New Boat experience has been a complete Trainwreck. Need advice.

[fieldstream13]

Need some advice from you guys.....

I bought my boat brand new in July of 2019(2018 TRX 20), but I must say I am considering getting rid of it and finding a different brand. I got rid of a 15 year old stratos that never left me stranded to buy this, and I am regretting it. I have been plaqued by issues with my new boat and none of the issues are Mercury to my knowledge. I almost had to dump fish in two tournaments and decided not to fish any more fall events bc of the boat not functioning properly. I have had the following issues, with the biggest issue listed last:

- Cracked fuel valve
- A different Fuel valve installed backwards at the factory and had to be flipped around
-Keel Guard had to be replaced because it was falling off
-Master breaker switch failure that left me on the water with no live wells, no lights, or any other applicable electronics.
-Trailer lights issue (Cheap light bar on the back was broken)
-trolling motor issues
-fish finder wiring issues (I know this is a rigging issue)
-And the Big one...... Every single trip since July, I have had issues with my boat falling on its face trying to take off. It does not do it every takeoff, but always at least once, if not 5 times per trip. The only way to get it started is pumping the primer ball several times, since it is usually soft after this happens. Dealer has looked at it and I even paid couple hundred bucks for my normal mechanic to look at it and paid out of pocket because I am desperate to have a dependable boat (Everything is under full warranty).

Now Triton is involved and think they know what it is. They believe it is a fuel tank issue (Which I have thought from day 1) or the rigging to the fuel tank. So, here were go again... back to the dealer and I have no boat in the best crappie fishing of the year. Sorry for the long post, but even all my decal stickers are falling off a new boat and I am a bit frustrated at this point...

Has anyone had any of these tank issues? And should I stick this out or find something else and move on? I know my dealer is trying to do whatever they can to take care of me, but my confidence is wavering in Triton brand. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[NORRIS CRAFT 1]

First of all you have one of the best boats ever made. Does it have problems yes . That said you half to give the Dealer a chance to fix all the issues. You would take a huge hit to sell the boat now. That to me is not an option. Fix the boat no matter how long it takes. I understand your frustration believe me. We all have went thru something similar & we got past it. So will you. And when all is said & done & fixed to your satisfaction you will end up with the boat you always wanted & dreamed of.

[DaveTTN]

Sorry for your difficulties. I would stick it out and at least let them make it right. Then once corrected if you still have a bad feeling you can sell it at least knowing you aren’t just offloading the issue to someone else. I know there was another long thread on one of the motor forums where a guy had a motor issue and it ended up getting replaced. Document everything here for all to see and I believe whatever issues there are, Triton will make it right. I feel certain, members from the factory watch this forum.

Are you the second owner of the boat?

[itsahog]

I just bought my first brand new Triton, after owning a used Triton. I love my boat, but I had a couple surprises which did concern me. The first time I backed my boat into the water, the auto bilge pump turned on. I knew I’d put the plug-in, but I started second-guessing myself and double checked and sure enough it was in. A couple of Fisherman out there at the dock had some tools with them, so we removed a platform holding my charging system out of the way, to find out that my boat was missing the hose that drained the live well, leaving a wide open hole in the back of my boat. Imagine my feeling backing a brand new boat into the water and seeing water gush into the transom. Next trip out my passenger seat base was sitting on the floor away from where it should be, turns out the hardware on the front of the seat securing it to the boat was not secured. I started thinking the quality of my boat was subpar. My dealer was eight hours away, so these repairs had to be done by myself. Bottom line is I love my boat, those are the only two issues I have had, and I have looked boat over pretty well at this point. Every boat manufacturer can have some issues, I would stick with it, work through them and I think you’ll find you overall have a high-quality well-built boat. I know from experience, although not quite to the extent you have, how you feel. I’m certainly not defending the fact these mistakes make it out of the factory, because their quality control program should prevent it. but I don’t think any manufacture is immune to some problems getting out the door.

