"Stronger" Buckles On Tramps ?

From what I have read so far, it seems like there were problems with the buckles on some people's tramps and that Hobie has upgraded to "Stronger" buckles.

Can anybody put a finer point on that? i.e. exactly what make/model/material were the old and new buckles.

I am guessing they are 1" x 2.5" Fastex buckles, but those things come in various materials/strengths. They all look the same, but can be made out of different stuff.

The ones I just ordered are supposedly made out of "Acetal" which I understand is essentially Delrin.

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2015 AI in "Dune" - "The Grey Pig"
2017 Trailex 450 Trailer
Pre-September 2015 cradles
(anybody want to buy a slightly-used AI SpinKit?)
eMail: [email protected]

Hobie announced the running improvements to the tramp buckles maybe a year ago or more, so I would be confident that your new tramp will already have the stronger buckles

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Tony Stott
2012 Tandem Island "SIC EM" with Hobie spinnaker

I think the bigger buckles started shipping with new tramps during 2014. Most Hobie dealers carry the new straps I would assume ( I know ours does), what I do is just replace my clips as they break with the new ones ( they fit the older tramps). At the very least replace the one on the outer end and the one in the middle of each tramp (I have fallen thru one of my tramps, and almost got left behind), ever since I don't trust them and have installed paracord safety ropes under my tramps. But then again thats just me, once anything fails, I never trust it again and always design and build a fix. My safety is kind of important to me (lol), Yea I'm probably Anal about it.
In my case usually if the first one breaks (from too much weight), the rest snap just like unzipping a zipper, if you can prevent the first one your golden.
FE

I believe Pete isn't buying Hobie's tramps, he's building his own. He's trying to decide which clips to buy from the manufacturer, not Hobie, and is wondering what Hobie uses.

Looking at my tramps now, the plug portion has Duraflex on the center prong, a number 5 on one of the outer ones.

The receptacle is 1 3/4" wide, 9/16" high, 1 1/2" deep excluding the loop that attaches to the tramp, looks like 1 7/8" including the loop.

The plug portion is 2 1/4" deep including the loop.

They use a 1 1/2" wide strap.

Maybe that helps...?

Now we're getting somewhere..... -)

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2015 AI in "Dune" - "The Grey Pig"
2017 Trailex 450 Trailer
Pre-September 2015 cradles
(anybody want to buy a slightly-used AI SpinKit?)
eMail: [email protected]

Pete, did you ever make your DIY tramps?? If so, how did you get on, and which buckles did you go for if any, or did you use lashing? Fraser

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2015 Tandem Island - Golden Papaya "HALIBOO"
(retired) Outback - Hibiscus Red

I made version 1.0 using 5 ITW 1.5" buckles - bought on eBay, can't find them now.

At the buckle end, the mesh is sewn around a fiberglass rod and the buckle straps loop around that though slots melted in to the mesh.

https://picasaweb.google.com/1081497986 ... 6384953378
https://picasaweb.google.com/1081497986 ... 8520740066
https://picasaweb.google.com/1081497986 ... 7868013730

Bounced my 210# on it a few times on dry land (for maximum shock load....) and it held up.

It makes deep water re-mounts easier and the paddle stash is more convenient than reaching behind me to slip it under the aft bungees....... OTOH, when re-mounting, one could break the paddle if they were not careful to avoid sitting on it.

One thing I discovered was that it is important to distribute the load over multiple buckles. The mesh and the rod seem to accomplish that.... When I dummied up a single long strap/buckle and sat on it it failed immediately.

Release 2.0 will be a net - like a cargo mesh on the back of a truck.
e.g. http://www.uscargocontrol.com/Van-Trail ... AgvC8P8HAQ

...Sewn from 1.5" webbing but still teminated around the fiberglass rod with buckle straps pulling on the rod.... hopefully that will maintain the load distribution across multiple buckles and the net instead of woven mesh will reduce the barn-door effect in heavy air while still facilitating re-mounts in deep water and providing a place to lay stuff and stash the paddle.

