with an outdoor cover on it and when they removed the cover the black paint came off in sheets.
Only thing we could figure happened was that condensation was building up under the cover overnight and then steamed up in the next day's hot sun causing it to lift the paint. No real harm as paint was being totally stripped for new paint anyway, but taught me a lesson.

Also, IF you've used an outdoor car cover on a vehicle outside for an extended period of time and haven't scratched vehicle's finish then you are either lucky or not looking at your vehicle's finish close enough to see the damage.