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DIY Raft Pads - am I nuts?

84K views 170 replies 63 participants last post by  Proslackass 
#1 ·
I'm getting into rafting on the cheap, and after a few runs down the San Juan and Desolation I really want some good pads for the kids to sit on and us to sleep on under the stars. I have a hard time stomaching the 150-300 dollars that companies are asking for pads and I'm looking at making some myself.
My plan is to source some PVC fabric from a local (Salt Lake) company that makes PVC tarps for long haul truckers. They hand heat weld their product so I thought I'd do the same. I would source polyurethane foam (medium/Firm, either 3 or 4 inches thick) from a local upholstery company , or get it off the internet. The pads friends have are just a PVC sleeve, welded together down the seam and at the ends with a C7 valve on the side or in a corner.
I expect I'll need to practice on some scrap PVC material, but after that I think I could get it air-tight. Maravia doesn't guarantee their Silverbacks to be airtight and Jack from Jack's PVC Welding says after a few thorn holes, he doesn't sleep with the valve closed any more. So perfection is hoped for but not essential.
The math works out like this:
PVC fabric: $10
Polyurethane Foam: $25ish
C7 Valve: $20 - I could use a cheaper valve to cut costs but this is for comparison.
Inexpensive adjustable heat plastic welding gun (not industrial quality, I don't need it to be): $50
If successful, the first one would run $105 and every one thereafter would be $55 (or average it, I don't care). I could make the 3 I need for well under the cost of one Maravia Silverback and could make them fit my raft and family.
Has anyone done this? Is there something I'm missing? Thoughts? Suggestions?
 
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#2 ·
You forgot to factor gas to and from any store, wear and tear on your vehicle, and time invested in research and building.

A quick Google search... Cascade Outfitters has AIRE pads for $112. Not a bad price. I paid $75(pro-deal) for a couple sotar pads at the warehouse in 2004, because a single raft guide can't have one awesome sleeping pad... IMO, they are on the "top 5 must haves list" for overnight trips, and when my back goes out at home I sleep on one in the living room. Now that I think about it, my sleeping pads are the best gear investment I've made.

If you're into building them and you have the free time, go for it. It wouldn't be that hard and your plan sounds like mine looks. However, mine have a strip of webbing sewn onto the ends. I assume this is to cover the sharp edge and to prevent separation when rolling. Either way, I would like to see pics of your process if you decide to do it.
 
#4 ·
I haven't made sleeping pads, but I did once sew my own drybags for a couple of bob trailers. You can sew through two layers of PVC and a strap with a regular sewing machine. The key is to buy some heavy duty jeans needles and some upholstery thread and take your time.

When I made the bags I sewed all the joints, then came back later with seam sealer to water proof them. It worked well, until a squirrel chewed a hole in them the second night out. I guess that's what duct tape is for. I got my fabric as scraps from a canvas sign maker, in case that helps you.
 
#7 ·
If you can find PVC for $10 I'd say go for it. I built one for my toddler out of Herculite, 2in foam and a C7 valve. I don't have a welder so I glued the seams with CH-66. It turned out fine. However, it probably wasn't cheaper than finding a good deal on a factory built one.


cowie
 
#8 ·
I like how the OP is thinking - there's a definite upside to custom-fitting to cooler tops or dryboxes; where a standard 6' pad just hangs off the sides and creates one more thing to trip on as you're walking around the boat. Frankly I'd also build a King-sized pad for my pop-up camper.

I'm interested to know how it turns out- good luck & please post pics.
 
#12 ·
Well, from personal experience, if you think you might be nut's, you probably are.
But all kidding aside, think it's awesome you are tackling that project.

My advice from things I've taught myself to do, is spend plenty of time on the research phase of your project, that can save you a lot of time and extra work later( days and days and days :( )

Think jack started out making paco pads, guessing that is probly one of the simpler plastic welding projects to do. By the time you put your time and effort into making sleeping pad's, my guess is you may not save that much, but you will have a preaty awesome skill, and a lot of pride when you go to bed on a river trip!
If you put a lot of value into learning new things and doing stuff for your self, then I say go for it.
 
#14 ·
Thanks for the feedback! Based on feedback from folks that have tried similar projects it seems like it's reasonable to proceed.

So I went down to the tarp supply company (Tarp Fabrics) and they sold me a 3x5 sheet of 18 oz. PVC tarp (same as paco pads) for $5 for me to practice on, so I may be underestimating the cost of the tarp some, but I'm not using raft material so I don't think I'm off by an order of magnitude. (My original post assumed costs for making one, not all the pads) The product comes in sheets as long as I want that are 61 1/4 wide, so it looks like I can roll it over and make the long seam without any trouble. Assuming 3" thickness, overlap for the seam, and some extra space for a little wiggle room inside, that would put my max width at 26 inches which will feel luxurious after using a 20 inch Thermarest.