[tdt91]

A buddy of mine gave his New Charger 210 2 years but will be buying a new Phoenix for the 2020 season. His Charger had problems from day one and continues to have problems and he's sick and tired of it. Problems are from factory setup install to dealer rigging issues including trying to hide broken stuff all the way to Mercury issues.
I think all brands have a lemon once in a while, was it built on a Friday? ha

[fieldstream13]

I am original owner. At this point , I know it makes since to give triton a chance. I have always heard great things about triton. Can't wait to be fishing again.... Thanks for all the support everyone.

It is a great riding boat!

[WBW]

I'be also got the 2018 20 TRX. I bought the boat new off the dealer lot as a left over in July of 2019. I've had a few issues so far:

1. engine oil tank cap backing off every trip(apparently a known mercury issue). I finally got the cap secured with some tape until I can get it back to the dealer, but at least it's not leaving an oil trail anymore.

2. The on board charger had one lead not connected to the cranking battery.

3. The keel shield has a spot in the middle that is lose.

4. I'm beginning to wonder if I have a cranking battery issue though as the motor is slow to start, especially after I have fished for a bit. The volt meter shows good voltage when the engine is running and it hasn't failed to start yet.

The boat rides & drives great though!

[Atrain89]

I too have a 2018 20TRX and have had nothing but problems with mine. Since the day I brought it home I’ve had issues with the trailer brakes not releasing, to the Remote Drain plug not working properly, rear light socket had to be replaced because light pole wouldn’t secure to it, the front and rear compartments all leak, there’s carpet glue all over the fiberglass in the cockpit (looks like shit), the keel guard was peeling off and repaired once and now peeling again, the bolts on the trailer fenders don’t support the fenders well enough if someone steps up on them( they tilt downward), the whole drivers side dash had to to be replaced because it was tearing out from the screws securing it to the console, the livewell fill lines were backwards, the recirculate switches were wired backwards, the fuel gauge has never been remotely accurate at all (this has been an ongoing issue), the TRX decals are starting to peel off, the bilge pump crapped out on me this past spring, had a Trailer Brake Caliper Bolt back out and it ruined the wheel and flat spotted the tire, and the whole bottom of the boat has Gel Coat cracks all over.

to the OP, I feel your pain... when I ordered my boat I’ve had such high hopes of owning a great rig for many years and it has been a total let down. My boat is currently going back to the factory this winter to have the Gel Coat cracks taking care of amongst many other little issues. I’m just hoping when I get it back this spring that it’s better than new and my luck with it turns around. I still like the boat, but if my luck doesn’t change with it, I probably won’t keep it long.

[DaveTTN]

Atrain , Holy moly with that many problems it almost sounds like willful negligence by a disgruntled factory worker.

[Fishing_Fool_NC]

Or a Triton built in Missouri......

[itsahog]

I too have a 2018 20TRX and have had nothing but problems with mine. Since the day I brought it home I’ve had issues with the trailer brakes not releasing, to the Remote Drain plug not working properly, rear light socket had to be replaced because light pole wouldn’t secure to it, the front and rear compartments all leak, there’s carpet glue all over the fiberglass in the cockpit (looks like shit), the keel guard was peeling off and repaired once and now peeling again, the bolts on the trailer fenders don’t support the fenders well enough if someone steps up on them( they tilt downward), the whole drivers side dash had to to be replaced because it was tearing out from the screws securing it to the console, the livewell fill lines were backwards, the recirculate switches were wired backwards, the fuel gauge has never been remotely accurate at all (this has been an ongoing issue), the TRX decals are starting to peel off, the bilge pump crapped out on me this past spring, had a Trailer Brake Caliper Bolt back out and it ruined the wheel and flat spotted the tire, and the whole bottom of the boat has Gel Coat cracks all over.

to the OP, I feel your pain... when I ordered my boat I’ve had such high hopes of owning a great rig for many years and it has been a total let down. My boat is currently going back to the factory this winter to have the Gel Coat cracks taking care of amongst many other little issues. I’m just hoping when I get it back this spring that it’s better than new and my luck with it turns around. I still like the boat, but if my luck doesn’t change with it, I probably won’t keep it long.

when you get it back, my advice would be to sell it. Immediately. No way I would keep a boat with that history after repaired. In fact I’m wondering why you did not return it to begin with. I just bought a new Triton, if I had those issues it would be sitting back in their yard.

