Are Transhield Boat Covers Reusable? 

Transhield OEM boat covers, made from The Shrinkable Fabric®, have been the preferred choice of boat manufacturers for the last 30 years due to their ease of use, durability, and effectiveness in various road and weather conditions. In 2019, to expand its presence in the direct-to-consumer market, Transhield began to offer its line of universal-fit aftermarket boat covers for purchase through Amazon. Unlike our custom-fit covers for manufacturers, these covers are made primarily for winter storage, not transportation, (though they are made from the same material). 

Whether it’s our custom-fit boat covers or the universal-fit covers, one of the frequent questions we receive is regarding the reusability of our covers: Are Transhield covers reusable?  Afterall, much like traditional shrink wrap, the covers are heat shrunk to take the shape of the boat, which can lead to the understandable notion that they are single-use, like shrink wrap.  

The Cover Reusability Field Test 

To provide a clear answer, the Transhield R&D team conducted a two-day field test, placing a Transhield cover on a boat, heat-shrinking it, removing the cover, placing it back in its original box, and repeating this cycle until the cover was deemed unusable. 

For this field test we utilized: our “shop boat”, which is a v-hull runabout utilized for test-fitting, a Transhield cover made of The Shrinkable Fabric, and a SF Tools propane-powered heat gun to shrink the cover. Our team went through the following steps during each installation cycle: 

1. Removed the cover from its box. 
2. Placed the cover on the boat. 
3. Tightened the perimeter rope and all the under-belly tie-down webbing/ropes. 
4. Heat shrank the cover. 
5. Un-tightened the perimeter rope and all the under-belly tie-down webbing/ropes. 
6. Removed the cover and folded it. 
7. Place the cover back inside its box. 

Results

Our team ended the test after going through six installation cycles. We stopped after the sixth installation because we saw a miss-fitting at the rear quarter where the cover did not fully cover the chime line of the boat (due to the numerous shrinking operations). Though still functional, in this instance we would recommend that a customer replace the cover to ensure full protection. 

In addition to the cover beginning to miss-fit after the sixth installment and shrinking operation, the following discrepancies were noted: 

• After the fifth installment: Prior to heat shrinking, we noticed a small tear on the rear quarter panel sew line, caused by extensive stretching of the material while placing and removing the cover. To remedy this, we patched the tear with TransTape® and continued with the test, shrinking the cover and then uninstalling.  

• After the sixth heat shrinking operation: We noticed a small hole in the front of the cover. The hole was patched with TransTape.  

In instances of small tears, holes, or burn holes caused by heat shrinking, TransTape is an effective patching option that matches our white material and allows continued use of the cover. 

Conclusion

This two-day field test proves that Transhield boat covers are reusable. We can confidently state that a Transhield cover can be reused up to six times if the cover and its components are taken care of during installation, removal, and storage. 

For further information on this test, please follow the link below for an extensive video:  

Cover Reusability Test, and be sure to download the whitepaper:

To learn more or discuss how Transhield can support your equipment protection needs, reach out to our team today—we’re here to help!