Waterproof spray for cover?

jruhnkejruhnke
in General Discussion
I bought a Bruce's Custom Cover for my plane. According to their FAQ, their covers are "water resistant enough to stop leeks [sic]", but after a recent rain, the cover was completely soaked through, and the carpet inside the cabin was quite damp. Long-term, I will hunt for the cabin leaks (or move to a hangar when one becomes available!), but in the short term I'd like to apply some waterproofing to the cover to see if that helps.

Ideally, I'd like something with UV protection that preserves the "breathability" of the cover so that any water that manages to get through can evaporate back out when the rain stops. Unfortunately, in my searching so far it looks like those two properties might be mutually exclusive.

Any recommendations for a waterproofing spray to use on my cover that will still allow it to breathe?

Comments

  • FlyingVeeFlyingVee
    This product (RaggTopp) is used for fabric type convertible and is recommended from Mercedes, Volvo, Chrysler and now Ford as well.
    I have used this on my Chrysler Crossfire rag top and it beads very well. It's a non sticky formula and safe if it oversprays onto vinyl. Easy to wipe off from paint and vinyl.

    Since the plane covers are made of the same material...I recommend this.
    I buy mine from here:
    http://www.autogeek.net/rapr.html
  • Jeff SJeff S
    I got a product from Bruce's when I had an older cover reconditioned. It's got numbers in the product name, like 301 or something like that. It does a good job making the canvas really bead up and shed water.

    But your leaking problem may not be coming from under the cover. You don't say what type of plane you've got, but there are plenty of other places water can get into a Cherokee cabin (if that's what you've got) like wing roots, wing vents, etc.
  • Jeff SJeff S
    I looked at the bottle at home. It's called "303 Airspace Protectant" and the website is http://www.303products.com.

    Hope that helps.
  • FlyingVeeFlyingVee
    hmm... That also sounds like a great product.

    Well, I think you cant go wrong with either choice. They are both made for fabric type covers.

    Its nice to have choice and not regret the outcome.
    I might try this 303 product once my stuff runs out.
    :-)
  • Aviation LawAviation Law
    I have a Lance and when I have left it outside, completly covered that repels the water, I have found the carpets wet. The water was coming in from the vents on the inboard side of the wings. Water was running into the vent and then downhill into the cabin and onto the floor. The easy fix is to shut the air vents inside of the cabin and cover those vents if your plane is going to be left outside. Another area where water will get into the cabin (with the cover on) will be at the bottom of the door seal. Make sure the seals are working properly and that the door is closing tight enough to make a proper seal.
  • Aviation LawAviation Law
    And one more area of where water gets into the cabin is the windshield and side windows. Make sure you have a good seal around the bottom of the windshield. I had a big gap and it was dripping into the cabin. The fix was to apply ProSeal to make a perfect seal. Make sure you use the 45 minute set time proseal and not the 20 minute quick set, as it will set too fast to work with.Use blue tape about 1/4 inch around the entire outside window and the same 1/4 inch on the metal. Use the preseal gun and apply around the outside edge where the plastic meet the metal. Use rubber gloves to smooth the proseal around the outside of the window and remove while the proseal is still wet. This will fix any problem of water running into the cabin through the window. This can be done on all the windows and when done right it looks good. Any good A&P can do this for you.
  • jruhnkejruhnke
    Many thanks for all the responses. My plane is a '73 Challenger, and I have heard about many of the potential leak points. The vents were one place I didn't consider; I'll make sure as part of my locking up checklist to close those all off.

    One question: Can water get trapped in the vent line between the wing/tail air inlets and the cabin vents? Are there drain points in those lines?

    As for other intrusion points, the cover I have extends fwd of engine/cowl seam and down to wing root, so if I can improve the cover waterproofing, I'm hoping that will eliminate door seals, windows, and firewall penetrations as potential entry points.

    Finally, re: waterproofing options, Bruce's recommends against any options that eliminate "breathability", since the cover is designed to allow any trapped moisture to escape through the fabric as it dries out. I would like to preserve that feature, and I'm not sure the convertible top stuff will. The 303 stuff sounds interesting, though the "aerospace protectant" page says nothing about waterproofing, only UV protection. The "High Tech Fabric Guard" page talks about waterproofing, but doesn't mention if it seals the pores or still allows vapor pass through. Rats.
  • Jeff SJeff S
    Remember that I got my bottle of 303 from Bruce's themselves, so that is what they recommended for use. I can't imagine they would provide a product that goes against their own recommendations. But if you're concerned, just give them a call and talk to either Tom or Adam. They're very nice folks and will give you all the best info.
  • jruhnkejruhnke
    Jeff S Wrote:
    > Remember that I got my bottle of 303 from Bruce's themselves, so that is what they recommended for
    > use. I can't imagine they would provide a product that goes against their own recommendations. But
    > if you're concerned, just give them a call and talk to either Tom or Adam. They're very nice
    > folks and will give you all the best info.

    I hear ya, and have tried to contact them via email with no joy. It's tough for me to find time to call during biz hrs, but I intend to do that eventually.

    In the meantime, here's why I'm not overly optimistic that I'll get the response I'm hoping for:[quote=From Bruce's website]QUESTION: Is your cover waterproof?
    ANSWER: You do not want a cover made from “waterproof” material like a plastic tarp. “Waterproof” materials do not breathe and will trap moisture and condensation underneath the surface of the cover, which will cause damage to the glass and to the paint.

    Our covers are treated for water-repellency and UV protection and are water repellent enough to stop any leeks [sic] that may be occurring{emphasis mine}. Furthermore, our covers are breathable. This means that water is allowed to breathe through the cover or wick away off of the surface of the plane. After a heavy rain, you may feel some dampness on the underside of the cover. But this moisture will not be trapped under the cover, it will breathe out and dry quickly. [/quote]

    So Bruce's claims that my brand-new cover should already be water-repellent enough to keep my cockpit dry, but clearly it's not. If they don't recommend using a waterproofing spray to beef up the repellency, then...rats.
  • Jeff SJeff S
    Well, as we've said in this thread, it may not be the cover that's letting the water in. I also had the damp carpet syndrome last fall after our monsoon 13" of rain in Atlanta, but ultimately traced it to water running into the wing vent of my Warrior. Once I made closing that vent part of my post-flight the problem went away.

    The other thing about 303 is that it helps condition the fabric of the cover and prevent deterioration from UV and heat. I'm on my fourth Bruce's cover and they are remarkable and sturdy products, but anything that sits out in the sun that much will take a beating.
  • jruhnkejruhnke
    Jeff S Wrote:
    > Well, as we've said in this thread, it may not be the cover that's letting the water in. I also had
    > the damp carpet syndrome last fall after our monsoon 13" of rain in Atlanta, but ultimately
    > traced it to water running into the wing vent of my Warrior. Once I made closing that vent part of
    > my post-flight the problem went away.

    True, I have not yet exhausted all options. Haven't had any rain since closing my vents, so don't yet know if that's a factor.
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