I purchased a Sundowner trailer in March 2000. There is an 8 year warranty on structural defects. I found significant failure of the floor structure where the steel is placed against the aluminum. This caused the support for the floor to severely rusted out and become subjected to failure at any given time. When I took the trailer to a qualified dealer, they informed me they could only fix one a month and I would have to wait until April as there were several ahead of me. This should be illegal and is unacceptable as I need a method of hauling my horses. I currently care for several retired horses that require the best of care. This includes hauling the horses to the hospital or clinic if required. Failure to obtain timely medical services for any one of these horses may result in an untimely death. The design of the special powder coating on the trailer is very unsafe and should be recalled. At any time, one of these trailers floors can fall out with a horse on board and drag the horse down the highway, killing it. Sundowner claimed they solved the problem of steel against aluminum with a special powder coating, but the “powder coating” is failing and an accident is waiting to happen. They have made some changes to the newer trailers, but these also have the possibility of failure.
The inspection station I took my trailer to for inspection stated they have seen over 250 of these failing floor supports. That is just one station. Please, if you own a Sundowner, get a good look under your trailer before you put your horse on it!
I would call the Sundowner HQ about them refusing to fit it until April. That is just wrong, and they need to know you are less than happy.
Thanks for the heads-up. I am in the market for a trailer sometime this year. I will be sure to keep this in mind when looking.
[QUOTE=Old Equine Lady;3012654]
I purchased a Sundowner trailer in March 2000. There is an 8 year warranty on structural defects. I found significant failure of the floor structure where the steel is placed against the aluminum. This caused the support for the floor to severely rusted out and become subjected to failure at any given time. When I took the trailer to a qualified dealer, they informed me they could only fix one a month and I would have to wait until April as there were several ahead of me. This should be illegal and is unacceptable as I need a method of hauling my horses. I currently care for several retired horses that require the best of care. This includes hauling the horses to the hospital or clinic if required. Failure to obtain timely medical services for any one of these horses may result in an untimely death. The design of the special powder coating on the trailer is very unsafe and should be recalled. At any time, one of these trailers floors can fall out with a horse on board and drag the horse down the highway, killing it. Sundowner claimed they solved the problem of steel against aluminum with a special powder coating, but the “powder coating” is failing and an accident is waiting to happen. They have made some changes to the newer trailers, but these also have the possibility of failure.
The inspection station I took my trailer to for inspection stated they have seen over 250 of these failing floor supports. That is just one station. Please, if you own a Sundowner, get a good look under your trailer before you put your horse on it![/QUOTE]
I heard about this more than a year ago from my trailer repair shop (I have an old, old all steel Sundowner which - thank God - has been an absolute gem of a trailer). I can’t believe that they haven’t fixed the problem yet!! Thanks for this update.
This is a timely topic for me since I’m taking mine into the shop for repair this morning. From what I heard, Sundowner is now DENYING to fix some of these under warranty. The retailer I’m working with is being incredibly honest and upfront with me. Mine is a 2002 and there are rust spots all over the frame. They told me they need to document with pictures and a full report, submit it to Sundowner to see if they will cover the repairs. I know that it’s very labor intensive to fix them and the repairs can run in the $3k range! This particular shop has been subcontracting the work out since there are so many of them that need to be repaired.
If you have a Sundowner, you should really get it checked.
If I were you - I’d be furious that the place that has inspected and serviced the trailer for the past 8 years did not do their job. Trailer servicing should be done at least annually and premature wear and the structure are supposed to be inspected and addressed.
The owner’s manual should tell you what you are supposed to be doing to maintain the trailer. In many cases, owners do not maintain the trailer properly (don’t deny it - we all know people that don’t take care of their trailers!) and then complain when the things fall apart.
Even all steel trailers require maintenance; paint scraping, fixing rust, etc. Aluminum trailers, fiberglass - doesn’t matter.
I’m not sure why you think having to wait until April is illegal. I had an old Jeep that was subject to a recall; and I had to wait a long time before I could get it fixed. Sometimes we just have to wait in line.
I hope everything works out for you.
Where exactly do you look to see where the steel meets the aluminum? From the inside or the outside? Both?
