Rub rail/Beltline insert..... sources?

[KYAvion]

Yes, that’s a no brainer!

[CLM]

Tackling this tonight. We stopped by Cayo on our Michigan/Avion Rally trip in 2017 and bought 150'. Just finished stripping the blue stripe, now to pull the old rubber out and replace it.

[Razorback]

Tackling this tonight. We stopped by Cayo on our Michigan/Avion Rally trip in 2017 and bought 150'. Just finished stripping the blue stripe, now to pull the old rubber out and replace it.

Glad to hear! And, will be glad to see some pics(???)

[KYAvion]

I saw on FB people are using chair vinyl for their rubrail replacement. Apparently the stuff is very hard and has to be heated up to soften as it’s installed.

https://www.sunnilandpatio.com/collecti ... ng-v200-15

[Razorback]

I saw on FB people are using chair vinyl for their rubrail replacement. Apparently the stuff is very hard and has to be heated up to soften as it’s installed.

https://www.sunnilandpatio.com/collecti ... ng-v200-15

Now that is very interesting! Not a FB user..... are they being successful with it? Fits good? Looks good? I wonder about shrinkage? (Can't be much worse than the original stuff, huh?)

[KYAvion]

Not sure how much it shrinks over time. I read one person estimated he spent around 3 hours to do the 2 continuous runs around the middle. I guess the stuff is extremely hard so it requires gradual softening with a heat gun to get it installed.

[jeff]

I tested a 2 inch wide by 2 foot long strip of this vinyl over the weekend and liked the results. You do have to notch it at the end and where the bottom rivets secure the molding pieces to get a perfect fit. I did also cut another 2 foot piece to 1.5 inches wide but did not think it set in the rail as firmly. 1.75 inches to 2 inches fits pretty well and gives a similar factory profile.

My existing rub rail is coming out on all four corners of my Avion. So I bought 200 feet of it for $60, plus another $20 for shipping from a patio furniture supply shop. Going to install this weekend and report back with photos.

[Aviongirl1995]

Is the rub rail necessary or just cosmetic? I was wondering if it would look good just removing the rub rail on mine

[Razorback]

Is the rub rail necessary or just cosmetic? I was wondering if it would look good just removing the rub rail on mine

The insert is cosmetic, I guess you'd say. The fixture itself covers the seam between the upper and lower aluminum panels.

I had toyed with the idea of removing the insert on mine, but then thought of all the dirt and debris those areas would collect and decided otherwise. I will eventually replace the insert.

[jeff]

I installed the top rail today. This is a two inch strip - it was a booger to install and as others have said a heat gun or installing in direct sun goes a long way. It was 95 degrees outside and was still difficult in the shade.

The two inch profile is a little bit larger than the old rub rail, but cannot say if it would be any different when the rail rubber was new and how much is related to shrinkage. I left about 3 inches on the far end to account for any shifting or settling that may occur so have not installed one edge yet.

The piece at the far edge does need to be trimmed so that it will fit under the aluminum lip as it otherwise will not properly seat.

I purchased 200 feet of black vinyl strapping from patiofurnituresupplies.com for $85, including shipping.