How To Use Common Sense To Protect Your SUV

How To Use Common Sense To Protect Your SUV
By: Gregg Hall



These days with the price of an SUV being over $50,000 in some cases, the investment in the vehicle is second only to buying a home. If you have paid so much for something it just makes good sense to protect it. Let's look at some easy ways that you can protect your SUV from damage and theft.

Almost all SUVs now come equipped with an anti-theft device and most also have ignition disabling built in as well to prevent a would be thief from being able to drive off. If you have expensive wheels you will want to use locking lug nuts to at least slow the thieves down when they try to steel your wheels. If you insist on having spinners then you should know upfront you are setting yourself up as a target.

To protect your SUV from damage to the elements of course you should always to try to keep it in a garage or under a carport but if you have a really large SUV, it may not fit in the garage. If this is the case then you should invest in a water repellant cover for your SUV to protect the finish from damage from the sun, trees, and flying dinosaurs, I mean birds.

When you have to go to a shopping center don't try to cram your land yacht SUV into a tight space just to save a couple of steps. Park further out where you have a couple of spots on either side of you, you could probably use the exercise anyway. Just doing this one thing will help you avoid door dings and it will make you healthier at the same time.

Never park your SUV under trees. Yeah, the shade is nice, but the sap is not. In addition to the sap, you have the opportunity for the wind to blow branches onto your vehicle and then you have birds. I don't think I need to spell that out for you, do I?

Just because you are the biggest thing on the road in your Hummer or Excursion doesn't mean you have to be a road hog and drive aggressively. Drive carefully and safely to avoid getting into accidents and watch out for others driving along side of you.

Be extra careful when you are pulling through a drive-thru. I have seen the drive-thru at my local bank take out a couple of mirrors as well as leave long gashes in the side of an SUV who was in a hurry and not paying attention. You also need to be careful pulling in and out of your own garage; this is where many people damage their own SUV. Also, when you are working on your SUV in the garage be careful opening the doors, if you are like me you are probably in close quarters.

These may all seem like no brainer ideas, and really they are but you would be surprised how many otherwise intelligent people don't follow the simple instructions I just gave.