Sorry about your bad luck with the latex tubes. Like you, I first started using them last year. I blew one multiple times during initial installation on my Velocity A23 rims with Velox rim tape and some tight fitting tires. I trashed only one tube outright due to a large gash. The other punctures I was actually able to repair using a normal butyl tube Rema Tip Top patches. The A23’S are now clad with 25mm Challenge Criterium open tubulars and have a tubular like ride - they really seem to improve the ride of my aluminum Flyte SRS-3.

Once I got them installed finally, they have run well for me. I have a second set of latex tubes on Mavic Open Pro rims with Velox rim tape and Tufo Calibra clincher tires in 23mm width. They have been running well too! These are on my titanium Veritas bike.

Probably now I will be jinxed now that I have bragged about my latex tube success with these 2 wheelsets. For the A23 wheels I did switch out the Velox rim tape for 2 thin layers of “Kapton” tubeless rim tape. This made mounting the tight Challenge tires less pinchy, allowing me to shift one bead into the middle rim channel during mounting. Getting the 2nd bead on is quite a challenge but all the practice I got did teach me some important mounting tips.

One tip is to use some thick leather gloves and try to roll the bead on sans tire levers if possible. Or, if you must - use one or 2 tire levers, use the leather gloves for the final popping on of the bad. Also, I found some Schwalbe flat tire levers that are flat and wide, much more confidence inspiring and user friendly to slide one under a tight bead with less chance of pinching. Also, it goes without saying that you always want to inspect the bead carefully on both sides before inflation to ensure that no pink flaps of latex tube are poking through. I also use a generous amount of talcum powder and do the preliminary inflation in steps - soft inflation to 25 psi or so, deflate, re-inflate to 50, deflate, mount on bike then inflate to final pressure (and say a little prayer to saint Vittoria -LoL).

On you Campagnolo Zonda rims have you inspected the valve leak to see why it failed? Just curious. I am extra gentle when I lock my Topeak foot pump locking chuck onto my presta valves.