Carcoon

Carcoon
Carcoon
Storing cars in winter is always a problem if you don’t have garage space for them
so this year I bought a Carcoon for the Ghia (the Cabrio lives in the garage).
Basically this is a car-sized inflatable balloon. The erection method is shown in the
photos but you start by laying a thick PVC mat down on the floor. This is to prevent
moisture from attacking the car from underneath. When you have driven your nice
clean car onto the mat the next step is to sort the electrics out. The unit requires a
mains supply and is said to use about 20 pence worth of electricity a day to keep the
balloon inflated and also to power the battery charger which comes included. Once
you have connected the charger to the battery the next step is to cover the car and
then zip the cover to the floor mat. The zip is a very heavy duty item but will only zip
up one way. This is a shame as it would be a little more convenient if you could go
either way. It does however have a flap covering it to minimise any ingress. The next
bit is a bit fiddly: you have to attach two spacers and two filters to the air intakes on
the fans before switching on. That’s it! Including all the familiarisation it took me less
than an hour but that would be down to 15-20 mins next time.
Drive on
Sort out the filters
Sort out the electrics
Cover up
Zip it up
Switch on and job done!
So why go to all that trouble? There are a number of disadvantages to a normal car
cover, even a breathable one. Firstly it can flap about in the wind and cause scratching
but my main concern is that they are just not dry enough. With fluctuations in
temperature such as from sunshine to dull or from night to day, the temperature of the
metal changes much more quickly than either the surrounding air or other materials in
the car. This happens because the part of the body which is coldest draws heat through
the steel from warmer parts which then cool faster than their surroundings and results
in condensation. Without good airflow this lingers and eventually causes rust. By using
forced ventilation temperatures are much more evenly distributed which reduces
condensation and the air flow in theory dries up any which does occur. The two filters
on each fan keep harmful contaminants away from the car.
The cost is £400-£500 depending on which model you choose, which is much more that
a cheap car cover and also a fair bit dearer than a good one. However I am convinced
that they are more effective and so are worthwhile: after all, how much bodywork can
you get done for that amount of money?
There are other similar systems available but if you want to investigate this one further
have a look at carcoon.co.uk for more info.
Alan Aspden