Check your Sundowner Trailer before use!

[RackOn]

Ladies please…

So many comments on here about having your mechanic/dealer, etc. look at the frame.

Get a screwdriver and crawl under the trailer and LOOK AT THE FRAME YOURSELF. It isn’t rocket science; rust and corrosion are easy to spot. If the coating is peeling or you see potential soft spots, stick the screwdriver into the metal to see how much is corroded. If the coating is cracked, peel it off and look at what is underneath. Pay close attention to the joints.

Alternatively, when your mechanic has it lifted, get under there and look and poke around. Then you can see for yourself.

I bought my used Sundowner from a MAJOR Sundowner dealer which included a “full inspection”. I just happen to stumble onto this frame issue on horsetrailerworld.com about a week after I bought it and sure enough the frame had to be repaired. The dealer was useless with the repair.

Having said that, Sundowner paid for the repair which was made by an RV repair shop close to my home. I worked with Sundowner directly and am very happy with the outcome.

It took some effort as I took pictures of the frame, emailed them to Sundowner, found a repair shop, etc. but in the end it was worth it.

I do love my trailer. 2H gooseneck straight load. I would buy another Sundowner.

You can read horror stories about every brand of trailer but in the end you must use your own common sense and take the initiative to ensure your trailer is safe.

And taking the initiative in my case meant NOT relying on information from the dealer.

PS do not neglect to pack your wheel bearings.

[spotmenow]

[QUOTE=Jumpin_Horses;4009106]

I LOVE my Sundowner, so all your stories really upset me.

Just call them and try to work out any of your troubles with them.

Grandma used to say: “you get more flies with honey, than you do with vinegar”… so, be nice - it will take you far…[/QUOTE]

Agreed. I have a 2003 Sunlite Stampede SL. It is all aluminum, including the floor, and has the “Suncoat” on the floor/walls. Never had an issue, but bringing it in to be inspected tomorrow as a result of this thread.

I have to say, I had a problem when I first bought the trailer in 2004 with the dealer (Action Trailer Sales :mad:); they cut the plexi-glass wrong for the sides and then refused to make good on it. Sundowner made good on it instead. That is the ONLY issue I’ve ever had with it and look forward to years of continued use. However, I will be sure to never miss an annual inspection from now on.

[AKB]

I love our Sundowner trailers (2001 and 2003). We had the floors inspected last summer, and there was corrosion. I could feel a soft spot in the back of the floor of the one trailer where the manure lands. Sundowner replaced the floors in both trailers without any questions and without any charges. I called the dealer, they asked for the measurements of the floors and asked who had inspected them. Then, they called back when the new floors were ready to be installed.

[spotmenow]

Its a design flaw…

Just got my trailer back from being inspected. The guy said that the undercoating on the bottom is flaking off like nobody’s business and that the steel frame underneath is only 1/8" thick; he couldn’t believe a company would manufacture a trailer that big (its a 3-horse) with such thin steel. He said that even if I have Sundowner sand blast and re-coat it (under warranty), it can only be done once since its such thin steel. After that-it will be useless.

His advice is to dump it now. And, it has NOTHING to do with maintenance…the actual (aluminum) floor is pristine. Too bad the frame holding it up is a piece of crap. Very disappointed-off to try and trade it in for something else.

[AKB]

Spotmenow-I would call your nearest Sundowner dealer and bring it in. My experiences with Sundowner were very positive. I know lots of other people who had their Sundowners fixed for free.

[spotmenow]

Problem is, once they fix it, it will happen again over time and the next time it does, there will be no fixing it due to the thinness of the steel. It will be useless.

[cssutton]

You are assuming that you know how they are going to fix it.

They might, if you work it right, put a new frame under it with a different steel.

It would be foolish to trade until you know.

CSSJR

If we do not wish to lose our freedom, we must learn to tolerate our
neighbor’s right to freedom even though he might express that freedom
in a manner we consider to be eccentric.

