Bouncy Shoreland'r Trailer? Carlisle Stands Behind Their Product

[CraigAR]

Well looks like my 2017 has the same issue. I usually only trailer 5 miles away but my ramp was closed and I had to jump on the highway to get to another ramp. That's when I noticed the vibration. Long story short, sent in my warranty claim to Carlstar.

 

[Glen]

After getting the radial tires and replacement brackets, based on the breaking/cracking of both wheel well brackets-

Followed by much cracking of the diamond covering of each dual wheel well and the Re-breaking of the driver bracket after first 300 mile run to NY.

Have brought it back again and they have completely replaced both trailer wheel wells, and brackets.

Post pictures when i get it back-

 

[CraigAR]

Just got off the phone with Carlstar group. They received my email with pictures and approved the replacements. 5 new tires here in 7 days!

 

[robert843]

Just got off the phone with Carlstar group. They received my email with pictures and approved the replacements. 5 new tires here in 7 days!

Now to see

Just got off the phone with Carlstar group. They received my email with pictures and approved the replacements. 5 new tires here in 7 days!

Watching to see if they send radials or bias ply now.

 

[CraigAR]

Now to see


Watching to see if they send radials or bias ply now.

Damn you, you just jinxed me LOL I'll let you know.

 

[CraigAR]

Well at least she placed the correct order

 

[Neutron]

Robyn is the greatest!

 

[newbote]

Ok - was looking at my brackets and I think one is cracked. It’s not all the way through though - is this what others have looked like?

 

[PeterB]

Well I want to thank the OP and this forum - I didn't realize how bad this issue was. I had the diamond plate let go so re bolted, and noticed lots of shaking, but assumed it was the roads I tow on. Just checked my center fender supports and both sides are broken.
Followed all the advice and now have warranty claims in the works with both Shoreland'r and Carlstar. Glad I caught this before our boating season!!!
Both companies seem determined to stand by their products and do the right thing. This could have easily been a finger pointing disaster for us as owners, so I really appreciate these suppliers stepping up!

 

[Augieol65]

So I bought a 212 limited S in October haven’t picked it up yet from the dealership which is about a 4 hr drive away via highway. I have emailed the dealership about this issue they were awesome to work with throughout the purchasing process. What would your recommendations be prior to towing this all the way home?
Thanks!

 

[PeterB]

We towed over 2000 miles last season ( first season for this boat). This is a nuisance, but not a disaster for initial towing. If the trailer tires are bias ply instead of radials, I would just check the trailer regularly, and if you see any problems, reach out to the trailer and tire suppliers. I did not go through Yamaha for the warranty based on this thread, and so far it seems like the problem will be taken care of by the respective suppliers.
Yamaha tries to bring a great product at a low price to market. The choice of bias ply tires was probably a mistake however. Always tough finding the perfect balance of cost vs benefit.

I see we may be towing on the same roads - I have pulled the boat on I90, I39, 173, all without issue, though towing through Chicago is always a little unnerving!

FYI - the best thing we added to make towing comfortable was an air lift system on our truck. It keeps the truck level and makes towing much easier. If your tow vehicle doesn't have self leveling, you may want to add a lift system. This is a bigger issue than the tires - in my opinion.

 

[Augieol65]

We towed over 2000 miles last season ( first season for this boat). This is a nuisance, but not a disaster for initial towing. If the trailer tires are bias ply instead of radials, I would just check the trailer regularly, and if you see any problems, reach out to the trailer and tire suppliers. I did not go through Yamaha for the warranty based on this thread, and so far it seems like the problem will be taken care of by the respective suppliers.
Yamaha tries to bring a great product at a low price to market. The choice of bias ply tires was probably a mistake however. Always tough finding the perfect balance of cost vs benefit.

I see we may be towing on the same roads - I have pulled the boat on I90, I39, 173, all without issue, though towing through Chicago is always a little unnerving!

FYI - the best thing we added to make towing comfortable was an air lift system on our truck. It keeps the truck level and makes towing much easier. If your tow vehicle doesn't have self leveling, you may want to add a lift system. This is a bigger issue than the tires - in my opinion.

