We may earn a referral commission from some links on this page. It doesn't change your price or our recommendations.
VETUS · tunnel thruster · bow or stern
VETUS RD160 RIMDRIVE: specs, price and the boats it fits
It gives 353 lb (160 kgf) of push. It runs on 48 V.
- Haul-out to install
- DIY 2 of 5: wiring prep only
- 3-year warranty
Not sold in the US right now. No US store or distributor lists the VETUS RD160 RIMDRIVE: we checked Defender, Fisheries Supply and Citimarine on 15 October 2026. Its specs and parts stay here for owners of boats built or bought abroad. For one to buy here, see the models on the VETUS thruster review that have a US price.
Quick stats
- Thrust 353 lb 160 kgf, VETUS's rating
- Boat length Not published See our sizing below
- Price per lb of thrust Not worked out It needs a price and a thrust figure
- Voltage 48 V As sold
- Battery at 48 V 750 CCA Four batteries, near the thruster
- Run limit Not published Ask the maker before long use
- To install it Haul-out The boat comes out of the water
- Anodes No US price The parts list names them
About the VETUS RD160 RIMDRIVE
The RD160 RIMDRIVE is VETUS’s most unusual thruster: the motor drives the blades from a ring around the edge of the tube, so no motor housing sits in the water flow. It gives 353 lb of push on 48 V with proportional joystick control, and VETUS lists its run time as unlimited.
VETUS publishes no price; dealers quote it. A Tollycraft owner contracted for a pair of RIMDRIVE units in 2018, with their own 48 V banks, chargers and dual controls, and the whole job ran to tens of thousands of dollars. Around the unit you’ll need a tube, a control panel, a main switch and fuses, about $635 to $1,634. Check the full parts list.
Read more
It runs from four batteries wired in series, and the yard sets the tube well down in the bow, as its manual asks. It’s ignition protected, so it can go in a gasoline boat. VETUS prints no boat length for it, so check the fit section against your boat.
The full spec sheet for a yard sits lower down, and the VETUS thruster review covers VETUS’s whole range.
Where this summary comes from (5 sources, read 12 October 2026)
- VETUS webshop, RD160
- VETUS RIMDRIVE installation manual 020574.03 (RD125, RD160)
- Trawler Forum, "Considering a bow thruster: best choices", 2018 (Tollycraft 53 RIMDRIVE pair)
- VETUS Maintenance and Warranty Manual for thrusters, 020901.02
- VETUS warranty policy (three years since 2011, claimed through the dealer)
Will the VETUS RD160 RIMDRIVE steer your boat?
75 FT TRAWLER · BOW · 15 KT WIND
Every knot figure here is wind speed, not boat speed or current.
On a 75 ft trawler the VETUS RD160 RIMDRIVE (353 lb) steers her in a 15 knot breeze. Her bow needs about 375 lb from a tunnel to steer her in a 15 knot breeze. Its 353 lb lands within 15 percent of that figure, which this site counts as enough.
The finder leaves it off her list. We found no US store that sells it, and the finder lists only units you can buy here.
The VETUS RD160 RIMDRIVE on a trawler, by length
- 25 ft43 kt
- 30 ft36 kt
- 35 ft31 kt
- 40 ft28 kt
- 45 ft24 kt
- 50 ft22 kt
- 55 ft20 kt
- 60 ft18 kt
- 65 ft17 kt
- 70 ft16 kt
- 75 ft15 kt
- 80 ft14 kt
Outlined: the finder does not list it at that length (under 13 kt, far more than she needs, or outside VETUS’s own length range).
- Under 10 kt
- 10 to 15 kt
- 15 to 20 kt: the sweet spot
- Over 20 kt: more than she needs
Prices are the low end of the installed total, from our estimate. For your own boat, drive and installer, the finder prices each unit.
Is it right for your boat?
Every kind of boat it fits, by length
| Boat | Full thrust at 15 knots | Still a fit, in lighter wind |
|---|---|---|
| Pontoon & tritoon | Not listed. A pontoon has no hull body between the logs to bore a tunnel through, and nobody sells one for these boats. | |
| Sailboat | 53 to 76 ft | 77 to 80 ftfull thrust to about 14 knots at 80 ft |
| Houseboat | 39 to 56 ft | 57 to 64 ftfull thrust to about 13 knots at 64 ft |
| Catamaran | 60 to 80 ft | None |
| Trawler | 52 to 75 ft | 76 to 80 ftfull thrust to about 14 knots at 80 ft |
| Motor yacht | 52 to 75 ft | 76 to 80 ftfull thrust to about 14 knots at 80 ft |
| Bass & flats | Not listed. Nobody sells a tunnel kit for these hulls, and a bass boat’s shallow planing bow has almost no depth to hold one. | |
| Wake & ski boats | Not listed. Nobody sells a tunnel kit for these hulls. | |
| Express cruiser | No length. More thrust than the boat needs. | |
| Center console | No length. More thrust than the boat needs. | |
The VETUS RD160 RIMDRIVE against each kind of boat, in a 15 knot wind. Our sizing, from the finder’s own rules.
