Sunbrella, next best cover

[79Rude115]

I have a 1990 Four Winns Horizon 200 and am shopping for a cover. I have read tons of threads to the point that my eyes are red but I still don?t have then answer. The consensus seems to be that Sunbrella covers are the best out there, I just can?t pony up 6+ bills for a boat cover.

What is the second best cover available? Outdura would appear to be the second best but for a custom fit but it is only available in yellow and black, neither of which will work for me. If they had it in grey or burgundy I would get one but for whatever reason they don?t.

Can anyone please enlighten me as to their experiences, good or bad, with covers other than Sunbrella?

I need a good quality breathable long lasting trailerable cover for 100+ degree Texas heat

 

[79Rude115]

Re: Sunbrella, next best cover

bump

 

[Firestar]

Re: Sunbrella, next best cover

I did boat canvas and covers for a while. It is all about advertising. The sunbrella didn't cost us anymore then another product. They advertised well and we would make more on it. Go with the weight, uv resistance and dye method.

 

[79Rude115]

Re: Sunbrella, next best cover

Thanks, according to the iboats, outdura is the only cover with equilavent ratings to sunbrella.

interestingly i was looking for a binimi and sunbrella is competitively priced there, just much more expensive for covers.

 

[jeffnick]

Re: Sunbrella, next best cover

Westland Sharkskin has the same warranty as Sunbrella and costs less. I'll buy another Sharkskin cover when mine gives out, but it's still holding on after 7 years.

Good fit too, on their custom covers.

 

[Firestar]

Re: Sunbrella, next best cover

Westland Sharkskin has the same warranty as Sunbrella and costs less. I'll buy another Sharkskin cover when mine gives out, but it's still holding on after 7 years.

Good fit too, on their custom covers.

There you go!

Your cover still looks good for 7 years. Blue usually fades fast too.

 

[79Rude115]

Re: Sunbrella, next best cover

Sharkskin is 100% polyester while Sunbrella and Outdura are 100% acrylic

Sharskin is on 6.5 oz while Sunbrella and Outdura are 9.25

Both Sunbrella and Outdura are said to have superior fade resistance, UV resistance, Rot resistance, durability and breathability than Sharkskin

To top it off Sharkskin is slightly more expensive than Outdura.

Thinking it is going to be Outdura but would love to have feedback from someone who owns a custom fit Outdura first

 

[Firestar]

Re: Sunbrella, next best cover

I had a simple heavy duck canvas black that held up for over a decade, close to 15. I had to hit it with waterproofing spray but it lasted.

I sold the boat several years ago and kept the cover. It had wear damage at sharp angles from the boat. I still use it on my SS350 Chevy truck for the winter. It's been doing a good job for the last 5 years at that.

Now that I confused you more, I apologize.

 

[jaxnjil]

Re: Sunbrella, next best cover

sorry every thing we have is sunbrella.
unless some big change comes l'll stick with it.

 

[dodgeramsst2003]

Re: Sunbrella, next best cover

There is a product called "Coast Gaurd". Its made by a competitor of sunbrella. Costs less, but same stuff. Also remember when buying a cover, a lot of the cost is in the labor going into making it, and not the material itself. I do some covers on the side, and from completley low end duck canvas to high end sunbrella, typically makes less than $100 difference or so (depending on the size of the cover) You're paying for a lot of the same incidentals no matter what fabric ie... snaps, webbing, binding, thread, electric to run the machine etc. Look at the coast gaurd material, PM me if you can't find it and I'll point you to the supplier.

 

[Expidia]

Re: Sunbrella, next best cover

I have a Sunbrella bimini which I bought at overtons.com I also had a custom canvas shop make me up a full enclosure with a matching Sunbrella fabric last season.

A month back I had the same shop make a trailerable cover up for me. I wanted the Sunbrella fabric again and the owner whose been doing canvas for many years cautioned me "not" to use Sunbrella for a trailerable cover because it stretches. But he'll give me Sunbrella if that's what I want.

I actually bought the OEM top from Lund and I was assured it was Sunbrella, but it came and it was not Sunbrella. It didn't fit over my after market bimini anyway because the frame sits on top of the gunnels where as the OEM bimini sits inside the gunnels. Now I have to sell the OEM one. But I don't care, I said screw it and went to the custom canvas shop to have it done right.

I thought he was giving me a line and was just trying to sell me the fabric he uses for all his trailable covers. I figured he buys big rolls of the stuff and sells it to customers for the same price as the Sunbrella fabric making himself a bigger profit.

I was wrong on all counts. I took his advice and he made the top up for me in grey and the fabric is called TopGun.

He was right because this fabric has a heavier feel than the Sunbrella and has a rubberized nicer texture. It also does not get those annoying white spots on it like my bimini and enclosure do. And . . . It does not stretch even when wet.

Lund has a special track system where the snaps are attached to the track all around. So the cover has to fit perfectly and it does.

You might check around a various shops and see if someone will make up one for you with TopGun. My guy is very pricey, but you get what you pay for and mine was $550 for a 15 foot boat. I bet you could get one done for about $400 depending on the size of your boat.

Your's could be cheaper too if you will be using tie down straps, since making that style is a lot less labor intensive.

I did a lot a research and the feedback I found was that most of the ready made custom fit tops, don't fit all that well. You don't want to have to do it all over again because the wind tore it up a few years down the road due to a bad fit!

 

[79Rude115]

Re: Sunbrella, next best cover

Thanks to all for the replies, the information is very useful.

If the bulk of the cost of a cover is in the labor then it occurs to me, from a common sense perspective, that a computer driven mass production shop would have the lowest cost and hence the lowest price.

Everyone swears by their covers, I can seem to find people to say anything bad about them. I think this is partially because they are all very good covers and partially because people don't like admiting when they have spent 6 bills when they could have something comparable for 3-4 bills.

I am in the Dallas fort worth area, if anyone know a good custom shop around here I will check it out, I read several things that peaked my interest on the "top gun" material but I dont see that there are any custom covers made of that material here or any other place on the internet.

 

[Firestar]

Re: Sunbrella, next best cover

http://www.marchemcoatedfabrics.com/Top_Gun.php

http://www.coliesail.com/cov.html

http://www.yourautotrim.com/topgun.html

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Sunbrella, next best cover

The cost of the material in the boat cover is going to be realtively small in the scheme of things. From the same maufacturer, a Sunbrella cover and a non-Sunbrella cover may differ by maybe $100. If you get a custom made cover, get the best product and over time, it will pay for itself.