Towing in the Rain

[berk]

dont you guys use trailering covers? i thought they were mandatory for anyone who doesnt want a thrashed boat after 10+ miles! just covers the cockpit/engine room. i use mine for storage too because i have had a problem with cats.

[steelcomp]

When I went to CBBB last year, I was thinking of bringing my tow cover (yep...$500), but thought, "naw, it aint gonna rain." Sheeeeeeit. I got about half way up 58 through Tehachapi adn got dumped on...for about three miles. Only a couple of minutes. Now anyone who knows me or my boast knows it's spotless. I'm an anal focker, and it's got lots of polished aluminum, and I just spent 4 days blingin' this bitch out, 'cause I'm headin for the river, see. Well, when it hasn't rained for a year, and you're eunnin with a bunch of semi's, guess what the rain turns into. All that assphalt that's been woen and ground and sitting on the road...call it road grime, I call it F*CK, SHIT, PISS, GODDAMN SONOFA BIOCH! All I could see behind me was this brown cloud of road grime mud assphalt black sruff. There was no boat behind me...it was HIDDEN! GONE! DISAPPEARED!!! I pulled off in Tehachapi, and I swear, there wasn't a color left on my boat. It was dark brown. Flat, dull, ugly brown. The seats, the floorboards, the carpet, the motor, the deck, the sides, everything. I just stood there and looked. In total disbelief. Two days of polishing alone. There wasn't a freekin FINGERPRINT on that boat! It looked like someone took 5 gal. buckets of that crap and just threw them on the boat. Lots of them. So I stuck a plastic bag over the carbs, put a towel over that, and put the scoop tray over them to hold everything down, and off I went. And I had a long way to go. "Not lookin so cool, now, are ya, there Mr. cool boat". I tell ya, it's pretty damn hard to drive when your heads hangin on the floor. Aaaaaagh, this just totally sucked! So I finally made it, and the next morning me and Squirtin Thunder went to the spray car wash and I fuigured it would just all rinse off, right? Jim donated a pile of quarters, we fired up the car wash, and away we went...only one problam. The freekin high pressure didn't touch the stuff. It just sat there lookin at me goin' "ha-ha, you stupid f*ck...that'll teach you to leave your cover at home!!" I had to wipe every inch of the boat down with a wet rag to get the stuff off, right down to the cracks in the upholstery. We even had to suds up the carpet but it all finally came clean, and it took more than half the day. Of course, that put me in a great mood!! :crossx: There was NO WAY I was showin up with that thing lookin like it looked, and I tell ya, after that, I'll never EVER go anywhere long distance without my cover. I'da gladly paid 500 bones not to have gone through that ordeal, and if it even LOOKS like rain, it's goin on.
The end.
Get a good tow cover. It's an investment into the care of your boat...if you care about your boat. :hammerhea

[Wicked Performance Boats]

Steelcomp, You go to get over them nightmares! It's ok now, you can go back to sleep. Budlight :2purples:

[steelcomp]

(whimper-whimper-snivle-snivle)....b-b-but I'm skeeeeeered!!! :notam: :yuk:
You're right Bud...can I use your therapist?

[R.A.D.man]

I use a plastic cap as sold at Summit, very inexpensive, several to choose from just do a search for "carburetor cap". You remove the air scoop and put the cap on when necessary. I have a rubber washer under the wing nut/washer that creates a seal againts water getting in down the threaded shaft. I have pulled through some heavy rain and not a drop gets in. Also, my ignition box is installed under the deck next to the driver where it is protected. I called the manuf. due to distance concerns and they had no specific answer and I could not find out without doing a test. So I originally installed it near the engine and ran wires to the place I wanted it (about 12 feet) and went to the lake. Ran it, moved it and ran it again. I did not find and have never noticed any troubles with this. It has been 2 years now.

[1978 Rogers]

I bought a nice towable cover from the Overton catalog. Towed my boat with it on for about 3 hours from Moses Lakes to Seattle. It rubbed the hell out of my vynel seats. Granted it is a 78 boat and I'm sure the color process has changed since them. I have light colored spots now on top of my seats. I'll never tow with a cover on again. Let it get wet, its a boat.

[tahitijet]

I had the same CBBB experiance as steel comp. Spent 4 years building my boat and finally got it finished and brand new interior in the boat at 1 am wed. night. Got the boat wet for the first time thurs. towed home spent a few hours cleaning and polishing all the alumn and left for CBBB. made it to Barstow ok but it rained on us pretty good for a good while from just outside barstow to the AVI.
You can imagine 4 years work (in the water 1 time for 20 mins. My wife hadn't even been in the boat yet) all the alumn on the motor, white and light blue boat I was not very happy at all. Add to that towing with a lifted tahoe on 37" tires with no mud flaps. I was literllay sick to my stomach.
We checked into the hotel and i went over to the store at AVI bought 5 gallons of bottled water and washed my boat in the parking lot and spent 3-4 hours cleaning the motor and brand new white interior.
My plan for towing in the rain now is either pull over at a gas station or large cover and wait or leave the boat at home.

[DEL51]

It makes a difference if the boat in tow is enduring a rain storm. I bought a >$100.00 cover for a general 20 ft. and it has remained waterproff in my driveway. It has provisions for strapping it down.

[MarKist]

the 1st time I took my boat out of town ,I didn't think about the cover ,got caught in the rain and the next morning ,I saw why I needed one, so this year right before Anna (witch is a 6 hr drive ) I went to Northern tool and bought a cover that fit great, towed it there, uncovered it and I was ready to go!and I have had a couple buddies get them one so it's a preaty nice peice
109.00 is all the cost, here is a pic of it!!
http://www2.***boat.com/image_center...64100_0516.JPG
Markist

[GasGuzzler]

Large gas BBQ grill cover fits over my motor purrfect. Tie the strings together at the bottom of each header and stays right there. Carry it in storage bag in the boat, makes a easy quick cover for the engine if a shower comes up. Use the full custom cover on it in the garage.