How to protect a car from hail, the best manufacturers of covers and anti-hail nets
Content
Horizontal and inclined surfaces are most susceptible to hail strikes - the roof, hood, windshield and rear windows. Damage to these parts can lead to their long recovery and even the impossibility of independent movement by car.
Weather anomalies, including hailstorms, have a terrible destructive power. Saving the car will help ingenuity or the purchase of a special accessory. Anti-hail protection for a car is capable of resisting the blows of ice falling from the sky.
Do I need to protect the car from hail
Body parts of modern cars, unlike Soviet models, are made of thin aluminum alloy. Therefore, the impact force of hailstones, multiplied by the speed of the fall, can cause significant damage to the machine. Peas with a diameter of less than 1 cm are not dangerous, larger ones can damage the paintwork, and hail the size of a chicken egg can break windows and riddle a car body.
Protecting the machine from hail
Protecting a car from hail is a natural measure for a car owner to preserve movable property. Having a garage or covered parking space solves the problem, but not everyone has the opportunity to put vehicles in a shelter. But if the elements caught on the road, in an open area, in order to protect the car from damage, and yourself from the cost of repairs, you will need to take urgent measures to minimize losses.
Vehicle protection measures taken by the driver
It's easy to spot an approaching thunderstorm. In an urban environment, you can find secure covered parking and wait out the surprises of the weather.
But often a downpour with hail can cover during movement. And if there is no special covering awning in the trunk, and nearby there is a settlement or a gas station, the available improvised means will help out. Trees are not the best protection in such a situation, since there is a chance of getting damage to vehicles from branches falling under gusts of wind. From billboards and other unstable structures, it is also better to stay away.
Hail is a fleeting natural phenomenon, so you need to act quickly. Even a few minutes can be enough for disastrous consequences.
First of all, you need to stop moving. Try to determine which way the wind is blowing and turn the car in that direction. Be sure to put up a warning triangle, because during a thunderstorm, even in the daytime, visibility is significantly reduced.
Protective case
Horizontal and inclined surfaces are most susceptible to hail strikes - the roof, hood, windshield and rear windows. Damage to these parts can lead to their long recovery and even the impossibility of independent movement by car.
As a covering material, salon mats, a pallet from the trunk, seat covers and other items in the car are suitable - a blanket, clothes, an air mattress for swimming. The main difficulty will be to fix them on the protected surfaces. A fabric tow rope, rope, expander rubber fasteners with hooks, or a roll of tape will help out in this situation.
Once in such a mess, car owners are thinking about purchasing a special protective accessory.
How to protect your car from hail
As a self-made protection against hail, you can use a substrate under the laminate with a thickness of at least 5 mm. An inexpensive consumable with magnets attached to the edges will protect the windows and paintwork of the car from damage, although it will take up a tangible part of the trunk in a twisted state.
Protective covers
Anti-hail covers are made for a specific type of car, which provides maximum protection against the elements. The material used is a durable PVC film, between the layers of which air bubbles are encapsulated. There are single and multi-layer shelter options.
The awning cover is quickly thrown over the car, fastened to the disks and bumpers with the included rubber ties with stainless steel hooks at the ends. The awning does not absorb moisture, dries quickly in the sun, takes up little space when folded.
Protective covers
Models made of water-repellent fabric may not be as compact, but this depends on the thickness of the protective layer of polyethylene foam. Rope attachments to the wheels and tie-downs under the bumpers securely hold the awning under the gusts of wind. The cover can be used at any temperature and is suitable for year-round use.
Anti-hail nets
The material for the anti-hail mesh is polyethylene, from the fibers of which a fine-meshed fabric is formed by interlacing. Strong and durable protection does not save from rain and snow, but perfectly retains hail of any size.
The best manufacturers of hail protection
The market for protective accessories for cars is filled with similar models, some of which are low-quality plagiarisms of samples tested by time and weather. An overview of the best manufacturers of such auto accessories will help you not to doubt the protective properties of the cover.
Budget Accessories
The company "Polymir" produces auto-protection against hail in the form of capes. Inexpensive one- or two-layer models provide minimal resistance to the destructive power of the elements.
The original covers are made of blue PVC film 300 microns thick, very tear-resistant, withstand significant mechanical stress. Unlike ordinary packaging film, the material for anti-hail covers does not burst when pressed, because it is a multilayer sandwich of film and air. The thickness of one layer is 5 mm.
Original blue pvc covers
The price of a single-layer cape, depending on the size, is 1300-3600 rubles, a two-layer cape without sidewalls will cost a maximum of 4000 rubles. The vertical surfaces of a car are less prone to hail damage, so some skimp on protecting them. The cape, covering only the roof, hood and windows, allows you to quickly cover the car, leaves access to the interior, is compact, dries quickly.
Middle class accessories
Slightly more effective reinforced PVC capes with a double top layer and single-layer sidewalls are slightly more expensive. In this segment, capes for small cars of medium and golf class are priced from 4500 to 6000 rubles.
The cover for protecting the car from hail has two-layer and top, and full-fledged side parts. It is fixed to the bumper and rims with fasteners through loops sewn on the bottom. The price for C-class cars will be 6000 rubles.
Fabric capes from the company "Movement Plus" also fall into this category. Lightweight, water-repellent capes with sewn-in 8 mm thick plates provide reliable hail protection. Fastening to the car is carried out by elastic straps to the front, rear and middle of the car. The accessory is made in black.
Elite segment
The best protection of the car from hail is provided by covers of the Polymir company with three-layer protection. They are designed for luxury cars, crossovers and SUVs. The price of such models exceeds 9000 rubles. It is also possible to manufacture custom-made covers of any size and degree of protection.
Hail protective cover
To fully protect the car from hail, frost and ice, dust, rain and sunlight, you can buy covers from the Motion Plus company. 5 color options are available. Additional safety is guaranteed by reflective elements in the front and back of the cover. The cost of protective accessories of this class is from 11000 to 20000 rubles.
