EZ Loader Trailer Issues.....need advice!

**JAppler** · 09-09-2019, 04:25 PM

I think you�re overreacting, structurally it would function the same.

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**bturner** · 09-10-2019, 08:15 AM

I can't help thinking I'm not hearing the complete story here. My first questions would be.....

Is this a brand new trailer that was ordered for this boat? By that I mean it was purposely ordered and built for this 2019 G23 and not some other year/model that someone thought would work.
Are you the original/first owner of the trailer or was this trailer ordered/used for another boat?
Are there any other areas that don't seem to fit the boat correctly?
Are you being given any other options for resolution, like ordering another trailer?

As to the proposed repair..... How much are they going to shim it? and what do they plan on using for the shim material? would be my first questions. I mean if you're hitting the prop guard now they're going to have to shim it what? an inch? 2 inches? three inches? I would also like to know what the proper clearance should be on a trailer that was manufactured correctly and insist that mine be corrected to that spec, not just so that it barely cleared. So do they plan on cutting metal shims (or I guess when you get to a certain thickness they'd go from shims to spacers)? If not what material do they plan on using?

My next questions would be on installation......

What material will the spacers be fab'd from? Hopefully they'll be metal as other materials like plywood will deteriorate and compress over time.
If metal, will the spacers be welded in or just placed between the bunks and the brackets? If not welded structurally it is not the same. Eventually everything will loosen up and move. If the metal being used is not the same and is not painted or some other barrier between the two is not installed galvanic corrosion will kick in and will cause rust.
If HDPE is used this solves the rust issue but not sure how this material would handle compression over time or it's durability in this type of application.

My concern would be (if I'm understanding this correctly) that this is supposed to be a new trailer that is custom built for this $100K+ boat and now they're going to basically rube it together to fit the boat? Sounds like the QC guy let this one get by and now they're going to take the easy way out with a repair that sounds a bit sketchy to me personally. The right way to fix this would be to cut the brackets off, weld in new ones set to the correct height, metal prep the area for paint and repaint that area of the trailer. That's the correct way to fix this and that's how I would want my new trailer fixed. I mean this is supposed to be a new custom trailer that they screwed up the build on and fixing it correctly should be on them. But that's me, I'm sure there are a lot of people out there that would be fine with this. But think about it, if you bought a new car and the tires were hitting the fenders, would you let them shim the springs to get clearance?

**MTT1979** · 09-10-2019, 10:15 AM

First thanks for the reply. I’ll try to give you a little more detail..

-The trailer was custom made for a 19 G23
- I’m the original owner of the trailer. I bought the boat from my dealer and it didn’t come with a trailer. Instead of ordering one and it taking up to 4 weeks, they found one from another dealer. It’s brand new and never been titled. The only thing it didn’t have that I wanted was the bow step. I was told we could order one but after looking at several pictures of bow step equipped trailers they have longer tongues so I’m not even sure it will work. That’s a another whole issue.
- The boat seems to fit the trailer fine. One thing that came to mind last night is if they raise the bunks how will that affect the bow eye where it meets the roller at the winch. It’s going to be off at that point.
- I mentioned ordering a new trailer several times to my dealer and I was told to see what the manufacturer recommends. I contacted the manufacturer and they assured me that it would be fixed properly. I personally just want a new trailer.

As as far as the repair goes I’ve only been told by the manufacturer that they’re looking into how to fix the problem. They said either shimming or larger boards. I assume the shims would actually be aluminum spacers or some type of HDPE and I’m pretty sure they would use longer bolts or lag screws to travel through the spacer into the bunk board. There wouldn’t be any welding. My thinking is by using longer hardware, it puts added stress on those points and if they did work loose they would eventually break. With my luck by that time the trailer will be out of warranty and they would be swept free of any repairs not to mention possible damage to the boat. Another problem is fixing where the prop made contact with the trailer. Luckily it was so light I can’t see any prop damage but it did damage the rough coat liner they spray on these trailers.

I feel the same way as you stated. With the cost of this boat and trailer they should order me a new one and send this one back to EZ Loader. I’m trying to be patient with this but my patience is running thin. I’m not sure the dealer is going to bat for me but just trying to do the quick easy fix. I also don’t want to burn any bridges with my dealer as it could strain the relationship for future warranty repairs if they arise.

**bturner** · 09-10-2019, 11:47 AM

I don't know...... The bow step isn't there and based on what you're say they're also wrong about being able to add that upgrade. So now you don't have a feature that you expected and you have a trailer that doesn't fit the boat properly. Again, this is just me but I'd want a do over. Order me the trailer that I was supposed to get and I'll wait the 4 weeks for it.

From the repair perspective I'm surprised the dealer isn't going to bat for you here. Did they actually sell you the trailer or did you actually buy it from the other dealer and your dealer just facilitated the purchase? Are they an EZ Loader dealer? It just seems strange that they have you doing the leg work on this. To me they sold me a trailer that doesn't fit the boat. They should be the ones fixing it.

As far as getting sideways with the dealer..... You just bought a $100K boat from him, what more could you possibly do to have him like you (I'll leave out suggestions so as not to break any rules here)? I get that they spread these dealers around but please, there are other good boats out there in this price range from other manufactures if they don't want to treat you right. Again you just bought a NEW $100K boat from them. In my book and where I live that's a customer my dealer is very interested in keeping happy so they'll hopefully come back for another one.

