I'm a flatbedder!

Trying, thanks.. Now, if I can just stop opening my mouth to change feet, I'll be good to go.

 

The best way to repair a tarp is to use a heat gun to "melt" the patch on. You might be able to find tarp repair material at a hardware store. Silicon caulking (in the tube) works pretty well as an adhesive and makes a water tight seal. You don't want to hear it but Gorilla Tape is great for patching holes until you can do an actual repair.

 

Most any tarp shop. You want a small can of HH66 adhesive glue, this is a contact cement, and a few square feet of material.
To do it right and so the patch lasts, cut your patch to overlap the hole about an inch all around, round the corners of the patch so it is less likely to catch any corners and be pulled loose, wipe the area down and your patch with acetone, I use nail polish remover (make sure it lists acetone as one of the ingredients), apply the adhesive to the area of the hole, going beyond the size of the patch and to the patch, let the adhesive setup for a few minutes, then apply the patch to the tarp. Then use a roller to press the patch to the tarp and get all the sides and corners well adhered.
I use an old hard plastic roller from a bed, it works good.
Be sure to apply the patch to the inside of the tarp, not the outside. Patches on the outside look like crap and are more likely to be pulled loose.
Duct tape will work as a temporary patch, until you can get a regular patch kit. It's better then having a hole in your tarp. If you do a temp patch with duct tape, again apply it on the inside so it doesn't get pulled off and use Goo-Gone to get the residue off of the tarp when you do repair the hole properly.

 

Wallpaper seam roller ( Home depot / Loews ) works great instead of the wheel off your kids bed frame , also watch around for a chunk of discarded tarp ( same color as yours ) and get hold of it for future patch work.

 

Guys,

Even though I am not a flatbedder, I appreciate the wealth of information that is being passed around here regarding repairing tarps.

KH

 

Home depot and lowes will have HH66. I'd ask on the radio if anyone has spare patch material, i know i have some to spare

 

One word MERCER.

 

our shop uses whatever glue it is. and duct tape.

used to send em out for repairs. but they never held up. the duct tape method at least holds for a few months.

there are corner protectors you can buy whenever you see them at the truckstops. might find them cheaper online.

i have lots of carpet i use.

 

That's the best thing to use! It's cheap (free) and resiliant. When it gets dirty or stinky from getting wet you throw it out and get more. There's always a carpet store in town with a dumpster or a neighbour that just installed laminate. Carpet is the only way to go!