Driving in the rain / storing outside
Discussion
Car on order - delivery expected March 2024. A couple more questions if I may.
I'm not planning on driving in the rain very often, but there will obviously be times. If it's raining on the day I'm travelling to a track day I will go.
Having had a 7 before, I'm not planning on driving it with the full weather gear on when it rains - I remember the sauna like conditions being pretty unpleasant. I'm thinking full windscreen screen & half hood. Can I ask if I would need full doors or will half doors be enough. I'm happy to wear a waterproof.
The car will live outside year round. Is full weather gear needed to keep it dry, or are there covers that will do the job?
Ideally I'd like to not spend the money on buying the full weather gear that I'll potentially never use, but if it's better to have it, I will.
Advice please.
I'm not planning on driving in the rain very often, but there will obviously be times. If it's raining on the day I'm travelling to a track day I will go.
Having had a 7 before, I'm not planning on driving it with the full weather gear on when it rains - I remember the sauna like conditions being pretty unpleasant. I'm thinking full windscreen screen & half hood. Can I ask if I would need full doors or will half doors be enough. I'm happy to wear a waterproof.
The car will live outside year round. Is full weather gear needed to keep it dry, or are there covers that will do the job?
Ideally I'd like to not spend the money on buying the full weather gear that I'll potentially never use, but if it's better to have it, I will.
Advice please.
Edited by andy tims on Thursday 22 December 10:16
At home my Seven gets the garage treatment, but when away touring I always fit the tonneau and long nose shower cap overnight. The tonneau seals off the cockpit from moisture and prying eyes / hands, and the long nose shower cap helps keep the engine bay drier in a downpour – there have been some reports of failed alternators when the cars get a soaking overnight.
If I were to leave it outside at home, then sturdy cover would be a requirement, but you do need to be wary of trapped moisture under the fabric, as nothing is both completely breathable and waterproof.
If I were to leave it outside at home, then sturdy cover would be a requirement, but you do need to be wary of trapped moisture under the fabric, as nothing is both completely breathable and waterproof.
Running with a windscreen, half doors and a half hood I’m pretty certain you’ll end up with spray coming into the car at all angles, judging by how turbulent the air in the cabin gets as soon take the doors off whilst retaining the windscreen.
Having used a Hamilton outdoor cover on occasions when the cars not been in the garage, including during heavy snow, seemed waterproof from the outside in, but I found condensation could build up under the cover in certain conditions, so the car needed “airing” occasionally. Also the car needs to be clean and dry before putting the cover on to avoid the risk of the inside of the cover slowly become a paint sanding device, especially when it’s windy!
Having used a Hamilton outdoor cover on occasions when the cars not been in the garage, including during heavy snow, seemed waterproof from the outside in, but I found condensation could build up under the cover in certain conditions, so the car needed “airing” occasionally. Also the car needs to be clean and dry before putting the cover on to avoid the risk of the inside of the cover slowly become a paint sanding device, especially when it’s windy!
Tupwood said:
At home my Seven gets the garage treatment, but when away touring I always fit the tonneau and long nose shower cap overnight. The tonneau seals off the cockpit from moisture and prying eyes / hands, and the long nose shower cap helps keep the engine bay drier in a downpour – there have been some reports of failed alternators when the cars get a soaking overnight.
If I were to leave it outside at home, then sturdy cover would be a requirement, but you do need to be wary of trapped moisture under the fabric, as nothing is both completely breathable and waterproof.
Didn't we debunk the alternator story last time it came up?If I were to leave it outside at home, then sturdy cover would be a requirement, but you do need to be wary of trapped moisture under the fabric, as nothing is both completely breathable and waterproof.
BertBert said:
Didn't we debunk the alternator story last time it came up?
It's a recommendation from a Caterham hire company owner I trust, with many years of Scottish weather experience, and the shower cap provides improved all-round weather protection too. The OP can ignore at their own risk.agatebox said:
Outdoor storage - as an alternative to a “traditional” cover, (depending on location/facilities etc.,), have you looked at possibly using an Outdoor Car Carcoon?, though personally I haven’t had any experience using one,
I looked into this but they were a bit non commital when we discussed how it coped with high winds.Tupwood said:
It's a recommendation from a Caterham hire company owner I trust, with many years of Scottish weather experience, and the shower cap provides improved all-round weather protection too. The OP can ignore at their own risk.
ISTR there was actually only one alternator problem. And many many people who have kept their cars outside (incl me) who haven't had an alternator issue.Mine's lived outside for the last year.
Full hood will let water in to the cabin. While it's ok at keeping the water out when the car is being driven, when it's stopped, the water can get in around the doors: both by the windscreen and down the back edge of the door.
With a long nose shower cap, there is still a small gap around the back of the door, the bottom of the shower cap and the side of the car and rain gets in. Also, the edge of the boot cover will get wet from water dripping off the shower cap, last year i ended up with mildew starting to form on the underside of the boot cover. The other issue i found, when you get a lot of rain, it'll pool on top of the area over the cabin as the water can't drain fast enough... and then you get a cumulative effect and you end up with a small pond forming. which pulls the cover down into the cabin and subsequently up at the sides so more of the cabin is exposed to rain.
I did get a full cover for the car which covers the whole car down to number plate level. this is fine most of the time, but will let water through when there is a lot of rain. So i put the shower cap on first then the full cover. this has kept the car dry(er) and this winter i dont have the wet carpet and mildew issues i had this time last year.
It's not ideal keeping it outside. And one thing with the full cover: either when the wind blows and tugs at the cover, or even when removing the cover, it'll knock the mirrors out of position so can have additional faffing repositioning the mirrors so you can see something other than floor or sky.
