Rib trailing

[Millermob]

As we take our rib up to the North West coast of Scotland going round tight cliff roads and past loch lomond, i was wondering what people's opinions were about trailing the boat with the tubes deflated to cut down on the overall beam, do they flap around or crease when inflated again?.

Thanks Freddie

[Brambles]

Originally Posted by Millermob

As we take our rib up to the North West coast of Scotland going round tight cliff roads and past loch lomond, i was wondering what people's opinions were about trailing the boat with the tubes deflated to cut down on the overall beam, do they flap around or crease when inflated again?.

Thanks Freddie

Hi Freddie,

We deflated the tubes when we trailed the boat from Salcombe to Lymington last year. They didn't didn't flap around, even at (ahem) mph behind Martin's Discovery. They didn't crease when reinflated either, so I would give it a go if I was you.


Cheers

Ian.

[Pete7]

Whilst you could deflate them I would leave them up. Have done the Loch Lomond run and all round the highlands towing a rib even the single track roads on the West Coast weren't a problem for a normal sized rib.

Certainly there are always ribs going to Oban for the diving,

Pete

[smithy]

I'm up and down these roads all the time with no problems so are loads of other ribs. Couldn't be bothered with the effort to pump them back up!

[Simon B]

Leave them up, the rubbing strake (if fitted) is in the right position to do its function, also if you do get any accidental contact when down there will be no give and it may be against the hull tube junction.

[Bern Hanreck]

The last past of the Loch Lomond Rd is the worse , the friendly native ribbers advised me to turn left at Tarbert , take the A83 to Inveraray , then the A819 north to cut off the Criarnlarich section . It's about 6 mile longer , but far easier driving & usually faster .

[Millermob]

Thanks very much, i will probably take the longer route.

[CJL]

Awh take the short route on the back roads...............

Black rubbing strakes leave perfect black coach lines down the side of a transit van!

Make white van man slow down in future!!!!!!!!!!!

[Tibs]

I think it depends on the material of your RIB. Hypalon likes to filled up tight, but I wouldn't think that losing some air would be problematic. I wouldn't like to see my tubes flapping around behind the truck. Maybe for slow, short distances.

[Mike B]

Freddie

I trailed mine over the Pyrenees to Northern Spain last year and had a real problem with changes in pressure and temprature over inflating / lowering the tubes. So I tried running with them flat for a while they did tend to flap and I spent more time looking behind than looking at the road so I soon changed my mind and blew them back up.

Personally I wouldn't trail with the tubes down unless they were very well secured.

Mike