Car Protection Without a Garage

Protecting your vehicle from the elements is just one reason why a car cover is a sensible investment.

For most people, their vehicle is one of their biggest investments. For renters, it could be your biggest.

That’s why protecting your vehicle is so important if you don’t have a garage to store it in, away from the elements and bad weather. Consider these steps when looking for ways to protect your vehicle and to keep it looking like new outside a garage. Depending on where you live and the amount of space you have on your property, these options can offer protection when a garage is not available.

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Wrap it with a vehicle cover

One of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to protect your vehicle is by purchasing a cover for it, similar to those used to cover expensive outdoor grills. The protective cover fits over the entire vehicle and is made to fit specific makes and models. You can find an all-weather, paint-friendly cover, available in all sizes and colors. Even bigger vehicles have an available cover, like truck covers sold for those oversized trucks.

Invest in a canopy

If you have the space on your property and the neighborhood rules allow it, you can invest in a canopy to protect your vehicle. Ranging from a few hundred dollars to thousands, the do-it-yourself garage offers a space for your vehicle that will protect it from falling debris and harsh elements. The assemblies usually come with an overhead roof held up by polls along the sides. The more expensive models even offer side panel coverings of cloth, glass, or plexiglass that can provide additional protection for your vehicle. But this might not be an option if you’re renting a place that doesn’t have space on the property for the canopy.

Wax your vehicle regularly

Sometimes a little elbow grease is the best solution. A good vehicle wax applied once a month will help protect it from the elements. The regular wax job also helps build coats of protection on your vehicle’s exterior, so paying a bit more for quality wax is worth the investment. Even if you’re not able to do the waxing yourself, it’s worth the investment to pay someone else to do the job for you.

Use protectant for rubber and plastic components

Just as your vehicle’s exterior body receives protection with wax, the molding and rubber and plastic components will need protection. Those parts will fade without some protection, so invest in a trim protectant that can spare them from the harsh weather. This is easily applied when you wash the vehicle or can be added to the job at your carwash if you’d like someone else to do it.

Watch where you park

Not having a garage to safely park your vehicle in means you have to watch where you park to avoid expensive damage to its exterior. Avoid parking where your vehicle might be vulnerable to falling objects, like loose tree limbs. Parking under trees can be tricky for other reasons, too, like fruit-bearing trees that can mess up your vehicle’s paint job with corrosive tree sap dripping from above.

Block harmful rays with sun visors

With a relatively inexpensive purchase, you can protect your vehicle’s interior from sun and heat damage. Use sun visors for the windshields to keep the harmful rays out. Make sure you use them on both the front and the back windshields. You can also apply an interior surface protectant to the dash and other components to help them keep that like-new look.

See Also — Should You Paint Your Vehicle?

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Johnny Orion

Johnny Orion is a weekend mechanic and a Cars & Coffee hound who dabbles in writing, mostly about cars. His goal is to retrace the famous Route 66 highway in a restored 1972 Pontiac Firebird hardtop with a four-barrel carburetor and a 3-speed manual gearbox. But first, he must convince his friend to sell...