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Metallic Rub Rail


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Could someone please explain to me what Malibu was thinking when the put on a Metallic Rub Rail. I don't even think the things are stainless but rather chrome. Press that against anything with the slightest bit of hardness and it will scratch and then rust. And what is up with the screws? They grab on everything including clothing. Am I missing something here?

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Personally, I don't care for the stainless rub rails...they are stainless, right? I prefer the blacked out look of the "old style" rubber stuff.

I asked a guy who owns a boat company about the stainless rubrails, he's offering them standard on his boats, and I expressed concern to him that the stainless would dent and ding. He said the theory behind it is that the stainless should be harder than what it hits, thus denting and dinging what it hits.

I'm not sure I buy that, and it doesn't seem to be working for you...

Edited by rts
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When we ordered our RLXi we had them put the rubber rub rail on it as I didn't want something that would dent and then look ugly. However, they wouldn't credit us the $250 up charge that they wanted for the stainless rub rail on the RLX.

/Steve

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Interesting. I didn't even know it was an option. I purchased mine as a 2005 Demo boat so I didn't custom order. I think I would actually even like the looks of a rubber rail more.

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We ordered our 05 with the full rubber black rub rail, never thought about asking for a credit though. Hate the stainless. My neighbor that I share a dock has the stainless rub rail on his Supra and all the guide pole on his side of the dock and his trailer are just chewed up. Rafting up next to him out on the lake can cost a few $$$$ in gel work also.

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I upgraded my old LSV to Stainless. I had an unfortunate occasion where I wound up towing my houseboat with the bu (another story) anyway the two kind of collided the stainless taking the brunt of impact. I had some marks that I got off easily and a huge dent in my houseboat.

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Is the stainless rub rail standard now, or is it still an option?

I just received my 06VLX, it has a SS looking rub rail. I hope this isn't chrome plated steel, that would be very disappointing. Actually, when we loaded the boat on the trailer, after the test drive, I bumped the guide on poles of the trailer. This was very normal with my last boat / trailer. But I noticed that the SS took some visual damage, just scuffing I hope. I'm headed out for the first wax and TLC today...I'll find out.

Dave

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My wife accidentally hit the end of the dock as she was loading the boat on the trailer last year. When I went over to look at the SS rubrail where she had hit, there wasn't a mark on it. I was very impressed. The rubber rubrail on our previous boats would have had a good "hit mark" on it for sure.

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My wife accidentally hit the end of the dock as she was loading the boat on the trailer last year. When I went over to look at the SS rubrail where she had hit, there wasn't a mark on it. I was very impressed. The rubber rubrail on our previous boats would have had a good "hit mark" on it for sure.

This has been my experience so far. The SS is much more forgiving of mistakes like this. But I can see how rafting up to other boats could be a problem. I guess that's what the extra fenders under the seats are for. :)

Oh & it's definitely SS, not chrome.

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If it is Stainless, why would I have a bit of rust where the previous owner scuffed it? Maybe I should just spend some time with a Stainless polish on the spot to see if that cleans it up. Or maybe stainless will rust if scratched?

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If it is Stainless, why would I have a bit of rust where the previous owner scuffed it? Maybe I should just spend some time with a Stainless polish on the spot to see if that cleans it up. Or maybe stainless will rust if scratched?

My family owns a company that manufactures stainless steel kitchen equipment, so I know a little about it.

Stainless Steel will rust, contrary to what most people think.

To be called stainless, the steel needs a minimum of 12% chromium. The chrome in the steel combines with oxygen in the atmosphere to form a passive layer of chrome containing oxide. Chrome atoms and their oxides are similiar in size, so they pack together on the surface of the metal forming a layer that is very stable, and only a few atoms thick.

If the metal is scratched, this disrupts the passive layer and more oxide will form and re-cover the exposed surface, protecting it from oxidative corrosion, which is what you don't want. Oxidative corrosion is what will cause structural issues with the steel.

