Next step?

BogMonster · 19 August 2006, 16:07

Some of you may remember a while ago I mentioned on another thread that I had an idea for a type of pressure relief valve which is basically a screw-on addition to existing inflation valves, so that somebody like me who has got a RIB with no relief valves in it can quickly and easily add overpressure protection in a few moments, without having to take a carving knife to the tubes to add separate PRV's. The idea being that you can leave the boat fully inflated without having to have kittens about the tubes going pop every time there is a warm sunny day.

Well I did a bit of a sketch of my thoughts and sent it off to Leafield Marine , who manufacture the valves in my Humber. Two weeks on....

Nothing. Not a peep. No "Dear Sir what a wonderful idea thank you for your input, we'll think about it and get back to you", not even a "Dear Sir what a daft idea now # off!" which is a bit depressing since I thought it was a really good idea...

Has anybody got any thoughts on where to go next with this idea, apart from valve manufacturers? It is such an obvious idea and would be so simple to make if you had any sort of manufacturing capability that I am sure would sell by the truckload - there must be thousands of RIBs out there without separate pressure relief valves who's owners would fork out a few quid for the peace of mind - I know I would....

I'm not even seeking to make any money out of this idea, I just want to be able to get a set for my own RIB...

Anybody in the tube business who wants more info on the idea let me know

bedajim · 19 August 2006, 16:39

Would you want it to be permanently fitted or just when the rib is left unattended to stop the tubes splitting?

I was just thinking that it will stick out into the boat if left on, how are you thinking of attaching it as my valves only have a thread for the cover?

James

BogMonster · 19 August 2006, 16:51

Fitted all the time probably, but they wouldn't need to be as it would be a 2 minute job to remove all 5. With what I am thinking of I don't see that it would need to be particularly intrusive.

The main point of the idea is to prevent the pain in the butt that I currently face with having to let air out of the tubes if I am leaving the boat (whether in or out of the water) "just in case" you get a warm sunny day - my tubes, while they are orange, have big black patches on the inside (think the original owner specified them for divers to sit on) and they rapidly heat up and get quite hard in the sun, so if you leave them at a good "working pressure" after being out on a dull day and then the following day it is blazing sunshine, they get way too hard. Letting them down and pumping them up all the time is a pain especially if you just want to go for a quick blast one evening after work.

If I don't have any success in getting anybody to bite then I'll post a diagram of what I am thinking in a week or two but while I'm not seeking money out of this I am hoping if somebody takes the idea and puts it into production they might give me a free set

Also the diagram I currently have is based on one I downloaded from the Leafield site and if I publish it on a website without their permission they might grumble... so I'll have to re-do it from scratch.

Hightower · 19 August 2006, 18:29

I think it is a very good Idea for after market sales. Go and approach Quicksilver or someone that deals in after market sales. Are you sure that these have never been designed before? If not how would you protect yourself from someone copying without the expense of a Patent?

Also the market might be a limited one, as don't all RIB's manufactured today have pressure relief valves fitted as standard.

You make em, I'll by em as my RIB needs some.

BogMonster · 19 August 2006, 19:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hightower

I think it is a very good Idea for after market sales. Go and approach Quicksilver or someone that deals in after market sales. Are you sure that these have never been designed before? If not how would you protect yourself from someone copying without the expense of a Patent?

Also the market might be a limited one, as don't all RIB's manufactured today have pressure relief valves fitted as standard.

You make em, I'll by em as my RIB needs some.

To be honest I'm in the same position as you, I just want to get some, not bothered about patenting the idea and I don't want to get involved with the manufacture. If push comes to shove and if I could find some minature 3psi blowoff valves I could probably modify the inflation valves in the boat but it would be a bit of a bodge up.

I have done a fair bit of searching on the Web and all the PRV's I have seen seem to be the separate ones (like the Leafield A6 here ) as fitted to many RIBs alongside the inflation valves.

