Truck Tarp Material Descriptions and Usages
Mesh Tarp Materials: Mesh truck tarp materials are designed with an open weave that allows air to flow through the material or “breathe” thereby reducing wind drag and wind whip on the tarp, this will help to extend the life of the material. Mesh materials are produced in many weave patterns and may vary from one manufacturer to another. Utilized for virtually every truck tarp application, mesh tarps are right at home on Arm Tarp Systems, Roll Tarp Systems, Pull Tarp Systems, Waste Covering Systems, Roll-Off Systems, Transfer Trailers or Hand Tarps. Below are examples of the Mesh Tarp Materials offered by LoAlbo Enterprises, Inc.
Knitted Mesh: Knitted Mesh is a very light weight material and is great for “hand tarp” applications as a 12’ X 26’ hand tarp only weighs 16lbs! Although it is lightweight, Knitted Mesh is tough and will resist tearing and ripping very well. Also, the mesh material conforms to loads and allows for good airflow. Knitted Mesh is also a great fit for roll off cans and general hand tarping when water penetration is not an issue.
Black PVC Coated Mesh: Black is the most commonly requested color, but this material is also available in a variety of other colors such as; Red, white, blue and green just to name a few. Black Mesh is the industry standard and is used more frequently than any other truck tarp material. Tough and low cost, Black PVC Coated Mesh is most frequently used on dump trucks and dump trailers for rock, sand and gravel tarps, waste tarps, automatic roll-off tarps, landscape and construction tarps or any other open top container covering requirement that does not need to be waterproof.
Multi-Color PVC Coated Mesh: Also referred to as Multi-Mesh this is a great general purpose mesh cover. Multi-Mesh offers a lower cost than a Solid Colored PVC Coated Mesh, but is equal to the task in performance. Applications include; rock, sand and gravel tarps, waste tarps, automatic roll-off tarps, landscape and construction tarps.
Mighty Mesh: As tough as it gets! Nearly twice as heavy as Black PVC Coated Mesh. At 21.3oz per square yard, Mighty Mesh will stand up to the most demanding applications. Mighty Mesh is most frequently used for waste covering applications on Roll-Off Trucks. It is best suited on heavy duty systems such as the Donovan Mantis or the Pioneer and O’Brian Hydraulic Automatic Roll-Off Systems.
Orange Knitted Polypropylene: This material is light weight and flexible with a very open weave. In the event of tearing, Orange Knitted Mesh is easily repaired with plastic wire ties. This material is almost exclusively utilized for transfer trailer covering systems such as the Donovan Sidewinder, Aero Lid or Mountain Tarp Side Flip.
Other Mesh Tarp Materials Offered By LoAlbo Enterprises, Inc.:
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| Orange Knitted Polytest | Gator Mesh | White Polyester |
Solid Tarp Materials: Solid tarp materials are more susceptible to wind whip than mesh tarps so it is very important to have a properly fitted tarp and to keep the tarp taunt when in use. Solid tarps are used for many applications, but most often they have two major uses: keeping loads dry and keeping heat in or on the load. Solid Tarps can be manufactured with “side flaps” or “tie down flaps” (flip tarp applications) that will allow the user to pull the “flaps” over the side of the dump body and secure the tarp with rubber straps creating a very watertight seal. Solid tarps are well suited for virtually every tarping system available including; flip tarps, roll tarps, arm tarps, cable tarps, side rolls, pull tarps and waste tarps.
Vinyl Tarps: The industry standard! Vinyl is categorized by the “weight per square yard” and in the truck tarp industry 18oz (per square yard) vinyl is king. Although 14oz and 22oz vinyl materials are in use, 18oz is the choice for 90% of applications in which a vinyl tarp is utilized. Readily available in Black, Red, Orange, Green, Blue, White and Yellow, vinyl tarps can be customized to match your companies colors, your favorite sports teams, the American Flag or any combination you desire. Uses include; hot asphalt, grain, dirt and sludge.
RFL Asphalt Material: RFL Asphalt material is an extremely durable, tightly woven cloth. Although the weight will vary from manufacturer to manufacturer RFL is usually found to be “stiff” in nature. Because of the weight and stiffness RFL is a better match for heavy duty systems such as Aero Easy Cover, Mountain Tarp Flip Tarp, Donovan Hammer and Automatic Roll-Off Systems. RFL Tarps have a very high temperature rating making them an excellent choice for hot asphalt. Generally available in Rust or Black.
Hot Top Material: Similar to RFL, but less “stiff.” Hot Top Tarps can be used on a wider variety of systems because of the higher flexibility and lighter weight. But like RFL, Hot Top (as the name suggests) is best suited for hot asphalt applications. Generally available in Rust or Black.
Asphalt Lumite: Another hot asphalt specific material, Asphalt Lumite is much, much lighter than vinyl, RFL or Hot Top materials. At only 5.9oz it lighter than most mesh tarp materials. Although Asphalt Lumite is categorized under Solid Tarps it will allow water to penetrate, but at 95% waterproof, it will meet most Department of Transportations (DOT) requirements for hot asphalt applications.
Donoprene: A Donovan Enterprises exclusive. Donoprene is best described as cloth on one side and vinyl on the other. Weighing in at about 9oz and with great flexibility, Donoprene has a multitude of uses.
Other Solid Tarp Materials Offered By LoAlbo Enterprises, Inc.:
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| Airbag Material |