Why doesn't everyone paint their tubes?

[zip]

I've owned three boats with tubes the last 10 years, which I've always kept covered.
I'm now looking to purchase what I consider the Holy Grail of ribs, the 7M.
Every one that I've looked at so far appears to be ex government or military.
Most have tubes that are slightly to extremely sunburnt.
The boat I'm looking at right now, is civilian owned, and they've painted the tubes, and it looks pretty good.
I can understand that the government probably doesn't care about the lifespan of the tubes being extended by painting them, but why wouldn't somebody who owned one of these for recreational use, not just paint the tubes to extend the life?

[ShinyShoe]

Because its cosmetic and might not actually extend the tube life?

[office888]

It's a cosmetic band aid and is not a very durable solution.

Plus, it is one more thing to remove when I patch the boat.

I'd rather just retube.

[Maximus]

More like Why WOULD You?!!!

[ShinyShoe]

Originally Posted by Maximus

More like Why WOULD You?!!!

To make it look better before you sell it ;-)

[Maximus]

Originally Posted by ShinyShoe

To make it look better before you sell it ;-)

If they need paint....IMO....They really need replacing

[ncp]

Everyone in Europe must be made of money...

"just retube!"

That just doesn't make economic sense. Used diesel ex-Navy 7.3m Willards have been selling for $28,000 - $40,000 depending on the level of detail during the restoration and the accessories. When a new set of Wing PU tubes for made to military spec are $14,000, which is ~1/2 the price of buying the boat, most people will patch and paint. Paint can be done very well and can last 3-5 years. A gallon of Techthane from Wing is $300 (as of the last time I bought some). As for resale, say my Willard is worth $28,000 - it has painted tubes. If I were to buy and install new tubes for $14,000, would I be able to sell it for $42,000?

Look at the awesome boats that Ryan Pratt has redone - many times, he's just painted the tubes.

Also, there seem to be a few more used tubesets in "good" condition for H733's. A "good" used set of those seem to go for $6,000 or so.

[ShinyShoe]

But does it make the tube physically last any longer or just make it look better. It presumably doesn't make much difference to wear. Does it reduce UV impact? (UV less of an issue in UK).


I suspect tubes are cheaper in EU.

But I suspect there may actually be a tolerance of scruffier tubes in UK than in the US. So we may ignore scruffy but functional but once its leaky paint don't help..

[ncp]

Originally Posted by ShinyShoe

But does it make the tube physically last any longer or just make it look better. It presumably doesn't make much difference to wear. Does it reduce UV impact? (UV less of an issue in UK).

Yes, prevents any more UV wear and seals pinhole leaks.

Originally Posted by ShinyShoe

I suspect tubes are cheaper in EU.

Yes, competitiion is a good thing. Though, people have listed 4 or 5 places in the US that make tubes but they all seems to be the same price.

Originally Posted by ShinyShoe

But I suspect there may actually be a tolerance of scruffier tubes in UK than in the US. So we may ignore scruffy but functional but once its leaky paint don't help..

Maybe, maybe not. It seems like you guys just retube more often. I also could be more old hulls around to work from since ribs have been more popular for longer.

[Poly]

Lots of older boats in uk. different commercial to leisure ratio so tubes probably lighter centre weight in many cases so need replacing. Less sun. Tube prices about half to a third of the USA. Nobody likes painted tubes.

[zip]

My reason for wanting to paint the tubes is to try to limit the amount of UV damage.

[capntroy]

If the tube is getting "threadbare," then I'd say that it's no longer a candidate for repainting, but if you're just trying to spruce up a faded tube, then painting might be a viable option for you.

We restored & painted the tubes of 2 Willard 7M's that have been used on the TV show "The Last Ship" for the last 2 seasons and the tube paint has held up well despite the rough handling...

[kiwiboyd]

My old protector had painted tubes, the tubes were 15yrs old and excellent condition because of the added uv protection

[1eyedjim]

i wonder if i could legally fit a gun to the front of my rib lol

Originally Posted by capntroy

If the tube is getting "threadbare," then I'd say that it's no longer a candidate for repainting, but if you're just trying to spruce up a faded tube, then painting might be a viable option for you.

We restored & painted the tubes of 2 Willard 7M's that have been used on the TV show "The Last Ship" for the last 2 seasons and the tube paint has held up well despite the rough handling...

[Blue Man]

I have a 1996 Nautica 18' and retubing isn't an option. (Nautica is no longer in business). I have some issues with some tubes getting a little softer after a day or so.

I've been exploring the idea of painting with Tuff-coat. Has anyone here painted with Tuff-coat? It is supposed to be better than just paint, fills pinholes better and provides added protection. Someone else mentioned a specific paint from Wing which I hadn't heard of before.

Any thoughts on these options? Anyone have any experience?

[ncp]

The paint from Wing is for PU tubes, not hypalon.

I believe that Ryan Pratt used Tuff Coat on his bright yellow tubes and said it works as advertised.

[Blue Man]

Thanks for the quick reply. I'll take a look at his posts and see what I can find.

[Bigtalljv]

Is the paint good for leak repair? I used the internal sealant on my 7m tubes. Seems to have worked well.

Jason

[Blue Man]

I think using the internal sealant is called "Casting". That helped my tubes, but they still have some leakage...and they look worn as well.

I think casting should be better if done well because you have the pressure of the air filling the holes rather than trying to fill holes from the outside.

[ncp]

Green Slime? (I think that's what it's called). Supposedly good on hypalon since they're rubber based just like car tires.