[QUOTE=josierider;3012851]
Where exactly do you look to see where the steel meets the aluminum? From the inside or the outside? Both?[/QUOTE]
You can look for rust anywhere on the frame (the gray part).
And JSwan, this isn’t a maintenance issue, it’s a MAJOR design problem. Sundowner is well aware of the issue and not doing the right thing by notifying owners or standing by their warranty.
Wow, it amazes me what some companies will do (or not do).
I would call and complain, and keep calling, until they fixed it. Squeaky wheel gets the grease idea.
Sundowner Valuelite owners (or know people who are), and have any technical questions regarding your powder-coated frame rusting, call Anthony Holder, Sundowner’s Warranty Manager.
His e-mail address is: anthonyh@sundownertrailers.com.
He can be reached at 1-800-654-3879.
A friend of mine just had to replace her floor on one of these trailers. It was an ouch to the pocket book.
It’s not a “major design” problem. Take a look under your car or truck and you’ll see rust too. You’re SUPPOSED to be maintaining your trailer; and that includes scraping and repainting the steel frame as indicated. When you take it in for service (another thing most people don’t do like they’re supposed to), the mechanic is supposed to be examining the trailer for signs of wear. The owner and their mechanic should examine the hinges ramp, doors, frame, wiring, checking for dry rot on tires, maintaining the axle, all kinds of things.
Not just for Sundowners; all trailers need vigilant maintenance. The mere fact that they get parked outside and develop condensation predisposes them to rust problems. An 8 year old trailer - sorry - that type of problem isn’t unusual, and it doesn’t happen suddenly. Doesn’t matter what brand it is.
This summer I have to scrape and paint not only my horse trailer, but the flatbed and several farm implements. The flatbed and most of the implements are only a couple of years old - and even then - some of them only get used in the spring or fall.
I still can’t figure out what is supposed to be “illegal” about having to wait to get the trailer serviced.
If the manufacturer is being difficult - that’s too bad and I hope she gets that resolved. But rust? Rust happens.
But it’s not supposed to happen between aluminum and steel.
Steel rusts, aluminum doesn’t. If the OP’s trailer has so much rust that the structure has been compromised - that is because she did not maintain the trailer. Rust isn’t necessarily a structural problem unless the rust is eating through the metal. Usually it’s just surface rust that you scrape and repaint.
If she’s seeing corrosion, that is different than rust. And it is still not necessarily a structural problem unless it has been allowed to corrode to the point the metals are falling apart. And that, again, is evidence of failure to properly the maintenance schedule and can void the warranty.
It’s akin to never getting an oil change and then trying to claim that the engine failed because of a “design flaw” and making a claim against the warranty. If the owner fails to properly maintain their trailer/vehicle, it can void the warranty.
JSwan, normally I would be inclined to agree with you, but I actually had a trailer repair shop warn me about these new Sundowners a year ago. Apparently the powder coating process that Sundowner uses for the frames is inadequate, and the frames are rusting at alarmingly fast rate. Much faster than you would see on most brands of trailers.
So, while I agree that rust happens and that we should all be diligent about trailer maintenance, in this particular instance, I think it IS a design flaw. I am particularly concerned that it’s still going on a year after the repair shop warned me about it. I would have thought that there would have been a recall.
My trailer guy warned me about the same thing. (Not about Sundowners specifically)
He wags his finger and says - you know - you really have to watch for signs of paint bubbling on these frames. He goes on and on. I get lectured a lot, and then he tells me he’s happy to work on the darn thing for me.
I’m too stingy so I do it myself.
I have, however, loosened my deathgrip on my change purse to get the bearings repacked. I’m just too old to sit on a tire and push grease into a bearing.
A design flaw, to me, is more about the structure itself, not so much materials. Paint, even on cars, fails.
Folks use the word “recall” a lot - but recalls, even on passenger vehicles, are not that common. What is more common is a technical bulletin. Chances are your tow vehicle (or any vehicle) has had many technical bulletins issued against it and you are never aware, and you drive the vehicle around until it breaks down - and then - your mechanic MAY tell you that a bulletin was issued warning about a defective part.
There are some pretty specific things that have to happen for a manufacturer to issue a recall. This really doesn’t qualify. However, I’m writing from memory. I went through this a while back on a passenger vehicle.
