Allow Me to Gripe About This...

[SSBlack]

OP, when I flew often, I talked my boss into splitting the difference between long term parking and parking at the terminal. No reason why your company shouldn't.

If they don't, watch the weather forecast and decide if it's worth the cost to pay for it yourself. Cheaper than paying for another deductible.

[Tyler360]

Originally Posted by SSBlack

Hey, I'm relaxed.

Hundreds of families lost their homes and cars in the storms mentioned and I think "griping" about aluminum hoods, or the lack of covered parking at airport REMOTE lots is kinda pompous.

It wasn't lecture, it was opinion.

I heard about the baseball sized hail nearby and thought, "I wonder what kind of rental I get while mine's in the shop".

Maybe, I'm too laid back and wouldn't take the time to blame GM, DFW airport, or my company for not paying for one of the thousands of covered spots at the airport.

Must be nice to make the kind of money you do to keep paying $500 deductibles and expensive insurance rates

[vroomapunk]

Fiberglass resin isnt always stronger than aluminum. Getting your hood replaced with a non water based paint, plus a little extra hardener can do you some good. A lot of body shops add some extra when they spray the front bumper to make it stand up to rock chips a little better

[SSBlack]

Originally Posted by Tyler360

Must be nice to make the kind of money you do to keep paying $500 deductibles and expensive insurance rates

I guess you missed the part where I said I didn't get hail damage and in fact, I've been fortunate that I haven't experienced hail damage on any vehicle I've owned, ever.

But these storms were nearby and seemingly inevitable. Was I going to get all freaked out over something I can't control? No.

[David79z28]

Originally Posted by mhood

I know nobody likes a whiner but I drive in from two hours West of Ft. Worth on I20. It's going to add a bunch of time for me to get all the way down to Royal Lane...especially in morning rush. I wonder if there is a Park and Fly on 114 near DFW? That would make sense for me.

Looks like there is a parking spot on 183.

http://www.theparkingspot.com/

I have a friend that parks there every week and loves their service.

Might want to try it out.

[jmaynard]

Originally Posted by mhood

11 months ago my car got $6800 worth of hail damage at DFW Remote North parking. Last Tuesday while I was out of town it happened again. I can't complain about acts of God but two things bother me.

1. DFW with no covered parking. You can park at the terminal for an outrageous price (that my company would never reimburse) if you can cram your car into a compact slot and have no idea what terminal you'll be returning to.

2. When I asked the bus driver about the hail at Remote North, he told me that all of them were parked out in the open and nobody got any damage at all. He added that the baseball sized hail was all a couple of miles South of the parking lot and that all they got was light marble sized hail. That gave me hope that maybe I had dodged the bullet. But there are at least 15 noticeable dents on the hood and one on the trunk. My complaint is the aluminum hood and trunk seem super susceptible to hail damage.

This time around (after my insurance company has a cow and I cough up another $500 deductible), I might be willing to replace the hood with something a bit harder to dent than the aluminum. Can anyone recommend a stock looking fiberglass hood that might survive Spring time in Texas?

Dude, The Parking Spot has covered parking and it's fairly reasonable. I use it every flight. They run busses every 10 minutes and it does not matter which terminal you depart and arrive at, they cover them all.

Sorry for your pain. I know it's no consolation, but a LOT of people fared MUCH worse than you from this last round.

[mhood]

Originally Posted by jmaynard

Sorry for your pain. I know it's no consolation, but a LOT of people fared MUCH worse than you from this last round.

I never meant for a moment (and don't believe I did) to imply that my minor inconvenience approaches the tragic losses so many endured last Tuesday. 15 tornadoes and a 300 mile wall cloud 8 miles high is devastating even by North Texas standards.

I have found this hood: http://www.carid.com/2010-chevy-cama...ts-350437.html

I forget what a new hood cost last time but I imagine $800 is reasonable. I wonder if the fiberglass with carbon fiber will resist dents better than the original aluminum hood. I suppose it will be just as easy to paint as the aluminum. Anybody have any insight?

[mhood]

Originally Posted by David79z28

Looks like there is a parking spot on 183.

http://www.theparkingspot.com/

I have a friend that parks there every week and loves their service.

Might want to try it out.

Thanks for the recommendation. I had no idea there were two Parking Spots in Irving. Those should be very workable for me. I'll give them a try on my next trip.

[jmaynard]

Originally Posted by mhood

Thanks for the recommendation. I had no idea there were two Parking Spots in Irving. Those should be very workable for me. I'll give them a try on my next trip.

Actually there are 3. @ North and 1 South. The smaller one North is new just behind the gas sttaion on the corner. It does not run as many shuttles to my kowledge.

One more note, sign up for their parking club and I think you get discounts on parking. You also get points and after so many stays get free parking. Nice if your company is paying and you take personal vacations.

Oh, and the spots are VERY close but mostly professionals and frequent parkers. I have never had a problem there.

[JamesNoBrakes]

Um, airport shuttle? I try to never park at an airport. If you can afford airport parking, you can surely afford to ride a shuttle in.

[David79z28]

Originally Posted by JamesNoBrakes

Um, airport shuttle? I try to never park at an airport. If you can afford airport parking, you can surely afford to ride a shuttle in.

He is two hours from the airport. I am 1-1/2hour away myself.

[mhood]

Originally Posted by David79z28

He is two hours from the airport. I am 1-1/2hour away myself.

Yea, a shuttle won't work for me. But the Parking Spot North sure will. I come in from the West on 114 now...it's just a couple of miles beyond the Remote North exit (unless all that construction has hosed the Esters Blvd exit or something.

Any idea of the daily rate?

[hightower]

I hope I never have to deal with hail! I think carbon fiber is the way to go.

[Envy]

I see you are looking at a hood replacement from RK Sport to replace your OEM hood and that is a mistake. I have a RK Sport Ram Air Hood and I really love the way it looks on my car. But I've had all kinds of problems with my hood being affected by the Texas heat. I am on my second hood...the first one only lasted a year and started to crack. RK Sport replaced the hood for free but I still had to have it installed and painted and the new one has shifted now too. So think again about fiberglass and/or carbon fiber hoods because I've seen both types of hoods bow from the heat of the sun here in Texas.