Question: how to protect car from hail damage?

Post by **cn90** » 09 Apr 2013, 19:48

Tonight, hail came down, average size was 3/4" and the hail storm lasted a good 3 minutes, the car survived with no damage.

So my question is: other than a garage or car port, if your car is parked outside, what is the best way to protect it from hail damage?

I have searched on car cover but most people say it does not work against hail.

Post by **xHeart** » 09 Apr 2013, 20:16

A 10 minute assembly would be to stretch a heavy duty tarp 20' x 20' over the car and tent-peg four corners to the ground. Insert 1" thick foam core board between the roof and the tarp.

It would eliminate any direct hit to the body. A driveway is ideal for a quick install.

Post by **JRL** » 09 Apr 2013, 21:28

A VERY HEAVY car cover might work, no guarantees
Depends on the size of the hailstones.

(You obviously were VERY lucky tonight)

Post by **Matty Moo** » 09 Apr 2013, 23:26

Short of parking under a roof, nothing really. We had a hail storm come through her in 2001 that destroyed every roof and car in the area.

Post by **mercuric** » 09 Apr 2013, 23:35

I don't have a carport or garage (grr! fixing that ASAP!) at the moment and if I see hail heading this way on the radar, I drive the newer brick down the street and chill in the parking garage of either the yuppy condos or an office building. I prefer the yuppy condos because I get to watch wannabe-rich city slicking condo dwellers get hailed on.

Unfortunately my current employer doesn't have a parking garage, just another reason I need a new job...

I miss working in a decent office building, stuck in a converted warehouse now. Oh well, it's getting me through this poor job market with a steady paycheck so I really can't whine too much...

I use the radar feeds on wunderground.com -- They get feeds from NOAA's network of WSR-88D radars, which provide hail size estimation per cell. On your local radar display, Just turn on "Storms: All" and refresh the map -- it will show the individual cells, hail size estimates for each cell are below the map in a list.

I'm lucky in that I live in a major metro area that seems to have enough heat to drastically reduce hail size as it approaches the city. Happens quite often that 20 miles to the west (storms usually come from the west here) will get massive hail and we'll get a little dime size at worst. At least the city is good for something.

Post by **jimmy57** » 10 Apr 2013, 00:39

Don't count on the city heat to save you. I was working just north of DFW airport this time last year and baseball sized stuff got cars, skylights and some west facing windows on buildings.

The only thing that will protect you from damaging hail is a shelter. The car covers sold are not going to and and are not claimed to protect from hail. The thickest quilted ones will faintly reduce the force.
Hail 2 inches and bigger hits with some speed and with that momentum it is reduced little from the force a rock would have on impact. Car covers do very little to dampen blows like that.

Post by **xHeart** » 10 Apr 2013, 07:33

Never heard of Volvo in a hail storm damage, nor seen one.
I have driven across Arkansas and Oklahoma several times, fearlessly, felt sorry for the hails not getting it hard.

Post by **cn90** » 10 Apr 2013, 08:18

Somebody from another forum mentioned carpet because:
1. It is heavy enough to stay put during windy condition.
2. Thick enough to handle lemon size hail, but may not handle baseball-size stuff.
Just put the fluffy side toward the car and the underside of the carpet facing the sky.

Anyway, I may go and buy a piece of carpet...

Post by **bags519** » 10 Apr 2013, 09:52

Bubble wrap..

Post by **cn90** » 10 Apr 2013, 09:55

Wind blows it!
Carpet is heavier.