We are all used to seeing rust (oxidation, to be more specific) on iron, the iron atom is much smaller than it's oxide, so it forms a less tightly packed passive layer, and flakes off (the red stuff).

So in short, stainless can and in fact does "rust" (oxidize). As a matter of fact, it does so immediately upon being exposed to the oxygen in the atmosphere. It's just that the layer of oxidation is chrome oxide, not "red" iron oxide that we associate with rust, and is invisible, but it is protecting itself, as designed. If you have rust after a scratch, there are environmental factors that are not allowing the oxygen to react with the chromium fast enough to get the chrome oxide layer in place. i.e. not enough free oxygen (under water), too much corrosive agents (chloride), a contaminant (like iron) embedded in the scratch that will rust (the red kind) prior to the chrome oxide layer forming, etc.

If you are getting red "rust" on your rubrail at a scratch, it is most likely a contaminant from whatever you hit that is embedded in the scratch which contains iron and is itself rusting, not the stainless, unless you are in a saltwater environment, in which case the entire rail would show signs of oxidation, so I'm thinking contaminants in your case.

I have no idea what type of stainless Malibu uses in their rubrails, but my guess would be a cheaper grade containing more iron -- someone go see if a magnet will stick to your rubrail, if it will then it is not a higher quality stainless like I use (type 304 (18-20% Chromium and 8-10% Nickel) - which is considered surgical, and is not magnetic)

We get these calls all the time, more so now with the trendy stainless kitchen appliances in homes. People are aghast when their refrigerator rusts and/or scratches. Once the plastic is peeled from the front of the appliance, it is a matter of time before it scratches - you can scratch stainless with your fingerprints - and people want me to come "refinish" their $3K fridge, which I can't do because that polish job was done by a machine then covered in plastic throughout the manufacturing process. Have you ever seen a commercial kitchen after about a week of use? The stainless is scratched beyond recognition, but it is still sanitary and structurally stable, which is why they use it. This is difficult to explain to the average homeowner, they care little about sanitation or stability, they want it shiny like it was when the plastic was peeled.

Anyway, I hope I've answered your question about the rusting stainless rubrail, and sorry for the long post, I tried to be breif and I'm sure I've confused a few. If you have anymore questions, let me know and I'll try to answer them.

Edited by rts
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Now that is what I call a reply. Thank you very much. I will use that information in non-boating areas as well (we are re-doing our kitchen this summer).

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Now that is what I call a reply. Thank you very much. I will use that information in non-boating areas as well (we are re-doing our kitchen this summer).

You're Welcome...let me know if a magnetic will stick to your rail when you're polishing out the rust...

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Class dismissed. Wow, that was educational.

Dang, no doubt. I have to admit that I had trouble focusing a couple of times while reading that, but I did make it through. Good info for sure. BTW, magnet = no sticky, at least on mine. So that's a good thing, right? (Still trying to digest that explanation. Biggrin.gif )

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Class dismissed. Wow, that was educational.

Dang, no doubt. I have to admit that I had trouble focusing a couple of times while reading that, but I did make it through. Good info for sure. BTW, magnet = no sticky, at least on mine. So that's a good thing, right? (Still trying to digest that explanation. Biggrin.gif )

Magnet no sticky means higher-grade stainless (less iron content).... that's a good thing!

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Right ...the fact that the stainless they use is non magnetic (iron content replaced with Nickel) is indicitive of higher quality stainless..so you guys should be in good shape, don't fret the occasional surface rust you see, it's most likely contaminants rusting (i.e. if you knick the rail with a screwdriver with some rust on it, you'll remove the chome-oxide layer and leave behind some iron from the screwdriver, and that's what will rust). But you should be able to remove it readily with a little polishing...

And good for Malibu for using the better stuff...I stand corrected...

And sorry about the long post earlier, I tried to explain it in as few words as possible... :)

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