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trailering with boat cover on ?


chris.ault

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I have trailered my (previous) boat at highway speeds once in the past and ripped apart the boat cover. Alright, it was a Wal-Mart boat cover, but still....

What are thoughts and comments on trailering with the stock Malibu cover, at highway speeds? Any similar experiences, or is this cover more durable, especially if I use straps that go over top of the cover as well? Can I trailer at highway speeds with the boat cover on the boat?

(boat is a '99 Response LX)

Thanks,

-chris

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I have not had any problem with my factory cover at highway speeds.

You will have problems with the straps if they contact the boat - they will rub and leave some nasty markings.

I tie most of the straps off so they are away from the boat, but for the ones that are close, I wrap them with a piece of pool noodle.

You might do a thread search - there are lots of other posts on ideas and solutions.

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The towable CS Malibu cover works great, no problems. Nothing wally world sells is a trailerable cover. The covers that are towable are much tighter fitting and have some sort of ratchet system at the transom to pull it completely tight and typically reinforced for the top of the windshield.

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I tow all the time with my Rankin cover & never have problems. :rockon:

Saw a guy towing a covered Seaswirl on I90 the other day.... 70 mph speed limit & he's doing 55 mph. The cover is beating the holy he11 out of the back of his boat. He was completely oblivious of it. :crazy:

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I learned from another crew member that if you go buy some pallet wrap and do a couple laps around the boat first, then put the cover on making sure the straps dont hit you should be good. I have done this personally and it worked great. some strange looks at the boat ramp though... :crazy:

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I have trailered my (previous) boat at highway speeds once in the past and ripped apart the boat cover. Alright, it was a Wal-Mart boat cover, but still....

What are thoughts and comments on trailering with the stock Malibu cover, at highway speeds? Any similar experiences, or is this cover more durable, especially if I use straps that go over top of the cover as well? Can I trailer at highway speeds with the boat cover on the boat?

(boat is a '99 Response LX)

Thanks,

-chris

My boat doesn't leave the driveway without a cover on it. It takes a special kind of cover and the knowledge to install it correctly to avoid and rubbing issues.

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Don't tow your boat with the stock Malibu cover unless it is the towable cover. You will chaf your gelcoat.

All great replies - thanks.

I guess my main question is how to determine if my cover is a 'towable' cover. It has the reinforced windshield section and a ratchet strap, plus a couple of cut-outs for the bimini mounting bolts on either side of the windshield. Likely stock with my boat, c/w "Malibu" on the windshield

I'll be well aware of the straps and how they meet the boat.

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Many non-towable covers have a big metal ratchet strap on the drawstring around the boat that will beat up the boat if it ever gets lose while at speed. Mine has a smaller metal binder that is wrapped in a big piece of naugahyde. Plus it has 5 straps across the back of the boat that secure the cover tightly across the boat cabin.

A towable cover will have straps or hooks all around the boat to secure the cover completely. And any metal surface will be wrapped in something that will protect the boat (like that binder or the hooks).

This is a towable cover: http://www.evolutioncovers.com/

Maybe compare the fit & features of it with your own cover.

Edited by Bill_AirJunky
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All great replies - thanks.

I guess my main question is how to determine if my cover is a 'towable' cover. It has the reinforced windshield section and a ratchet strap, plus a couple of cut-outs for the bimini mounting bolts on either side of the windshield. Likely stock with my boat, c/w "Malibu" on the windshield

I'll be well aware of the straps and how they meet the boat.

You most likely have the CS (Commercial Towing) cover. It says malibu on the windshield area, has the ratchet system in the rear that is enclosed in a protective bag, two straps at the rear tansom hooks, and velcro/straps cutouts for the tower feet. This is a towable cover.

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You most likely have the CS (Commercial Towing) cover. It says malibu on the windshield area, has the ratchet system in the rear that is enclosed in a protective bag, two straps at the rear tansom hooks, and velcro/straps cutouts for the tower feet. This is a towable cover.

Are you sure his boat is a 99'?

