Tracker Trailer Problem

[Darryl Stafford]

Being a new owner of a Tracker product I am looking for some advice on how to handle a warranty problem. I just bought a new Z-7 Sport on 5/19/2011. After 5 trips to the lake and launching on 5 different ramps, the bow of the boat loaded under the bow roller. My first thought was that they mounted the wrong bow stand on the trailer. Long story short, I took the Service Manager from BPS- (Kodak, TN) to the lake so he could witness what was happening. As soon as the boat came off the trailer he could see what I was talking about. He even tried to reload the boat himself and was unsuccessful. When we returned to BPS we measured the crank stand on the same boat in the showroom and it is correct. The problem is that the bunks are mounted 3

 

[Bob Bourget2]

This issue is common with all brands. More often than not....the trailer is submerged too deep, angle of attack too great.

 

[Darryl Stafford]

Thats why the BPS Service Manager went with me to the launch ramp. I showed him that no matter how the trailer is placed in the water, it will not line up with the bow roller. He is in agreement that the trailer is wrong and that the bunks are to low. Actually the outside bunks are not even touching the bottom of the boat except for the last foot at the rear. The bow roller is acting more like a support than a stop. my fear is that the factory will opt to repair rather than replace.

 

[Bob Bourget2]

So....are the bunks are too low or the winch stand too high? Send me pictures and I'll see if I can help.....

 

[Darryl Stafford]

First its a Z-7 SPORT. little differant than Z-7 bass boat. The center roller on the bow is at 20" from the top of the trailer frame (same as the unit on the showroom floor at BPS). Bunks are 3" above the fram and the identical unit at BPS is 6".I posted a pic of the bunk in my library. You can see the light shining through the gap. The boat is resting on the bow roller and the last foot at the rear of the bunks. As far as the fix, I do not want a "new" trailer that has been modified and repainted. I will gladly wait on a new on or swap out with the unit that is at BPS.

 

[Josh Petty]

We have sold numerous Z7 sports without having this issues and the one I am looking at right now has bunks flush against the bottom. What is your post height from the trailer to the conter of roller and what height are your brackets on the trailer? I will compare to these here



MY first thought is too deep in water but I see your second post



If something goes wrong with the motor, your warranty is to fix the affected part and not give a new motor to you for so I don't see why the trailer should be any different if an error is found.



I would rather be out of commission for less than week waiting for a local shop that does the repair all the time than waiting for 6-8 weeks for the trailer to go to the factory for eval and repair.



You should have an opportunity to approve any finished repairs before accepting the product back.

 

[Terry Rittenhouse]

As the owner of a replacement boat (under warranty). The louder you complain the better the result. TNfisher, I'm with you, I wouldn't accept a modified trailer when I have a FULL warranty. You paid good money and deserve a new, not remanufactured product. By the way, my boat was almost 5 years old when it was replaced, had a five year hull warranty.

 

[Darryl Stafford]

Glad you agree Tman. I edited my last comment and added a pic of the bunk. Im 47 years old and my parents had boats growing up. I bought my first boat at 18 and have always owned a boat. Not that I claim to be an expert but I have never had or been around a boat that sits on a trailer like this one. I knew it was an issue the first time I launched. Since the forst launch I have tried 5 ramps/ Even the Service Manager at BPS could not load it on the trailer with it at any depth in the water.

 

[TROY WAINRIGHT3]

I had this same problem with the 2 nitro 288s ive had.I have a bracket built into a v with a roller on each side of it that the bow alighns up with before rideing up to the bow stop roller.I had to slide this bracket towards the stern so the bow would ride up above the roller.Not sure how your trailer is set up but i hope this helps.Good luck.

 

[Terry Rittenhouse]

Stick to your guns TNfisher and don't be afraid to use them at BPS. We're talking about a boat that is less than six weeks old, you don't need to know how to fix it. The point is it shouldn't be broke and they need to replace it ASAP. Right is right.

 

[Bob Bourget2]

I just looked at your pictures and it looks as though it the correct trailer. What I would do if I had it here.....

Remove the winch post and see how the boat sits on the bunks. If the boat "falls" and rests neatly on the bunks, the winch post is simply too high, and you can get a replacement.

If the post is removed and the boat doesn't move, bunks are aligned with the lifting strakes, has the proper tongue weight, then it more than likely is the correct trailer.

