I’ve had my new car for two weeks and this one damn tree in my driveway keeps dumping little drops of sap on it. It’s driving me nuts cleaning it all the time and trying to keep it from hurting the paint. Garaging the car isn’t an option and there’s no way to avoid the tree.

Does anyone make a good exterior car cover that’s reasonably priced that can accomodate the taller roof rack of the TRD Pro?

I’m not sure if there’s a car cover designed especially for a 4R, but if there is it’s certainly expensive. You’d be better off getting a cheap plastic tarp of the appropriate size with grommets. With bungee cords you could snug it down to the rack to cover the roof and drape over the sides a little. You’d have to experiment where to attach the bungees. It will probably look like hell but who cares. When the tarp gets full of sap and crap that you can’t wipe off just trash it and get a new one. Any car covering or tarp will only last a year or two exposed to the sun.

Yeah that’s not a bad idea. Only concern I’d have is if he tarp is abrasive and scratches the paint at all.

Any outdoor cover is going to have the same issue.

My vote is to cut the tree down.

I have 2019 TRD Pro. Bought this cover at O’Riley Auto parts for $60

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Time to look into coating my friend...I had Modesta coating done (similar to Ceramic but higher quality), and cleaning's been a breeze during quick washes. Coating just helps provide a thicker layer of hardness protection for the paint and an added bonus of easy quick cleaning

"California car cover" makes covers for the 4runner in different types of material.
I own a number of them ,but I don't put them on a daily driver.
You will get real tired of taking it on and off because of the height of the truck.
Also if it rains, now you have a wet rag in the cargo area that needs to be reinstalled in order to dry.
A car cover should never be put on a your truck unless the truck has been washed.
Impurities on your truck will act like sand paper if you park outside in the wind.
Go with some of the suggestions in this thread, Ceramic or a good wax.
You could also get a costume cover for the windshield so you don't have to clean the sap off everyday.
I had one years ago and used it on camping trips when I parked under a pine tree.

Hahaha I wish that were an option, but I'm afraid it's not.


That actually looks pretty nice. I might go have a look down the street for one of those.

Yeah I need to look into it a bit more. PPF would definitely help, but I'm not convinced that something like ceramic will really offer much protection against stuff like sap and bird shit. I need to do some more research, but in either case I'll still end up washing the car all the time. I need to limit the amount of stuff falling onto the paint.



Yeah i'm not really worried about sap on the windshield; I don't think it's deleterious effects are nearly as serious on glass as they are on painted surfaces.

The car cover will only be used at home, but you're right about the rain. It would require leaving it out to dry on the covered porch. The cover wouldn't ride around in the back of the truck with me.

The thing is, nothing is going to be perfect. Even with ceramic or a good wax, sap or bird shit is going to be a problem if left on for too long. And I think that sort of damage is probably worse than leaving it uncovered and the car cover moving slightly on the car in wind. Nothing is perfect, absent garaging it which just isn't an option at the moment. I cant even put up like one of those tent/carport covers to park it under because of the HOA rules and regs.

^This. Car covers are meant for long term storage. Clean it well and cover it with a clean cover. If you cover a dirty car with a clean cover then your cover's contaminated. You cover a clean car with a dirty cover then your paint is going to get scratched. Use a car cover on a daily basis and your paint is worse off than the sap damage.

You could try a steel frame portable car canopy.

I unfortunately can't use a car canopy. My HOA expressly forbids those things.

X2. I had a tree like that. Gone!

Slowly pour salt water around the tree on the daily.

after a few weeks, bam. dead tree.

maybe plant another tree or two somewhere outside to avoid the negative karma points lol

Covers are a mess and a nuisance. You have to cover and uncover every time and then you have a messy or wet cover to put somewhere. You can't bundle or fold it up unless you watch for the dirty side. I had one for a while and gave up due to the hassle.

I like the salt water on the tree post. Then on Earth Day, plant a new one that won't be a bother.

Glad we don't have an HOA, I think they go overboard and get power crazy.

^ All of this.