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Many non-towable covers have a big metal ratchet strap on the drawstring around the boat that will beat up the boat if it ever gets lose while at speed. Mine has a smaller metal binder that is wrapped in a big piece of naugahyde. Plus it has 5 straps across the back of the boat that secure the cover tightly across the boat cabin.

A towable cover will have straps or hooks all around the boat to secure the cover completely. And any metal surface will be wrapped in something that will protect the boat (like that binder or the hooks).

This is a towable cover: http://www.evolutioncovers.com/

Maybe compare the fit & features of it with your own cover.

I think that you have that backward. Most towable covers (including the Rankin & Evo) do not have straps that attach to the trailer, but one cord/drawstring that fits under the rubrail, running around the entire boat. Another type of towable is the kind that attaches with snaps....again, no straps that attach to the trailer. The reason being that the trailer & boat are 2 separate things that move independently of each other, & straps that go from one to the other will create chafing by pulling on the cover against the boat, no matter how careful a person may be & regardless of whatever claims that the company selling it may make.

Are you sure his boat is a 99'?

The previous owner may have purchased the CS cover from a dealer. If it's a Canadian boat, they may not have as many options for decent trailerable covers & this was a decent OEM option (albeit expensive) that Malibu gave their dealers.

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The cover that came with my 08 VLX has the malibu logo on the windshield and it has a pulley system and buttons that snap around the tower. It has straps with clips. I plan on towing the boat 300 miles this weekend, will this cover work or should i tow without the cover?

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I think that you have that backward. Most towable covers (including the Rankin & Evo) do not have straps that attach to the trailer, but one cord/drawstring that fits under the rubrail, running around the entire boat. Another type of towable is the kind that attaches with snaps....again, no straps that attach to the trailer. The reason being that the trailer & boat are 2 separate things that move independently of each other, & straps that go from one to the other will create chafing by pulling on the cover against the boat, no matter how careful a person may be & regardless of whatever claims that the company selling it may make.

May very well be true. As most of us already know, the Rankin/Evo covers use the hooks that fasten below the rub rail. A previous cover I owned on the MC that was claimed to be "trailerable" used straps that fastened the cover to the trailer. The system worked pretty well after I figured out how to set it up. But it was a lot more of a PITA than this Rankin I have now.

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Woah - didn't think I'd generate this much discussion, and so much useful information. (this site rocks!)

Yes, the boat is a '99, but I added the ratchet strap to replace the drawstring. The cover snugs up below the rub rail (no snaps) and definitely has the Malibu logo on the windshield (she's sittin' pretty as I can see her from here). It also has straps that connect to the trailer from various loops along the lower edge of the cover. I rarely use the straps as I have been trailering it uncovered to date. I expect to add straps to go over the cockpit area to retain the cover while it gets blown in the wind.

Am I reading that I do *not* need the straps to the trailer, with the ratchet system snugging it down?

Likely a Canadian boat. (eh?).

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Woah - didn't think I'd generate this much discussion, and so much useful information. (this site rocks!)

Yes, the boat is a '99, but I added the ratchet strap to replace the drawstring. The cover snugs up below the rub rail (no snaps) and definitely has the Malibu logo on the windshield (she's sittin' pretty as I can see her from here). It also has straps that connect to the trailer from various loops along the lower edge of the cover. I rarely use the straps as I have been trailering it uncovered to date. I expect to add straps to go over the cockpit area to retain the cover while it gets blown in the wind.

Am I reading that I do *not* need the straps to the trailer, with the ratchet system snugging it down?

Likely a Canadian boat. (eh?).

Not just that you don't need them, you don't want them provided that the cover fits well. A good towing cover will be snug on its own without straps that go to trailer. With or without trailer straps, if it's billowing at all it will still chafe so make sure that the fit is good. The goal is to have as little movement of fabric as possible, & that's better achieved with a proper fitting cover that does not employ trailer straps.

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Not just that you don't need them, you don't want them provided that the cover fits well. A good towing cover will be snug on its own without straps that go to trailer. With or without trailer straps, if it's billowing at all it will still chafe so make sure that the fit is good. The goal is to have as little movement of fabric as possible, & that's better achieved with a proper fitting cover that does not employ trailer straps.

