Towing with cover on.

[Gbracer]

I was told when I bought my used boat not to tow long distances with the cover on.
Is this correct or?????
What do you do?
I saw a couple boats that had "rubbing " from covers
I read that use shrink wrap film first then put cover on.
I have a 1200 mile trip planned in March.

[wakejunky]

I'll cover my boat during long trips just to keep dirt out and avoid having the boat just sitting in the sun for the duration. I will put towels down strategically on the upholstery where I can't keep the cover tight enough to not flap around. I'll cinch up the cover as tight as I can with bungee's from the loops on the cover attached to the trailer. I'll then put bungees across the cover to keep it from flapping. You'll have to figure out where the cover will be loose and then try to put bungees or straps across the cover. On places where it did flap, it'll create a dirty spot on the upholstery where the cover flapped around but, it can be cleaned.

[Bevostein]

I will not tow with the cover on ever again. Too many things can happen and damage can occur fast at high speed. Cover flapping and chafing gel coat, cord or straps flapping and finally zippers coming loose. I have first hand experience with that last on one my G25. The zipper on the portion of the cover that goes through the tower legs came loose while trailer, flapped around for 100 miles or so and chipped up the paint on the tower.

See this thread.

https://www.planetnautique.com/vb5/f...he-cover/page2

[markj]

I used to be a no cover guy until my most recent boat. I think it's really on a boat by boat basis. My current boat is black. I regularly tow this boat with the cover on and don't have any marks from rubbing.

[shag]

I think you will get responses from both sides of this. I personally have towed several different boats since the late 80's with cover on, and never had any issues to include damage. I DO however, spend a little more on custom made covers that snap on, are tight fitting, and have a protective surface on the underside of the cover wherever it touches the boat. They have all also been sunbrella material.
I probably haven't towed as many long distances as some on here, but have towed several 200-300plus mile trips at highway speeds.

[SoCal G-Man]

I have towed every wake boat I have owned with covers. From Southern California, I have towed to Lake Powell, Lake Shasta and I regularly tow to Lake Havasu (5 hours) and Lake Nacimiento (3.5 hours), and I have never had an issue with the covers damaging my boats. However, I do like the plastic wrap idea. I am curious to know if that would work, as we use it in my shop to wrap boxes on pallets, and it is very durable. Although, what if the plastic comes apart on the road and also causes a problem...?

[jingram]

I tow with the cover on ( 2016 G23).. I tow 7-8 hours from my area to Shasta and also Lake Chelan every year. I have never had a problem. I do use the plastic wrap... wrap the boat where the cover touches and secure the cover nice and tight and your good to go.

[cedarcreek216]

I think a better, or more constructive conversation may be one surrounding problems that everyone has had while towing with and without a cover so people can be better prepared for which ever direction they chose. While I don't disagree you can be successful at towing with the cover on, I think the risk are more than with cover off. I don't wrap my boat or do anything different to it to tow it with no cover and have never had any damage as a result of towing. I tow ours every single weekend in the summer 200 miles round trip to our lake house, I refuse to leave it hanging in the boat lift, towed it from Dallas to SE TN last summer (23 hour round trip), (2) 11 hour round trips to Lake Ouchita and a couple 6 hour round trips to Broken Bow. I tow at speed limit plus 5 MPH, which is typically 70-75 MPH. As I mentioned in a previous cover or no cover thread, which ever you chose, just make sure you are properly prepared and you should not have any problems. I think both sides have successful and unsuccessful stories due to things out of their control, bottom line is be prepared for the things in your control and react quickly to those out of your control and you will be in good shape.

[homer12]

One more thing I’ll mention. I’m a no cover guy, never towed more than probably 300 miles though. When we picked up the boat from the deal 4 hours away(we met him half way) he had the cover on. I didn’t like that and took it off. It left blue rub marks on the white gel coat on top deck. Also, the bow bump pads were right up against the cover there and created major where spots in the cover on the nose of it.


Sent from my iPhone using PLT Nautique

[GMLIII]

I think a better, or more constructive conversation may be one surrounding problems that everyone has had while towing with and without a cover so people can be better prepared for which ever direction they chose. While I don't disagree you can be successful at towing with the cover on, I think the risk are more than with cover off. I don't wrap my boat or do anything different to it to tow it with no cover and have never had any damage as a result of towing. I tow ours every single weekend in the summer 200 miles round trip to our lake house, I refuse to leave it hanging in the boat lift, towed it from Dallas to SE TN last summer (23 hour round trip), (2) 11 hour round trips to Lake Ouchita and a couple 6 hour round trips to Broken Bow. I tow at speed limit plus 5 MPH, which is typically 70-75 MPH. As I mentioned in a previous cover or no cover thread, which ever you chose, just make sure you are properly prepared and you should not have any problems. I think both sides have successful and unsuccessful stories due to things out of their control, bottom line is be prepared for the things in your control and react quickly to those out of your control and you will be in good shape.

Not to derail here but if you have a boat lift why not use it in season so you don't have to tow 200 miles round trip. Is the boat lift in direct sunlight?

[cedarcreek216]

Not to derail here but if you have a boat lift why not use it in season so you don't have to tow 200 miles round trip. Is the boat lift in direct sunlight?

It's a covered lift that is pretty protected. I just don't like leaving the boat in the weather for any extended period of time if I can prevent it. And fully enclosed storage by the house is $60 a month and towing is easy for me. We have a lake within a couple miles of our primary residence that we sneak out on during the week when we can, so leaving it at the lake house would take that option away. A ton of people leave their boats hanging at the lake all summer, just not for me.

[GMLIII]

It's a covered lift that is pretty protected. I just don't like leaving the boat in the weather for any extended period of time if I can prevent it. And fully enclosed storage by the house is $60 a month and towing is easy for me. We have a lake within a couple miles of our primary residence that we sneak out on during the week when we can, so leaving it at the lake house would take that option away. A ton of people leave their boats hanging at the lake all summer, just not for me.

Looks like a nice set up

[bscott]

I tow with the cover on when I travel long distances. I bought some of these large micro-fiber towels to go between the cover and the boat around the back of the boat where the cover flaps. I have thought about buying some sort of custom made undercover.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[Tallredrider]

One theme I see from some of the responses above is regarding the age of the boat. Guys with older boats and covers have had more troubles.(not universal, but it seems to be a trend). I believe the newer covers were made for towing and do not cause problems. When I tow short distances, I never use the cover, just for convenience sake. Longer distance, I go about 160 miles and usually use the cover. Never had a problem.

[Gbracer]

So to update this I am building deflectors for the trailer to keep rock chips off the bow
Work in progress the frames and brackets are almost done they will get a mesh screen and powder coating
they will be removable for launching and putting boat back on trailer.