For whatever it is worth, the winch stand is a bolt-on item, and easily changed or modified. You CANNOT however, allow someone to modify anything that is welded to the frame or crossmembers, as they are hot-dipped and galvanized.....hence the term "galva-shield". Any attempt to "weld" will result in the zinc melting off leaving a potential rust-through in later years. I have totaled trailers due to a mere crossmember bend.

 

[Bill McElroy]

It just blows my mind that these kinds of problems aren't identified and resolved far earlier in the design process....long before full blown production begins!! This is the stuff that should show up during prototype builds...and then proper jigs and fixtures built that allow the trailers to be built exactly the same,..every time with minor adjustments made for different length boats that might use the same trailer. WHY does it take p-o'd customers and service managers to identify these kinds of issues?? A little more R&D $$ on the front end, saves a LOT of warranty costs, bad PR and quality perception issues on the back end!! C'mon Tracker,.......do it right the FIRST time!!

 

[TOMMY RICH]

You'll get an Amen from this corner Mac:lol::wacko:

 

[Bob Bourget2]

Mac and Tee, I can agree with you guys, but let's stay on course and see if we can help this guy....

 

[Bill McElroy]

Sounds to me like the bow stand is to tall.......the only fix that would be somewhat easy is to have it shortened. (At TRACKER's Expense!)

 

[TOMMY RICH]

Since it is new...Tracker should fix it.

 

[Dan J.]

Bob mentioned a quick and easy way to get 99.9% certain if there is a trailer issue on loading your hull. Simply unbolt the winch stand and pull it out towards the tongue. If the bow doesn't drop, you'll need to seek a solution elsewhere, or possibly from within. (Not much of the trailer needs to be submerged to power load that hull.) I hate to say it, but, "Sometimes it ain't the arrow. It's the indian." However it goes for you, good luck.

 

[Darryl Stafford]

First I want to thank everyone for their input. I just received a call from BPS and sure enough the factory rep wants to reweld and paint the trailer. With the amount of weight on the bow roller I am afraid to remove it in fear of not being alble to get it back under the boat. I have a call into the factory rep and he has yet to return my call. A new winch stand is not the fix. Replacing that would only allow the boat to sit unlevel on the trailer with the nose pointing down. Also, I have not been able to locate a painted adjustable winch stand. Everything I see is galvanized. Yes the trailer is only six weeks old but the problem was reported 3 weeks ago. I will let you know what the rep says if/when he calls.

 

[Bob Bourget2]

Actually, looking at your pic it appears as though the boat is not level now, and is higher at the bow. I would still recommend a floor jack with a wooden block {be careful, and remove the winch post to see how the boat sits. ACTUALLY......BPS should be doing this FOR you....so....take it back to them and let them do it. Inspect and measure once you do this. It would be a crying shame to go through all the agg you've been put through if it's merely the wrong stand......

 

[Darryl Stafford]

My stand mesure the exact same heigth as the one on the floor at BPS. The only differance between the two are the bunk heigth. If the bunks had been mounted properly then the bow roller would work as a stop instead of a support. Beleive me, if I could located a blue painted adjutable winch stand, I would much rather do that than have to deal with all this BS.

 

[TOMMY RICH]

I agree with Bob...afetr looking at the pic again, it looks high in front:huh:

 

[Marty Klein]

As read in this and just about every similar post, the dealer becomes the long pole in the tent. Notwithstanding the fact that they didn't notice the issue before delivery, they should now be standing up as the buyer's advocate to get the right fix in place. If the galva-shield issue can be resolved, mounting new brackets should be an acceptable solution. After all, they were welded there to begin with. If the galva-shield can't be addressed during the fix, then a new trailer is certainly in order. Either the majority of dealers are ne'er-do-wells or there is a manufacturer-generated impediment [read that as high stump in the main channel] to proper corrective actions.

 

[Terry Rittenhouse]

I still stick to my guns. A NEW boat trailer less than 6 weeks old, TNfisher shouldn't have to do anything to prove it doesn't work or do anything to fix it. The service tech in Tennessee already proved that for him. The only acceptable fix is replacement by BPS with the right trailer. I do agree with Bob B., never let them weld anything on the trailer and since the bow stand is the same height, the trailer bunk brackets are the issue. Therefore, new trailer. Keep us posted TNfisher.

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

I would think that if the only solution is to cut and re-weld the bunks and doing so will ruin the galvashield, then a replacement trailer is in order. Let's not all be so quick to condemn BPS. If the logic is solid they do stand behind their products (front end QC aside).



TOXIC

 

[TOMMY RICH]

They sure as hell wouldn't weld ANYTHING on a new rig of mine!

