Miata Mailing List: August 1994, Message #45
sponsored by



     


   From: Cynthia Paloma 
Subject: Lightweight car covers (LONG)
   Date: Tue, 2 Aug 1994 14:55:42 -0400

I went to the local car cover place and found that Covercraft
now offers a lightweight car cover made of Ultralon with a 2
year warranty.  Bottom line - $163 (list $217) for a Miata
custom fit at North Coast Tarpaulin Works, 1-800-231-5180.
You may be able to find a better price elsewhere.

BHMA may have a similar product, but the fabric is called Ultraguard.

Cindy Paloma

Here's the sales blurb about Ultralon (long):

Ultralon is a strong fabric for today's tough environment
 - Sun resistant - naturally UV resistant
 - Dust resistant - microscopic holes in middle layer are smaller than most
   dust particles.
 - Storm resistant - synthetic fibers are naturally moisture resistant
   and treated with additional water repellency treatment to repel
   industrial pollutants, bird droppings and tree sap away from the
   vehicle finish.
 - Breathable - unique 3 layer construction assures moisture vapor
   transmission to allow condensation under the fabric to easily vaporize
   or evaporate.
 - Rot and mildew resistant - fabric is treated to resist growth of
   rot or mildew.
 - Lightweight, easy to use - soft and pliable in all weather,
   Ultralon folds easily for compact storage.

Specifications:

Test					Performance
====					===========
Tensile Strength (Grab - L X W)		80 X 110 lbs.
Tear Strenth (Trapezoid - L X W)	20 X 23 lbs.
Mullen Burst (PSI)			115 PSI
Sleam Slippage				0
Water Resistance:
  Rain Test (Original)			Passes storm resistant (*)
  Rain Test (After 10 washes)		Passes storm resistant (*)
  Spray Rating				100
Moisture Vapor Transmission		7,500 grams/24 hrs/sq meter
Hydrostatic Pressure			91 cm
Color Retention:
  Crocking (Dry)			5 (excellent)
  Fadeometer  40 hrs.			5
             100 hrs.			4-5 (very good)
  Weatherometer  40 hrs.		4-5
                100 hrs.		4 (good)

(*) Storm resistant rating as specified in Fedral Test Standard 191,
Method #5524.  Less than 1 gram of water penetration is allowed using
a shower head mounted three (3) feet from the fabric spraying water
for five (5) minutes.

Warranty - Ultralon covers are warranted for 2 years from date of
purchase.  Warranty coverage protects against fabric becoming
unserviceable during normal use.  After factory inspection Covercraft
will repair or replace the cover or specific panels judged to be
unusable.  Warranty does not cover fading which occurs naturally on
all products used outdoors.

Ultralon is an exciting breakthrough in vehicle cover fabrics,
designed to offer maximum protection in all weather conditions.
Acrylic coated polyester knit fabric features a "storm resistant"
rating with excellent moisture vapor transmission capabilities.  This
means the cover will repel rain and snow in all but the most extreme
conditions, but still allow any moisture or condesation under the
fabric to easily vaporize or evaporate.

Ultralon is unique, constructed from three layers of different fabrics
chosen for their superior performance characteristics -

Polyester knit outer shell:  naturally resistant to ultra violet
degradation and treated with special UV stabilizers for additional
protection.  Polyester fibers do not absorb moisture and the fabric
has been coated with an extra water repellency treatment to resist
rain and snow.

Acrylic foam middle layer:  serves as a barrier against dust and
moisture while keeping the cover soft and flexible.  The foam is made
up of thousands of bubbles that create microscopic holes allowing the
cover to "breathe" but preventing droplets of water or dust particles
to pass through the fabric.

Cotton flocked inner layer:  provides a soft "touch" to protect a
vehicles finish.  The flocking process stands very short pieces of
cotton fibers on end like "little fingers" to support and hold the
cover away from the vehicle to help maintain air flow and
breathability of the fabric.

Understanding Moisture Vapor Transmission - Once water has turned into
a vapor, its particles are small enough to pass through the fabric -
this is how condensation can evaporate from beneath the cover.  The
moisture vapor transmission process does work both ways.  Under
certain weather conditions, such as a very cool night when the
moisture content of the air is high, a temperature below the dew point
will cause moisture to form on a service ("dew").  When this high
moisture air passes through an Ultralon cover, it can form dew on the
vehicle.  But, because of the unique filtering of the thousands of
microscopic holes in the middle layer of acrylic foam, this vaporized
moisture is like distilled water.  So when these dew spots evaporate,
no "water spots" will be left on the vehicle!

Covercraftsmanship is an important part of our Ultralon covers -

- Strong and durable, double stitched overlapped seams.
- Neoprene elastic is sewn into the front and rear hems.
- Reinforced, non-scratch grommets have a flap for additional
  protection when using the vinyl coated cable and lock (optional).
  "Loops" sewn in the hem are used to secure the tie-down rope
  (supplied).
- For maximum water resistance, inside panel seams can be covered.