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G3 Tower Cover


BSUBU_Kris

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I would really love to have a cover that would fit around the front tube on the G3 tower. The rear bar doesn't seem to collect many bugs but a cover for that would be really easy with one long zipper. The cover would just wrap around the tube and have several zippers to keep it attached. It would need 3 short zippers on each side and a long zipper across the top. You would need one more zipper on each side if you wanted the cover to cover the black portion of the tower below the chrome tube. The material could be the same type as the speaker socks as that would have zero chance of rubbing on the tower while under tow. Sunbrella would also work as long as the fit was really good.

What would the price need to be for you to buy one? There isn't a lot of material required but the seven (or nine) zippers would add some costs but the zippers wouldn't need to be heavy duty, the same as the boot for a Bimini top would be fine. I would think someone could make a good margin on this if the price was around $150 to $200. I would buy one for that price.

So here is the question. Who wants to make one of these. It would seem the likely candidates are Evolution Covers, Speaker Sox or Malibu.

Maybe if enough people would buy them someone would pattern and make one.

I hate cleaning bugs off the tower!!!!!

It would be great to get some input from a vendor on this.

Would you buy one?

Edited by BSUBU_Kris
  • Like 1
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Would you buy one?

I'd be interested, but the dimensions (width especially) might be different depending on what boat the tower is on.

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Just remembered that the boat cover covers the tower base so only the 3 zippers on each side would be needed.

Yea, that would be cool. I wonder what material I could use.

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I have Speaker Sox for the speakers and they are great! Really nice not having bugs on the speakers. The speaker sox material has some stretch to it and would work great for the tower. I am sure dealers would sell one of these with every new boat.

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i had a cover made for the entire boaT.THE original intent was 2 have a tower cover & use the factory cover for the rest of the boat.the custom cover maker thought about it for a week & we decided 2 make an entire cover for the boat. It now looks like a center counsole with the entire boat covered.realy big,like a hige tent inside.he felt that making the tower cover was going to very time consuming to make & a lot of velcro ( not zippers).?

I think you will find a cover maker will want 600-800 for a cover like you are dsicribing.Although, I would liike a tower cover for docking.the big cover I only use for storage.

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I would really love to have a cover that would fit around the front tube on the G3 tower. The rear bar doesn't seem to collect many bugs but a cover for that would be really easy with one long zipper. The cover would just wrap around the tube and have several zippers to keep it attached. It would need 3 short zippers on each side and a long zipper across the top. You would need one more zipper on each side if you wanted the cover to cover the black portion of the tower below the chrome tube. The material could be the same type as the speaker socks as that would have zero chance of rubbing on the tower while under tow. Sunbrella would also work as long as the fit was really good.

What would the price need to be for you to buy one? There isn't a lot of material required but the seven (or nine) zippers would add some costs but the zippers wouldn't need to be heavy duty, the same as the boot for a Bimini top would be fine. I would think someone could make a good margin on this if the price was around $150 to $200. I would buy one for that price.

So here is the question. Who wants to make one of these. It would seem the likely candidates are Evolution Covers, Speaker Sox or Malibu.

Maybe if enough people would buy them someone would pattern and make one.

I hate cleaning bugs off the tower!!!!!

It would be great to get some input from a vendor on this.

Would you buy one?

I got a quote from ACME stereo and upholstry for a complete tower cover made of sunbrella material, price was $450. If you can find someone to do it for $200, please let us know... I would be interested in ordering one up myself.

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Since Speakersox are like $70 per pair, it would seem that a tower cover would be far more than $200.

I think it would be difficult to mass produce such a thing because of different boat widths and different speaker configurations, so each one would be a quasi custom built item and would cost bookoo bucks. I would think the best bet would be your local canvas shop, and they would probably run 4-5 hundy, like was quoted above.

I have heard of some folks that wrap the tower with the industrial grade saran wrap every trip, it takes about 2 minutes to take it on and off and leaves the tower bug free...albeit ghetto looking while in transit.

Edited by TallRedRider
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Good idea but different speaker configurations would make it difficult to mass produce. IMO, anything but Sunbrella will look terrible after just a couple years. My speakersox were faded after just one season and I kept them sprayed with 3M.

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Since Speakersox are like $70 per pair, it would seem that a tower cover would be far more than $200.

I think it would be difficult to mass produce such a thing because of different boat widths and different speaker configurations, so each one would be a quasi custom built item and would cost bookoo bucks. I would think the best bet would be your local canvas shop, and they would probably run 4-5 hundy, like was quoted above.

I have heard of some folks that wrap the tower with the industrial grade saran wrap every trip, it takes about 2 minutes to take it on and off and leaves the tower bug free...albeit ghetto looking while in transit.

Ditto for painter's tape. :yuk:

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The difference in the beam is only a couple inches so I am pretty sure that one size would fit all the towers as the black machined piece attached to the tube is the same on all the models. I did a tour of the Merced factory a few months back and i am pretty sure all the tubes were constructed the same for the G3 and just had a slight difference in the bending to account for the differences in the beam. I had a custom canvas guy give me an estimate of about $300 to do one. I was also thinking Velcro but the canvas guy suggeted zippers vs Velcro to eliminate the risk of it blowing off. Once you had a pattern made a good canvas guy could sew it up in less than an hour. He said the original pattern would take a few hours which is where the $300 came from.

