Trailering with cover

[wakejunky]

I'm sure this has been discussed before but, a quick search turned up nothing.

I've never towed with a cover on, reason being that I've seen a number of covered trailered boats with the cover flapping on the gelcoat. Just makes me kringe.
I'm considering covering the boat for a long 5 hour tow in mid day heat, mid 90's. I do have a cover which I can cinch down pretty tight around the edge but, don't know how much flapping it'll do around the windshield rearward. Just don't want to get there to have the gelcoat all scratched up from the cover.

Can anybody recommend or not?

Chris

[pachanga]

RE: Trailering with cover

I do long trips all the time and always cover the boat first. Just make sure its snug and you wont have any problems. My experience is most people never look behind them when their towing. Thats why the flapping tarps and that's why I'm the 40th ****ing car back there! Move over! Really, no problem. My old boat (SN)was 30 years old with excellent gelcoat and the cover was a draw string and three belly straps. Where ya headed Powell?

[Onthewater]

RE: Trailering with cover

Leave the cover off, I'd rather wipe down seats and the deck than have scratched gel coat. (unless you have a cover designed for towing that is tight).

5 hour mid day? no rain? definitely leave it off.

[Blue Ski]

RE: Trailering with cover

I see pros and cons for both, but I have a great cover and always do the highway trailering with it. Combine the highway sludge off of trucks in the rain with the occasional flying debris, and I will stick with the cover. I was trailering with the cover when a truck in front of me kicked up a broken piece of lumber that flew over my truck and in the rearview mirror I watched it hit around the windshield of the boat. No damage though, the cover had to help.

[patoloco]

RE: Trailering with cover

I always tow with the cover on, but my cover really doesn't move much at road speeds. I haven't noticed a bunch of scratches, but I also have white gelcost...and I'm not real anal.

I do notice all the bug splatters, road tar, dust etc when I tow without the cover for long distances.

If I had a black deck, I might have a different opinion

[Hollywood]

RE: Trailering with cover

If it's not going to rain I don't see how the cover will help anything.

[coinless]

RE: Trailering with cover

Leave it off unless it is raining or you are driving down a dirt road. I doubt if the wind is going to hurt it much. No matter how tight you pull the cover it will still flap and rub. You drive your car without a cover on it and they hold up well, why not your boat?

[ScarletArrow]

RE: Trailering with cover

Personally, I never tow with my cover unless it's pouring down rain.

[cam8901]

RE: Trailering with cover

I tow all the time with the cover on. I like the fact that it keeps the bugs and road grime off of the exterior and interior. I have straps in 4 different places that really keep it tight. The minimal flapping that it does do, doesn't do anything to the exterior, and I have a black hull and I'm picky as ****. I am looking to get one of those tower socks as well. Don't like the thought of all those little rocks and tar inside the boat. Getting them out is more of a PITA than putting the cover on and strapping it tight...

[ag4ever]

RE: Trailering with cover

I tow about 80% of the time with the cover on. I would rather concentrate on the road, and not whether any of my crud that I keep in the boat will fly out. Heck, my rear seats like to flip up if the wind catches them just right, and the cover prevents me from loosing one. I do have the draw string cover with the secondary snaps under the rub rail to help hold the cover in place. It does move a little, but not a lot, and I have not seen any scratches from towing this way. I have towed in rain, sun, dirt and anything in between.

I do have a white deck, so if it was color, I would think twice about towing with a cover since they show scratches better.

[darrel409]

RE: Trailering with cover

I tow cover off. Our drive is 4 hours each way. Normal summer temps in the desert are over 110 degrees. My cover is 10 years old and still in great condition. I think not towing with it extends the covers life.

[wakejunky]

RE: Trailering with cover

All good points. I'm still on the fence. I've been towing for years w/o a cover and haven't had any real issues where I thought if I had a cover that wouldn't have happened. I do like the idea of keeping the sun and road dust off the upolstery but, then the life of the cover is jeapordized.

Chris

[ag4ever]

RE: Trailering with cover

I have had the cover torn where the "straps that have the snaps" attach to the cover. I just took the cover to a local canvas shop where the lady reinforce the attachment points, and I have had no problem. If the cover tears, I will just fix it. I feel it is just cheap insurance on those long trips.

BTW, my dad's cover is 27 years old, and he always towed with it covered on long trips. Not to protect the boat, but so he did not have to worry about all the gear in the boat blowing out. I have the same philosophy.

[newair211]

RE: Trailering with cover

i tow with a cover when it rains. I have a red hull and one of the straps did burn it a little. But there is sometimes when u dont have a choice.

[redelf75]

RE: Trailering with cover

I tow with cover and without cover. FOr along haul I always use the cover; it adds security and weather protection. But the question is regarding gelcoat damage and in that regard I think it depends on the type of cover. I use a custom with snaps; it never flaps.