Ram 1500 Covers: Overview Guide

Truck covers are a lot more than simple pieces of cloth that slide over top of your Ram to provide a thin layer of protection. Sure, you can pick up very basic styles that do the job, but you get what you pay for. In some situations these do just right by the vehicle.

One can simply need to protect the truck from light debris in a fairly stable environment.  Other options are specifically designed to protect against specific elements that can pose a major threat to the vehicle. Before you go investing in a cover, consider where you are going to have your truck stored, and most importantly what kind of conditions it is going to be exposed to.

Chances are most cars you’ve seen under a cover were tucked away in a garage somewhere. Just like most of us you probably thought it was kind of funny considering it’s already in a safe garage. That all depends on what you consider to be a safe environment. No, your truck won’t be exposed to snow, rain, or people passing by, but there are still things that can happen in a garage that can be dangerous to your Ram’s paint job.

 A lot of people commonly refer to indoor covers as “dust covers” since that’s what they’re trying to protect their vehicles from. Dust may seem like a small threat, but don’t be fooled. If you’re not careful when cleaning it off, it’s really easy for dust to create a lot of scratches that will ruin the paint’s luster.

Dust isn’t the only enemy though; you’ve got a garage and you’re going to spend a lot of time in there. As you carry objects past your truck, you’re likely to bump into the thing every now and again. A cover like this is designed to help prevent too much damage from occurring when you do bump into it. You might not be too concerned if you are a very careful person and that’s fine, but what about other household members?

Little Jimmy probably has a bicycle that’s going to find its home in your garage. He’s probably going to ping the side of your truck with the handlebars a few times and without a proper cover you’re going to notice these encounters rather quickly.

 Benefits of an Indoor Cover on your Ram 1500

• Protects from dust
• Protects from light moisture
• Prevents small dings and scratches
• Not recommended for outdoor storage

Outdoor storage of vehicles is horrifying to anyone who really cares about their paint. The garage is a very safe and very controlled environment. Despite the possibilities of a freak accident, you can predict exactly what you need to be worried about.

Outside you’re dealing with the Wild West. Not to worry; there are some pretty radical covers available to your Ram 1500 truck to help arm it to the teeth in the name of protection against the elements.

When looking for an outdoor cover you’re going to be looking to protect it from conditions like rain and snow. You’ll probably want to reach for waterproof, but find most covers available are listed as water resistant.

They serve a similar purpose, but there is a major difference. Paint needs to breathe and waterproof covers won’t allow anything to flow through them; not even air. This in itself can be extremely harmful to your paint and defeat the purpose of even adding a cover.

You also have to consider that no matter what you do, moisture will build up underneath that cover. Waterproof covers won’t allow that moisture to pass through and will instead trap it under the cover. This can be a serious problem especially if your vehicle is undergoing long-term storage.

Water or moisture buildup underneath a cover can be harmful to paint, trim, and mechanical components. Trapping it beneath the cover for long periods of time only allows it to do a better job at decaying parts and finishes.

Snow can be dangerous in the same ways as rain in terms of moisture, but it comes with an extra quality to make it even more lethal; it’s hard. 
Just like dust when it simply sits on the paint it is relatively harmless, but when it gets moved around you can bet on it digging in and leaving a mark on your truck’s paint.

The sun is also your enemy out here in the wild. We’ve all seen them, the old Dodge pickup trucks rolling around with faded clear coats that take away from the truck’s naturally awesome looks. Yeah, your truck may be young and fresh looking now, but if you let the sun’s UV rays beat down on it over the next 15 years or so you’ll be the one everyone’s looking at for that very same reason.

Don’t worry, you won’t have to buy different covers for different weather conditions. Most covers are designed to protect against a combination of all the elements we spoke of and more.

We didn’t talk about birds or potential wind damage from strong storms, but you’ll definitely know all about these dangers and what they’re capable of. Obviously, the more you spend the better the cover will protect your vehicle from the wild world we live in.

Benefits of an Outdoor Cover for your Ram 1500:

• Protects from snow/moisture
• Protects from harmful UV rays
• Prevents debris and other harsh elements (birds) from coming in contact with paint
• Can be used indoors