It would be great if Evolution or Speaker Sox could chime in.

Wish I has a commercial sewing machine. It would be a fun project to take on.

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I did a tour of the Merced factory a few months back

Hijack on,

Isn't the only thing happening at the Merced "factory" is them making the G3 towers?

Hijack off.

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Hijack on,

Isn't the only thing happening at the Merced "factory" is them making the G3 towers?

Hijack off.

That was it. They have been doing R&D but I believe that is also back East now.

With respect to speaker clamps, if they are attached to the tube the cover would not work but otherwise it would be unaffected.

Kris

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give Paul a call at Bakes. he has a canvas shop and they have done a lot of custom work. i would assume (i dont have a G3) that if you were only covering the tube of the G3 and you dont have large items clamped to it, you should be able to have a one size fits all (ignoring the difference in boat beams as i think there are only 2-3 different beam sizes) that would work.

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What if you just had some fabric about 3 feet wide and 30(ish) feet long and did the "saran wrap" method? It would be universal, you could cover everything (including speakers) and you could re-use it.

Or... if the fabric had some straps sewn at certain places... you would put it on straight (without wrapping it) and then tighten up the straps around the tower. :dontknow:

Just throwing out ideas.

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Hi Gang,

I think we may have been over thinking this... Instead of using zippers, why not just have snaps every 20cm or so (8")?

The benefit to have the snaps is that we could use one piece of canvas, and if there is a speaker of other clamp in the way, just don't snap that button.

I'm wondering if the snaps would also be cheaper than sewing on a zipper.

Just a thought.

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I have a cheap solution that I have been using for the last 3 yrs and one other that is being used with Thousands of miles being towed.

Disclaimer, this cover should not be used while wet. I'm sure it would save the tower from UV during the summer but don't leave it on after its wet. FYI my cover has never been wet as I live in CA and the boat stays in the garage.

I use two sets of covers on a Swoop tower with four bullet speakers. This cover also fits on the Illusion tower as well with out a problem, just make sure to have it go around both bars.

post-235-0-07271100-1325706271_thumb.jpg

post-235-0-28497200-1325706281_thumb.jpg

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I have a cheap solution that I have been using for the last 3 yrs and one other that is being used with Thousands of miles being towed.

Disclaimer, this cover should not be used while wet. I'm sure it would save the tower from UV during the summer but don't leave it on after its wet. FYI my cover has never been wet as I live in CA and the boat stays in the garage.

I use two sets of covers on a Swoop tower with four bullet speakers. This cover also fits on the Illusion tower as well with out a problem, just make sure to have it go around both bars.

Hum, looks awful familiar. Oh wait I use the same exact thing for my illusion. :innocent:

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My link

Product name is called tower socks by Newt Juice. I do have a line on this product and may be able to pull off a GB if we have enough people.

This is the Illusion with three socks, one in the center and one on each side. The tower has four board racks and a pair of wetsounds.

post-235-0-11699800-1325706699_thumb.jpg

post-235-0-89264900-1325706716_thumb.jpg

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Hum, looks awful familiar. Oh wait I use the same exact thing for my illusion. :innocent:

I think I remember who picked that up for you. :whistle:

How many miles do you have towing with it?

Did you leave it on while it was in the sun? I can't remember.

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I think I remember who picked that up for you. :whistle:

How many miles do you have towing with it?

Did you leave it on while it was in the sun? I can't remember.

Towing miles I've got not idea but thousands by now with all the weekends for the past what 4 years of 300mi+ round trips. I don't leave it on in the sun, since you can't use the tow ball while its on. It's only on to travel to where I'm going then it's off and either the Bimini goes on or just go w/ a nude tower so to speak. My boat is in the garage and isn't stored w/ it on. This product won't work well for outside storage for rain/snow otherwise in dry as a bone CA it works great!

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Not quite relevant but I had the full cover made for my LSV. You would not want to trailer with this cover but it is great for the dock - no bugs, spiders and no pooling of water. Also, very easy to access with a zippered access hatch on one side.

post-4162-0-19413200-1325723112_thumb.jp

  • Like 1
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Not quite relevant but I had the full cover made for my LSV. You would not want to trailer with this cover but it is great for the dock - no bugs, spiders and no pooling of water. Also, very easy to access with a zippered access hatch on one side.

post-4162-0-19413200-1325723112_thumb.jp

I've seen this same cover available but it comes all the way down to a drawstring under the boat. It also fit over the boat with the Bimini open. Pretty nice for a raised docking situation.

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Hi Gang,

I think we may have been over thinking this... Instead of using zippers, why not just have snaps every 20cm or so (8")?

The benefit to have the snaps is that we could use one piece of canvas, and if there is a speaker of other clamp in the way, just don't snap that button.

I'm wondering if the snaps would also be cheaper than sewing on a zipper.

Just a thought.

Snaps are a good idea would be a lot easier than zippers. Only concern would be the back ot the snap rubbing on the tower. I was also thinking about pipe insulation and a dozen or so Velcro straps but I couldn't find pipe insulation with a 3" inside diameter. I have used the Uhaul Saran wrap but it is a real pain to put on once you get to the tower speakers.

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