I don't know about other manufacturers but Humber don't fit them as standard even now, I have an export price list I got from Humber in March just before I bought this when I was wondering if I could afford a new one (I couldn't) and it is quoted as a £145 option in the price list. My Destroyer is not that old - built in 2000 - there must be a lot of RIB's out there as old or older which are in the same boat (excuse the pun

) so I reckon there's a market there.

Hoping somebody from Henshaws or a similar firm will come along and say "great idea, we'll make them, oh and since we'll sell thousands, have a free set for being a genius"

Pete7 · 19 August 2006, 19:28

Unless you have dark coloured tubes there just isn't a need in this country if the owner has a bit of common sence. Can't see you needing them in the FI either. Its a rib, stop worrying about it and just use it

Pete

BogMonster · 19 August 2006, 19:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pete7

Unless you have dark coloured tubes there just isn't a need in this country if the owner has a bit of common sence. Can't see you needing them in the FI either. Its a rib, stop worrying about it and just use it

You'd be surprised - the sun here isn't peering through a N Hemisphere smog!

Anyway I have already had enough exploding tube problems in the first six months of ownership - so anything that prevents other possible explosions is worth a few quid to me

ian parkes · 19 August 2006, 23:34

Was only wondering this week as i pumped up the tubes again if there was a retrofit PRV ,
I for sure would buy some for my rib

pete I have to disagree with you . I had a honda SIB with very light grey tubes and that needed pressure letting out on the hot days . I did check it with the pressure guage on a few ocasions and the pressure was getting higher than max .
The rib I have now with red tubes gets even hotter even under its cover and the black wear patches get almost too hot to touch .

Hightower · 20 August 2006, 00:30

Sorry Pete, I have to agree as well. It's really a peace of mind thing, but with me I trailer my boat and leave it up a fairly sheltered drive that is a sun trap. Couple that with a tarp that goes over and an older RIB and you get the picture. I always let a little pressure out the tubes between trips and although I haven't used my RIB this year I still found a need to let air out over the couple on really hot days we had last month.

For me it's not too much trouble to pump up the tubes a bit but I only have three Valves.

Nos4r2 · 20 August 2006, 00:36

^^ same as that.

Pete7 · 20 August 2006, 07:43

okay some different views, however if the tubes are set to be hard on a hot day then they might be a little soggy when its cloudy but adjusting them a couple of times a year isn't a harship surely. The only boat with black tubes I have owned was a little Sparrowhawk. Tubes were always leaking and nearly flat due to the blow off valves leaking all to time and it needed pumping up every trip a real pain. To solve this we used diving clyinders with an A clamp and a piece of hose taped on. The real solution was lighter coloured tubes though.

Pete

Hightower · 20 August 2006, 11:44

Well don't blow your RIB up this way: http://www.zippyvideos.com/872551029.../blowing_boat/

BogMonster · 20 August 2006, 12:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hightower

Well don't blow your RIB up this way: http://www.zippyvideos.com/872551029.../blowing_boat/

Superb

BogMonster · 21 August 2006, 11:32

BTTT as its Monday and the trade folks are likely to be online

jyasaki · 21 August 2006, 22:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pete7

Unless you have dark coloured tubes there just isn't a need in this country if the owner has a bit of common sence. Can't see you needing them in the FI either. Its a rib, stop worrying about it and just use it

Pete

Another dissenter, Pete.

My Polaris has light grey tubes, and will go from sagging to too-hard with the heat of the northern California sun.

Which is nothing compared to trailering the boat from the SF Bay area to Lake Tahoe (sea level to 6200 ft by way of an 7400 ft pass.) First had to stop a couple of times int he central valley, as temps soared to well over 100F (from about 70 at home), then about every thousand to 1500 feet as I climbed the Sierras. Topped the pass, and had to stop a couple of times to put enough air in to keep the tubes from flapping in the wind. Reversed on the way home (except it was night, so central valley heat wasn't an issue.)

jky