Cover while towing?

[scooby14]

Wondering if anyone had any thoughts about gas mileage while trailering with cover on or off. Got a 19 ft cuddy and it has a full cover (with the center posts, so the cover sits on it pretty high). Planning a long trip (1000 miles over 2 days) and was thinking about mpg. I know with a pickup its better to have a toneau on to deflect wind, but not sure about the boat, just because the cover sits so high up.

 

[Northern Eclipse]

Re: Cover while towing?

With my boat I seem to get a bit better mileage with covers on. If I tow with them off I can actually feel extra drag on the truck, I figure the covers are better at deflecting air than a open boat, but my covers are a Trailer mooring design and fit snug and don't act like a parachute.

 

[tommays]

Re: Cover while towing?

depends on the tow car<br /><br />i used to tow with a G20 chevy van it made a nice draft for the boat no cover problems<br /><br />now i have a chevy pickup i cant use the same cover the air off the back of the truck beats it up to much<br /><br />tommays

 

[jtexas]

Re: Cover while towing?

Don't use the center supports while towing, get a lower profile. Connect the tie-downs under the boat instead of to the trailer, and put 3 or 4 straps all the way round the boat & over the cover to keep it from filling with air.<br /><br />Don't know about gas mileage but I towed mine covered once & it worked just fine.

 

[scooby14]

Re: Cover while towing?

Thanks for the input. I like your idea JT, but my cover has snaps to the boat sides instaed of tie downs, but I may see what I can rig up couse I would really like to have the cover on for the always rainy trek through West Virginia.

 

[TilliamWe]

Re: Cover while towing?

Yeah, what is it about rain and West Virginia?

 

[NYMINUTE]

Re: Cover while towing?

I have a 2 pc. snap on. I cover mine. Better MPG, and Peace of mind. Check it often, and I have made several additional snap straps as a safety device. When I see one flapping, I recheck all.

 

[am_dew]

Re: Cover while towing?

For my 17' v-hull runabout, I bought a basic cover at Costco about 5 years ago for approx $85. The cover has 3 long straps with release buckles attached to each end that go under the boat and then attach to the release buckle on the other side. There are also two shorter straps that you attach to each rear corner of the trailer, which then attach to the cover on the rear corners. There is also a rope that runs around the entire edge of the cover whose ends come out at each of the rear corners and it allows you to cinch the the cover up tight to the boat and the tie it off to your trailer to hold it. I tow it covered this way on trips 100-200 miles each way a dozen times or so a year and have had no problems except for a short section about a foot long on the side where the sewing that holds the tightening rope inside the edge of the cover has come undone and so I get a little flap there. But that should be very easy to fix. For long term storage when I am expecting rain or snow, I run three equally spaced 12' lengths of conduit between the windshield and the transom deck to provide extra cover support and allow the water to run off instead of pooling up on the cover.

 

[rwidman]

Re: Cover while towing?

Many covers are not designed for towing. I would be more concerned about ruining the cover than the gas mileage.

 

[rdharley3]

Re: Cover while towing?

I have 90 a glassport euro 200 with a custom cover, tent poles and all, made for trailering. On one occasion I was moving through a nasty storm and glanced in my RVM just in time to witness the cover rip port to starboard, then bow to stern. Personally I think replacing an expensive cover would far outweight gas mileage savings. Luckily it came apart at the seams and I was able to have the cover re-sewn.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Cover while towing?

The key to keeping a cover from billowing up is provide a way for the air to escape. Leave an opening at the very back of the boat. I make my covers and every one of them sucks down at freeway speeds. No straps involved. The motor cover is sewn into the main cover. I have snaps under the rubrail every 8-inches. The covers are made of very heavy naugahide and fitted very tightly.