View Full Version : top gun travel cover
lilwallydog
03-24-2002, 10:01 PM
Been looking at travel covers for the new boat. Have used Aqualawn (sp?)material in the past and was very happy. The Top Gun material seems to be quite popular and is used by my Aqualawn competitor. Any input on my decision? Thanks!
My boat cover is made of Top Gun material and I have used it for the last 2 years. I have noticed 2 problems with it. It wears readily from the inside out, wore almost entirely through where it rubbed on the handles for the boats marine antennas, fixed by padding handles with automotive heater hose before putting the cover on. Seems to be quite abrasive, makes marks on paint if and where it rubs on the paint, largely solved the problem by strapping the cover to the trailer instead of to the boats hull. Should not be an issue if the cover was snapped on. My bow cover snaps on and has never made a mark.
eek
Lunch_Box
03-25-2002, 06:56 AM
I just got a nice travel cover made by Aurora custom for my boat out of Sunbrella bretheable, but waterproof, fabric. It is guaranteed for 5 years and is very light compared to the non-breateable aqualon stuff.
http://www.auroracanvas.com/
RANGER
03-25-2002, 08:10 AM
I feel badly that "eek" had such a negative experience with the Top Gun cover. I, on the other hand, have nothing but great things to say about the material as a cover. My previous boat had a Top Gun cover on it for nearly 5 years before I sold it and it looked almost new when it drove away. That boat sat outside for the whole season in my side yard!
My new boat also has a Top Gun travel cover on it as well, and is one of the very first things I had done to the boat after getting it last year! Coincidently, I just picked up my boat this weekend after having my Bimini with four sides and a bow cover made for it. And, you guessed it, it is Top Gun material, too!! I LOVE the stuff!! :D It wears like iron, keeps the boat clean and dry and protected.
The stuff is abrasive but there are ways to compensate for this:
1) When I had the cover made I also had an inner liner sewn into it to protect the finish on my glass boat. The liner is made of a softer material (dacron maybe?) and doesn't abrade. Additionally, this travel cover has integrated motor covers on it that go over the 175 and 9.9, no abrasion there, on the cowls, either!
2) The cover is a full snap cover with a drawcord through out the complete circumference. Once snapped and drawn up, this baby doesn't MOVE! No bungees to the trailer frame either, which I love!! I can remember, on previous boats, looking in the rearview mirror and watching those bugees just dance with the air like banjo strings and wearing the trailer and the boat - hated that!!
3) You could (as I did) get vents sewn into the travel cover to allow the boat to breath more readily. It is a simple thing for a canvas shop to do.
Top Gun is a strong, tough material that is intrinsically abrasive by it's nature but you can compensate for it! After having Top Gun on my boats I WON'T HAVE IT ANY OTHER WAY!!!
As an aside - when I had the cover made for the previous boat, two of my buds got covers made within 2 weeks of mine. One was Sunbrella and another was regular canvas. Both were looking to replace their covers when I sold mine and the guy that bought my boat still has the Top Gun cover on it and it still looks nearly new - that's over 5 years!!!!! Also, both my buds bought Top Gun when they replaced their covers. Need I say more????
splashguard
03-25-2002, 12:43 PM
boy, that sounds really great. i have to look into this top gun stuuf. i know alot of people use it.
splash
ruffedgrouse1
03-25-2002, 12:54 PM
I have a Lund Alaskan with a Sunbrella cover. The cover is roughly ten years old. It lost it's waterproofness within three years. Now I must apply a marine water repellant every spring. The cover also looks it's age and will need replacing in the very near future.
My brother has a Wareagle johnboat with a Top Gun cover. The cover is five years old and it looks like new. When I replace mine I will use the Top Gun material.
Ranger,
I have bimini and love it. I was thinking of getting sides and bow cover made. Can you give me a ballpark of how much it cost you?
Do the side zip on? Are they entirely clear? Does the bow cover snap on? I would love to hear more about it. Thanks.
-Box
RANGER
03-25-2002, 01:42 PM
Box,
I'd be glad to but I am getting ready to leave here, now. Can I e-mail you in the morning. Is that OK?
I've had covers made out of Top Gun on my last two boats and the covers were awesome! My next boat will have a cover made out of Top Gun as well. Both of my covers were made by United Canvas in Antioch, IL.
Best Regards,
FJH
Cool
chris@arushgames.com
If you have a digital camera, I'd love to see a pic, if it would be handy... no biggie, but if you happen to have it set up ;)
Thanks Ranger!
-Box
Paul H
03-25-2002, 04:17 PM
Had two Sunbrella covers - boat is in the shop right now getting a new $525 - Top Gun cover made. Sunbrella looked pretty worn after 6 years of mainly sitting in the yard.
The abrasion part - ANY cover should have reinforcememts where hooks, seats, troll motors etc - will rub.
Let you know which is best in a couple years :).
BTW- both need re-waterproofed every few years or if they are washed - according to both mfg's web sites. I never did do the old one and it DID leak - just never knew..
gpbrown
03-25-2002, 07:56 PM
Just bought my fourth Top-Gun cover. Best cover I ever owned. No stretch, no tie downs, no leaks. I think the key is getting it done by the right person. I did on my last boat get an abrasion mark on my cowling but it was my fault as I did not secure the cover around the motor tight enough and it must have vibrated or blew in the wind on a three hour trip. Nothing bad just a scuff mark. For $413 for an 18 ft boat they are as cheap as covers from Lund and in my opinion much better. would not own a boat without one.
RANGER
03-26-2002, 06:38 AM
Check your e-mail!
Ranger,
I am sure that Top Gun is the best material there is for this kind of marine use, I am not dissatisfied with it, just wanted our fellow fisherpeople to be aware that it will wear if it rubs against that kind of projection. It was last years trip to and from Canada that did it, thats approximately 28 hours of highway travel, and lots of it was run in the rain and wind. I really do like the stuff, like you said it really does hold up well, I just wish I would have padded those darn handles before they wore holes in my new cover. Also in retrospect, it would have been much better to have the cover fastened with snaps instead of straps. Live and learn I guess, neither problem is serious, and will be addressed the next time I get near the canvas shop. Thanks for your help and good fishing!
eek