Daves Trailer Sales and Venture Trailers WARNING!

[Captain TJ]

Dang TJ, saw your same post over on the Grady Owners Facebook group. They are really roasting you.

I can handle it. Been over this and according to Daves Trailer sales this is an adequate trailer for the boat but they claimed the previous owner waived having them adjust the trailer for the boat. I did stop into their establishment spent money on spare parts and asked if there was anything I needed to consider before trailering across country. They looked up the sale and never said it wasn't adjusted for the boat. I am not a boat trailer expert as most of the people roasting me aren't either which is why I asked a so called expert and was told it was all good. That's from Dave's Trailer sales in August of 2020.

 

[Captain TJ]

Man you are bashing this company everywhere and it all boils down to operator error! It’s not their fault you you have the hitch way too high, a ridiculous amount of tongue weight, the boat not loaded correctly, and truth be told too small of a trailer. You bought the thing years ago second hand, man up and take some responsibility.

Yes I'm bashing them because they assured me it was correct before I took off with it. As for ball height, Do you think it's supposed to be trailered with the front of the trailer low. I'm no boat trailer expert but I'm smart enough to know to tow it level which is where it was. It is actually 100% their fault for selling this trailer for this boat and claiming multiple times that it's correct. The boat is well under the trailers load rating.

 

[Jrspawn]

Yes I'm bashing them because they assured me it was correct before I took off with it. As for ball height, Do you think it's supposed to be trailered with the front of the trailer low. I'm no boat trailer expert but I'm smart enough to know to tow it level which is where it was. It is actually 100% their fault for selling this trailer for this boat and claiming multiple times that it's correct. The boat is well under the trailers load rating.

There’s zero chance that trailer was level when loaded and hooked to that camper in the pictures.

 

[Uncle Joe]

I bought my 24 Offshore used along with a trailer. I only use the trailer twice a year.....once to launch the boat in April or May and once to pull it out in November. After the first time I launched the boat I noticed one of the hubs/bearings was shot and I ordered a whole new kit to replace it. When I go to install the new hub/bearings I discover it doesn't fit! It is too big. I complain to the place where I bought it that they shipped me the wrong parts...blah...blah. They assure me that part is right for my trailer. Then I find out that the previous owner had replaced one of the original axles with a smaller/cheaper one to save a few $$. I was amazed that somebody would do that.

I have spent a lot of time and money bringing that boat and trailer up to snuff.

I am just sayin....you never know what the original owner chose to do. Maybe he bought a trailer not rated for the boat to save a few $$ against the advice of the seller....maybe he didn't want to get it adjusted because it cost $100 or something and he didn't think it was necessary. Maybe he had an accident with it....maybe he lent it to somebody who overloaded it. To blame the seller for a transaction with a different buyer 2 years later and out of warranty...??

I am glad nobody got hurt and that your boat was not damaged but.....this kind of stuff happens....especially when purchasing used stuff......buyer beware.

 

[glacierbaze]

Just about everyone has pictures of their boat/trailer/tow vehicle. Post an older pic of your rig, and put the critics to rest.

 

[Captain TJ]

I've seen some well drafted comments here with none of the information correct.

1st of all, hitch was not too high behind the deisel pusher unless I don't know something and now the intended tongue placement is to have trailer ride uneven. I thought it was a high spot too but on level ground it has the trailer main frame perfectly level. I have to raise my hitch every time for this boat beacause the way the tongue is double stacked the hitch has to be high to maintain level. One notch down and all the load is on the front axle.

2nd, I never heard anything from the dealer about the original owner I bought from signing a waiver until I called them back to complain about this. I did go ask them to look up the sale and confirm that everything was right for me and they did. They also sold me several accessories for potential emergencies while towing across country. If they had told me it was never adjusted to fit I would have asked them or someone else to do so.

3rd, I already have the boat and trailer in a shop getting repaired on my dime and I accept the full responsibility. Just beware if you ask for advice or info about something Dave's Trailer Sales sold because they will lie to you and when you call back a second time the story will change twice within 2 minutes of speaking and all while telling you they are looking at the documentation. Story went 180 out so yes I will call it a lie as it was.

My fault, my problem and I'm fixing it. I was stupid for relying on the advice and information from a trailer specialty company in MD to tell me the true information. Probably didn't have enough people working due to COVID and just wanted to get me out of there but that wasn't the way they portrayed it. Had they just told me what I was told at the end of the conversation after this happened which is that they never adjusted the trailer properly, I would have at least known I needed to look to get it rectified. At the end of the day the heavier gauge tongue would probably fix the problem going forward but we are still going to also truss the load forward for added protection. The material used was way too light for a trailer rated 10,625 according to the dealer. My belief is this is more of a manufacturer issue with the trailer but my buyer beware for the dealer is based on the lies and changing story they have given me from the point of purchase. They are definitely not professional in their dealings!

Attached. is a pic of the boat behind the motorhome on level ground. A tape measure shows the frame the same height at the axles as the tongue so no the hitch isn't too high. Again, maybe too much tongue weight but no where near as much as people think. It will be checked as well. That is the same motorhome with no change to the hitch adjustment. Once it was set for the boat it hasn't been used for anything else.

