Rubrail??s

[fat fanny]

For the last few years I have been considering changing my RR due to its appearance it is still in good shape only 1 or 2 gouges but it is realy discolored and just looks crappy I believe the rail's appearance sets off the looks of the boat. So my ? is does the size you order (width) have to match and do they take into consideration the length of the boat (17.5) in the kits or are they order to length so they are seamless? Also I do want to change out the rail and insert. Any thoughts and or other things I should be looking into to make this determination would be helpfull

 

[highimpact]

Re: Rubrail??s

i have been looking around for rub rails to its not cheap.

 

[Mark42]

Re: Rubrail??s

Taco Metals is a large manufacturer of rub rails. Check their online catalog, then get some prices on the rail. You will find shipping on anything over 6 feet is very expensive. At 6 feet, there are going to be a lot of butt joints in the rail.

An alternative is to remove the old rail, polish it, clear coat it, and reinstall. Or call some anodize shops in the area and see how much it is to have them polished and clear anodized.

Either option is going to be a lot cheaper than new rail.

BTW, I read where clear powder coating is available now too.

 

[kilowatts]

Re: Rubrail??s

Hi Guys:

The only advice I can offer is to outline what I did so you won't make the same mistakes.
I have a 1976 Grew/Slickcraft SS215 cuddy with a factory custom aluminum rubrail. I took it off, sanded, prepped and painted it and it looked great for about 5 minutes! The first time it touched a dock it started to scuff and peel so after one season I decided to re-do it. I removed it and took it to be beadblasted and re-installed it. It took out imperfections and the finish looks and feels good after 2 seasons use. I hope it helps.

kilowatts

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: Rubrail??s

Jewelers Rouge and a drill Polishing kit and work wonders on tarnished aluminum.

http://www.harborfreight.com/14-piece-aluminum-polishing-kit-98707.html

Take a look at what it did on some of my aluminum trim.

For the black rubber use Tire Black to clean it like they use to clean your car tires. It'll look like new. Wipe it down with some acetone first to clean it.

I'm just sayin...

 

[Sixmark]

Re: Rubrail??s

You may also want to look into polishing products for doing truck eims and fuel tanks, as a driver myself I use many of my truck products on my boat. You can find out lots of info just by walking into any truckstop that has a chrome shop and truck wash/detailing facility.

Just ask the shop manager what they use for tanks and rims, keep in mind that many of these products also have protectants that help stand up to road salt and chemicals.....just another plus.

There are also others that are environment friendly, so no residue or film that ends up in the water of your favorite waterways.

 

[fat fanny]

Re: Rubrail??s

Sorry guys I did not metion it is the vinyl, rubber R,R, and yes it is exspensive and I have tried to recondition a section of it but it just isn't making any difference.

 

[Mark42]

Re: Rubrail??s

Sorry guys I did not metion it is the vinyl, rubber R,R, and yes it is exspensive and I have tried to recondition a section of it but it just isn't making any difference.

No, size is not a real issue. Just get something about the same size. If you want to go budget, look at the online auto parts stores like jcwhitney.com and carparts.com. They sell vinyl body side moldings in rolls that will make a reasonable replacement for a vinyl rub rail. Do your homework and spend an hour searching. The vinyl door panel vinyl should hold up to marine conditions nearly as well to a car left outdoors 24/7.

From JCWhitney.com. $64 for a 2 inch tall by 32 foot long roll of self stick body side molding. An excelent alternative to a custom rubber rub rail from Wafco (http://www.wefcorubber.com/extrusions_marine.asp ) for about $300. If you NEED the OEM rubber rub rail, Wafco is the only game in town (as far as I have found).

 

[fat fanny]

Re: Rubrail??s

Man!! I realy didnt realize that they were charging that amount for the rail and insert. I wouild be looking at about 42' roughly if my calculation are right. If indeed I do replace this maybe I should start saving now in time for summer. I think I will explore a couple more refinishing options before I pull the trigger. Thanx for all the input and comments

 

[Yacht Dr.]

Re: Rubrail??s

Have you tried a pressure washer..then Acetone ?

I dont know what color it is though...but acetone works good on old plastic RR's with care..If its just Stained to crapola then Taco will probably give/send you a roll ( seamless with insert ). Dont know about cost though....

YD.

 

[fat fanny]

Re: Rubrail??s

Thanx for the reply doc the insert is teal and the rail it's self is or was black now it's like a greyish black the teal insert has like a edge stain of a dark crud near the rail Ive tried thinner, scotch brite and even scrapping inconspicuous spots w/ razor blade but to no avail maybe the acetone will make a difference???????

 

[Fireman431]

Re: Rubrail??s

Have you tried 'tire black'? It recovers scrub abd wear marks on tires. It might be a little slow going unless you remove the insert first. Also try replacing the original insert with an appropriate sized braided line. You can get those in color as well.

 

[kmarine]

Re: Rubrail??s

I have found many rub rails and other hard to find parts at Kendor Marine aka greatlakesskipper.com They may have what you are lookin for. They are a marine hardware liquidator. A great source for hard to find out of production parts.

 

[jetskier16]

Re: Rubrail??s

If you are looking to replace the rubber bumper part check out Wefco;they claim to make every rub rail.

http://www.wefcorubber.com/extrusions_marine_rub_rails.asp