My new 1775 impact Xs comes with nice travel cover but I was told by salesman it won’t last long. Can anyone recommend a good cover I could purchase. I had a custom made one for my 1987 Tyee 16’ but it cost $650. Not really looking to spend that kind of money again. Lots to choose from but thinking those with experience have valued opinions. Thanks
Lund covers are made by Dowco so you can check them out. How much do you intend to use the cover? I very, very seldom use mine. I only use mine if staying in a motel at night to cover stuff up. Traveling down a road I don’t feel a cover will do anything anyway.
To answer your question will depend on how you want to use it.
If you don’t go custom, i.e. snaps, Cabela’s has some covers with up to 7 year warranties. When I used to store my boat outside, I used one that had a very water repellant material. It was much better at shedding water than the expensive Sunbrella or Topgun materials that the custom covers are made of.
Tom,
I am kind of in the same situation as you. I purchased a used boat, Larson FX, and the previous owner had the stock cover, but he never used it. Well, he drove it home from the dealer with it on, took it off when he got home and put it on a shelf in his garage, he said the dealer told him the same as what you heard, that it was a good storage cover but don’t travel with it on. I put he cover on at home, and it is a nice cover, but I will agree it is a lighter material than my other boats custom travel cover. So I am wondering what to do also.
To those casual readers of this thread, how many use a travel cover? I am finding out that very few boat owners use a cover while traveling. I like it because it keeps the inside of the boat cleaner, and I don’t have to pack things away as tightly as leaving it open.
I use my Skeeter cover when traveling all the time. When heading from home to the cabin, up north for week, Devils lake for a week, or ???? etc. I don’t have it on when just heading to the lake to fish though. It is a good durable cover.
Always use my cover when traveling. For distance traveling, wind drag is way higher with the cover off. I also travel with more loose items in the boat that might blow out without the cover. As for security, I fear Walmart/store parking lots almost more that overnight hotels.
I’ve got a 2001 lund (pro sport, full windshield) with the original Taylor made travel cover (straps to the frame not snap on). If I’m driving more than an hour (50+ miles) the cover goes on, I got 2-3 better mpg on long hauls with the cover on in my old pickup, assuming similar results towing it behind the new one. Plus no fear of anything deciding it wants to try and blow away if I left something out. It was showing some wear when I bought it 7 years ago so I did some reinforcement/sacrificial layer additions in those areas (my parents have an old school heavy duty sewing machine for canvas). If you have the full windshield I would use pipe insulation/pool noodles to slide over the top before putting cover on, that’s where the worst wear on my cover was. I get about 3 years to a set of pipe insulation before it’s beat enough I swap for a new set (the snaps for the Bimini top are what do the most damage).
Don’t know who makes it but my buddy has a new-ish crestliner with a cover that has a rachet strap built into the cover, seemed pretty slick and he said it does blow around too bad.
When I bought my Lund used from a guy, it did not have a cover. I have to store my boat outside all summer so I wanted a good cover and ordered one from Lund. I love the cover. It is nice and tight and sheds water well. I pretty much leave it on all the time. If I need to load something in the boat for a short fishing trip I will take the cover off at home and go, but anywhere I am going for a longer drive I leave it on. Of course storage in the winter, it is on. Since it is pretty easy to take on and off, I use it.
My new 1775 impact Xs comes with nice travel cover but I was told by salesman it won’t last long
Take the Lund cover in to Lakes Area Canvas in Chisago and have them use it as a pattern to make a new one, but with heavy-duty materials and fasteners.
I’ve had tops and covers made there and it’s a buy right, buy once proposition. If a cover is built right, out of the right material, they last for years. Factory covers cheap out on the materials so the UV eats them alive.
Grouse
Much Better mileage and the boat stays clean with the cover on. I have a ranger so the cover is awesome. Lakes area canvas near Frankies has the same material used on ranger covers. They do all the modifications for frankies as well.
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