[TritonTRXV8]

when you get it back, my advice would be to sell it. Immediately. No way I would keep a boat with that history after repaired. In fact I’m wondering why you did not return it to begin with. I just bought a new Triton, if I had those issues it would be sitting back in their yard.

I agree with this. Thats unfortunate to hear that. Certainly hope mine doesnt have anything like that. Im sure theres gonna be bugs but thats outrageous. I have a long checklist of stuff to check before i even roll off with it before we go pick up ours so hopefully i catch anything i dont like.

[Riccochet]

It's really terrible when you get a shoddily put together boat at the factory, combined with shoddy rigging from the dealer. Puts a very sour taste in your mouth for any given brand. Most dealers don't have the talent on hand to properly rig a boat worth a damn. Most of these places sell bass boats as an addition to what they primarily sell, RV's, pontoon's, pleasure boats. Even the places that do move a lot of bass boats seem to hire the lowest common denominator to do their rigging.

When I bought mine new there was a laundry list of rigging issues, detail issues, just overall lack of f***s given by Triton and the dealer. For instance the bow electronics power wires were electrical taped together. Yes, the connections weren't soldered, crimped, or even shrink tubed, just the wires knotted together and wrapped in e-tape. Then, get this, I had them install a 7" HB unit in the console. These geniuses cut the entire opening out like they were mounting a 12" unit. And I mean the entire thing. So there was no backing plate left, maybe 1/4" around the perimeter of the opening. Their solution to this boneheaded move was to mount the unit to the cover plate and use drywall screws at an angle to secure the cover plate to what was left of the backing plate. And when they had all of this apart they must have yanked on a bunch of the switch wires because most of them were not put back correctly. Transducer mounted to the transom with no sealant used on the screws. F'it, zip em in. The trolling motor? Screwed down, not bolted. WTF?

I could write a novel about all the shit I dealt with on my new boat that was wrong from the factory or what the dealer screwed up.

If everything on your boat can be fixed by you, fix it and move on. If it's completely buggered by the factory best to get rid of it.

[Atrain89]

when you get it back, my advice would be to sell it. Immediately. No way I would keep a boat with that history after repaired. In fact I’m wondering why you did not return it to begin with. I just bought a new Triton, if I had those issues it would be sitting back in their yard.

Not everything has gone wrong at once. I’ve had it at the dealer the first year a couple times for warranty work. Some of the other issues occurred this past season. The Gel Coat cracks didn’t appear until this past spring. I’ve been able to fix some of the issues myself but the point is I should not have to, not especially for the kind of money these things cost. The dealer has been good about taking care of things, just horrible luck with this rig..

I hope the OP has better luck.

[bassworm1]

Is there lemon laws for boats??

[ssmithboats]

if its mechanical an folks build it use it outdoors in the weather things will happen be happy its under warranty have it fixed an enjoy your boat.

[Landar]

The boat falling on it's face on takeoff is pretty common with the 250 Pro XS two stroke with the new fuel tanks used in all boats. It's possibly a weak fuel lift pump. Not necessarily a Triton only issue. My Bullet had same problem.

[fieldstream13]

The boat falling on it's face on takeoff is pretty common with the 250 Pro XS two stroke with the new fuel tanks used in all boats. It's possibly a weak fuel lift pump. Not necessarily a Triton only issue. My Bullet had same problem.

I had the motor reviewed by a separate mechanic out of pocket . They said motor checked out perfect. Check fuel pumps too bc I thought the same.

