When replacing your rub rail insert it is important to find the right replacement for the job, but how do you do that? In today’s quick tip, we are going to look at how to measure your rub rail’s profile so you can determine the exact replacement you need.
Many customers often try to do an exact replacement of their rub rail insert by looking for the rub rail that was made specifically for their boat’s year, make and model, like you would for a car. Unfortunately, this information is hard to come by as most boat manufacturers use the materials that they have on hand – only ordering new materials when they are running low. This means that the same year and model boat could have a variety of different rub rails and rub rail inserts.
With the universal nature of the boating industry, the best way to figure out which rub rail insert will fit your boat is pull a portion of the insert out of the rail. Then you will measure the height and width of the seal. The height is from top to bottom, and the width is from left to right.
After noting your dimensions, refer to the shape of the “profile” of the seal. We typically refer to the profile or “cross section” of the seal.
Once you have the dimensions, and the profile of the seal, you can match that profile to one of the replacement rub rail inserts we offer on our website or print catalog.
Once you found the right replacement insert for your project, you will need to consider the length (or footage) for what you need to replace your rub rail insert. Our made-in-the-USA marine grade EPDM rub rail insert replacements come in a wide variety of sizes to fit all types of boats from the smallest dingy to the largest cruiser. We offer lengths of 20ft up to 300ft!
To estimate the length of the insert you will need – take a measurement of the length and width (beam) of your boat. Multiply the length of your boat by 2 and add the beam width for the total.
What if you don’t need to replace the whole insert? No problem. We offer repair kits too that are meant to fill in any gaps or cracked sections that may have occurred over the years. Repair kits come in the same popular profiles that our replacement kits come in. In these kits you will receive a pre-cut length of the seal of your choosing, a tuck tool, Loctite Superbonder 495, and an instruction sheet. The reason Loctite is included in this kit is to provide additional seamless support when you apply your new seal.
When you purchase a rub rail insert (or any other rubber parts) from Steele Rubber Products, you are covered under our 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Additionally, you have access to our Product Specialists and other knowledgeable weatherstripping pros that are here to help answer any questions you may have about our products.
At Steele, we’re more than just high-quality products, we’re your trusted resource for completing your weatherstripping projects with confidence.
Whether you’re working on a classic car or truck, street rod, RV, or boat, our expert team is here to help. If you have questions about weatherstripping or need product guidance, we’re just a call or click away.
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