Tow with cover on or off?

[jarata]

Does anyone tow with their cover on?

 

[crb478]

Re: Tow with cover on or off?

It depends on the cover. Some cover are made to tow and have several straps to keep the taunt and in place. Other covers will just flap around and tear the boat up. If it is a good cover I will tow with it on since it keeps the stuff inside from flying out.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Tow with cover on or off?

There is a definite advantage to towing with a "well-fitted" and trailerable cover installed in that it drastically reduces wind resistance and provides a noticeable increase in fuel economy. As mentioned, it also keeps the stuff inside the boat and keeps it dry. If the cover is not well-fitted however, or made with a material that is not very durable, wind will rip it to shreds in just a few miles. Poorly designed covers that require multiple tie downs can also beat and mar the finish if they tend to slap the boat at speed.

 

[jarata]

Re: Tow with cover on or off?

It has snaps will thismake the difference

 

[Bondo]

Re: Tow with cover on or off?

It has snaps will thismake the difference

Most All of them have Snaps,........

Tow it,+ See if it fits Well Enough...........

 

[Texasmark]

Re: Tow with cover on or off?

Problem with towing with it on, especially painted surfaces like your engine, is that the wind usually causes movement in the cover and that becomes abrasion on the painted surface which will/can rub your paint off. BTDT.

Mark

 

[QC]

Re: Tow with cover on or off?

I'm with Silvertip, however, if you have snaps you do not have a tow cover. It sounds like you have a cockpit and or bow "mooring" cover. Those are not necessarily designed for towing however, if it is tight they can work pretty well. The issue is that the higher speeds towing may cause air to get under one of the snaps and pop it off. Once one snap goes then they all start popping and you have a serious mess on your hands . . . Good luck!! I had a buddy who towed with his bow and cockpit covers attached for years. Worked real well and the one snap that would come off didn't seem to cause others to go . . .

Also, what Texasmark says is true depending of course where the cover sits etc. My cover mostly sits on vinyl and bow rail. My problem is that dirt in the cover transfers to the vinyl seats and is biotch to clean. I just deal with it, because I seriously prefer to tow with a good fitting, custom made, tow cover . . .

 

[Bigprairie1]

Re: Tow with cover on or off?

My boat owners manual states not to trailer the boat at highway speeds (50-60mph) with the canvas up. It wasn't engineered for the (wind/resistance) loads and you could rip it off.
Now that said, I do leave on my flat bow cover canvas (bowrider style boat).
If you have a full cover that goes right over everything even the gunwales I think that would probably do it and negate the concern.

 

[tommays]

Re: Tow with cover on or off?

My van made a nice hole in the air and the boat went right through it

I went to a pickup and the air bounces off the bed cover directly in to pounding on the cover


Tommays

 

[rndn]

Re: Tow with cover on or off?

I would leave it off. As mentioned covers move around a lot while being towed and it will rub and mar finishes.

 

[mystro]

Re: Tow with cover on or off?

As mentioned covers will scratch..on corners/edges take the paint completely off no matter how taunt you tie them down.

Use them for storage protection and tow naked.

BTW, I've seen some boat covers (eg crestliner) which snap along the top edge of the
boat, it looks like they would work but unless you already have this type..quite expensive I'm sure.






.

 

[QC]

Re: Tow with cover on or off?

As mentioned covers will scratch..on corners/edges take the paint completely off no matter how taunt you tie them down.

Not to blatantly dispute your assertion, but I blatantly disagree Two different boats, both with custom tow covers, both with custom gelcoat graphics, both towed 500 miles round trip in mega winds (50MPH+) and super high ambient temps (120F+) and my boats are known for their shine and cleanliness. First one '96 to '03, this one '03 to present. No, uh, uh, don't have a problem if they're tight.

Another problem that I do have is the black straps will transfer color to gelcoat. A major biotch to get off, but it is not the cover on the corners.

 

[Scaaty]

Re: Tow with cover on or off?

I think its stupid to tow with a cover. First, your junk should be stowed properly anyway. Two, if for some odd reason it flys off at speed and covers the guy on a motorcycle behind you, you will wish you never got out of bed that day..

 

[mystro]

Re: Tow with cover on or off?

Not to blatantly dispute your assertion, but I blatantly disagree Two different boats, both with custom tow covers, both with custom gelcoat graphics,]

Gelcoat will hold up better then a painted hull as mentioned earlier..but if you have a painted hull and there's *any movement/rubbing expect an expensive repaint touchup and with the costs of pearl metallic..well you don't want to do this more then once.

I use a cover very simular to yours more straps and a sewed in cinching rope, it was tight but I still had abrasion.. an expensive tow.

 

[QC]

Re: Tow with cover on or off?

Well my 1st boat did not have a cover, and I definitely prefer with . . . I would not tow with a cover that had any reasonable chance of shredding or coming off. Mine have both fit like a glove.

With that said, the more I think about it, neither of my covers have much contact with the actual surface. If you look at the pic above, the cover stretches from the rubrail to either interior, the windshield or the bow rail. There are very few places where it actually touches gelcoat. The exceptions are definitely the stern corners and the gunnel's "edge". I just popped the cover off on one corner and it is buffed cleaner than just on either side with no color transfer . . . There is purple color transfer on my white anodized bow rail, but 409 takes that off.

Oh, oh the plexiglass windshield is a little raggy on the edges, but it has never been bad enough for me to do anything about it.

 

[RubberFrog]

Re: Tow with cover on or off?

I have always towed all my boats with a cover on. They don't rub the paint off. They don't fly off and land on the motorcycle behind me. They do keep the inside of the boat free of all the road grime that otherwise collects while towing.

 

[Texasmark]

Re: Tow with cover on or off?

Well, I am particular about the looks of my stuff too. I also don't like to get a clean boat dirty getting to the water. So I initially towed with my covers on......till one day I happened to see the zinc chromate primer on the corners of my engine.

Mark

 

[4Winns2]

Re: Tow with cover on or off?

I always tow with the cover off. It's one less thing I have to mind in the rear view mirror while towing. Any loose that could go for a ride on the windshield behind me is stored in the cuddy or in the car. What's the deal? If the boat gets wet: it's a boat.

 

[BillP]

Re: Tow with cover on or off?

The cover has to be made for towing...heavy material that doesn't flog easy in the wind and plenty of connection points to tie it down tight with. Any other types can give even worse problems. I work pt in a marine supply and saw two come in last week. One had a damaged windshield and both were torn. We see torn covers and damaged boats from towing with the cover on often enough to call it a problem...even with "towing" covers.

Bill P.

 

[QC]

Re: Tow with cover on or off?

Yep, they definitely need to be right, and of course maintained. Also, good tow covers have a softer, or thicker material for all contact points. The good ones have very soft "buffing" type stuff on any painted (gelcoat) surface contact points. Not sure if that would solve the issue that Texasmark mentioned. Not an issue wit an I/O . . .