Custom Tonneau Covers, Trailer Covers & Heavy-Duty Tarps: Made Local, Made to Last

At LJ Covers we make covers the way they should be made: measured on the vehicle, cut to that measurement, and stitched to hold up in Queensland sun. We are a family business in Redland Bay with more than 25 years of fabricating and repairing textile covers, and everything we sell is made in that workshop.

Whether you are a tradie with a well used ute, a weekend camper with a trailer that has seen a few trips, or a business running gear that has to keep working, this covers what we make, what it is made from, and how to work out which one you need.

What we make

Custom tonneau covers

A custom tonneau cover is measured to your tray rather than pulled off a shelf to suit a model range. That matters more than it sounds. A cover cut for a generic tray sags in the middle, pools water after rain, and pulls at the fixing points until the fabric tears around them. One cut to your tray sits flat, sheds water and keeps the tension where the material can carry it.

We make them for work utes that get loaded every day and for vehicles that mostly carry camping gear on weekends. Both get the same fabric and the same stitching, because the sun does not treat them differently.

Ute canopy covers

A canvas ute canopy is a different job to a tonneau. A tonneau closes the tray. A canopy gives you height, so you can stand gear up, sleep under it, or keep tools dry with room to reach them. Canopies take more strain because there is more surface for wind to push against, so the frame fixings and the seams matter more.

Trailer canopies and covers

From a standard box trailer through to a fully custom build, we fabricate trailer covers with reinforced stitching and heavier material at the wear points. Trailers get treated harder than utes in our experience, partly because they are often loaded to the top and partly because they sit outside between jobs.

Camper trailer and caravan covers and reskins

A reskin is replacing the canvas on a camper that is otherwise sound. It is worth doing when the frame, the bed and the fit out are all fine and only the fabric has gone. We also make caravan and camping covers for vans sitting in storage between trips, which is where most UV damage actually happens.

Heavy duty tarps in custom sizes

Made to order tarps in PVC, canvas, poly fabric and mesh, for industrial, transport, camping and commercial work. Custom sizing is the point: an off the shelf tarp that is close but not right ends up tied down badly, and that is what tears it.

Which fabric suits the job

This is the question we get asked most, and the honest answer is that it depends on what the cover has to do.

• Canvas: breathable, which matters for anything stored underneath it, because trapped moisture is what causes mould and rot. Heavier than the alternatives and it needs to dry before it is packed away.
• PVC: fully waterproof and easy to wipe down, which is why it suits transport and trade work. It does not breathe, so it is the wrong choice over something that has to sit under it for months.
• Poly fabric: lighter and easier to handle, good where the cover comes on and off often.
• Mesh: for load restraint and shade rather than weather protection, where you want air through it.

There is more detail on each in our fabric guide. If you are not sure, tell us what the cover has to survive and how often it comes off, and we will tell you which one we would use.

Why custom beats off the shelf

A better fit means better protection

Most cover failures we see are fit failures rather than fabric failures. Water pools where the cover sags, or wind gets underneath an edge that does not sit down properly and works at it until something gives. A cover measured to the vehicle removes both of those.

Built for Australian sun

Everything we make is UV stabilised. That is not marketing, it is the single biggest factor in how long an outdoor cover lasts here. Fabric that is not stabilised goes brittle from the top surface down and then tears along a fold line one day without warning.

It usually works out cheaper

A cover that fits and is made from the right material tends to outlast several cheap replacements. We are not going to pretend custom is cheaper on day one, because it is not. Over the life of the vehicle it usually is.

Made here, repaired here

We fabricate and repair in Redland Bay. Nothing is outsourced, which means if something needs adjusting after you have used it for a while, the people who made it are the people who fix it.

How we measure and fit

For most jobs we measure the vehicle ourselves, because a tray that looks standard often is not once a liner, a rack or a toolbox is in it. If you are outside our area, we can work from your measurements, and we will tell you exactly which ones we need and how to take them.

Either way we confirm the fabric, the fixing method and where the tension points sit before anything is cut. Getting that agreed up front is why we rarely have to alter something afterwards.

Repairs and alterations

If a cover can be saved we would rather repair it than sell you a new one. We handle repairs and alterations on canvas, PVC, poly tarps, tonneaus, trailer covers and camper canvas, and canvas repairs are a large part of what the workshop does week to week.

There is a limit. If the fabric around a tear has gone brittle from UV, stitching a patch onto it just creates the next weak point beside the repair. We will tell you when that is the case rather than take the job.

Frequently asked questions

How long does a custom cover take to make?

It depends on the job and what is in the workshop that week. A tonneau is quicker than a full camper reskin. Tell us your timeframe when you enquire and we will give you a straight answer rather than an optimistic one.

Can you match an existing cover?

Usually yes. Bring the old one in, or send photographs of it on the vehicle. Working from the old cover is often faster than measuring from scratch, and it shows us where the previous one failed, which tells us what to do differently.

What is the difference between a tonneau cover and a ute canopy?

A tonneau closes the tray flat. A canopy adds height over it, so you can carry taller gear, stand things up or sleep underneath. They are different products with different fixings, and which one suits you comes down to whether you need height or a flat, secure lid.

Do you make covers for vehicles you have not seen?

Yes, if you can supply accurate measurements. We will tell you which measurements we need and how to take them properly. Most of the problems with remote jobs come from one measurement taken at the wrong point, so it is worth doing carefully.

Is it worth repairing an old cover or replacing it?

If the fabric around the damage is still strong, repair is usually the better value. If the material has gone thin or brittle across the whole cover, a repair will hold for a while and then fail somewhere else. Send us photos and we will tell you which situation you are in.

Come and see us in Redland Bay

Whether you need something made or want to get more life out of what you have, come down and have a chat. Bring the vehicle if you can, because five minutes looking at the actual tray beats twenty minutes describing it.

Related pages: custom tonneau covers in Brisbane, our custom tarps range, and transport covers for truck and trailer work.