 

[Jrspawn]

Just about everyone has pictures of their boat/trailer/tow vehicle. Post an older pic of your rig, and put the critics to rest.

Just about everyone has pictures of their boat/trailer/tow vehicle. Post an older pic of your rig, and put the critics to rest.

That picture should have been posted originally. One can only guess why it’s not being posted‍…

 

[Richard1572]

Aside from the fitting issue and whose fault it is, I see no way that, that tongue is appropriately sized for that boat. I have a 272 Sailfish so essentially the same boat also on a triple axle trailer and this is the tongue. No comparison to the one in the pics. Twin I -Beams all the way to the actuator. That galvanized square tube looks to be sized about right for a bass boat.

 

[glacierbaze]

And still, the only thing holding the boat/trailer to the tow vehicle are the 2 actuator mounting bolts. That always surprises me a little, when I see it, and think about it. Yours look pretty hefty, but some are smaller, and rusty.

 

[Mustang65fbk]

I am just sayin....you never know what the original owner chose to do. Maybe he bought a trailer not rated for the boat to save a few $$ against the advice of the seller....maybe he didn't want to get it adjusted because it cost $100 or something and he didn't think it was necessary. Maybe he had an accident with it....maybe he lent it to somebody who overloaded it. To blame the seller for a transaction with a different buyer 2 years later and out of warranty...??

Exactly! Also... exactly the reason why I try to buy something as new as I can afford and with as few previous owners as possible. Because while some of the things that they repaired are probably visible to the naked eye, a lot of them probably aren't. And you either have to make an educated guess or ask yourself "WTF were they thinking?" Yes, lots of people buy a boat and then neglect it, the motor, the trailer or all of the above. Or they go the cheap route, not realizing how much boats cost to operate and maintain, even with basic maintenance. Shoot, even a lot of the shops out there that work on cars or boats nowadays are sketchy and do half-arse repairs that they hope you won't notice. One of the many reasons why I do as much work/repairs/maintenance on my toys as possible because I know that it'll cost half the price or less, get done in half the time and that it'll get done the right way, with the right parts and without any corners being cut. I've not done too much work on my boat trailers before, luckily I haven't had to do much to them at all, except for brake/trailer lights and basic things. That being said, I've done brakes/axles and other suspension types of replacement parts before and a lot of it carries over from vehicles. That, and usually a 10-15 minute YouTube video will show you how to do just about anything on your own.

 

[Mustang65fbk]

As for ball height, Do you think it's supposed to be trailered with the front of the trailer low. I'm no boat trailer expert but I'm smart enough to know to tow it level which is where it was.

I'm finding this very difficult to believe based on the conversation had thus far. If I had a similar issue with a trailer something else, I'd take a picture of it exactly the way that I found it, especially if I thought it was the shops fault. The fact that you took a picture of the trailer with the ball as high as possible still on the motorhome makes me think that's the way it was at the time of the incident. And likely the cause for said incident. I try to give people the benefit of the doubt but not when they can't be reasoned with nor when they shift the blame or their problems onto the company that sold the trailer to the previous owner 2 years ago. And especially when that owner signed a hold harmless agreement with the trailer company because he/they knew that he was making the wrong decision.

 

[Richard1572]

And still, the only thing holding the boat/trailer to the tow vehicle are the 2 actuator mounting bolts. That always surprises me a little, when I see it, and think about it. Yours look pretty hefty, but some are smaller, and rusty.

Good point. Yes, they are pretty hefty. I had been thinking for a while that I would have the actuator welded to the frame to make it that much more difficult for someone to steal the boat by removing the actuator so I think you made another reason why I should do so.

 

[SmokyMtnGrady]

I am curious as to what the trailer looks like in full side view and from the axles back to the Stern. how does the boat fit the entire trailer ? Many then guage by that the larger issue driving the tongue failure .The bunks should be carrying most of the load . I suspect you know this. The center mass more or less needs to be over the axles .

Torsion axles give you a low profile smooth ride and they tend to last longer than leave springs,but like others have said the trailer needs to be level for the load to be distributed evenly across the axles. If the tongue is too low you're loading the front axles more abd too high you're loading the rear axles . These conditions lead to uneven and premature tire failure .

I don't know whose fault it is but what's clear from Captain Obvious here is you had a significant event where the weight likely bounced creating the failure. I am guessing since it didn't just bend immediately when you hooked it up to the tie vehicle that either a single or two significant vertical event happened with the boat or several smaller ones causing the fatigue and failure? Good luck with the repairs.

My other advice is if you plan on keeping the trailer I would examine the brake set up and if you aren't running Kodiak/Deesmsx stainless steel brake calipers and such , you need to replace your current breaks with those calipers and rotors .

 

[Mustang65fbk]

It's funny because he's posted it on Facebook as well as another section of this forum... Perhaps a massive edit or even a deletion of the thread should occur?

Dave's Trailer Sales warning! Glen Burnie, MD

If you're looking to buy a new trailer for your boat beware of Dave's Trailer Sales in Glen Burnie, MD. They sold the previous owner of my boat an aluminum triple axle trailer specifically for my 282 Sailfish just over 2 years ago. I bought the boat and trailer last August and towed it back to...

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