Zodiac tube end of life - what happens - Page 2

Aries · 20 November 2012, 14:41

I had my Zodiac Medline 3 (pvc tubes) retubed in the end. In hypalon. I had an issue where the rear cone seam underneath had been repaired but it failed again after a few trips. I then had the end cones and about 2 ft up the main tube on each side replaced in pvc. That failed again after a few trips - but not on the new "old to new" join, but again in the new seam area of the new cone. Problem was the tubes sit in the water at the back and evidently the constant wear and vibration causes the pvc to brittle - especially on the side with the contra rotation of the engine. Just what I was told could be a reason - sounded plausible to me, but don't bite my head off if it is bollocks.

Bit the bullet and spent the money for a retube in hypalon - was sick of not being able to use it. So far and a fair few miles and no problems. Looks nice as well. Had the cones shortened a bit and rounded more - great job from Ribshop.

By chance bumped into another owner in Christchurch, who had exactly the same problem on his Medline 3 and had gone for a hypalon retube after a couple of patch attempts.

ZodiacDan · 20 November 2012, 18:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by gjayson

Hello,

We have a 2001 zodiac open pro in the Long Island Sound area...........I wondered if anyone has ever successfully patched/repaired this problem to get a few more seasons out of the current tubes?........... Also, what is the cost of full replacement? ...... Many thanks in advance for any help people can provide.
Thanks, GJG

For a Zodiac Pro 470, I believe that new PVC tubes go for around $4000, Hypalon about $6000 (this is from my dusty memory, can anyone verify this?)

ZodiacDan

cgoing · 21 November 2012, 02:41

Zodiac Dan- My PVC tubes were 22 years old when I bought my Pro 530 last year. They were ruined not by failure but rather by someone with a really bad idea. The tubes were leaking and rather than pay to have them repaired properly the last owner decided to go to Home Depot and get expanding foam to fill them with. well he mis calculated and the foam kept expanding and it literally tore the fabric and it expanded and hardened. In over 20 years of working on inflatables that is the only time I have ever needed a sawzall to get tubes off the hull. I have used both tuffcoat and an inflatable paint from Polymarine and both worked well with proper preparation. Unless your seams are failing or the bolt rope is coming off you can probably refinish the tubes and squeeze a few more years out of them. However, that is not a guarantee. Obviously all of us on here can only make educated suggestions and try to make good recommendations as none of us have seen the complete boat.

-Chris

RIBFIXER · 21 November 2012, 09:34

Hi , if the tubes have delaminated there is very little to be done to repair. If the fabric weave is showing then pvc glue will not stick. The only option is to purchase a new collar from your nearest Zodiac dealer and have them fitted by an authorized Zodiac repair station .
Hope this helps and good luck.

Ribshop · 21 November 2012, 11:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZodiacDan

For a Zodiac Pro 470, I believe that new PVC tubes go for around $4000, Hypalon about $6000 (this is from my dusty memory, can anyone verify this?)

ZodiacDan

We sell many Zodiac tubes in the UK and can arrange shipping to the US if required. An original set of Zodiac 470 tubes retail at around £1900.00

tidh · 22 December 2019, 21:08

Hello.
New on this forum.
I know the thread is old but
I have a question for Ribshop or some other member who can point me to solution of my problem (hopefully not too pricey)
Are the tubes for Zodiac still available? I need to replace mine on my zodiac pro420 year 2001. I know it is old one, but it satisfies all my needs. Any suggestions are welcome.
Thank's

Pikey Dave · 22 December 2019, 21:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by tidh

Hello.
New on this forum.
I know the thread is old but
I have a question for Ribshop or some other member who can point me to solution of my problem (hopefully not too pricey)
Are the tubes for Zodiac still available? I need to replace mine on my zodiac pro420 year 2001. I know it is old one, but it satisfies all my needs. Any suggestions are welcome.
Thank's

You can get tubes made for just about any RIB, Henshaws/Tilley/SIT etc (plenty of others are available, these are just off the top of my head & all have a good rep.) will make tubes from scratch to suit your needs & budget.

tidh · 22 December 2019, 21:51

Thank you for quick reply.
I know about custom make, but am not familiar with the quality. I was trying to repair the old ones on some places, but everything felt apart, no matter who made repairs. Also it was quite expensive. So i was wondering if i can still get original one for a normal price.

Sorry for my poor English

mikehhogg · 22 December 2019, 22:02

I had the same model zodiac a few years ago. It had seen only a few hours of daylight and spent nearly ten years under cover in a dark barn. when I purchased it was mint.I couldn't leave it behind. on my third trip on a lake the tubes parted company with the boat and it sunk like a stone in a split second
luckily I was only after launching and there was only two metres of water. I recovered the boat and brought it to a rib repair specialist. To make a long story longer he told me zodiac tubes have a life expectancy of ten years and if he was taking one in a trade it would be refelected in the price. Basically the glue at the rope that secures the sponsons to the hull had aged and parted . New glue and we were away again but its always in the back of my mind that it could happen again,the tubes held air indefinitely,the weak spot were the ropes

tidh · 22 December 2019, 22:26

Now you scarred me.... I hope nobody was hurt.
My rope is the only thing they successfully glued together. In spring i inspected the rope and it looked fine to me. Boat still holds air for a few days, but the the tubes starts to delaminate. We have red paint on all shorts. Also, back flaps and zodiac logos have to be glued every spring. Generally, they are ending their life.
So, i'm on the search for not to expensive new tubes (or red swimwear)

Poly · 31 December 2019, 11:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by tidh

Thank you for quick reply.
I know about custom make, but am not familiar with the quality. I was trying to repair the old ones on some places, but everything felt apart, no matter who made repairs. Also it was quite expensive. So i was wondering if i can still get original one for a normal price.

Sorry for my poor English

Are yours the type of Zodiac tubes that just slide on / off (a rope in a channel rather than bonded direct to the hull?). If so any zodiac dealer should be able quote you replacements. If so it’s also likely that genuine zodiac replacements would be cheaper than hand made parts.

If the tubes are actually bonded to the hull, someone has to cut them off, prep the hull, and refit them and that person really needs to know what they are doing as the new bond is structural. That will push even zodiac mass produced parts up in price significantly, and at that point you may be worth considering alternative tubes - good hypalon tubes will last >20 yrs and the names Pikey mentioned (and a few others) will likely be better quality than the originals!

Whilst you are at it - you might want to check the hull itself if watertight. A well designed rib should remain afloat even if the tubes are all deflated.