Sounds like I'm not the only one with miserable luck. Good luck Atrain. If I have another issue I'm going to trade it back to dealer and move on. I fish too much to deal with this kind of issues. I have had the boat since July and havent enjoyed a single day that didnt have the boat fall on its face or another electrical issues. I'm crossing my fingers!

[Landar]

I had the motor reviewed by a separate mechanic out of pocket . They said motor checked out perfect. Check fuel pumps too bc I thought the same.

Sounds like I'm not the only one with miserable luck. Good luck Atrain. If I have another issue I'm going to trade it back to dealer and move on. I fish too much to deal with this kind of issues. I have had the boat since July and havent enjoyed a single day that didnt have the boat fall on its face or another electrical issues. I'm crossing my fingers!

Does it fall on its face all the time or just when you’ve idled a while?

[berudd]

Need some advice from you guys.....

I bought my boat brand new in July of 2019(2018 TRX 20), but I must say I am considering getting rid of it and finding a different brand. I got rid of a 15 year old stratos that never left me stranded to buy this, and I am regretting it. I have been plaqued by issues with my new boat and none of the issues are Mercury to my knowledge. I almost had to dump fish in two tournaments and decided not to fish any more fall events bc of the boat not functioning properly. I have had the following issues, with the biggest issue listed last:

- Cracked fuel valve
- A different Fuel valve installed backwards at the factory and had to be flipped around
-Keel Guard had to be replaced because it was falling off
-Master breaker switch failure that left me on the water with no live wells, no lights, or any other applicable electronics.
-Trailer lights issue (Cheap light bar on the back was broken)
-trolling motor issues
-fish finder wiring issues (I know this is a rigging issue)
-And the Big one...... Every single trip since July, I have had issues with my boat falling on its face trying to take off. It does not do it every takeoff, but always at least once, if not 5 times per trip. The only way to get it started is pumping the primer ball several times, since it is usually soft after this happens. Dealer has looked at it and I even paid couple hundred bucks for my normal mechanic to look at it and paid out of pocket because I am desperate to have a dependable boat (Everything is under full warranty).

Now Triton is involved and think they know what it is. They believe it is a fuel tank issue (Which I have thought from day 1) or the rigging to the fuel tank. So, here were go again... back to the dealer and I have no boat in the best crappie fishing of the year. Sorry for the long post, but even all my decal stickers are falling off a new boat and I am a bit frustrated at this point...

Has anyone had any of these tank issues? And should I stick this out or find something else and move on? I know my dealer is trying to do whatever they can to take care of me, but my confidence is wavering in Triton brand. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

I know it does not help, but some of these issues aren't related to Triton because they buy these items from suppliers just like everyone else does. They are also probably problems that would not show up until the boat as been used some.

Keel Guard - sounds like the adhesive is bad but could have been an installation issue at the factory
Fuel valve - potentially bad from the supplier or even broken someone after delivery. Installation issue is on them though.
Master Breaker - a product sourced from a supplier. That breaker could have ended up on any other brand of boat and given it the same issue.
Trailer lights - I think another sourced product. But, if it was broken before you took delivery, someone should have caught it and fixed it.
Trolling Motor - they buy it and install it just like we do; again it could have ended up on any other boat, you're just lucky. ;)

The others do sound like issues with the boat but not ones I have necessary heard of in the past. I have a 2019 20TRX and have had some snags.

I had to replace and HDS that was fine when I took delievery but crapped out a few months later and Lowrance sent me a new one.
The Ultrex did some weirdness and lost spotlock but after updating its software I have had zero issues.
The heading sensor for the Ultrex does not seem to be hooked to power. That was dealer installed and I have been to lazy to correct it.
Livewell pump out did not work. But then it did after I filled both wells all the way up one day. I think that was just a priming issue.

While annoying, I don't see any of these things as Triton issue. Two were supplier issues, one is a dealer issue and one seems to be a non-issue.

Only saying this because before you turn sour on an entire brand, make sure your issues really are with that brand. I think several off them could have happened to any other boat out there.