However, I think what the OP is talking about is not rust, but corrosion. If it is that bad that the structure is unstable, the problem has been there a very long time and she has not taken the trailer in for service.
And that can void the warranty. Now - for a trailer that has been serviced and is taken care of and the owner starts to notice a little problem - THAT is the time to make a claim under the warranty.
That’s kinda why I’m wondering why on earth the people who service her trailer let the problem go on so long as to damage the actual structure. An 8 year old horse trailer is goingg to have a lot of wear on it - even if it isn’t used. Actually, if it isn’t used much rust and corrosion are even more likely to be a problem. So, I’d be ticked at whoever I was paying to service the horse trailer. It’s hard to exercise our rights under a warranty if, either by negligence or inaction, we void it!
[QUOTE=J Swan;3014225]
A design flaw, to me, is more about the structure itself, not so much materials. Paint, even on cars, fails.
![/QUOTE]
Do not know as I have never taken one apart but Electrolytic Corrosion (Electrolysis) occurs when. dissimilar metals are in contact with each other … aluminum sheets should not rest directly on steel … exposure to salt water form de-icing roads in the northern states would accelerate the ion transfer
If they were just using a powder coating on the steel as the separation then it is a design fault
[QUOTE=clanter;3014509]
Do not know as I have never taken one apart but Electrolytic Corrosion (Electrolysis) occurs when. dissimilar metals are in contact with each other … aluminum sheets should not rest directly on steel … exposure to salt water form de-icing roads in the northern states would accelerate the ion transfer
If they were just using a powder coating on the steel as the separation then it is a design fault[/QUOTE]
Yes, to me, this is the point. You cannot just make a trailer of aluminum over a steel frame. You need to take special care to keep the metals separate from each other. If special care is NOT taken, then THAT is a flaw in the design. The corrosion may have shown up rather suddenly because the dissimilar metals actually came in contact with each other only recently & then the corrosion progresses suddenly & rapidly. Aluminum/steel contact (or, rather, avoiding contact) is a big design problem with aluminum/steel trailers.
However, regarding waiting for repair … well, that happens. All of us potentially could NEED our trailers for a medical emergency with our horses. So, if we know we are going to be without the trailer for a while, we need to have a plan B … buy a 2nd trailer (used, inexpensive), borrow a trailer, arrange to be have access to a friend’s trailer 24/7, or whatever.
A couple of things, first Sundowner expected that the frames and powder coating would hold up for a minimum of 8 years. Otherwise they would have never sold them with an 8 year warranty on the frame. Something at the time, they were the only ones doing.
Secondly, the steel on these is comprised of thin sheets of cold rolled sheet metal. When moisture (only a drop) is getting into the frame, it’s rotting them from the inside out by getting into the various layers. So you may not even see rust but yet your frame could be in bad shape.
I was warned off of aluminum Sundowners and Exisses by a trailer repair shop about 6 years ago when I bought my older Trailet. They said that those two brands of trailers showed up most frequently with frame and structure related problems. From what I’ve heard on these forums and others since then, they sounded right on.
I believe not too long ago someone on this BB had major problems with their sundowner, I think the ramp just fell off? Sundowner refused to fix it even though the trailer was new and other people had the same problems. Owner had to go through some serious lengths to get the trailer fixed.
Dr. Doolittle (who posts here) is one who had a ramp fall off … while she was transporting a horse which fell out the back & was dragged down the road. Others have had the ramp fall off when a horse stepped on it loading or unloading. Sundowner seems to be the one with that problem. (I personally know someone who had a Sundowner ramp fall off.) JSwan pretty regularly jumps into these discussions & lectures all of us about trailer maintenance. I agree with much or most of what JSwan posts but when it comes to her lectures on polishing boots, maintaining equipment, etc., well, she obviously has a whole lot more interest & concern regarding that stuff than I do (I’m trying to be tactful here).
I heard about this when I bought my C&C in 1999, which by the way is an all aluminum trailer 
At that time, I looked at several brand new Sundowners that had never even had horses in them or been off the lot and saw quite a bit of rust in various places. And since then heard the stories about ramps falling off, and welds and so forth.
You could not give me a Sundowner.
