Hot tub cover question

[Drifter]

Been a long time since I've been here on the forum but it was always a great source of info! I'm looking to buy a replacement insert for my spa cover. I've gone through several covers now and I'm tired of buying entirely new covers when the styrofoam breaks! (I've gotten smarter over the years and kept the old inserts since usually it's only one side that breaks.) Now I'm out and need only 1 side. Does anyone know where you can buy just the inserts? thanks!

[Dr. Spa™ Ret.]

The problem, and an important consideration. well, a bunch actually....

First, the shipping. Too large to ship UPS, figure on $100-$150 just for shipping. That's basically HALF the cost of an entire cover.

Second, the taper of the foam. Almost no manufacturer slices their own foam (we're one of the few) and orders the foam specifically tapered to their own specifications and based on what's available from the foam supplier they use (the variations from one manufacturer to another can be as much as 3/4" of an inch). If the taper isn't the same, and you probably wont be able to exactly specify it, the foam wont fit the vinyl jacket properly causing either wrinkles, or not being able to fit.

IF, you can get the foam from the SAME manufacturer that initially made the cover you have, and they're reasonably local to you, it could very well work.

[Drifter]

The problem, and an important consideration. well, a bunch actually....

First, the shipping. Too large to ship UPS, figure on $100-$150 just for shipping. That's basically HALF the cost of an entire cover.

Second, the taper of the foam. Almost no manufacturer slices their own foam (we're one of the few) and orders the foam specifically tapered to their own specifications and based on what's available from the foam supplier they use (the variations from one manufacturer to another can be as much as 3/4" of an inch). If the taper isn't the same, and you probably wont be able to exactly specify it, the foam wont fit the vinyl jacket properly causing either wrinkles, or not being able to fit.

IF, you can get the foam from the SAME manufacturer that initially made the cover you have, and they're reasonably local to you, it could very well work.

Thanks for the reply but companies do ship entire covers right? So why would shipping 1/2 a cover be more expensive or harder? As to the size,  I noted above I've bought several different covers and have been able to interchange the different inserts. I haven't had any problems with the cover not "fitting". The only problem I've had is the inserts cracking and then disentigrating into multiple peices. (I wish somone made a fiberglass insert that didn't break!) I have  had "heavy duty" covers but they all seem to get waterlogged and then at some point then they break!  

[Dr. Spa™ Ret.]

So why would shipping 1/2 a cover be more expensive or harder?

It's not..... It's going to be the same cost to ship 1 piece of foam as to ship an entire cover. Shipping companies do have a minimum, and an entire cover generally ships as the minimum, as will 1 piece of foam.

I have  had "heavy duty" covers but they all seem to get waterlogged and then at some point then they break!  

Sounds like you've been getting lower quality covers to begin with.