Boat cover material

[SHHR]

I do a few covers a year and an occasional bimini top with most of my focus on upholstery. The supplier I use sells marine canvas and Top-Gun for their cover material, so thats what I have samples for and use with most customers wanting the Top-Gun.

Yesterday, I had a Ranger bass boat come in for a recover on the seat and the owner asked me last week while it's here to work up an estimate for a cover, and when he brought it he said he has a couple guys in the fishing club he belongs to wanting covers as well. He asked to see my samples and if I could give a "rough" estimate to tell his buddies.

I showed him the canvas and Top-Gun, but he said one guy in the club has a "real thick" cover for his boat. One that is like vinyl on the topside and real soft on the inside, and that's what they want.

I know Sunbrella has a soft backed material. Does this sound like what he's asking for? Or is there something else out there too?

Also, who do you guys deal with for that material?

Thanks,
Kyle

[JuneC]

Probably Outdura or Sunbrella Supreme.  I use Manart-Hirsch for Sunbrella products, Miami Corp for Outdura.  I think Trivantage has Outdura as well.

June

[Mike8560]

 ranger covers that I have seen were made from a material like seat vinyl outside and felt fuzzy inside I don't know what
Rand it is but I've seen some used as packing for new biminis wrapping the frames up for delevery from the factory

[JuneC]

Was that Odyssey Softouch Mike?  It's a vinyl over woven poly on the outside, and fluffy white fuzz on the inside.

BTW, did you guys see that cyclone bearing down on Queensland?  Looks like Allan just can't catch a break from the weather.  Hope he's not in the path of that thing.  Makes our Florida hurricanes look tame by comparison.  Check out the satellite pic.

   http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41363738/ns/weather

June

[Mike8560]

N the cover June you ma be right with the oddesey. Thebpacking stuff was like tbebcheap vinyl seats that breaks up with the fuzzy backing   
I didn't see the news of the
storm hope evyone is safe a cat4 is enought for me. 

[TimsTrim]

It's SoftTouch. I have only made a couple covers from it. If the boat sets inside all the time except for going to and from the lake, it's OK. But if it sets out most of the time, there's going to be color retention issues. Not carping on someone's product, just telling the truth. I made a cover from it because the customer liked the "soft" inside". About 6 months later he snagged the cover on something and brought it in for repair. It was originally a charcoal gray and by this time it was more of a dove gray. Like I said, if one is fortunate enough to be able to keep the boats inside, it's probably a very good material. The bulk of my customers can barely afford a boat much less a garage to put it in.