Towing rib with cover on?

[Brig o' Logi]

Hello all.

Completely new to this forum and I know very little about ribs.

Learning fast though by reading many of the posts on RIBnet - Fantastic site!

I'm picking up a Brig Eagle 380 in about 2 weeks time, and will be towing it home approximately 400 miles.

Been reading all about how to secure to the trailer properly, but can't see anythimg about protecting boat from the weather/road grime etc.

Present owner recommending I cover boat with a tarpaulin of some kind (tied on) but someone else saying tow without cover as the (innevitably) flapping tarpaulin may damage tubes (by polishing them).

Any advice?

Obviously I don't mind washing the boat when I get it home.

Many thanks !

[watersidemat]

A rib we just purchased did a 6 hour journey via road with no cover, good wash down shiny once more.

[Bam Bam]

Welcome to ribnet. It's not a good idea to tow with a cover over the boat no matter how well it is secured as it will lead to wear on the tubes where the cover flaps abouts when traveling. I never tow with a cover on and and my hull and tubes are white, the tubes pick up loads of road dirt but it washes off really easy. Happy ribbing!

[Nasher]

I would agree that where possible it's best to tow without the cover on, and just accept a wash down will be required afterwards.

Remember that giving any new vehicle, including a RIB, a good wash means you will also give it a good 'looking at', and will get to know any blemishes or other faults sooner.

I only tow my RIB with the cover on when it's full of camping gear etc that needs protecting on our journey to a holiday destination.

Nasher.

[Mollers]

Off. On, it'll flap like billiow, stressing the cover and potentially damaging the boat.

[Leapy]

Tow regularly from the Midlands to Cornwall - 580 mile round trip. Done it loads of times over the past three years with a full cover on our Ribcraft. Not a mark, scratch, polish, scuff or anything else remotely negative in sight, on the tubes or anywhere else on the boat (though the cover itself is looking a bit shitty where it collects spray from the car). But, and it's a big but, it was custom made for the boat with an array of straps that hold it taut. As above, I wouldn't tow with anything lashed up from a tarpaulin sheet.

[gotchiguy]

Originally Posted by Leapy

Tow regularly from the Midlands to Cornwall - 580 mile round trip. Done it loads of times over the past three years with a full cover on our Ribcraft. Not a mark, scratch, polish, scuff or anything else remotely negative in sight, on the tubes or anywhere else on the boat (though the cover itself is looking a bit shitty where it collects spray from the car). But, and it's a big but, it was custom made for the boat with an array of straps that hold it taut. As above, I wouldn't tow with anything lashed up from a tarpaulin sheet.

I think it depends on what type of cover you have. An ebay blue cover will not be suitable, but a tailor-made cover like many have should be fine since it will be tight fitting and have been optimised for the specific fixing points on the specific rib/trailer. We certainly towed Into the Red down to France with the cover on and I think it would have been stupid not to do so. On our old rib however, we would never have towed with the cover on since it was a cheapo affair which would simply have torn or damaged the boat.

[m chappelow]

If its a purporse made to measure cover there should be no problems ,as said earlier its the tarps with the metal Eyelets that can cause damage if they start to flap about .

[Mollers]

Why bother? It's a helluva lot easier to wash motorway grime from the boat than clean the cover without wrecking the proofing.

The cover only has to get going once to do damage.

[Nos4r2]

Originally Posted by Mollers

Why bother? It's a helluva lot easier to wash motorway grime from the boat than clean the cover without wrecking the proofing.

The cover only has to get going once to do damage.

Seconded.