I'd want new!

They wanted to take the back off my 1 week old boat cuz some dumb arse missed a weld.



DON'T THINK SO. Two weeks later...Tracker shipped me a new rig



Stick to your guns...period.

 

[Bob Bourget2]

As long as the repair is "satisfactory" and does not compromise warranty, longevity or integrity, there should be no issue. The bunk brackets can be "lengthened" as long as it is not cut by the crossmember. The flat-plate brackets can be cold-sprayed galvanized, then painted. No issues.

 

[Marty Klein]

We all [and I know that is a sweeping generalization] seem to operate under some mystique that something fresh out of the factory is of the highest quality and that anything done to the product after the fact is less than desirable. And if made in America, by Americans, well ... even better. These things just aren't always true. Hell, who among us knows what is done to new cars between the time the dealer takes it off the truck and it gets into the hands of the owner. Touch up painting for ne'er-do-well vandalization in shipping, parts replaced during the dealer inspection and preparation. I mean, look at all the stuff GM must go thru to get one of the two running lights not working on just about every GM truck or SUV on the road. You've all certainly watched Chip Foose and others like him weld and grind, sand and paint stuff ... and that is certainly way after market. I think any court in the land would have a very hard time making BPS directly replace the trailer when re-welding, re-galvanizing and re-painting would make the trailer just like new. Customers that meet folks like BPS at the logical common ground is what makes the system run smoothly for everyone. Only thing BPS owes is to make the repairs in the most expeditious manner.

 

[Jeffry Skidmore]

My two cents worth........ I don't know how much you paid for this B/M/T, but my threshold is (and will always be), if I have to pay $1000+ for something new, it ought to be right when I get it, with no adjustments needed. Someone mentioned "manufacturer - generated impediments"; a lot of companies track warrantee issues as a means of measuring a retailer's "productivity" or "quality issues" within a service dept. Not a fair or reasonable yardstick, but it happens. Perhaps BPS in Kodak is under the gun in this area. I'm interested in how this plays out because I like that particular store as opposed to the one in Nashville. I need one in the Chattanooga area; I would be as happy as a pig in mud!

 

[Darryl Stafford]

UPDATE: Day number two and I have still not received a return call from the Customer Service rep. I left to voicemails yesterday and I left a message with an actual person this morning. Starting to get a little aggravated. Dont count on your Dealer doing anything. I got the typical response "Its out of our hands".

 

[TOMMY RICH]

It's outta THEIR hands as soon as it leaves the lot:unsure:



I'm sorry guys but, I for one will never back Tracker again...did I just say that?:lol:

 

[Bob Bourget2]

It is NEVER out of the Dealers hands. They {we} can either be willing to step up and "push" or...... elect.........not to. Try to stay calm and deal with it on a professional level. It's not like you're loosing any boating, and even though it's an inconvenience, it's at least liveable until it's rectified. I personally will make a phone call or two if that will help. Gotta let BPS handle it first. If the resolution is not to your liking, I will make another attempt for you. No promises but willing to help..

 

[Jeffry Skidmore]

Typically, once you call the factory rep, the dealer is done with you. One thing that just now occured to me pertains to an issue I had with a car dealer. I took a car in for service on a recall issue, and they claimed that I needed a timing belt replaced. According to them it was old and worn, but had been replaced by them a year earlier. Of course I said no, and as the issue escalated, they fell back on a little known clause in the service agreement which effectively voided the agreement if I "declined dealer-recommended service". Coincidentally, their records of the timing belt replacement had vanished., and my girlfriend (her car) hadn't kept the reciept. Damn, I hope you don't have to go through that crap!

 

[Darryl Stafford]

I have just sent an email to the Customer Service Rep, Jeff Gardner, asking him to retrun my call. Bob B.- I am blown away that you would be willing to step up on my behlaf. Especially since my own dealer (Sales Manager or Store Manager)are not willing to do so. Now thats real Customer Service! I would like to give Jeff the remainder of the day to contact me. If he does not, I may take you up on your offer.

 

[Darryl Stafford]

UPDATEI was finally able to Speak with Mr. Gardner. He was a pleasure to speak with. I explained my concerns and he asked for photo`s to be sent to him for review. He did comment that he understood my concerns regarding having to modify a brand new trailer. I have emialed him the pics so hopefullly he will be able to resolve my issue and arrange for a new trailer. I will follow through and let you know how it ends up.

Thanks Everyone....

 

[Bob Bourget2]

Updates?

 

[Bob Bourget2]

TTT