Sticky tubes on PVC Highfield 310CL

[Edward V]

April 2019 I bought a new Highfield 310CL rib, PVC.
Hanging in the davits during summermonths, stored fully inflated in a shed during wintermonths. Maintained it correctly, cleaned it regularly with well-known brand polish.
this year when I had the RIB up in the davits I noticed that the tubes became more and more sticky in a way that my fingerprints and footsteps stayed well visible and sand and dust sticked to the tubes.

RIB is going in its fourth year of service. Are those sticky tubes common on Highfield boats? Ever heard they use several different factories with better or less quality PVC? Did I chosse the wrong brand?

Thanks very much for your replies..

 

[Deleted member 478]

I could be wrong, but I thought Highfield were made of Hyperlon, not PVC?

What did you clean it with?

 

[Seastoke]

They do a 5 year warranty now, what did you get.

 

[Edward V]

I could be wrong, but I thought Highfield were made of Hyperlon, not PVC?

What did you clean it with?

 

[Edward V]

They make both!
Starbrite, Epifanes, Sjippie..All renowned brands for Cleaning inflatables..Been doing that for 20+ years..
It cant be that…

 

[Edward V]

They do a 5 year warranty now, what did you get.

Only on the hull for as far as I discovered, tubes only 2 years..

 

[burgundyben]

Sounds just like PVC to me.

Hypalon worth every extra penny I think.

 

[Edward V]

Sounds just like PVC to me.

Hypalon worth every extra penny I think.

Yes, but after 3 years??

 

[burgundyben]

Yes, but after 3 years??

I think so, I had one suffer terribly after a single season, promised myself never to buy another pvc one.

 

[Deleted member 478]

Yes, but after 3 years??

The very, very optimistic life of a PVC dinghy is five years. Three years is the norm.

 

[DAKA]

The very, very optimistic life of a PVC dinghy is five years. Three years is the norm.

You can clean the sticky off with Fairy power spray , spray on leave for 10 minutes and sponge off with water.

Traffic film remover also works but not as well

 

[SC35]

The very, very optimistic life of a PVC dinghy is five years. Three years is the norm.

Tell that to my 2016 Zodiac Cadet Aero 270.

 

[Bigplumbs]

The very, very optimistic life of a PVC dinghy is five years. Three years is the norm.

simply not true. Many non hypalon boats last well way longer than that

 

[BruceK]

The very, very optimistic life of a PVC dinghy is five years. Three years is the norm.

Mine lasted over twenty years. Granted looked like a dog's breakfast but I only retired it because the black rubber bits were perishing and no longer could be glued down. The tubes were faultless.

 

[julians]

yeah Ive had various pvc dinghys over the years, they've all lasted well - its never been the PVC failing that caused them to be scrapped. usually the black rubber bits that hold the transom on, the transom itself rotting, or some other part, the tubes have been fine.

No doubt hypalon is better, but its a lot more money.

 

[Bigplumbs]

yeah Ive had various pvc dinghys over the years, they've all lasted well - its never been the PVC failing that caused them to be scrapped. usually the black rubber bits that hold the transom on, the transom itself rotting, or some other part, the tubes have been fine.

No doubt hypalon is better, but its a lot more money.

I am not sure hypalon is better

 

[greeny]

I am not sure hypalon is better

My 5m hypalon rib is now 14 yrs old and kept out in the sun in Portugal all that time except for the winters when it is covered with a rain cover to keep it clean. No sign of any degradation on the tubes at all. The cheaper pvc dinghies I use on the sailing boat are wrecked from the sun within 3/4 yrs if you're not careful. Keeping a cover on them is the cheapest way to protect them or have some "chaps" made and fitted.
Absolutely no doubt that hypalon is much longer lasting but unfortunately is much more expensive initially.