Tarps - sun exposure

[3930dave]

Searched around here a bit, didn't find what I want, so....

Anybody (esp. Arizona or Texas folks ?) have any luck with man-made tarps that will stand up to sunlight ?

The generic woven/coated tarps last about a year for my application (tractor cover), give or take. Tried a PVC tarp last time, it seemed thicker/sturdier out of the bag, but started cracking in 6 months, maybe less.

Thinking I'll just save up/shop around for canvas tarps, but as much as I like many olde school solutions, part of me is still wondering why there aren't modern materials in production for tarps, that can take the UV ?

Tried searching for ABS tarps, mostly just came up with links about the US financial crisis..... sign'o'times ?

All I wanna do... is cover my tractor......

D.

 

[tommu56]

Google billboard tarps
I'm considering them

check flebay / craigslist / searchtempast


Amazon.com: 20' x 60' Heavy Duty Vinyl Tarp - 16 oz. - 20 Mil - Black - ReUsed Billboards!: Home Improvement

 

[Short Game]

Truckers use really heavy tarps for flatbed loads. I found one along the highway once about 30 years ago, but I was driving an old VW. It weighed too much to dream of picking it up. Anyway, what are truckers' tarps made of and how much do they cost?

 

[tcartwri]

I have had one of these up for a year, summer and winter. Still looks new. Their commercial fabrics have a 10 year warranty.

Shelter Logic

 

[jimmyj]

I also have some shelter logic stuff and it's been excellent. I bought hay tarps last year from "Princess auto" which is the Canadian Harbor Freight and they've rotted through in exacly 11 months,....junk.

Our cooperative farm supply sells very pricey tarps that are apparently UV resistant and next time I"m going to try one of them.

Good luck.

 

[Short Game]

I have had one of these up for a year, summer and winter. Still looks new. Their commercial fabrics have a 10 year warranty.

Shelter Logic

I have a Shelter Logic 20X22 garage. I got it given to me when it was a few years old, and soon found out why. It trapped ground moisture and rusted and molded everything I had inside of it. So I put it up on six large posts, ten feet off the ground and made a roof out of it. The fabric lasted well over ten years, maybe fifteen. Three or four years ago, I got in touch with Shelter Logic and bought a new cover for it and put it right over the old one, before any rips or sun damage ever happened. So, it made a lousy garage, but a great low-priced shop roof. That fabric is fairly stiff, but very durable. It's great for shedding rain, but it has to be made to breathe. I guess that's true of all tarps.

 

[crash325]

The AZ sun eats just about every thing. None of the plastic type tarps last more than a year, if that.

Real oiled " Canvas Tarps" will last almost forever. Just Heavy & Costly.

A big surprise is that Shade Cloth holds up and lasts. Have some several years old and its still good. Think it can be had a 90% if all you need is shade.

 

[3930dave]

Hey, great points, thnx !

I'm in Ontario (Canuck) too..... Shelter Logic looks higher end, I've always been a little leery of those structures here (snow load). I'd need a tall one (fixed ROPS), I'll see if it's within my budget.

Innarresting about those early retired billboard covers, hadn't seen those b4.

I can picture those trucker tarps for flatbeds, they look very thick - I'll have to see if I can find a source - that would give me probably 3 sets of tarps out of a highway trailer length ! Might work.... I have a buddy with a CUT that would appreciate a quality tarp.

When I run out of ideas, I know a great place to pose a question ! Thnx.

D.

 

[3930dave]

Anybody know if these prices are typical for USA made Canvas tarps ? Didn't seem quite as expensive as I was guesstimating.

Canvas Tarps

Tried to check out their shipping $, but something seemed broken/blocked on their site. Anybody know if this company is alive/well ?

I can live with the weight of canvas, for the benefits. Always was impressed with the old canvas tarps I used on farms years ago - stood up well to hard use, and even when they started to fail, you still had something that was 80% useful for quite a while.

D.

 

[Short Game]

...I've always been a little leery of those structures here (snow load).

Well, there you have me. Here on the lower coastal slope of SW Washington, we can get some big snowfalls. Not only that, they can be wet snow, or be followed quickly by rain. I have several fabric shelters and sheds. When the snow starts piling up, I have to get out there and bump the show off of them from underneath. For that 14 foot high cover mounted on posts, I have a long plastic pipe with a small board on top that I use to bump and shake the snow off. I've got good blood pressure for my 64 years, and I get a lot of exercise in the warm months, but sometimes I wonder if my little snow patrol is going to finish me.