Hot tubes

[Sonar]

Another question i have is tube colours.

some colours react to the sun so far as inflation goes. and need additional air release valves.

What colour do the forum members recommend for trouble free tubes.

Lighter or darker I was thinking of blue. But not white.

[chewy]

My grey tubes seem to be affected quite alot by the sun regards air expansion.

[Ian M]

Some colours, principally the darker colours, will get heated more by sunlight than others. What this means is that that darker colurs get hotter! Black tubes will get seriously hot. This will heat the air in the tubes more, and according to Boyles Law, the air will expand. Thus pressure relief valves will be more advantageous in dark coloured tubes.
Of course, this years in colour is grey As well is being one of the better colours for minimising the heating effect of sunlight, it suffers the least from the discolouration that hypalon is subject to when left exposed to the elements.
White tubes will absorb the least energy from sunlight, but it is not the most practical colour.

[Sonar]

Originally Posted by Ian M

Some colours, principally the darker colours, will get heated more by sunlight than others. What this means is that that darker colurs get hotter! Black tubes will get seriously hot. This will heat the air in the tubes more, and according to Boyles Law, the air will expand. Thus pressure relief valves will be more advantageous in dark coloured tubes.
Of course, this years in colour is grey As well is being one of the better colours for minimising the heating effect of sunlight, it suffers the least from the discolouration that hypalon is subject to when left exposed to the elements.
White tubes will absorb the least energy from sunlight, but it is not the most practical colour.

Many thanks for the advise i was thinking blue but on reflection grey is o.k.
with a white hull..

[C2 RIBS]

I have Grey Ribeye tubes and they are no problem, The latest boat the Ribtec has dark Blue tubes. I have had these new tubes sun screen treated straight after delivery as the top man who does great boat valetting stated dark blue tubes will fade and should be treated as a norm about 6 monthly

[Sonar]

Originally Posted by C2 RIBS

I have Grey Ribeye tubes and they are no problem, The latest boat the Ribtec has dark Blue tubes. I have had these new tubes sun screen treated straight after delivery as the top man who does great boat valeting stated dark blue tubes will fade and should be treated as a norm about 6 monthly

Makes the Grey tubes look near on maintenance free for a while longer than darker colours..
Thanks for the input.

[250kts]

My last Rib had grey tubes on a white hull, not only looked good in my opinion, but were still as good as new when sold three years later. The only maintainance required was a wash down with a bucket of water plus normal car shampoo after every trip.
I did not find this a chore as it is a great time to give the boat a once over and be thinking of ways to improve or add bits ...

[neilda]

How do you know if the tubes are at the right pressure? Is it just a matter of experience feeling how firm/spongy they are?

I went out one day last year with very flabby tubes which I pumped up, after a couple of hours in the sun they were like concrete - I assume my valves don't discharge the surplus air, but am not sure!

[willk]

Originally Posted by neilda

How do you know if the tubes are at the right pressure?

I'd be surprised if your valves don't have a safety. They don't dump until quite high pressures are reached. I know some owners run their boats quite soft, I'm not a fan of that. I'd say taut, where a hand tap will raise a slight drum effect. However, the tubes shouldn't deform outward from seams or bulge. I'd certainly not pump to this state in shade/cold and then go to a sunny/hot environment - pump in the sun

[Tim M]

Obviously you need to keep an eye on your tubes, but if made well they should be able to handle a fair bit of expansion in the summer. I generally have to adjust them every few weeks as the weather warms up. In the summer I don't generally touch them much unless we suddenly have some weird weather. I used to have an all black boat which got seriously hot in the summer; on really hot days it was uncomfortable to touch the tubes. They would get seriously hard so I would let some air out but never had any troubles with them bursting etc and they weren't fitted with pressure release valves. Black shows salt up really badly, but nothing a quick hose down wouldn't solve. When I sold the boat it was 4 years old and the tubes looked like new, and had only ever been shampooed and rinsed. I now have several blue-tubed boats and they are a nightmare to keep smart!

Like others I very much like grey tubes. They never look dirty even when they are plus don't get too hot.