Protec Towing Jacket vs Specialised Towing Covers – What’s the Difference?
The weather is finally starting to come around; it’s time to dust off your tow hitch and get touring! Protecting your Caravan while you’re on the road should be at the top of your list when it comes to preparing for your trips away. You can read our blog on why, in our opinion, a Towing Cover is an essential Caravanning accessory here.
But with so many Towing Covers on the market, choosing what is the best for you can be overwhelming.
When it comes to tailored Caravan protection, there are two companies most Caravanners already know. Protec Covers, with our Towing Jacket and Specialised with their towing covers Tow Pro range.
Tow Jacket, Tow Pro… it’s easy to get confused. But believe it or not, these two covers’ design, fabric and features are quite different.
Obviously, our opinion is a bit biased, but we don’t want to tell you how to spend your money or what cover to buy for your Caravan. Instead, we want to go over the features and benefits of each so you can decide what is best for you and your Caravaning needs.
Listed below are a few different categories that we believe are the most useful when comparing the two products, and from these, you can decide which one best suits your needs.
Fabric
The Towing Jacket is made from a 3-layer non-woven fabric. Each layer of this fabric has a different property. The outer layer is waterproof; the inner layer is non-abrasive, and sandwiched between the two is a breathable membrane. This fabric is also UV stabilized so that it will shield your Caravan against harmful rays from the sun.
You can read more about the properties and science behind this fabric here.
This fabric has three colour options: dark green, light grey, and black.
On either side of the Towing Jacket’s centre zip is an elastic material to provide the cover with tension to keep it in place. This material is also waterproof and non-abrasive.
Features
The Protec Towing Jacket is fully tailored to the shape of each model of caravan and available on models manufactured from 2010 onwards.
On every zipped towing jacket, The 2-way centre zip provides access to your front gas locker and front window without having to remove the cover. This makes life easier if you need to stop off mid-journey and gain access to your gas locker or want to let a bit of light into the caravan while sitting at a rest stop.
The Towing Jacket also has clear windows to ensure your running lights are visible and you and your caravan are abiding by all road laws whilst towing.
The Towing Jacket also comes with the option of having optional Velcro flaps to be able to access your grab handles without removing the cover. This comes in handy if you do not have a motor mover and may need to manually move your caravan once you have got to the site.
All covers also come with their own tote-style storage bag.
The Towing Jacket weighs approximately 2kg when packed up inside its storage bag.
Price
There are two price points for the Protec Towing Jacket depending on what you want or need from your Towing Cover.
They start at £295.00, but if you would like the version with grab handle access, this takes the price to £315.00.
These prices are inclusive of VAT and include delivery within the mainland UK.
Warranty
The Protec Towing Jacket comes with a 12-month warranty, but Protec Covers does offer a repair service if your cover is looking a bit worse for wear after your warranty period has expired.
Fitting
The lightweight fabric and easy zip method make fitting the towing jacket a breeze, even for the solo Caravanner. Check out the video below to see how it works for yourself.
@RachWilliamson on X
Fabric
Specialised Towing Covers offers two fabric types in their range of tailored towing products. The first is a waterproof fabric which is non-abrasive and advertised as being fleece lined. This fabric is for their Tow Pro, Tow Pro + and Tow Pro Infinity covers. This comes in a few different colour options depending on which version of the Tow Pro you opt for.
They also offer a second fabric, which is more similar to a neoprene material. This is a thicker foam-backed fabric. This is used for their Tow Pro Elite and Tow Pro Infinity Elite covers. This comes in grey and black. Thank you to Rach Williamson @RachWilliamson on X for the use of the above image.
Features
Again, Specialised Towing Covers are a range of tailored towing covers, and each of these offers different features.
The Tow Pro is the most basic of the range; although it is tailored to the shape of the caravan and has clear windows for your lights, it offers no other access points.
The Tow Pro + and Tow Pro Elite offer the same tailored pattern and light windows as the Tow Pro but with added grab handle access, zipped window, and gas locker access, like the Protec Towing Jacket. The main difference between the two is the fabric.
Both ‘Infinity’ models offer the same features as their Tow Pro or Elite counterparts but are taller to cover the sunroof windows you often see on modern Caravans. This means they have added protection, but so also require a step ladder to be able to fit them easily.
All of the covers come with their own storage bag.
The Tow Pro range tends to weigh approximately 2kg, whereas the thicker Elite versions weigh 8kg on average.
Price
The price of these covers varies depending on which version you opt for.
The Tow Pro range starts at £224.00 for the standard Tow Pro. The Tow Pro + is £324.00 and goes up to £374.00 if you opt for the Tow Pro Infinity (the taller version of the Tow Pro +).
The Tow Pro Elite costs £424.00, or £524 if you opt for the taller Tow Pro Infinity Elite version.
Warranty
The Tow Pro, Tow Pro +, and Tow Pro Elite all come with a one-year manufacturer’s warranty. Specialised do not offer a repair service but can give advice if your cover from them does become damaged.
Fitting
Specialised offers a few different versions of their tailored Towing Covers, but here is a video showing the general method of how to fit their tow. The method is similar to their other versions, and although a bit more time-consuming than the Towing Jacket.
Thank you to Oliver from “Caravanning with the Coxs” for letting us use his video. We highly recommend checking out their other informative videos.
If you’re still unsure of what is best for you, why not check out what other caravanners think? There are a plethora of Caravan Vloggers all over social media who have tried and tested products from both Protec and Specialised, giving their opinions and feedback. Here are a few of our favourites.
Keith and Michele (formally carefree caravanning)
Unit 3A Marr Tree Business Park
