So I called Ellis today....

[al cole'holic]

..and I says I had a problem with my trailer. Explained to him that the brake caliper broke off from the mount, pierced the tire which caught the back of the fender, and ****ed it up. Guess what he asks..."Did you call your insurance company?". WTF?? He really did build trailers for Cole.. :mad:

[mbrown2]

I wonder how Extreme or Zieman would have handled it...you have only owned it for approximately three years with low miles on it.

[al cole'holic]

mbrown2:
I wonder how Extreme or Zieman would have handled it...you have only owned it for approximately three years with low miles on it. After I told him I didn't believe it was an insurance matter he told me to call back after the 4th of July weekend. Of course he knows I am trying to get out for the holiday...

[miller19j]

How old is the trailer and how long was the Warranty?

[eliminatedsprinter]

A few years ago I messed up the fenders on my sister and brother in law's trailer. It was all my fault and it was stupid. I offered to pay for it, but they called their insurace co and the whole thing was covered, no questions asked, and he even got the chrome fenders he wanted to upgrade to anyway, with no money out of any of our pockets. I was amazed. :D

[CAHotRodBoy]

I sold my lake lice to a buddy a couple months ago. Last week he was in Vegas and the axle U bolts came loose, the axle shifted and destroyed the fender and rubbed into the hull. He was going to tell the insurance company that someone hit it in the parking lot. I told him not to lie to the insurance company. The adjusters aren’t stupid and will figure out what happened.
He called the insurance company and they covered everything and the hull repair guy adjusted the invoice so it covered his deductible.
Your insurance should cover it.

[al cole'holic]

The point is why should I contact my insurance company and ask them to cover me on something that I feel is not a normal problem. Trust me, I would be all over it otherwise. I really feel that a caliper breaking off the mount is not some normal wear and tear problem. When was the last time you had one break off? What was even funnier is when I called last week the dude I spoke to flat out told me that it wasn't something normal...

[NorCal Gameshow]

it's no different than the caliper mount breaking off on your car...like miller asked, how old is it?that makes a difference on who's responsible

[Mohavekid]

Sounds like a prodect defect.
Ellis should handle it under warranty.
If they don't, your insurance company will cover all the damage except the caliper mount, subject to your deductable. Your insurance company may subrogate against (pursue) Ellis for the amount they paid plus your deductable.
That's probably the quickest way to get it fixed.
Good luck.

[playdeep]

Extreme would have taken care of it...No questions asked.
...Been there done that.

[Havasu Hangin']

mbrown2:
I wonder how Extreme or Zieman would have handled it..That exact thing happened on my Extreme. Well, actually, I don't know what went first, the tire or the caliper (the tire shredded).
Extreme overnighted me a new backing plate, caliper, rotor, and pads to Havasu- changed it right in the parking lot of the hotel.
When I got home, they took the trailer...repainted some areas fron the flatbed scratches, and put a new set of rims & tires on it (I had to pay the difference to upgrade to 15" aluminum rims...but they threw in the tires).
Did they know you won the stereo cooler?

[mbrown2]

Havasu Hangin':
[QUOTE]Originally posted by mbrown2:
[qb]
Did they know you won the stereo cooler? LMAO..

[al cole'holic]

..hahahah, HH you futher mucker! :D
The trailer is 2001 and I do believe the problem is a defect. I am insured well beyond the price of the trailer but like I said I don't think it should be on my insurance. I may need it later when my Mag blows and I have to have them replace it with the Quad Rotor Mag it had in it... :D

[MagicMtnDan]

mbrown2:
...you have only owned it for approximately three years with low miles on it. Well, I'm guessing this won't be a popular response but if your trailer is about three years old I can't imagine why you expect them to cover it under warranty. If it's a defect then one would expect it to break much sooner than three years after going into service.
A trailer is subjected to all kinds of wear-and-tear ("abuse") - subjected to the elements, submerging in water, potholes, etc. While it's not common for that to happen it seems like expecting Ellis to pay for it may be a bit much.
Why not use your insurance to cover it? After all, that's what it's for.
I'm not trying to stir up any $hit - just my opinion based on what I've read.

[Hermosa]

MagicMtnDan:
mbrown2:
...you have only owned it for approximately three years with low miles on it. Well, I'm guessing this won't be a popular response but if your trailer is about three years old I can't imagine why you expect them to cover it under warranty. If it's a defect then one would expect it to break much sooner than three years after going into service.
A trailer is subjected to all kinds of wear-and-tear ("abuse") - subjected to the elements, submerging in water, potholes, etc. While it's not common for that to happen it seems like expecting Ellis to pay for it may be a bit much.
Why not use your insurance to cover it? After all, that's what it's for.
I'm not trying to stir up any $hit - just my opinion based on what I've read. It's obvious you aren't looking at the big picture here, this isn't some little weld defect or paint chip, it's a brake problem... something that could lead to a multi million dollar law suit if someone got killed in an acident that was linked to faulty manufacturer hardware or product. If I was Ellis Trailers, that would have been fixed pronto! Put some pants on and go down to Ellis and demand to have it fixed ASAP, have your attourney wright a quick little letter with some info on past manufacturer faulty equipment lawsuits, that will do the trick. Get it fixed, don't **** around with the insurance as it's not their problem. You paid for a custom trailer, not some Bayliner EZ-Load, have them take care of you, the customer.

