help need a good water prof. material that will hold up outside

[jim fuchs]

well i ordered some tarp stuff 22 oz thought it would be a heavy mat. its thin
how do you know how thick the stuff is when you order mat. the 40 gage clear window stuff looks good . it for a canvas top with windows for my skid loader ...jim i asked for a small sample but the sayed that i had to buy a yard ....so i got 5 yards rolled the dice . dang it

[Mike8560]

WHat did you order that was thin 40 clear? If not and was a canvas for an enclosure on the skidder I'd use  herulite 80 verry heavy abd ripstop.

[DBR1957]

Jim - you know how thick it is by getting yourself some sample cards. Most
suppliers will be glad to send them to you.

Now, just because it feels thin doesn't mean it won't do the job. Quite frankly,
sometimes "thick" can work against you. If you have extra material double the
enclosure border by using a strip on the outside and inside.

[JuneC]

What did you order?  Shelter Rite is a 22 oz waterproof fabric and it's about a heavy a fabric as you'll find through normal suppliers.  I can't imagine working with anything heavier.  It'll practically stand up by itself if you make a fold.  If you'd like a small swatch, send me your mailing address in an IM and I'll mail you a small swatch.  Herculite is what I like to use for most heavy applications, but it's not as heavy as Shelter Rite.

June

[Mike8560]

DverNEver seenshelterrite.  I used to make snowmolile trailer cover with herc 80 On a aluminum frame with the snooad and windload it held fine.  I had one that after you drove the sleds onto the trailer you pulled the canvas covr over it like a convertible top. 

[jim fuchs]

its rsi vinyl 22 oz  coated fafric ordered it from  rochferd  ...... its thin i need someting that going to be strong so i dont have to replace it next year .the glass was 40 gage i bought it looks good .

[Mojo]

Contact Miami Mike and tell him what bit is you want to accomplish. He will then tell you what will work best. He is an expert when it comes to these fabrics. He can also supply you with a sample card as well.

I am going to say Tuff Stuff. It is a very heavy material and will stand up to what your doing with the material. It is basically
the tarpaulin type material they use on Semi flat beds to cover goods with. Very rugged stuff and cheap as well.

I would strongly urge you to work with Mike versus Rochford. I had nothing but problems with them.

Here is Mikes e-mail address - MWEUNSKI@MIAMICORP.COM

Chris

[Eric]

I use black tonneu cover for the enclosures on Deere side booms. with .04 gauge glass, also use trivantage qvc18, which is a truck tarp material. I believe it's 18 oz.
Eric

[Jim101]

I make covers for all sorts of outside applications and I mostly use the 18 oz. vinyl.  Its great stuff, inexpensive, and holds up for years.  

Basically its a woven polyester substrate covered with PVC vinyl.

There are varying grades of the material, 10, oz, 18 oz, 22oz. ect. and its available in a variety of colors.

Here's some of the technical info:

Base fabric - 5.2 OZ. SY 100% polyester
Coating - PVC
Width - 61 inches
Total Weight -18 oz. per square yard
Tear strength - 81/83 lbs.
Tensile strength - 444/441 lbs.
Low temperature, -40 degrees F.
Flame resistance - No
Shade Factor - 100%

Covers and tarps that I made 5 years ago are holding up great and as you may know we get some crazy weather up here.

Jim

[jim fuchs]

boy now im pissed off ,miami mike sent me some tuff stuff 18.5 oz  it like twice as heavy as the 22 oz stuff from roch ferd  and looks the same  the stuff looks more like 13 oz ... so did they bend me over on the rsi material ..jim   

[Mike8560]

UneJune were do you buy shelter rite?

[Mojo]

boy now im pissed off ,miami mike sent me some tuff stuff 18.5 oz  it like twice as heavy as the 22 oz stuff from roch ferd  and looks the same  the stuff looks more like 13 oz ... so did they bend me over on the rsi material ..jim   

Jim:

Don't feel bad. Rochford bent me over several times and my phone calls got me no where. I was very suspect of some of the fabrics they sent me ( cheap Chinese counterfeits ? ).

I source everything from Mike now and am much happier. Miami gets everything directly from the factory floor so you know you are getting the right stuff. Also Miami's very strict with their quality and their grading system is one of the highest in the industry.

Chris

[jim fuchs]

well i took the rsi material  and made a grill cover out of it . boy had to man handle it to get it uder machine to dub sew the seams it turned out great its tuff but still dont think its thick enuf for a  cut out and then sew the glass to it   . how do you guys get the big tarps under the machine . i had to pull leke no one to get it . jim

[Jim101]

That vinyl material is heavy and can be difficult to handle.

When working with it I'll roll or fold the portion not being worked on but it helps to have a second person maneuvering the excess material around and also to help guide the material through machine.

Jim

[Mojo]

Like Jim I do a lot of creative rolling and folding. I also will have my wife control the fabric on large pieces while I position it under the machine and sew. I just finished a 5th wheel enclosure made of Tuff Stuff that was over 20 ft long. It was a real struggle.

You learn over time how to roll, fold and feed and if you have large pieces you get help controlling it.

I made a grill cover out of some fabric I got from Rochford. It has lasted a year and is crap all ready. :(

Chris