The first column is where one unit gives all the thrust the boat needs in 15 knots. The second is where the finder still lists it: the unit steers her in a 13 or 14 knot wind, within 15 percent of the 15 knot breeze this site sizes for. On a boat shorter than the first column’s shortest length, the unit is more than the boat needs.
How we size it
Our figure is the longest boat one unit can steer in a 15 knot wind. It is a range because each kind of boat catches the wind differently. Here a houseboat gets full thrust to 56 ft, and a catamaran to 80 ft.
The table tries the VETUS RD160 RIMDRIVE on each kind of boat, at every length that kind of boat is built in. The wind is 15 knots and the rules are the finder’s own. A length counts as a fit when the unit gives the thrust that boat needs at the bow. VETUS publishes no boat length, so thrust alone decides.
It is sized for five kinds of boat here. For your own boat, the finder gives an answer that also counts your drive and who does the installing. The compare page sets this unit beside others.
What it costs installed
No US dollar price is published for the VETUS RD160 RIMDRIVE, so we build no total for it. The yard’s share of the job is on the cost page.
The sizing and the costs on this page are estimates, for guidance only and without warranty. They are no quote, and nobody has inspected your boat. Check them against the maker’s manual and your yard before you rely on them. Terms of use.
DIY breakdown
DIY levels
- Level 5: Owner install. No yard, no electrician.
- Level 4: You install it, electrician connects. You mount and wire it; a marine electrician makes the final connections.
- Level 3: Split with the yard. The yard does the below-waterline part; you do the wiring.
- Level 2: Wiring prep only. The yard installs the unit and does the hull work; you do the wiring prep.
- Level 1: Yard job. A qualified professional does all of it.
You Yard Electrician. The bar is labor hours; a haul-out is a note.
How we rate DIYYou: 4 to 16 hours Yard: 32 to 70 hours Electrician: 2 to 4 hours Plus a haul-out.
Your part needs:Heavy battery cableCrimping big lugs
Every step, and who does it
- Cut, bond and fair the tunnel; fit the gear leg, motor and propeller Yard 32 to 70 hours The low end is two crew over two days, the job as owners describe it on the forums. The high end rises with boat length between two real billed figures: 32 hours at 35 ft, and the largest invoice we hold, 70 hours at 47 ft.
- Mount the battery box, switch and fuse holder; run and secure the cables You 4 to 16 hours Our estimate. No maker times this step, and a first-time owner is slower than a yard, so the range is wide.
- Final connections at the battery and the motor, load test Electrician 2 to 4 hours Our estimate. Nobody publishes a time for the final connections and test on their own.
A qualified marine electrician should make the final connections and test them before first use. Hours are labor only.
Related videos
One of VETUS’s own videos, from its YouTube channel. They play only when you tap. A maker’s video is its pitch, so take any claim back to the figures on this page.
Know before you buy
What sets this model apart, what it costs to keep, and what to weigh.
Price per pound of thrust
There is no US price to divide by its thrust.
Controls
The solenoid switches and the 5 A control fuse are on the motor. The panel, its cable, the main fuse and switch are bought.
Anodes
We found its anode in VETUS’s parts list, with no US price. The parts below name it.
They sit below the waterline, so a change means a haul-out or a diver.
Service and warranty
VETUS gives 3 years, or 1 for professional use, and it transfers to the next owner. Claims go through the dealer only. It is void unless an authorized VETUS dealer does the periodic maintenance, and transport, labor and lifting are excluded.
See VETUS’s warranty VETUS's warranty policy.Special mentions
Battery: at 48 V it wants four batteries of 750 CCA or more, VETUS's figure. The cheapest that meets it is the Optima BlueTop SC27DM Group 27 AGM, $359.99. Check your own bank.
Charger: a NOCO GEN5X2 two-bank shore charger, $146.41. It is the one our estimate prices.
VETUS sells it for either end, so it can go at the bow or the stern.
Dealer prices at Fisheries Supply, read 26 October 2026.What to weigh
The boat comes out of the water to install it: it needs a tunnel bore below the waterline.
VETUS publishes no boat length for it. The boat table is our sizing alone.
No US dollar price is published for it, so we can work out no installed cost.
Parts for the VETUS RD160 RIMDRIVE
See the VETUS RD160 RIMDRIVE manualSearch for the number as printed here, with no spaces. Prices are each dealer’s on the day shown, before shipping and tax. Check the plate on your motor before you order: some parts change with the tunnel size, the voltage or the year.
For the install what the box leaves you to buy
The manual button above opens it on the maker's site. It has the hull, wiring and fuse figures for this model.
From VETUS’s RIMDRIVE RD125 and RD160 installation manual 020574.03 r1, February 2017, read 25 October 2026.
- In the box
- The manual prints no box list. The main power fuse sits in the connection unit.
- Bought separately
- The tunnel, the main switch (BATSW250 or BATSW600), the main fuse (ZE) and holder (ZEHC100), the cable, the control panel and its cable.
- Charging
- This manual says nothing about the battery or charging. VETUS's BOW and BOW PRO manuals want the thruster on its own battery or batteries, close by so the power cables stay short.
