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My Outcast Tube has been a delight for almost seven years now. Other than some stitching letting go this summer. (Which was easily fixed.) it has been infallible. Recently, however, there is a situation which is more of an annoyance than a serious problem. If I pump up my right pontoon. (One I had to restitch) it stays very tight and rigid. The left one starts out that way and then backs off to about 2 or 3 pumps with the hand pump and stays that way. I've been carrying a piece of hose to fit over the valve so I can top it up on the water by mouth but in reality I could ignore it and just keep on truckin' as it never loses any more air. It's just that when I press that nice tight right pontoon, it bugs me that I have to add air to get the other one to that state. (Of course you can never equal by mouth the pressure that is attained by using the dual action pump.)
I have had the bladder in the bathtub and there is no evidence of a pinhole leak, although with it being impossible to completely remove the bladder, the area immediately around the valve stem probably didn't get a very thorough check. In my weaker moments I visualize myself "Gooping" the valve stem area.
Anyone ever experience a similar problem with any of your float tubes?
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Ironically, it wasn't until last year that I started to use a dual action pump after I saw how well my friend's worked on his Fish Cat. The pontoons were inflated by mouth for 5 years with no problems. I have been careful not to overinflate but maybe after all these years the bladder is being stressed more by the foot pump than it ever was by the lung power.
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[black][size 3]Hey smallmouth89,[/size][/black]
[black][size 3][/size][/black]
[black][size 3]I think the first place to start looking would be that valve. It sounds like it only has a problem with a certain pressure level - i.e. when the air pressure reaches a certain point, the valve fails until that pressure is reduced to the point that the valve functions again.[/size][/black]
[black][size 3][/size][/black]
[black][size 3]Check that valve and clean it really well. You could have anything from dust/dirt/silt to moss/algea or even mildew. I would use some kind of lint free alcohol swab for that. But I would be hesitant to use a cotton Q-tip as they do shed cotton fibers when used. [/size][/black]
[black][size 3][/size][/black]
[black][size 3]Also, I once had an animal hair(from one of my hounds or maybe even from my cat) lodged in one of my valves(on a white water raft), that was really hard to see, but it was preventing a complete seal. Once I found it, and got it out of there, the valve work as it was supposed to.[/size][/black]
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[size 3]Since you can't submerge it, pump it up real well and then try using a good dish soap/detergent solution around the valve area and look for bubbles. It could also be the seam where the valve is attached - that could be fixed with some kind of silicone sealant or flexible adhesive.[/size]
[black][size 3][/size][/black]
[black][size 3]Just a couple of ideas to ponder.[/size][/black]
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[cool][#0000ff]Without being able to run it through my own "diagnostic", I think I have to agree with houndman. It is most likely a valve problem. Good assessment on the pressure limit thing. The valve just might not hold anything above a certain level without leaking.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Let "bubbles" be your guide.[/#0000ff]
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[#505000]I'm no expert by any means, but I personally think for the price it would be well advised to "retire" a craft after 5 or more years. Although it's probably in excellent shape, I think wear, and tear, exposure to the elements ect... over time would increase the likelyhood each year that something is going to wear out and or fail. I would hope it wouldn't be on the water and I would hope the craft is maintained well enough that a major problem would be caught before anything happened. [/#505000]
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[#505000]I do the math and get the following....[/#505000]
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[#505000]5 years out of a $150 craft is $2.50 a month. [/#505000]
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[#505000]5 years out of a $300 craft is only $5 a month[/#505000]
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[#505000]Again just my two cents but I think after a few years it would be wise to retire an old craft.[/#505000]
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[cool][#0000ff]I believe the same. I have now fished my Super Fat Cat for over 3 years. That is the longest I have ever kept any craft in the "active file". I either sell off the old ones, to discount my new rides or "download" them to family or needy newbies.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]It ain't just a matter of new ride syndrome either. Safety is a BIG issue. No matter how good the quality of your ride, things do wear out and break down over the years...especially when subjected to lots of water, sun and varying temperatures. It is just a bit more comforting to know that you are floating on new materials and not have to constantly listen for bubbles or watch for a sagging cover on your air chamber. The worst case scenario, of course, would be to have a seam on your bladder suddenly give way and dump you into the water. Two air chambers make that less likely, but not impossible.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]By the way, does Katie know about your "five year replacement plan"? Hope it only applies to float tubes and pontoons.[/#0000ff]
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[cool][#0000ff]By the way...how did the delivery of the new fishing partner turn out? And what were the vital statistics? Was it a keeper and how are mother and child?[/#0000ff]
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[cool][#0000ff]Well, a belated congratulations anyway.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]We do hafta drill some holes together this year.[/#0000ff]
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Tube,
Check out Crowley Dogs reponse on this forum.
[url "http://outdoorsbest.zeroforum.com/zerothread?id=557468"]Crowleydog[/url]
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[cool][#0000ff]There are two disclaimers in his response that would keep me from trying that..."someone told me" and "I haven't tried it".[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Not a good idea to put ANYTHING inside your air chambers besides air. Something potentially reactive, like ammonia, could damage the air chambers or the valve components.[/#0000ff]
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I know Crowely Dog from yet another forum. He is an upstanding guy for sure. But, I will tell you, he has been asking me a lot about Pontoon boats lately.
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] I dare say she has several good years left in her!! No sags or wrinkles in the cover yet, but those aren't a big deal. some folks get picky about that stuff but they still operate fine. [/#505000]
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