Beware of Custom Aluminum Trailers from Houston, TX
 

Hello,
Just wanted to share my story with the OSO group so they can avoid the problems that I'm having with Custom Aluminum Trailers.

In May I purchased a trailer from the owner of the company. He faxed me a form to complete that basically needed numerous mesurements of my boat bottom (29 Lavey). While completing this form I called the owner and explained that I had several elevation changes on my bottom. I indicated that the boat has an aggresive bottom and was he sure he could make his trailer work for my application. His answer was "Chris, we're gonna be so close it will hurt". Well, the trailer arrived and I felt no pain.

The main bunks where 9 feet in length and level. The maximum running surface on my boat in 6 feet until the first step. The guys at Teague Custom Marine were going to help me tweak it but after reviewing my bottom and the trailers set up said "this is all wrong". I called Custom and left a message. Didn't hear back from him. So I called McClain trailer(company who actually builds the traier) and someone there had a interest in helping. I explained that two sets of bunks(with cut outs) were needed to resolve our problem. Two weeks later one set of bunks arrives.

So....I now am still calling Custom and getting no answers or help, and no response to emails. I call McClain and the gentleman who had helped me has me fired. So I call Extreme Trailers and basically have the trailer fitted for the bottom of our boat.

As of today I can not get a response to numberous messages left either by fax, phone or email. What really blows is that I have a $550 invoice from Extreme and I drove 251 miles to have the problem fixed. It amazes me that people can run a business like this.

Any advice?

Chris

This happenned to HavasuCig with PACIFIC TRAILERS, building a new trailer for his Top Gun. PACIFIC "jacked" his trailer up so bad and took it back 5 times (yes, 5 times!!)and didn't fix a friggin thing!! The owner was such a d*ckhead with his cocky a$$ attitude, he wasn't any help either. Too bad for PACIFIC--the word travels fast!!

This is the first bad thing that I have heard about Custom Aluminum Trailers, I have heard only good things in the past. The one bad thing about having a trailer made is that you really need the boat there.

I have one word for this problem- "MYCO"
Great Trailer
Great Service
Great People
They may be on the expensive side but so are boats and piece of mind!

I never heard of Custom & do not know anything about them.

I do know I had my trailer built in Dallas & boat was there & I had given dealer pictures of how I wanted the ladder built on the front. They did a half A$$ job on trailer, had a ton of tongue weight & botched the ladder. I had dealer take it back. Still botched. I call & set up apt. so I can be there while they fix it so it would not be screwed up the 3rd time. I drive up the night before so I can have trailer/boat there at 6:30 am. I pull in & told to leave trailer since they did not have time to work on that day. They also said they had never seen the picture of what the ladder was to look like. After calling about 3 or 4 times to see if ready I go & pick up week from when I left off. To my amazement ladder still does not look like picture, said the tongue weight was correct. (It would cause a 2500HD truck to sag) & they did not touch the bunks. I was told I had told them I did not want them fixed. I was frustrated & just took boat & trailer. On way home wife said boat looked like it had a red tint. When I got home boat did have a red tint. Overspray from when they painted part of the trailer.

I finally give up on the trailer dealer in Dallas & call dealer in Austin. After 2 or 3 phone calls I take trailer up to them to get them to fix trailer problems. I talk to salesman & he gets owner to go over trailer problems. He shows me more problems with the trailer then I knew about. I give them pictures of the way I want the bunks & ladder. We also talk about the tongue weight. I leave boat & trailer. After calling to see if ready I go back up 6 weeks later to pick up. I get a bill for about $3,000 ( not exactly sure), ladder still is nothing like my picture, bunks had not been added like I asked, boat had been lowered (we had talked about doing that) & move back on trailer to reduce the tongue weight. After looking at boat & talking to them they seemed to have forgotten some of what we had talked about & even said we did not talk about some things. I told them I was going to the lake & asked if I could bring back that Sunday for them to try a second time to get the bunks added. They agree if I call them before I get there they would come in & let me drop off on Sunday. I take in Sunday, & call the next Monday to verify everything. After calling for the next 2 more weeks I find they had not even started working on trailer. I am even told that it is going to cost me about another 1 or 2 thousand. I get mad & tell them to don't touch it & I was headed up to Austin to pick it up.

My major mistake in dealing with the Austin people was not taking the time to get the work ticket detailed instead of just letting them put down " Per customer specs".

As for Extreme trailers. I was told by a guy I meet in San Antonio that he also had a tongue weight problem. he called Extreme, they build him a new trailer & exchanged the trailer he had with the one he had with out a hassle. I just should have given up on my junk & bought a new Extreme. Probably would have been cheaper.

Sorry for the rant.

Hmm, I think I have been down this road myself. I fixed it all myself, with the help of CheckmateF1.

Expert knowledge...
 

Given all of this trailer knowledge, I'd like to get an opinion on my "problem."

In short, my triple axle trailer holds an 8500+# 342 Baja. I am wearing out my driver side front and passenber side rear tire on the inside tread only in about 1000 miles. Right down to the steel cord.
I measured the centerline of the axles and they are all different but off by as much as 5/8 in. Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Bruce...

Coddigtion - My buddy had Custom build him a trailer for his 37 Active Thunder. He had a number of problems. I guess what has happened to me is partly my fault. I believed Custom when they explained away all of my buddies problems.

I'm glad to see I'm not the only one getting screwed by the trailer manufactures we have to choose from.

Dangerkitty - You're right....I just didn't want to spend the extra money. Little did I know I'd be doing it anyway.

Re: Expert knowledge...
 

Are the axles attatched with u-bolts? On most trailers there is some adjusting that can be done.

They are attached with U-bolts but I can't slide the axle front or back because the plate which is welded to the axle (that attaches to the spring pack) has a clearence hole in it for the head of the bolt holding the spring pack together. It is therefore "captive."

Bruce...