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RMR SBDS-140 14′ Drop-Stitch River Raft
Overview
Drop-stitch Rocky Mountain rafts utilize flat 8” thick floors. These inflate firmer than standard I-beam “air mattress” style floors, and provide anglers a place to stand & cast from that doesn't feel unsteady. The drop stitch floor creates an underside that is smoother and better able to slide over river rocks compared to the more bumpy I-beam floor rafts. It also allows the raft to float a bit higher, and less draft means less contact with rocks to begin with. Last, the drop stitch Rocky boats handle better than their I-beam floor equivalents not only due to the decreased draft, but because currents will slide under the boat more easily rather than pushing the raft around.
Weights are slightly lower on the drop stitch floor models, by about 5%, and they also are a bit easier to roll up, though all of the RMR rafts do require some effort in this regard. Pricing is a fair bit higher for the “DS” series due to the increased material costs. Like the I-beam floor models, the drop stitch floors are removable and replaceable should the need ever arise. The only full size RMR rafts that do not have removable floors are the Peak series, but those don't come with a drop-stitch option.
The 14' Rocky Mountain SBDS-140 is 7' wide with 20” tubes, and it comes standard with three removable thwarts. This model is slightly wider than the Tributary 14', which is a competing model, and quite a bit wider than any of the four American made AIRE rafts, allowing for larger dry boxes and wider coolers. Free shipping to commercial addresses or the nearest motor freight hub to you; residential addresses incur a steep upcharge by most freight carriers, so if it has to go to a house you would need to pay the difference – typically between $85 and $120 depending on who services your area.
RMR also has a 16' dropstitch model, the SBDS-160, which is $4,399, though we get very few calls for this model. Give us a ring to check availability on it. RMR does not typically carry a lot of colors in the sixteen foot version.
Specifications
- 44-oz/3000-denier RockShield PVC - professional-grade quality
- Welded I-beams, baffles and seams, triple-fused with welded seam tape inside and out which eliminates the need for glue… and its problems. The best seam technology in the industry–durable, consistent, reliable
- Leafield D-7 valves -The industry’s best
- SBDS-140 comes with 3 thwarts
- Removable RTA System (Rapid Thwart Attachment), simple lace-free design
- Drop-stitch floor
- Stainless steel D-rings & rubberized handles
- 6-year retail & 3-year commercial warranty on workmanship and materials
- Colors: Blue, Gray, Evergreen, Dusk, Lime, Orange, Red, Sandstoned, Waterfall, White and Yellow
SBDS-140 Specs
- 168 pounds
- Length: 14′
- Width: 7′ 1″
- Rise 29"
- Tube diameter: 20″
- Number of Chambers/Valves: 8
- Tubes: 4 Thwarts: 3 Floor: 1
- D-Rings: 12