Eisenglass question

[Rowdyroady]

So I put the WInter canopy up last weekend and the nylon zippers and getting brittle/losing teeth. I will not get another season out of them after this one. My question is replacing them with nylon again or go metal. If metal, what kind? This is a ten year old boat and sees fresh water only. I think metal is the way to go but someone said you have to be careful about corrosion. Thanks in advance!

 

[walterv]

If the zippers you have now are 10 years old, and now need to be replaced, I would think you did good. I have never seen anything but plastic, but then again, I boat in salt water.

 

[Sandy]

No expert but I'd guess YKK's marine-mate Vision zipper is likely the most popular good quality canvas zipper that probably has plastic teeth and metal pull/slide. Whatever you use, coating the zipper and pull with silicone dielectric grease will slow corrosion in salt water and keep things moving. Can you install zippers with a UV protective flap over them to increase longevity over the 10 yrs that sounds pretty good?

 

[MIke F]

I just replaced the zippers on my vessel. I chose the plastic zippers because there is always the chance that the zippers will come in direct contact with the vinyl windows. The much harder metal zippers will scratch the vinyl while the plastic ones will not.

 

[370 Motoryacht]

My zippers are all metal and are shaped so there are no sharp edges on them. The company that makes them is RiRi. They have some plastic ones as well but they are a lot better than the YKK's that were on my previous canvas.

 

[Flutterby]

I've always had good luck with the plastic zippers but my boat was always housed in a covered berth. Since I had screen inserts as well as the plastic, my zippers got used 12 months out of the year.

 

[rblochli]

I replaced my 8 or 9 yr old strataglas window zippers with the ones Sandy mentioned - my canvas guy said they were a new design, very smooth. That was two years ago and now i think the windows need replacing - so I may have wasted the zipper money two years ago - make sure your vinyl is in good shape before you throw money at it. I'm going to try to restore the strataglas this winter...

 

[Bob J]

I have black plastic zippers & have never had to replace or repair them, ever ! My two neighbors both have white & both have had to do repairs; go figure. I also have never lubed them. Read where any lube would attract dust & grit which w/b detrimental to zippers. Works for me.