In VETUS’s words, from the BOW45D installation manual 020573.03 r6, page 22: “We also recommend that each bow thruster is powered by its own separate battery or batteries.”
A yard job adds these parts on top of the unit: $635 to $1,634 for the priced ones, at Fisheries Supply’s prices on 30 September 2026 and 26 October 2026, plus the batteries, cable and charger. The cost page has what every maker says about each part.
Outside the hull replacement parts in the water
Anode, aluminum
The metal that wears away in the water so the drive does not. VETUS calls it “Anode aluminum for RD160 or EPOD”.
The maker lists this part by a name that covers this model, not by the model itself. Check it against your serial number before you order.
Propeller shaft cover
The propeller on the drive. VETUS calls it “Prop. shaft cover for RD160 and EPOD”.
The maker lists this part by a name that covers this model, not by the model itself. Check it against your serial number before you order.
Tunnel rubber end piece
VETUS calls it “Tunnel rubber end piece RD160”.
The maker lists this part by a name that covers this model, not by the model itself. Check it against your serial number before you order.
Inside the boat replacement parts on board
Controller
The electronics that run the motor when you press the panel. VETUS calls it “Controller for RD160”.
The maker lists this part by a name that covers this model, not by the model itself. Check it against your serial number before you order.
No part matches. Try the number without spaces, or the part’s name.
Spare part numbers come from VETUS’s parts pages and manuals. A dealer may sell a part we have not priced. Search for the number.
Other sizes and close alternatives
- Size down VETUS Bow Pro Boosted 150 331 lb · $7,018
- Size up VETUS Bow Pro Boosted 180 397 lb · $7,749
- Other maker Sleipner SE130/250T 352 lb · $5,670
- Other maker Lewmar 250TT GEN 2 308 lb · $4,949
- Other maker Max Power CT165 408 lb · $3,684
The other makers listed are the nearest match each makes, of the same style and for the same end, within a quarter of its thrust. The compare page lists every model, and the thruster index lists every model with a page here.
For the yard and the installer
Every published figure, with its source.
Full spec sheet
| Thrust and motor | |
|---|---|
| Thrust | 353 lb (160 kgf) As printed: 160 kgf |
| Motor | 9.5 kW |
| Voltage | 48 V |
| Run limit | Not published |
| Installation | |
| Type | Tunnel, fixed mount |
| End of the boat | Bow or stern |
| Tunnel diameter | 250 mm |
| What it does to the hull | Tunnel bore below the waterline |
| Haul-out to install it | Yes |
| Maker’s boat length | Not published |
| Price and ordering | |
| Price | No US price published |
| Part number | RD16048 V, 48 V DC |
| Documents | |
| Manual | Installation manual (PDF)on the maker's site |
| The site’s review | VETUS thruster review |
Every published figure the site holds for the VETUS RD160 RIMDRIVE, with where each came from.
Draw, cable, fuse and battery at each voltage
These are the maker’s own figures, at each voltage it is sold at. The cable is the size for the shortest run in the maker’s table. A longer run may need heavier cable, and the wiring calculator works that out for your own boat.
| Voltage | Draw | Maker’s cable | Fuse | Battery | Run limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 48 V | 200 Anominal draw | Not published | 200 Ainstallation manual 020574.03, r01, February 2017 | 750 CCA minimum, 2,100 CCA maximumVETUS installation manual 020574.03, r01, February 2017 | Not published |
The VETUS RD160 RIMDRIVE’s draw, cable, fuse, battery and run limit, as the maker publishes them.
- At 48 V: size the cable for your run, or check the battery you have.
The tunnel: length and depth rules
Depth below the waterline. The tunnel centerline must be at least 250 mm below the waterline. RIMDRIVE RD125 and RD160 installation instructions, 020574.03 (2017).
Our notes from the manual and listings
In the box: The solenoid switches and the 5 A control fuse are on the motor. The panel, its cable, the main fuse and switch are bought.
Our note
A rim motor. The blades are driven from the ring of the tunnel, with no hub motor in the flow. The product page is the only VETUS page that prints run time as "unlimited". It runs at 48 V on four 12 V batteries in series. The manual gives a 200 A main fuse and a 425 A fuse on the controller.
It gives 50 to 70 mm² cable (printed "AWG 0 to AWG 00"), the larger size for a run over 10 m (33 ft) or continuous use over five minutes. The tunnel center sits at least 250 mm below the waterline. IP67 top cover, ISO 8846 ignition compliant, proportional on V-CAN. We found no US dealer listing. VETUS publishes no price.
Where each point above comes from
- VETUS sells it for either end, so it can go at the bow or the stern.The maker's listing
- The boat comes out of the water to install it: it needs a tunnel bore below the waterline.The mounting: a bore through the hull, or a housing recessed into it
- VETUS publishes no boat length for it. The boat table is our sizing alone.The maker's documents, as the database records them
- No US dollar price is published for it, so we can work out no installed cost.The maker and the dealers the database reads
Not sure this is the one? The thruster finder asks about your boat and prices every unit that fits.