Sorry....just clarification...are you saying you don't need the straps on the trailer providing that the ratchet is nice and tight and the cover doesn't billow? If so it would make my life much easier.

there always seems to be some confusion around covers. I still don't understand if mine is "towable" or not. I towed with mine but I went to some trouble to make sure there were no problems.

Edited by Ruffdog
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Yes, that is what I'm saying, but read the caveat.....provided that the cover fits well. If it billows, it's going to tear your gel up. Cover manufacturers get around a sloppy fit by using trailer straps & poles. If it fits right to begin with & has a decent rub rail cord (or snaps if you prefer), you won't need & will be better off without the straps that go to the trailer. But it's a big caveat, because most covers that employ the trailer strap system don't fit well to begin with.

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I'm not sure I completely agree that the straps are not needed/advised. You definitely don't want the cover moving, or the straps flapping against the boat. But I think the downward tension helps eliminate the billowing effect, plus any pooling up of water on the top side of the cover..... which I imagine is the reason for the use of the hooks on the Evo/Rankin style covers..... no strap issues & still has plenty of downward tension on the cover sides.

In using boat covers & surf board straps, I've found that if you twist the strap (rather than having them aligned straight), then the "helicopter" effect goes away when driving at freeway speeds.

My old cover had the straps & didn't touch the boat when they were in place correctly (with a twist). The biggest issue I had with them was when the boat was moored on the water. No downward tension to help with the pooling of water, and WTH do you do with those long straps with no trailer under it? I ended up just rolling them up & zip tieing them in place. Some guys on our dock would use weights (containers with maybe 5 lbs of sand) hanging on the sides of the cover to get that downward tension on their cover. I've also seen guys use the strapped covers on a boat lift. Seems like a royal PITA to get on & off though. :unsure:

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I'm not sure I completely agree that the straps are not needed/advised. You definitely don't want the cover moving, or the straps flapping against the boat. But I think the downward tension helps eliminate the billowing effect, plus any pooling up of water on the top side of the cover..... which I imagine is the reason for the use of the hooks on the Evo/Rankin style covers..... no strap issues & still has plenty of downward tension on the cover sides.

In using boat covers & surf board straps, I've found that if you twist the strap (rather than having them aligned straight), then the "helicopter" effect goes away when driving at freeway speeds.

My old cover had the straps & didn't touch the boat when they were in place correctly (with a twist). The biggest issue I had with them was when the boat was moored on the water. No downward tension to help with the pooling of water, and WTH do you do with those long straps with no trailer under it? I ended up just rolling them up & zip tieing them in place. Some guys on our dock would use weights (containers with maybe 5 lbs of sand) hanging on the sides of the cover to get that downward tension on their cover. I've also seen guys use the strapped covers on a boat lift. Seems like a royal PITA to get on & off though. :unsure:

Right, & that's the reason for my big disclaimer. The cover absolutely must fit tight & employ a different tensioning system in order to not use the trailer straps.

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Many would consider a cover that straps to the trailer a non-towable. I used mine for a few years with no trouble till it just gave out from being 9 years old. After having it repaired a few times I finely went with an Evolution cover. It has been a great cover so far.

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Commercial Sewing covers actually get tighter at highway speeds. They have what they call a vaccu-hold system. Love mine. Two things I especially like is the cleats can come through the cover for mooring, and, the zippers at the fuel caps so you don't have to undo the cover for fueling.

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Commercial Sewing covers actually get tighter at highway speeds. They have what they call a vaccu-hold system. Love mine. Two things I especially like is the cleats can come through the cover for mooring, and, the zippers at the fuel caps so you don't have to undo the cover for fueling.

I think that it vents while towing too, right? I've been impressed with the CS cover for a variety of reasons.

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have trailered over 100 miles now with my evolution cover and it is awesome, the standard cover that came with the boat is a mooring cover, I would not trailer with them. And definatley do not travel with a cover that has straps that wrap around the hull......that is just trouble waiting to happen

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