Edit your first post. I'd hate for you to lose sympathy in that mess of text.
I also don't see a problem with the hull scratches considering you were trying not to sink at the time not knowing what the initial problem was. Considering wave action and how long it was onshore (rocky) waiting to be rescued I don't see how people think those scratches are unreasonable.
A weak weld is a weak weld no matter how pretty it is. Anyone that's been around welding can tell you that there are plenty of people that can lay a pretty bead down, but without penetration, it's not going to hold up to jack. You would think something like a boat would require welders to be certified but I don't think that's the case. Same with trailers....ever look at the welds on most of the car trailers out there. That's some scary stuff.
Were there multiple cracks or just a long 1? I see it cracking along the weld and on aluminum.
I can see why Vexus thinks you hit something. They were just following the evidences.
Did you hit anything? Might not have notice if it was rough out. Take it off some sweet jumps?
The repair looks fine. I wonder if they patched the crack itself, then reenforced it with the plate. Or if the plate is the patch. The only thing I'm wary about is that notch up front. Seems like someone slipped with a blade. Now water might fill inside the patch and cause issue when it freezes.
Not sure why you're so hard up on a letter about the repair. It's done by Vexus. Of course approved by Vexus.
Originally Posted by BoatNoobie
What evidence are they following? The only explanation I was given by Vexus was they found gravel in the hull. There was no impact damage, and no other damage besides the weld cracks. I respectfully disagree with the repair being fine, especially when this was supposed to be a warranty repair.
Well if it's covered by warranty don't worry about it I broke sum welds on Lowe boat cuz of rough water it was welded and I used it for another 15 yrs
Is not difficult to see that the boat was beached more than once or that some gouges were fresh while others show signs of age. You don't need a degree to figure that out.
Joe Galada - Tamaqua, PA
2004 Ranger 521VX - Yamaha 250 SHO
In the before pictures it looks like the hull has lots of deep scratches in the aluminum hull, a long crack in a weld and another long crack in the aluminum bottom. Maybe the photos are deceiving. If this was a material defect I would expect it to be repaired to new condition covered by the Vexus warranty. If it was not possible to repair to as new condition then I would expect Vexus to replace my hull. However, you stated earlier that Vexus has taken the position that this was a "goodwill" fix and not a material defect covered under warranty. So it seems Vexus believes the owner caused or was responsible for the damages but made the repairs anyway for free. I do feel someone should have contacted you prior to modifying the hull.
I would be pissed...it's not hard to scratch the bottom of a painted boat..if the boat sat there for an hour, every time a wave hits it, that's another set of scratches, especially on rock. That weld shouldn't have split like that even if you hit the bank at 30 mph...
Opinions of the cause of damage from anyone other than a professional structural engineer have zero value.
$40k (or better) in the hole on this deal and you want this poor guy to epoxy a substandard repair? That is pure nonsense. At a minimum I would write a demand letter to Vexus for a replacement hull......with knowing your warranty is not necessarily limited to repairs, and you have further implied rights that may exercised to properly remedy this situation to your satisfaction. I'd be going after consequential damages and anything else I could throw in. You've suffered a significant loss and need to be properly compensated.
What’s all over your spare wheel? Shards of aluminum? Did they do the repair with the boat on the trailer? Also I’d think if there was a impact great enough to crack a GOOD weld like that there would be some type of impact dent?
This is what is upsetting to me, they are claiming this was not a manufacturer defect based simply on finding gravel in the hull. At no point did they call me to discuss this, or even tell me what they were planning on doing. And yes, the pictures are deceiving, the scratches are not deep.
Last edited by Timmy Seahawks; 07-25-2019 at 07:00 PM.
Wow, you must have stayed at a Holiday Inn once to be able to tell all that from the pictures. Would you be able to pinpoint which scratches are new and which ones are old and about how old they are. I could possibly use this information if this becomes a legal battle.
I do not see any damage from a impact hit.
I am only guessing but the original welds were probably done by a machine, and the repairs were done by a human. I can't tell for sure but ti looks like they welded over the original welds, and what should have happened was that the original welds should have been ground down in the areas that were cracked, and then re welded. As far as the comments "boat looks like it was abuse?". A boat is to be used, and not be a trailer queen.
Ok this settles it.....no boats are perfect neither are people....sorry for your luck
Well now I'm curious how the rest of you baby your boats. The bottom of that boat doesn't look bad at all (other than the massive crack). Most of the lakes I fish at don't have docks. I beach it to hop on the boat, beach it to hop off etc. Sometimes I have to pull it up to rocks to get on and off. Its aluminum for Christ sake, not tin foil. Well....it looks like his might have been tin foil...
2004 Tracker Avalanche with 150 Mercury XR6
I'm curious, what does your expertise think the repair should be? What should it look like?
Anyone has any other repairs done on keels of aluminum boats?
Vexus is still relatively new, so there aren't as many boats out there. Cant tell what model you have? Maybe there's a design flaw. Maybe it's from tugging on the bow hook. Maybe it's from impact or abuse. As of right now, this seems to be an isolated case. Until there's more reports of cracked welds, a lot of people, manufacturer included will lean towards the latter.
Don't get me wrong, we all appreciate you bringing this to our attention. More info, the better for consumers. I've been waiting on my Vexus since March 7th, so I understand how frustrating it can be.
Well I’ll just say this. I just got my boat back from Vexus from a manufacturer defect and they did replace the hull. So if they believe it to be a defect on there part they do stand behind their product. I’m sorry for your luck but Vexus must really believe it was not a defect. Just my two pennies worth.
What kind of defect did yours have to require that?
What happened with the OP's boat has nothing to do with the hull or how the boat was used. It is a weld issue.
What Causes Cracking in Aluminum Welding?
Hot cracking and stress cracking can occur during aluminum gas metal arc welding (GMAW) and gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) processes. Both types of cracks, even when small, can prevent welds from meeting code requirements and can eventually lead to weld failure. Hot cracking is predominantly a matter of chemistry, while stress cracking is the result of mechanical stresses.
Three main factors increase the probability that hot cracking will occur during aluminum welding. The first factor is how susceptible the base material is to cracking. For example, some alloys like the 6000 series are more prone to cracking than others. The second factor is which filler metal you use. Third is joint design—some joint designs restrict the addition of filler metal.
Stress cracking can occur when an aluminum weld cools and excessive shrinkage stresses are present during solidification. This could be due to a concave bead profile, a too slow travel speed, a highly restrained joint, or depression in the end of the weld (crater crack).
