# Dry Box Width, Tube Damage?



## Treswright3 (May 20, 2013)

Need advice on a dry box size when considering tube rub. Is it Ok for the Box to rub on the tubes? Or, would it be best to leave a little space on the sides?


I have a 13' Sotar Sl and I am looking at a Dry Box. My raft has an interior width of roughly 38" (might be slightly more narrow when pumped up and frame on). I went to look at a dry box the other day and I test fit it into the raft and it fit in but was definitely pushing on the side tubes a little. FYI, I also have d-ring thwart attachments in that area. I have also read the old threads but thought I'd throw it out there again. 

I talked to a guy at Sotar and one said to leave space on the sides or glue on some wear strips while another guy I know that sells/builds boats said his dry box hits the sides and he hasn't noticed any problems. In my old raft I have a big cooler wedged in it for years and I even trailered with it like that without any issues. I am not opposed to gluing on extra raft fabric (wear strips) to reinforce the tubes and I also can easily glue some foam on the bottom and sides of the box to reduce wear. I also would prefer not to take the dry box out of my raft when trailering, I really like leaving my raft loaded so I can simply drop my boat at the put in.

So what do y'all think? Leave space on the sides? let it touch the tubes? put foam or extra raft protection on? Any advice would be helpful, Thanks.


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## [email protected] (Jun 1, 2010)

I'm wedging in a cooler (canyon prospector) and dry box homemade from plywood on my 12' RMR. Have not noticed any problems in fact in helps hold the frame and raft together as a tight unit. Mine are tight enough that I inflate to 1# then wedge in before toping off. Not sure they would come out if I flipped even without strapping in.


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## Learch (Jul 12, 2010)

I have a bright yellow Sotar with a dry box that rubs a little. It leaves some dark marks but hasn't hurt anything in 8 years of regular use. It was set up as a package from Sotar, and the box sits on the floor. I've been eyeing the floor where it sits for years, but hasn't done much but leave some marks.


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## paulster (May 27, 2011)

My box is about 3/4 in wider than the tube-to-tube width on my JPW 16 ft cat. That set up has probably 2-3k river miles on it and is holding up just fine. It has left black marks on the tubes, but no signs of fabric wear and it forms a hard, tight surface to stand on


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## shappattack (Jul 17, 2008)

My box touches on the back corner area on my Aire Super Super Puma. I been using it this way for over 9 years, well over 100 river days. There are some black marks where the boxes touches but no damage at all. But the entire outer hull of an aire boat functions as a chafe strip as it is not the air holding membrane and never concerned me to begin with.

In this picture you can see the black mark left by the corner of the box located where the fishing pole is sitting in the stern dry box bay.

The black marks left by the box are of about the same concern as the marks left by my frame on top of the tube, which is to say, no concern at all. Also - FYI - this boat has never been cleaned other than just hosing off and vacuuming out debris when dry, no scrubbing of black marks what so ever has been done over its nearly 10 years.


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## aman (Apr 24, 2017)

The old adage is that if your worried about rub, put a wear patch on the area and forget about it. 


Feelings are just visitors. Let them come and go.


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