After calling several local upholstery places it looks like I'll be sourcing my foam off ebay. Who knew foam was so expensive? I'll be using foam like this: 3"x 24"x 72" High Density Seat Foam Cushion Replacement Upholstery per Sheet | eBay or this: 3 x 27 x 82" Foam Rubber Sheet Cushion Replacement | eBay . Based on the prices, I underestimated my foam costs too by 6 to 15 dollars, depending on which I get.

This brings me to the question of valves. I've only used C7 and military valves (Riken Nez Perce - still going strong, don't fail me now! I said I was starting on the cheap. Once I'm out of grad school I hope to upgrade). I can source other valves at much lower cost than the C7. I know it's the Cadillac of valves because everyone uses them all the time, but I don't even need to inflate these. Would a Halkey Roberts or other valve do the same job? Is there a compelling reason to use the C7 or is there some other valve out there that would work well?

I'll be getting the heat gun soon and ordering some foam once I've perfected my technique with the heat gun, so keep and eye out. I'll be happy to post photos. Just don't tell be cheap rafters shouldn't be on the river.... it makes me feel bad.
 
#17 ·
This brings me to the question of valves. I've only used C7 and military valves (Riken Nez Perce - still going strong, don't fail me now! I said I was starting on the cheap. Once I'm out of grad school I hope to upgrade). I can source other valves at much lower cost than the C7. I know it's the Cadillac of valves because everyone uses them all the time, but I don't even need to inflate these. Would a Halkey Roberts or other valve do the same job? Is there a compelling reason to use the C7 or is there some other valve out there that would work well?
I can sell you some used C7's for a low price if you're interested.
Brian
 
#16 ·
Also, if you hit this link: Tarp Fabrics it will show you the colors I can choose from. A friend has a dark green pad and his kids hate it because it gets too hot. What colors do you guys like? If you could make your own pad, what would the color be? The Riken is grey (of course) so I was thinking light Grey, maybe a Yellow, and if I get all kinds of crazy I might do an Orange. From experience, are there colors I should avoid for heat reasons?
 
#19 ·
Also, if you hit this link: Tarp Fabrics it will show you the colors I can choose from. A friend has a dark green pad and his kids hate it because it gets too hot. What colors do you guys like? If you could make your own pad, what would the color be? The Riken is grey (of course) so I was thinking light Grey, maybe a Yellow, and if I get all kinds of crazy I might do an Orange. From experience, are there colors I should avoid for heat reasons?
White is by far the best and coolest color you can make it in. I have both a white and yellow paco pad. If I could do it over again.......both should have been white. The yellow one gets noticeably hotter. My son have the new light grey one and it stays cooler than the yellow one. I don't think they make white paco pads any more. :confused: Go white if possible.
 
#18 ·
If you want to avoid heat, white is king.

Also, I don't know what they are called, but the simple
Little twist valves like your kayak float bags have is what I would use.

Those bigger valves suck to step on and like you said, you won't be pumping them up, you just need them to be able to let air out so you can roll them. Some of the Pacos have two to expedite this. Depending on the foam, some folks leave them open to sleep on or they can be too firm.

If you can figure out cheap lager valves, installing them at opposite corners might help facilitate drying the inside, if they ever get wet in here. With the one valve model, I know folks that have cut them open to let them dry, after getting them soaked due to an open valve or a leak.

Good luck, sounds fun. Custom parts are sweet if done right, though the savings usually aren't as much as initially hoped/ expected.


Sent from my iPhone using Mountain Buzz
 
#23 ·
Dual layer foam!

I had an Aire Landing pad fill up with water and get trashed. After Aire refused to sell me replacement foam I got online and ordered a piece of 2"higher density foam and a piece of medium density foam for comfort. Then I took some spray adhesive (compatable with the foam - 3M I think) and glued the two together for some custom comfort - worked great. The only thing I'd do differently about the project would be to cut across the pad about a foot down from the top and leave about 6" uncut from both sides to make gluing a patch easier. Basically dont cut across the top. 6-7 years later and a ton of river trips, my pad probably needs a redo again but that's well worth $50 of high quality foam when you spend 30 nights a year camping.
 
#24 ·
Thanks for the info. I have been thinking about doing something like that, and I wondered about how the adhesive holds up over time and in the heat of desert sun. It sounds like 7 years later, it's still doing the job, so I may try that.
With the firm foam in it, does it roll up well?
 
#29 ·
That looks pretty awesome!
Have you ever thought of making a cooler bag? You could use
the white material to make a bag your cooler sits in, then you could line it with an insulating material, and leave some drain holes in the bottom. Kinda like a drop bag on steroids that makes your ice last longer.
 
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