Inner tube source?

[Slik Geek]

I'm looking for inner tubes, such as tractor tire inner tubes that I used to see as a kid. My interest in the tubes is for play in a swimming pool. I'm having difficulty finding a source for tubes about 3 to 4 feet in diameter.

There are tubes available for ski boat towing, but they have attachments for towing as well as handles. I don't want those - these tubes will be jumped on, so I only want a plain, smooth tube surface. Preferably, the valve will turn at a right angle so that it doesn't become an "enema valve"!

Vinyl inner tubes, such as those sold at various stores, aren't durable enough for the abuse my teenage kids and their friends give them.

Any ideas?

[Ed62]

I'd try a tire store. If you don't have any luck there, maybe the maintenance garage at a trucking company would be another good source.

Ed

[Tom Slick]

www.gemplers.com might have what you are looking for.

[LCHIEN]

tractor supply co. www.mytscstore.com
http://www.mytscstore.com/detail.asp...roductID=28402

[blame]

i was going to say tractor supply but LCHIEN beat me too it

blame

[Slik Geek]

Thanks for the fast responses.

Tom - gemplers looks promising. I'm wondering if I can find something with a bent stem.

Loring/blame: All I can find on the tractor supply web site are small tubes, 19 inch max outer diameter (if I am reading the code correctly). Am I missing the right page?

Ed - I was considering a tire store, but I figured that they would look at me and say, "buddy, we changed over to tubeless tires decades ago!"

[LCHIEN]

Thanks for the fast responses.

Tom - gemplers looks promising. I'm wondering if I can find something with a bent stem.

Loring/blame: All I can find on the tractor supply web site are small tubes, 19 inch max outer diameter (if I am reading the code correctly). Am I missing the right page?

Ed - I was considering a tire store, but I figured that they would look at me and say, "buddy, we changed over to tubeless tires decades ago!"

I think you need to check with the local retail store to see what they have available. That's what it says.

[Cheeky]

http://www.sportstube.com/

they aren't cheap, that's for sure. not just here, but on the rivers, and at tire shops

[blame]

Ed - I was considering a tire store, but I figured that they would look at me and say, "buddy, we changed over to tubeless tires decades ago!"

slik greek

not to hijack your thread but in the farming community we still use tubes and bais tires on are implements , OME(original manufactured equipment) on some things just works better then newer replacements , just an example i build batteries in my current job 3 of the types of batteries i make are for old farm equipment and trucks

19L is a small 6 volt rubber cased battery for the early 1950's 8N ford tractor we'll make about 6000 per year
2E is an inline 6 volt rubber cased battery for the early 1930's farmalls F-series tractors we'll make about 4000 per year of this type
29NF is a small 12 volt rubber cased battery for early 1950's ford trucks we'll make about 15,000 in a years time

so back to my point which is what you want is still out there you just need to find the right source but dont think that they just going to look at you and think hey buddy what year are you from just ask for what you need worst that could happen is they say they dont have them

if you cant find them online check you local tire shops on the outskirts of your town closer to the farming community they will have what your looking for i'm sure of it
thou you might not like the price of them some of the tubs can run into the hundreds of dollars but i think you can get what your looking for around $60 ea

again i dont mean to hijack you thread and i hope this helps
blame

[Slik Geek]

http://www.sportstube.com/

Bullseye!! Thanks, Cheeky.

[Slik Geek]

not to hijack your thread but in the farming community we still use tubes and bais tires on are implements

No hijack - you make a relevant point. All I was able to find from online "retail establishments" was small diameter tube tires - perhaps for farm implements, as you suggest. Not the larger ones that were used in tractor tires. I was only able to find manufacturers and wholesale sources for the larger tires.

what you want is still out there you just need to find the right source

Exactly! I knew what I wanted, I was guessing that they were available, I just couldn't seem to find places that sold them. Cheeky's site calls them "sport tubes". I hadn't thought of searching on that term. They aren't really tubes for tires, but that's okay - they are less expensive than real tire tubes.

just ask for what you need worst that could happen is they say they dont have them

It wasn't rejection that concerned me, it was continued lack of success! My previous attempt at a tire place, which catered to a rural community was unfruitful. So I figured it was time to turn to the most resourceful community that I know of... bt3central, of course!

Thanks for your input.

[cwsmith]

That looks a lot cheaper and certainly a lot safer than any tire inner tube. Those valve stems can rip you a new belly button if you're not careful. I recall seeing inner tubes at my local TSC Tractor supply store, but I don't remember the price.

I love these stores, as they are often the source of out-of-the-ordinary hardware and material for those little "Rube Goldberg" projects.

CWS

[Thom2]

My local tire shop stocks a few Tractor Trailer tubes just for people that want them for recreational use. I think they run around the $12 mark IINM (been a few years since I bought any). They have the bent valve and inflate to probably close to the size of that super giant size listed on the sportstube site.

Anybody that sells tractor trailer tires should be able to fix you up. Tubes are still used for repairs when a tubeless tire is in decent shape but just won't hold air.

[Black wallnut]

There are still plenty of Split rims out there on trailers that take 10:00 X 20" tube tires. Any tire with a truck bay will have them and IIRC the price is about what Thom mentioned.

[Slik Geek]

http://www.sportstube.com/

Thought I would post an update...

I received my order of tubes from sportstube. They were surprisingly heavy - the rubber is very thick. Unlike the photographs on the website, they inflated completely uniformly. Haven't tried them out yet, but they appear to be very durable.

Sportstube has a problem with their web software - orders aren't getting shipped. After some days of not receiving my order, I called. They were very apologetic and took the details of my order and promised to ship right away, which they did. If anybody else ordered from them, be sure to follow up with a phone call to make sure all is well.

Thanks again Cheeky.