[spotmenow]

Replacing the frame is akin to rebuilding the trailer…hey, if they’re willing to do that, great. However, it would cost them several thousand dollars in materials and labor. Hardly think its going to happen.

Still, I put a call in to the dealer we bought it from and am waiting for a return phone call from the head of the service department there.

[promlightshine]

so tell me this…l

The coating on my floor chipped and now it lifts . I called the company in ok several times with no answers. No one picks up the phone. I didn’t ask about the frame just the coating AND if I needed to have my trailer serviced by a dealer to keep the warranty as the company who does my repair no longer sells new sundowners. They of course refurbish and sell the trade-ins for those customers who opted to buy new vs do the floors.

It seems those who did well did well working with a dealer -correct?

[spotmenow]

We are not having any luck with our dealer (Action Trailer Sales); they are not returning our calls.

My husband called Sundowner directly yesterday…no answer.

I can tell you this; if they do not honor the warranty, I will be the one to start the lawsuit. We have a lawyer friend who is also a horse owner/lover and he would be more than willing to take the case.

You know, this is the kind of issue that could put a company under, especially in these economic times. All I know is, one of my boarders has a cheap steel trailer that is three years older than mine and it was parked on the grass for years. The frame looks a million times better…this would NOT be a hard case to prove.

[promlightshine]

Spotmeadow

Action may not be returning calls as they are getting overwhelmed with this mess too. I bought my trailer from them at the EA but have always had it serviced at Orchard in Western,ma. Orchard is no longer selling them so you are left with action and Tourbillion in RI.

I think they (action) are afraid. I was told to call the manufacturer directly to start reporting problems and they are not returning my calls.

Next week is a registered letter
The week after that is a complaint to the AG in Ok

If someone on this site has a better idea I’m happy to listen.

Karen

[JSwan]

[QUOTE=spotmenow;4028970]

I can tell you this; if they do not honor the warranty, I will be the one to start the lawsuit. .[/QUOTE]

If they don’t honor the warranty - you should. That would send me over the edge.

If Sundowner is giving you guys problems there is no excuse for that and I hope y’all nail 'em. I’ve never had a problem with Sundowner or the dealer I bought the trailer from.

What I am very happy about is that the guy that services my trailer does a real honest to goodness inspection and points out areas of concern long before it becomes a problem. But for years my trailer was not inspected properly and it really ticked me off. They’d check the lights and that was it. :mad: The guy would not even check the battery or the cable unless I prodded him! In my state they’re supposed to conduct a full inspection - including flooring and structure.

But that’s not true of all jurisdictions - and in those states it’s even more important for the owner to conduct their own periodic inspections. And a good inspection includes lifting mats, scraping, sanding repainting, closely inspecting the frame and supports, checking for frayed wiring or corroded leads, checking welds and U bolts, , bolts and hinges/latches for signs of premature wear, checking the tires for signs of uneven wear, repacking bearings and lubing the chassis, greasing the ball, hinges and latches, (NOT using Pam cooking spray), tightening the hitch, checking the torque on the lugs, etc.

It doesn’t take a lot of time - but it will pay off in spades as the trailer ages, especially if there is a warranty claim.

I wonder how financially sound that company is these days… or any trailer manufacturer…

[Dr_Doolittle]

[QUOTE=Evalee Hunter;3015054]
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).[/QUOTE]

WHAT THE HELL?!?!?!?

Where on earth did you hear this??

This NEVER happened to me, and I would appreciate it if you would edit your post, IMMEDIATELY!!!

[slp2]

Oy! I was about to go look at some Sundowner’s this weekend. :eek: Of course–I have always heard that Sundowners were a very high quality trailer. Is that reputation completed unwarranted? The dealer I talked to today said that they are now all aluminum. However, he did mention that he sells another brand (can’t remember it) and that company is in a better “financial state” (which I interpreted as him hinting that Sundowner was NOT as stable right now).

