lparsons Posted February 15, 2009 Report Share Posted February 15, 2009 The cover lifter that our dealer provided us with for our tiger river bengal when we purchased it in summer of 2007 failed catastrophically a couple weeks ago. By this I mean that the center rod that crosses the cover actually snapped off, and the cover lifter is of course no longer under warranty. We are now looking for a new cover lifter for our tub. Dealer wanted $200 for the same one that already broke on us, and we figured we might do well to look for a different one anyways. Apparently hot springs makes one of their own now, but the dealer said that would cost "about $500". So I'm interested in the following cover lifters: Cover Shelf Cover Caddy Ideal Cover Lift Or the Cover Catch (can't find a link) Does anyone have any of those models, or have particular advice towards a different one? The one that our dealer sold us was the "Kokido" lift. Doing a google search for kokido cover lifter leads mostly to information on a patent infringement trial (and the Hong Kong address of the Kokido company). Also, our cover is very heavy now. I presume it is water-logged. What is the best way to keep that from happening if we go to the trouble of either drying the foam inserts or replacing them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaamus Posted February 15, 2009 Report Share Posted February 15, 2009 Unfortunately, you cannot effectively dry out the foam cores. They need to be replaced. If you have a spa cover manufacturer locally, it's your best bet because you'll avoid freight costs which is the same as if you bought the whole cover. The Kokido lift infringed on the Covermate 1 patent. It's Covermate 2 clone brother is still around. Basically the lifts made of steel are these cheap ones and about a year and a half sounds right until they fail. I'm kind of surprised your cover got waterlogged in that time though. Watkins/HotSpring/TigerRiver makes a decent cover. Do you have any breaches in vapor barrier? A rip? If you don't, I would maybe talk to your dealer about replacement cores. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lparsons Posted February 15, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 15, 2009 The Kokido lift infringed on the Covermate 1 patent. It's Covermate 2 clone brother is still around. Basically the lifts made of steel are these cheap ones and about a year and a half sounds right until they fail. I'm kind of surprised your cover got waterlogged in that time though. Watkins/HotSpring/TigerRiver makes a decent cover. Do you have any breaches in vapor barrier? A rip? If you don't, I would maybe talk to your dealer about replacement cores. I figured our cheap Kokido lift was a direct knock-off of one of the Covermates. I was extremely disappointed with the Kokido lift as it originally broke in a wind gust when the cover itself flipped over and sheared off the horizontal studs from the bracket. As for the cover, our dealer told us that most moisture comes from the tub itself, though the rate at which the cover gained weight doesn't seem to coincide with that (unless there is a tear somewhere as you had suggested). I say this because the first 8-10 months with the tub there was no noticeable change in the weight of the cover, and then it very quickly started to gain weight dramatically. We didn't change the tub settings over that time period, and our use of the tub didn't change much then, either. However the weather (the tub is outside) did change quite a bit during that time and the tub was rained on a lot. We also sprung a leak in the gutter that runs right above the tub, which then was dripping directly on the cover anytime there was water running through the gutter (rain or melted snow from the house). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaamus Posted February 15, 2009 Report Share Posted February 15, 2009 I guess what I was eluding to was if there's a tear/breach/etc., you don't have a warranty claim. However, if no breach can be found they need to replace your cover depending on how long the warranty term is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hottubdan Posted February 16, 2009 Report Share Posted February 16, 2009 I guess what I was eluding to was if there's a tear/breach/etc., you don't have a warranty claim. However, if no breach can be found they need to replace your cover depending on how long the warranty term is. If less than 2 years old, cores are covered under warranty from getting waterlogged. Have dealer replace them. Parts only. You will need to swap them out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JerimiahR Posted February 17, 2009 Report Share Posted February 17, 2009 As a Hot Spring dealer, I've found the best (and by far the most popular with my customers) cover lifter for any Hot Spring or Tiger River spa is the "Cover Cradle". For the Tiger River Bengal, I'd suggest the "Cover Cradle II" model. It physically mounts to the actual cover, and is gas spring assisted. These are the absolute easiest lifters I've seen. You should certainly be able to get into one of these for less than $500. Keep in mind, this Cover Cradle is made exclusively for Hot Spring brand spas, and won't attach to others. I'd say honestly, about 90% of our cover lifter sales are the Cover Cradle. The other 10% are the Covermate I and the Up-Rite. If you get your cover replaced, be sure it is replaced by an actual Hot Spring cover, as these are factory made with special metal brackets to allow the Cover Cradle to mount. If you get a replacement cover elsewhere, you'll likely be unable to have this modification made. Picture of Cover Cradle I Here's a link to the "Covermate" lifter, which is a less expensive alternative. http://www.leisureconcepts.com/main.php?page=14 Your cover weight issue is definitely a problem though, and could likely be the cause of the damage to your previous lifter. Most of these lifters are made of light weight materials and are not constructed in a manner that they can support a water soaked (100lb) cover. Usually when we see damage to cover lift systems it is found in conjunction with a water soaked cover that's become very heavy. I know that Hot Spring/Tiger River warrant theirs covers for 2 full years (assuming it has not been torn, poked, etc). This warranty date begins from the day you receive the spa. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Spa Posted February 17, 2009 Report Share Posted February 17, 2009 IF, you ever replace the cover, you only need to be sure the cover manufacture can add the brackets to accept the HS brand lifter. Really not a big deal as it's only a short piece of aluminum C-channel inserted into a slot cut into the side of the foam and held in place by tape. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaamus Posted February 18, 2009 Report Share Posted February 18, 2009 Yeah, it's really not that big of a deal if you can locate where the brackets need to go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Spa Posted February 18, 2009 Report Share Posted February 18, 2009 Rip apart a few hundred old covers sitting behind a few HS dealers, and it's not too hard to figure out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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