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cover material recommendation

DaveH

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i want to have a cover made and really don't want canvas.

this will NOT be a tow cover, but for something stored outdoors. living in the desert its really UV protection I'm after.

while I would like some sort of soft inner liner to be gentle on the trailer, yet something that will last to the merciless desert sun on the outside.

any recommendations?
 

evantwheeler

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Honestly, I think your best/cheapest route is a regular boat cover and then a tarp over top. Replace the tarp yearly or as required. Even the high end covers will let dust through in my experience living in the desert. I had a bad ass cover for my last boat and even inside our shop, dust settled through the cover so I just started covering it and then tarping over the cover. If you are storing outside, consider storing with you bimini up and cover/tarp overtop of the bimini. This will keep rain from pooling and also I feel it allows for a bit better ventilation inside of the boat.
 

$hot

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Hate to say, but nothing is going to beat out sunbrella. Why don’t you want canvas? A fleece liner will protect the boat, if you go this route have the fleece made completely separate from the main cover so you can wash it without the dust and dirt from the main cover contaminating the fleece.
I don’t know of any UV protected vinyl, but if there were that would be extremely heavy.
 

HB2Havasu

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If you don’t wanna pay for SunbrelIa I would just but 2 cheap covers at Walmart and then sandwich Black PLastic Sheeting in between the covers to block out the UV Rays. Honestly though I would never store a boat full time outdoors in Arizona. Between the Sun 🌞 and the Pack Rats 🐀 your just asking for problems. J/S
 

coolchange

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Might try something like Herculite. Basically vinyl with scrim inside. A lighter version would be the stuff they make signs out of. I made one once. Very heavy and stiff. Basically a boat shaped box. Hard to work.
There’s a lot of acrylic stuff out now that copies sunbrella , some is urethane coated inside to be waterproof.
 

DaveH

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i dont want canvas because its a sponge for dust. furthermore.......and about the oldest tech out there. don't see any canvas car covers do you?

this isn't for a boat. it will never get used for toeing. there is no way I'm throwing some cheap plastic tarp over it held on with duct tape. going to have something made that fits.

there are all sorts of cool synthetic fabrics used in the car cover industry, but more around breathability and water resistance. that's not an issue in the desert. i want something more "vinyl like" so I can dust it off with a mop/broom but most import to keep the sun off it.
 

evantwheeler

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For my current boat, I bought a Military MRAP vehicle cover from my neighbor who is always buying shit off of offer-up that he doesn't need. It was a bit too tall so I trimmed the bottom and it hangs just below the trailer frame height. It has a plastic outer layer and soft interior layer which is not as thick or as soft as felt, but not as abrasive as canvas or a tarp. It was made by Transhield and seems to be of very high quality. It looks like they have a similar type of cover on Amazon. I've only had mine covered up for a couple months, so couldn't say how UV resistant it is.


Here is their main website:

 

DaveH

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For my current boat, I bought a Military MRAP vehicle cover from my neighbor who is always buying shit off of offer-up that he doesn't need. It was a bit too tall so I trimmed the bottom and it hangs just below the trailer frame height. It has a plastic outer layer and soft interior layer which is not as thick or as soft as felt, but not as abrasive as canvas or a tarp. It was made by Transhield and seems to be of very high quality. It looks like they have a similar type of cover on Amazon. I've only had mine covered up for a couple months, so couldn't say how UV resistant it is.


Here is their main website:

thank you this is more along the lines of what I am looking for.
 

gqchris

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I really need just a dust cover for my boat. I have a full canvas, but would love just a cover that super lightweight for indoor. I need to start asking around!
 

DaveH

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I really need just a dust cover for my boat. I have a full canvas, but would love just a cover that super lightweight for indoor. I need to start asking around!
custom canvas (sadly no more) used to make exactly this. a very light material that was used over your cover or if stored indoors used without the canvas cover.
 

DRYHEAT

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I think a garage is going to be your best bet.😂
Some colors of Sunbrella work better than others as far as lasting. I don’t think you can stop the dust it just blows up underneath the cover if it doesn’t go through it.😔
 

nowski

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Hey Dave check out the selection of tarps theses guys (tarpsonline.com) have to offer. It sounds like a poly tarp might be what your looking for...
 

JDKRXW

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For storage only, get one made of the same material that the the guys tarping semi truck loads use. It's a heavy vinyl.
You'll have to take your boat to the tarp maker so they can measure and fit it up.
They have rubber scupper vents they sew in for ventilation (with screens behind them) and they'll reinforce the big areas with no support below (open bow and cockpit) so you can snap a prop rod in to hold it up from below so all the water will run off.
They're not fun to install on your boat when it's on the trailer and they don't roll up into a ball for storage.
I've had these made for 2 boats. My current one is 15+ years old and the boat looks like new inside. My boat sits on a lift all summer and the only time I tie it down is when the wind gets over 30mph.....and even then, 2 straps at the back is all I've ever used.
I'd never use anything else if my boat had to sit outside.
 

gqchris

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custom canvas (sadly no more) used to make exactly this. a very light material that was used over your cover or if stored indoors used without the canvas cover.
I would love that. I dont even know where to start looking now.
 

WhatExit?

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RV cover sites have lots of info - this is from one...

Material: There are so many different materials out there. Each one serves a purpose. There isn't an overall best, but look for the material that best suits your needs and the type of protection you are looking for.
  • Polypropylene is a popular choice and is known to be highly resistant to acid damage, cracking, and water (not waterproof), while still being breathable.
  • Polyester offers excellent protection against UV rays.
  • Solution-dyed acrylic is made using UV-resistant dyes that offer superior sun protection and waterproof coating for all-weather protection.
  • Polyethylene is a strong material that's both water and tear resistant.
 

02HoWaRd26

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For simple dust inside garage and light weight look for a two layer Ford Excursion cover, i have one for my niggy and it’s big enough it’d probably fit the boat, when i was thinking to start going to the dunes was planning on a 7 layer waterproof one but well i never started going to the dunes.
 
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