[MagicMtnDan]

It's obvious you aren't looking at the big picture here, this isn't some little weld defect or paint chip, it's a brake problem... something that could lead to a multi million dollar law suit if someone got killed in an acident that was linked to faulty manufacturer hardware or product. If I was Ellis Trailers, that would have been fixed pronto! Put some pants on and go down to Ellis and demand to have it fixed ASAP, have your attourney wright a quick little letter with some info on past manufacturer faulty equipment lawsuits, that will do the trick. Get it fixed, don't **** around with the insurance as it's not their problem. You paid for a custom trailer, not some Bayliner EZ-Load, have them take care of you, the customer.Dude, it's a THREE YEAR OLD, USED TRAILER! How can it be a defect after three years of service?! Gimme a break!

[miller19j]

Hermosa:
It's obvious you aren't looking at the big picture here, this isn't some little weld defect or paint chip, it's a brake problem... something that could lead to a multi million dollar law suit if someone got killed in an acident that was linked to faulty manufacturer hardware or product. If I was Ellis Trailers, that would have been fixed pronto! Put some pants on and go down to Ellis and demand to have it fixed ASAP, have your attourney wright a quick little letter with some info on past manufacturer faulty equipment lawsuits, that will do the trick. Get it fixed, don't **** around with the insurance as it's not their problem. You paid for a custom trailer, not some Bayliner EZ-Load, have them take care of you, the customer. Yea that’s the solution get a Lawyer and sue everybody!
Before you go demanding everything. I am a little curious how long is your trailer under warranty? Is it still covered? Was it stored inside or outside? There are a lot of variables that come into play here.
Do yourself a favor turn it into your insurance company and be done with it.

[al cole'holic]

First off I would never hire an attorney under any circumstance in this situation. Second of all I would not turn this into my insurance either. I do not believe in turning shit like this into insurance, that is not what it is for in my opinion. Every time I have a nut & bolt break off I do not run to the insurance company for a claim. There are some things I believe I can take care of without putting a claim in. If Ellis has a problem with my situation I am sure we will be able to find a happy medium, but we cross that bridge when its time... :D

[miller19j]

How long is the Ellis Warranty?

[Hermosa]

You guys just don't get it... I'm out.

[BUSTI]

After 3 years you are operating a used trailer. if you had just purchased this trailer with your boat used and it was three years old you most likely would be more than willing to fix it your self or unlike you told Ellis Trailers you would honest believe it was an insurance issue. You may not have liked Ellis's response but it was not an inappropriate response. Like MagicmntDan I believe you need to take responsibility for it yourself.
Although you would think that Ellis would would have been more customer care sensitive...I certainly agree with you there.

[playdeep]

In 2002 I lost a wheel bearing on my Extreme trailer about 30 miles outside of Havasu.
I purchased the trailer new in 1999...
Called Extreme explained what happened,They had me take the trailer to Zieman(a competitor). They shipped a complete axle,including brake lines,disc brakes,everything including matching paint.
The following week when I went back to Havasu to pick up my rig,I went to pay the bill and was told that Extreme had taken care of everything...
The real amazing part,
The people at Extreme never even asked if I had regularly serviced the bearings(I had).

[SDLifesaver]

I have had a few trailers and I now have an Ellis. Bob is the owner and he is a straight up guy. If it's his fault he will fix it. Imagine how many people call every day saying what happened to their trailer and want him to fix it? All of my experiences with him have been awesome. Email him some pictures showing what broke and why it is defective. He should take care of you if it is a bogus part. Good luck.

[al cole'holic]

Status Update...
Well, today was finally my scheduled day to bring my trailer in and all I have to say is WOW. These guys are up front and square! There is a guy Mike there that handles alot of the functions and he went through the entire trailer with me, addressing problems I didn't really know I had as well as the issue at hand. Even offering to do some minor upgrading to the little things that they do now. My experience was great and I left with a sense that someone cared. Thanks again to the Ellis company and I will let yall know what happens next week.... :D

[BADAXE]

That's good to hear. My Howard came on an Ellis trailer and it nice to know they are taking care of their customers. :)

[al cole'holic]

Well, I just got the call that the trailer is ready. They said they want $780 for everything they addressed over and above what they claim was warranty stuff. This included a complete service, new brake pads, fixing a side panel that was coming off at the fender and some other misc bullshit stuff. What do you guys think about the amount??

[SK48]

I think that is great I have four Ellis trailers and Bob has always been an up front guy. They are good people and have great customer loyalty and build an excellent product. I think you are lucky to have an Ellis trailer.

[superdave013]

al cole'holic:
Well, I just got the call that the trailer is ready. They said they want $780 for everything they addressed over and above what they claim was warranty stuff. This included a complete service, new brake pads, fixing a side panel that was coming off at the fender and some other misc bullshit stuff. What do you guys think about the amount?? Hard to say as you said minor upgrades and repairs but didn't say what exactly what was being done.
I know what I charge for labor and 780 wouldn't go to far.