Awesome man thanks. I emailed the dealership just asking if they knew anything about it in hopes maybe they might dial me up with radials or file for/with me like others have. My ecodisel came with the air ride suspsenion so it self levels which is awesome. I really appreciate you letting me know that it makes me feel much better. From this thread it appeared my trailer would shake apart on my brand new boat before I got home!

 

[CraigAR]

All 5 tires arrived and they are the correct ones. Way to go carlstar!

 

[PeterB]

How long did the approval take from Carlstar after you sent the pictures?

 

[CraigAR]

How long did the approval take from Carlstar after you sent the pictures?

I first emailed them on 2/15 with all my info and pictures and they sent me back an email with a reverence number. I called them a week later to see if it actually went threw and it did. Received them yesterday. So 2 weeks, 1 email and 1 call.

 

[PeterB]

Thanks! - I sent in the pictures 2/28. Hopefully they will be as fast for me also, as I would hope to be ready for the season. I'm more concerned about the broken fender brackets, which I expect to see replacements for in mid March, so just in time for an early spring run.

 

[Mainah]

Cross post from another thread for visibility.

I am now of a different opinion the root cause of the trailer issues. From the factory my tongue weight was over 600 lbs. When the butter zone is between 300 and 400 (I settled on 383 lbs for a normal wet load). With a significantly overloaded tongue (36 percent over weight) there is too much weight on the front tires and while the equalizer tries to makes up for this it is under a lot of stress along with the front leaf springs during road vibrations and bumps. The front tires are overloaded meaning the rear tires are sometime just bouncing along back there. The bracket that connects the fender is mounted to the same point as the equalizer. If the weight was more evenly distributed the whole system would function better.

I made my own ultra precise (+/- 0.5 lbs) pneumatic load cell with a digital gauge and it calibrated perfectly using olympic weight plates. I determined that 35.5 to 37 inches from the end of the coupler to the leading edge of the bow roller post bracket is the optimum distance for my trailer (I landed on 35.25 inches). The reason I say mine is that it is possible that the axels are not mounted precisely the same distance from the tongue at the factory and a tiny move of the axle is equal to a big move of the bow roller post. Point being before you move yours beware that it could be different for you. I can say towing is significantly improved along with the weight on the tongue jack.

I still believe both the original fender bracket and the upgraded one are poorly engineered and allow too much oscillation of the fender. That said moving the bow roller post is by far the most important fix while also being easy and quick with nothing more than a tire iron and tape measure needed after launching the boat. Play it safe with how much you move it to make sure you don't move too far back. Ideally find a way to weigh your tongue and make sure is is between 5 and 7 percent ( I prefer the higher end) of the total wet weight of the boat and trailer together. Just as important is to make sure the trailer is level when on the tow ball which may require a different receiver.


You can buy tongue weight scales online this one https://www.amazon.com/Sherline-LM-...7&sr=8-2&keywords=trailer+tongue+weight+scale

There is also a product out there that is a receiver hitch and scale in one known as weigh safe. It is a great idea but poorly executed for our needs in the 300 - 400 lb range because of the gauge used and issues folks have had with it.

@Betik If you are interested in improved suspension for the trailer I think trailer shocks would be far cheaper, easier to install, and just as effective. Before doing that try getting the trailer level and the tongue weighted correctly.

 

[Neutron]

I moved mine on the day i got it home from a 1 hour tow from the dealer and could tell it wasnt correct. I drove straight to the ramp and moved it back. Then later fine tuned it another day.
I also purchased a different reciever to get the trailer level from day one.
I have never seen my fenders shake or seen issues there even though i got the replacement radials installed and new fenders and brackets( in storage for future use if needed)

It tows excellent

 

[Julian]

Who are you guys calling at Shorelander about the cracked fenders? Still hunting through the threads for that! Once I find it, I will amend the top post (with the OPs permission @MrMoose )

 

[Julian]

After all that I had it and contacted NHSTA and filed a complaint about the fender brackets braking off and the diamond plate cracks and bolts . If you have the same problem I encourage you to contact the NHSTA 1-800-327-4236 have your VIN number ready, tell them your situation and what has happened to you.

Is NHSTA the same thing as Shorelander?