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2015 AI in "Dune" - "The Grey Pig"
2017 Trailex 450 Trailer
Pre-September 2015 cradles
(anybody want to buy a slightly-used AI SpinKit?)
eMail: [email protected]

I like the idea of making the tramps out of a net like the truck cargo mesh. I've been playing with an idea of making a net that would mount between the haka and the hull, mainly just to hold gear. The rope of the net would be woven like a hammock but in a pattern of squares that are parallel and perpendicular to the hull. This net would be laced to the akas, eliminating the buckles, and if made in the right way, I think it would allow the amas to be folded in and out without removal of the net. I haven't tried this yet, but I think it would work.

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-- Chad | 2014 TI

Thanks Pete, I'll post some pics if I manage to get all the bits together...

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2015 Tandem Island - Golden Papaya "HALIBOO"
(retired) Outback - Hibiscus Red

Here's v2.0 as it is so far: https://picasaweb.google.com/1081497986 ... 9024593074

The three purposes of this thing:

• Facilitate deep-water remounts by letting the user sit on an ama, heave butt up on to the tramp, and then roll over to the main hull.
  .
• Server as a paddle stash. (bungee paddle keeper to be added to fore aka)
  .
• Not to create enough Barn Door Effect to be a problem in heavy air.

The function of the fabric rectangle is to spread the load and hopefully prevent putting all or most of 210# on one buckle (which has been demonstrated to break same...)..... That function *might* be fulfilled by the cross straps, but I didn't want to find out the hard way that it wasn't, so I played it safe and added the rectangle of solid mesh.

The D-rings between fore-aft straps and the bit of fabric that serves the end buckles were my wimp-out for insufficient sewing skill and lack of fabric laying skills. i.e. the straps had to be exactly the right lengths so that none of them sag while others are taut and sewing them precisely enough to the rear fabric strip seemed improbable - because there is something about this trampoline fabric that I don't understand: mark a perfectly-straight line, cut a perfectly-straight line, fold and baste a hem on that line, dublecheck to make sure it is still perfectly straight, sew that line.... and the result comes up with a curve in it....... so I put the D-rings in to allow tuning.

So far, it's passed the dry-land 210#-butt test....

Also, I find it more ergonomic than the solid-mesh implementation because when I go to grab a handhold, it's easy to grab on to the webbing anywhere on the tramp - as opposed to having to find an edge of the solid tramp.

Finally, the mesh area gives a little body - making it easier to roll up for storage on the fore aka: https://picasaweb.google.com/1081497986 ... 8156300914

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2015 AI in "Dune" - "The Grey Pig"
2017 Trailex 450 Trailer
Pre-September 2015 cradles
(anybody want to buy a slightly-used AI SpinKit?)
eMail: [email protected]

Very nice! They should definitely reduce the barn door effect. If you hike out, you can also put you feet through the mesh for stability and lean way out!

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-- Chad | 2014 TI

Come warmer weather I am looking forward to trying this thing in "Outrigger Canoe" mode - i.e. run it with just the ama that has the tramp on it.

On the outrigger canoe I had before this AI, I enjoyed the feeling of playing my body weight against the tipping moment of the sail to fly the ama or, at least, keep from capsizing.

Also, I found that the occasional capsize added to the enjoyment...... (Go figure on that one...)

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2015 AI in "Dune" - "The Grey Pig"
2017 Trailex 450 Trailer
Pre-September 2015 cradles
(anybody want to buy a slightly-used AI SpinKit?)
eMail: [email protected]

Pete, looks great and I can sympathise with the lack of sewing ability !! I will def end up with a bit of a barn door as I have made mine out of solid tarp since I had accuired some already. I see it as a cheap 'trial' and can't wait to try them out. I will post pics when finished...

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2015 Tandem Island - Golden Papaya "HALIBOO"
(retired) Outback - Hibiscus Red