Rankin Covers - Worth the $$$?

Well, in just under my first year I managed to rip my cover, which I was never really happy with anyway and was considering a new Rankin cover. I have no problem paying for a quality product, but are they worth the bank that they are asking for them?

For current owners, got a few questions:

I do not plan on trailering with it but it will be subject to pretty strong cross wind. How snug are they without any side straps?

Any problems with water puddles? My old cover pretty much needs poles in the boat to keep dry. They claim to pull tight but what is reality when it rains?

Anyone with a black cover that stores it outside? Black would look sweet with my set up but concerned that the boat will cook in the summer and dry out the interior.

...and any recommendations of other covers to look at appreciated.

I have a black Rankin cover and I've been totally happy with it so far.I had never had problems with it cooking in the summer but my summers never really get past 80.

I also have a black Rankin Cover and have no complaints at all.

I would buy a second one without question if I had to. Right there, I think that says a lot about how happy I have been with mine.

to answer your ? 's

1) very snug, once it is cinched down, it is very hard to get a finger in anywhere around the rub rail. It's tight!

2) No puddles, the sunbrella material is water repellent, the water literally beads up and rolls off, pretty much like a freshly waxed car. The only time I have had a small puddle is when I did not use the rear straps during weekly storage. I live in Vancouver, so it rains a lot up here, even in the summer. If it did start to puddle from rain, all i would have to do is tighten the rear straps and the water would pretty much drain while I was doing it.

3) All summer outside and it is still black. The only issue I had was early spring when we had some weird sort of pollen floating around that was a slight greenish color. It would land on the cover and create marks until the next rain shower ( or I used the hose) took it away.

Sorry about the long post, hope it helps.

Just boat a boat with a Rankin & love how tight it is. I've had black covers in the past too & one thing I liked was that it got good & hot underneath to dry the carpet out & kill anything under there. In a previous boat, I had a white tonneau cover & the gnats & flies loved living in the boat.

My rankin is nice, but I am not sure I would spend the extra for it again.

We really love our Rankin. It is easy to put on, keeps the water out with no poles, and works great for towing. They aren't cheap but it has saved us from cleaning/drying out the boat many a times when towing in the rain.

Yeah, I don't tow and have a canopy on my lift.

I bought a Rankin cover and love it, but it took twice as long to get it as quoted (4-6 weeks became 10 weeks).

I would check out covercraft or whatever he is calling the Co. He seems like a good guy.

I purchased a slate grey so it would not show the dirt (as much) or get as hot.

I would look at Evolution Covers. Cory from Evolution used to work at Rankin and he makes a great and comparable cover and is really great to deal with... I vote for Evolution...

I love my Rankin cover, one thing that's really nice is how quick and easy it is to put it on and take it off. I'd definitely buy one again, or a similar type made by one of the former Rankin guys.

Pete,

My problem is that with my Epic factory cover, I get a pool of water behind the d-drive when it rains. I haven't had the time to build one of those PVC deals that are very cool that you've shown on the Epic site. Also, I don't think I could bring the PVC deal with me when I'm trailering the boat.

How does the Rankin compare to the factory TMS cover? Does the Rankin cover eventually let rain pool behind the d-drive on an Epic after a few months/years of use? I'm wondering if I should upgrade. Does Rankin have the measurements for an E-22 without a tower?

I have one, super high quality. Reinforced in all the right places. It's super snug and pools little to no water.

I used the Rankin cover for 4 years. Towed everywhere with it. No rub marks on the boat, no ballooning while towing, and no water pooling when it got rained on. After 4 years it still looks like new. Highly recommend Rankin to protect your investment.

I vote for Evolution (used to be called Covercrafts). The owner, Cory, is very good to work with - he used to work for Rankin. His covers have improvements over Rankin. I have towed at speeds up to 75mph with no problems. Here is a picture of my cover. BTW, mine is black and it is stored outside year round. After one full year, not a bit of fading or wear and tear. The best part about the cover (aside from its great looks) is it breathes so I never have sweat or moisture under the cover (hence, no mold).





(Message edited by WakeShoe on December 03, 2007)

.....anyone ever get snow on one of these?...if yes how do they hold up?

@ WakeShoe.

What is improved on the Covercraft over the Rankin? From your own pics they look identical to the latest Rankin covers.

Just curious.

i have had both the rankin and covercraft. they are basically identical with the exception of customer service. Cory with covercraft is top notch at taking care of his customers.

Note that Evolution doesn't make covers for MasterCraft. I called them directly to get a price quote and this is what I was told. Maybe the Ranking cover will arrive before to long.

Lakeski,
Rankin has a pattern for an E22, no water pooling at all if the cover is tight, no poles, etc. It is very heavy duty.

I talked to a dealer about the difference's in the 2 covers and they mentioned that Rankin's Quality has gone down hill in the last year or so and they stopped ordering their cover's.. I have no experience with them but I just ordered my Evolution and I am very pleased... Now I just need to go put it on the boat in storage...

Here is the Web address for http://www.evolutioncovers.com...

I know if you have to ask you can't afford it, but I'd still like to know. How much will one of these covers set me back?

When I was shopping they were $850 at both Rankin and Evolution... That was for a 05 or newer VLX with Illusion tower cutouts..