Cover Questions

Ok, I am looking for a cover for my boat. Originally, I was planning on buying one from Ranger custom made to fit my boat, but at this point, not really wanting to spend the $800 on it, so I'm looking at other options.

I was looking at ******** Semi-custom trailerable covers, then I glanced at the ones on this site. Can anyone recommend a good cover that won't break the bank. I prefer to actually be able to trailer the boat 5 hrs with the cover, but if that is questionable then I'll just go with a cheaper alternative.

Are the 7yr covers really worth the extra $70 vs the 5yr vs the 3yr?

A buddy told me even the trailerable ones don't work that well, so I don't know what to do.

Any feedback?

Re: Cover Questions

Your buddy is right. If you plan to trailer six hours with it the high dollar cover will have paid for itself long before it's worn out. Others may disagree, but there's just not really a way to make a semi-custom cover fit well enough for trailering, especially that kind of trailering. It's a Ranger for cryin' out loud. You wouldn't cover a vintage Vette with a blue tarp would you? Then again, if you bought a new Ranger I can understand not having eight bills laying around for a cover.

Re: Cover Questions

My take, and I have a mega-shiny boat:

I would NOT trailer with any 'trailerable' cover. I would never trailer with anything that is a mooring cover, winter cover, trailerable cover etc. No way and no how. First, it's got to be mega tight, and the straps and cover will still beat down on the gel a bajillion times an hour, and that's if it trailers well. That's the good scenario. The likely scenario is lots of flapping and the cover getting beat up, or your boat getting beat up. Five hours? No.Stinking.Way.

I would only trailer with a cockpit cover and/or bow cover. And I would only do this if there was rain or some dusty driving to do.

Preferences, in order:

>no covers when trailering
>cockpit and/or bow cover(s), if needed due to weather, dust, conditions
>no trailerable cover; no mooring covers and no winter covers.

If your boat is waxed and vinyl is treated right, tow w/out a cover unless conditions require you to get the cockpit and/or bow cover(s) on.

Re: Cover Questions

Ok, well you guys have pretty much answered my question about the towing part, but now i'm curious if not towing and just basically tarping it is there much reason to spend more than the cheapy covers? I still have the factory ranger cover, but its seen better days so, so while it'll protect against the bad stuff its just not up to a bunch of on and off or hauling. Even without trailering, I still need something to help cover it in between trips or while at the lake. when I have the spare cash, I'd love to get a custom cover again.

Re: Cover Questions

I don't cover my car to drive 6 hours so I sure as heck not going to spend $700 to cover the boat for the same trip.

Up until last fall my boat lived under a 14 mil brown tarp when it wasn't in a slip. In the slip I used a cockpit cover to keep things out of sight, out of mind.

Today it lives in the pole barn. It's a lot easier to just back in the building than to mess with the cover. On the other hand, it's dirtier than it ever was living under the tarp

Re: Cover Questions

The tarps on rough on gel. LOL You can throw a sub-200 dollar cover on for general use, light rain and as a dust cover. When winter comes, throw the tarp over that.

Re: Cover Questions

Philster said:

The tarps on rough on gel. LOL You can throw a sub-200 dollar cover on for general use, light rain and as a dust cover. When winter comes, throw the tarp over that.

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+1. Semi-custom will be fine for this. Definitely better than nothing.