On the repair..... Neither sound like a "proper repair" to me. If it was it would be exactly like a properly manufactured trailer not one that is being "rigged" to work with spacers and thicker bunk boards right? I guess I'm just not a fan of the options here. Obviously something isn't right and this isn't something they run into often or they wouldn't have to think on it for weeks to come up with a solution. That alone tells me whatever they come up with is going to be the most cost effective for them and while it may fix their problem of fixing your trailer to work, you're once again going to be stuck with a modified trailer. And once again I personally would want another one that is built correctly.

My recent personal experience is completely opposite to yours. I bought a much cheaper used boat from my dealer that didn't have a trailer. They ordered a trailer for me from Phoenix that was designed and made for my boat. While it was on order they loaned me a trailer that didn't quite fit right but it was a loaner that I used until my trailer came in. When my trailer came in I went to the front of the service line and my trailer was prep'd and fitted to the boat in one day. To me this is the service you should have gotten especially on a brand new boat at nearly twice the price.

**MTT1979** · 09-10-2019, 12:46 PM

I actually bought the trailer from my dealer. I called them today to express my thoughts on this “repair”. They told me to call the manufacturer and see if they can replace the trailer. I then called EZ Loader and unleashed my frustration in good tone. They said they can bring the trailer back to the factory and make the repairs including the area where the prop hit and I could just order another one like I want. Then they go on to say but we can’t reimburse you for this trailer. So basically I’d have to buy a new one and try to sell the newly repaired one to recoup some of my costs. They dealer doesn’t want it cause it cost to much for just a “yard trailer”. Either way I look at it I’m going to get screwed on this.

**bturner** · 09-10-2019, 02:21 PM

Wow, so they're just washing their hands of it and letting you hang on getting it repaired? If that's the case their not much of a dealer IMO. So what's the plan for the boat while the trailer goes back then? Is the dealer at least offering to store it or do you have a Shorestation you can leave it on while the trailer is off for repair? Is EZ Loader by you? If not who's going to pick it up or are they making you eat that as well?

I've never heard of dealer abandonment on a product like this before especially on such a high ticket item. Just out of curiosity..... how many EZ Loader trailers are you going to buy or recommend going forward? I'm not saying any manufacture is perfect but I've heard a lot better stories about other trailer manufactures. Too bad, I've owned a couple EZ Loaders back in the day for a Sea Ray and Wellcraft I owned. They were designed and built well.Never had a warranty claim with them though so I can't comment on that.

**MTT1979** · 09-10-2019, 04:14 PM

We never got that far with how all of that would take place. I assume they would put the boat on a dolly and let it sit in the yard which I find unacceptable. I don’t even know where they would do the repair. I wouldn’t pay a dime of the travel freight or repair. I found out EZ Loader is sending aluminum shims to space the runners 5/8”.

As as far as recommendations, I actually like the trailer and the quality aside from the issue I’m having. Something is strange about these trailers. All of the custom trailers with bow steps have a lot of room between the prop and the guard. The ones without the step like mine are a lot closer. Of course they’ve never seen this before according to EZ Loader. I wouldn’t be afraid of buying another but would inspect it a little better. Time will tell if I recommend them.

I called the dealer where the trailer came from this morning just to price another one like I wanted to begin with. He wasn’t sure on an exact price at that time (I think I caught him at a busy time but he gave me an idea). I decided to call again this afternoon and the owner answered. To make a long story short he offered me the trailer with step at his cost and to buy back the trouble trailer cause he felt sorry for me. Only catch is he would buy it at $2k less than I paid. I need to think about it but that route would be a lot easier than sending it back for the correct repairs. Not to mention the boat sitting outside for who knows how long

**bturner** · 09-11-2019, 07:46 AM

This sounds more like what I would have expected from a good dealer.

I'm liking option 2 a lot better. If he's really giving you the new trailer at his cost your deal is pretty much a wash as far as cash goes (what you lose on the old trailer you make back on the new one). That G23 is a big boat and can be tough to climb in and it wouldn't be a good day if you fell out of it. I'd really want the bow step on that model. Not only that but 5/8" is not what you would call a lot of clearance. If it were me I'd take the deal, pay the money and get the trailer you wanted then just move on with life. For $2K on what you paid for that boat it isn't the end of the world and you probably would have paid that or very close to it for the trailer you wanted in the first place.

**MTT1979** · 09-11-2019, 08:32 AM

Yeah I agree. His cost on the new one is almost what I paid for the old one. I’ll get the new one and move on.

Thanks for for the advice, I appreciate it

**shag** · 09-11-2019, 08:48 AM

If that new trailer was designed for that particular year and hull, then it should fit with NO clearance problems whatsoever. That is a design problem that the trailer manufacturer should eat. Unless there is specific language of final sale or something similar, I don't see how they can refuse to replace.... I am guessing that trailer is 6-8K, and if they have to to make some BS repair because it wasn't designed right or built right.... Well that's crap.... Just my opinion...

**MTT1979** · 09-11-2019, 10:16 AM

Its made for my exact year and model boat. Of course they told me this is the only one they’ve had problems with. I just couldn’t agree with the shims for a fix. We’re not talking about a jet ski here. I’m just glad it seems to be working out now.

**bturner** · 09-11-2019, 11:22 AM

Yep, make the deal, move along and be at peace with it. Glad to hear it's all going to work out for you.

EZ Loader Trailer Issues.....need advice!

EZ Loader Trailer Issues.....need advice!

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