Full hood will let water in to the cabin. While it's ok at keeping the water out when the car is being driven, when it's stopped, the water can get in around the doors: both by the windscreen and down the back edge of the door.
With a long nose shower cap, there is still a small gap around the back of the door, the bottom of the shower cap and the side of the car and rain gets in. Also, the edge of the boot cover will get wet from water dripping off the shower cap, last year i ended up with mildew starting to form on the underside of the boot cover. The other issue i found, when you get a lot of rain, it'll pool on top of the area over the cabin as the water can't drain fast enough... and then you get a cumulative effect and you end up with a small pond forming. which pulls the cover down into the cabin and subsequently up at the sides so more of the cabin is exposed to rain.
I did get a full cover for the car which covers the whole car down to number plate level. this is fine most of the time, but will let water through when there is a lot of rain. So i put the shower cap on first then the full cover. this has kept the car dry(er) and this winter i dont have the wet carpet and mildew issues i had this time last year.
It's not ideal keeping it outside. And one thing with the full cover: either when the wind blows and tugs at the cover, or even when removing the cover, it'll knock the mirrors out of position so can have additional faffing repositioning the mirrors so you can see something other than floor or sky.
Although mine stays inside when not in use, a little water isn’t going to do it any harm, although I would recommend a car cover to prevent surface corrosion of parts wet/mouldy interiors when being laid up for long periods of time in bad weather. As others stated, moisture will still find a way, but just remove the cover on dry days to air it out.
A cover will cause some marring to the paint as it rubs against the body when windy, but nothing that a good buff won’t sort.
A cover will cause some marring to the paint as it rubs against the body when windy, but nothing that a good buff won’t sort.
andy tims said:
Thanks all.
I had a carcoon previously for another car. Good at keeping the rain / UV out, but a bit of a faff to get off and very bulky to store & try to keep clean.
Personally, I’d say a carcoon is overkill on a Caterham, especially with its bodywork being ally and fibreglass. Yes it’s a steel chassis, but if it’s just parked up, it’s not going to be sprayed in salt and water. As I mentioned in an earlier post, the only bits I’d be thinking about are the bare metal parts (arms, coilover threads, engine bay parts) and the risk of mouldy interiors, but a decent cover with an occasional ‘air out’ would negate this.I had a carcoon previously for another car. Good at keeping the rain / UV out, but a bit of a faff to get off and very bulky to store & try to keep clean.
You really need to buy some doors. Driving a 7 with a windscreen and no doors at any speed out of town is a pretty unpleasant experience. It's absolutely fine with the doors on, and it's absolutely fine with just an aeroscreen, or aeroscreen and half doors. The full hood is a PITA and I wouldn't bother with it at all.
If you are looking to not spend the money on the full kit (and I assume Caterham won't split the kit) I'd look in the usual classified places for a pair of doors, and I'd buy a half hood with easy in zips and a long nose shower cap.
If you are looking to not spend the money on the full kit (and I assume Caterham won't split the kit) I'd look in the usual classified places for a pair of doors, and I'd buy a half hood with easy in zips and a long nose shower cap.
My 7 lived outside on a London street for 2 years. I think you should buy the full weather gear, if nothing else just for when it's parked in the rain. And an outdoor car cover.
As already mentioned the full hood isn't waterproof when stood in prolonged rain, but with a full car cover on top it will keep the interior bone dry. You don't have to fit the hood fully if using a car cover over the top - just button the windscreen and a couple by the rear wheelarches. That makes the hood very quick to install and remove if you don't want to drive with it. I always kept the full sidescreens on.
When it's not raining I used to use the full car cover with the car roofless. This makes it shower proof and then just whip off the cover and off you go.
If you need to use the cover straight after driving (say you've just arrived home and it's drizzling), put the cover on but on the exhaust side hook the cover over the front light and the side mirror so it's well away from the exhaust until it cools down.
I enjoyed driving mine with the full hood when I had to cover distance - just make sure you keep the fan on to keep air circulating and have the heater for winter and it's toasty and dry. In hot weather I would take the hood off and put up with the buffeting.
A weekend break one October, a couple of hours' drive in the dark and rain, then sat for a couple of days until the trip home.
As already mentioned the full hood isn't waterproof when stood in prolonged rain, but with a full car cover on top it will keep the interior bone dry. You don't have to fit the hood fully if using a car cover over the top - just button the windscreen and a couple by the rear wheelarches. That makes the hood very quick to install and remove if you don't want to drive with it. I always kept the full sidescreens on.
When it's not raining I used to use the full car cover with the car roofless. This makes it shower proof and then just whip off the cover and off you go.
If you need to use the cover straight after driving (say you've just arrived home and it's drizzling), put the cover on but on the exhaust side hook the cover over the front light and the side mirror so it's well away from the exhaust until it cools down.
I enjoyed driving mine with the full hood when I had to cover distance - just make sure you keep the fan on to keep air circulating and have the heater for winter and it's toasty and dry. In hot weather I would take the hood off and put up with the buffeting.
A weekend break one October, a couple of hours' drive in the dark and rain, then sat for a couple of days until the trip home.
Edited by braddo on Friday 6th January 19:07
andy tims said:
Thanks - So full doors if running with the full screen seems to be the way to go.
Any more on outside storage?
Do I fit the full weather gear or is just a cover enough or do I go belt & braces with a cover over the weather gear?
Any more on outside storage?
Do I fit the full weather gear or is just a cover enough or do I go belt & braces with a cover over the weather gear?
It worked for me, for a couple of years. Less so when the aeroscreen went on.
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