Anyway–I have a Merhow now–have had some minor issues over the years but nothing outlandish for the amount of use it has had. Also, a friend of mine has a Hawk–seems to be a nice trailer too. And lastly, I have heard about the 4-star trailers as being very good. OK–so I"m about to buy one of those 4 brands. I already saw that someone said the Hawks seem to be good. What about a new Merhows or 4-Stars? Or should I go with a Hawk?

[spotmenow]

Not surprised that Sundowner is having financial issues…they are having to eat the cost of repairing hundreds, maybe thousands of trailers. Ditching mine, I can tell you that.

Out of the four brands you mentioned, 4-Star is the best.

[promlightshine]

slp; I love my trailer. Like JSwan I got my sundowner for the quality and it looks pretty sharp. They are not returning my calls. I’m going to take my trailer this fall to the active sundowner dealership and bring along all my paperwork. That will be a 6 month check as my trailer is a 2004. If I had only waited a couple of years I’d have the trailer I wanted without all the worry.

I would choose a sundowner again if I knew they’d stand by their product. So we’ll see.

My friends got an all aluminum that can covert to a 2 or 3 horse slant. Has a ramp . It’s really neat. They race stbs and this is a "stb " model. When I was foxhunting more regularly I liked having the “real” dressing room. I’d love the flexibility to have three or two horses . Sometimes the extra space comes in handy.

anyway… if you look at new sundowners-get an idea what’s up with the company. If you look at used if the floors/frames have been replaced you are good to go for many years to come.

[spotmenow]

Well, they don’t want to replace our frame, just sand/recoat it. My mechanic told me that since so much of the frame has rusted away, sanding/recoating will only get me a few more years. Just long enough for the warranty to completely run out. :mad:

Spoke to one dealer who told me that he dropped Sundowner right before we bought one because Sundowner was advising dealers to tell customers that their trailers were all aluminum (even though the frame isn’t). This particular dealer refused to do so and dropped them.

So, my husband will be contacting Sundowner directly today and telling them that we want a new frame or we will be contacting a lawyer. I would have been better off buying an all-steel trailer for 1/2 the price-would have lasted twice as long. I have nothing good to say about Sundowner.

[justathought]

Ok - so I am about to do the work on the trailer that everyone here has discussed… except, I am asking fro rumbar instead of simply replacing the aluminum and replacing the frame - which is still adiscussion item with Sundowner.

Does anyone know the suggested placement of the steel support beams (on center) for a rumbar floor? I am also emailed the rumbar company with this question.

[grinanride]

12" OC with a bottom frame deep enough so the Rumber does not stick up over the frame / unless you are adding mats / then the bottom frame should be deep enough for both
Risa
HappyTrailsTrailers

[cloudyandcallie]

If Sundowner does not repair your trailers (if it can be done, sounds like a lot of things would have to be replaced and the trailers taken apart and rebuilt with proper materials) or replace the trailers or give you your money back, you should:

exchange names and phone #s
hire a competent, that’s competent law firm that is EXPERIENCED in handling class action lawsuits. This means someone like the firm that sued Ford over the Explorer rollovers, or the tyres, forget the brand that was on the Explorers. Why? because most lawyers cannot handle a class action lawsuit and don’t have the resources to do so.
You will have some initial outlay of money with a good class action lawfirm, but the firm will have the resources to carry the lawsuit. Yes the firm will get a lot of money in any settlement, but that will come out of the money won, not out of your pockets, as it would if you hire some local firm which doesn’t have the money to help you.
Class action lawsuits are necessary when a company refuses to acknowledge and recall. It’s not unjust enrichment of the plaintiffs, it is reimbursing you for being sold a defective product.
Get together and do it now before someone’s horses are dragged down a highway because of the defects in these trailers. Don’t let people flame you for this, it’s like buying a toaster that when you plug in, has a defect that electrocutes you, it’s not a “maintenance” issue, it’s a dangerous product. (I PMed one OP on one of these threads a while back, telling him/her to get the class action suit going. You need to do so before sundowner moves all its assets somewhere where you cannot reach them.)
Decide now if you are going to file a class action lawsuit, or delay and let someone end up with a tragedy, if it has not already happened to someone not on this board.