Waterlogged Tracker Avalanche

[milfoil]

I have a Tracker Avalanche that flew when it was new. Jumped on plane and 65mph with the 150 Merc. Over the years getting slower and slower. My dealer checked the motor and told me it was top notch, but the boat was super heavy. Seems the entire bow area under the rod lockers and front storage is full of floatation foam, and it has absorbed water and is now soaked. It weight the boat down horribly. Always figured it was just my bad luck, until I ran into another guy at the ramp, who had the same story. I notice that the boat on the trailer sits nose down. Just the way the bunks are and the front roller. Well for years, it was stored outside with a cover. We all know that rain and condensation get in the boat, and it would run forward and sit there. I am interested if anyone else has this problem. I am in the process of talking with Tracker about a fix. Seems that it is a design flaw. First, the foam should be sealed away from water, and second, the attitude of the boat on the trailer should definitely be bow up. I cannot run the front roller high enough to get water to run out the back of the boat. This was once an awesome boat, and now it sucks.

[milfoil]

I ran into no help from Tracker. They said that it is out of its 5 year warranty, and so they would not do a thing. Big surprise. I have started a process to dry the foam, without removing it. It seems to be working pretty well. If anyone wants the details, feel free to give me a call and discuss it. Getting steady results, but figure it will take quite a while to get it all dried out. Matt, 207-671-8995

[TMG]

Good luck I hope you can get it dried up and back on the water soon.

[Demolitionman]

Ummm, if the foam is soaked I highly doubt you'll ever dry it entirely out. I been there with a water logged skeeter. Spent an entire winter trying to dry one out. Threw the towel in and pulled the cap and tore out all the old foam. Boat instantly picked up 20 mph. I wish you the best of luck, and if you can post how you are drying it out. Threads like yours pop up from time to time and it would help more than just tracker owners.

[milfoil]

finished insulating my garage this weekend, as I figured that if the boat got warm and the air was cold, it would promote condensation. Something I did not want. I got the front of the boat jacked up as high as I could, and put jack stands under the trailer to hold it stable and safe, as I figured it would be here for quite a while. I bought a torpedo heater and started blasting the bottom of the hull with heat. Water started dripping from the drain hole. Slowly at first, but as I moved the heater to new areas, and got the whole hull warm, the dripping got faster and faster. I am sure that this process will take a long time to complete. I do not think the water will ever really stream out the back, as it can only leave the foam at a slow pace. just the way that it entered. Over time. I rolled back the carpeting in the rod lockers and opened all the compartments to let water vapor escape where ever it could. I notice the room getting a little steamy, so I am also running a dehumidifier, which is getting a bunch of water as well. I would say that over the course of a day and a half, I have got a couple gallons of water out, and it is still dripping. I will not leave the heater going during the week, because of cost and safety (k-1 heater), It took a long time to get the concrete up to room temp, so I do not want to lose all my progress during the week, so I got a couple little electric heaters to keep the room at 50 degrees or so this week, and I will get the heater back on the hull next weekend or when ever I have a few hours to monitor it. I do not leave the heater for more than 30 minutes in any one spot. I do not want to damage the hull with too much heat. Also the top portions of foam that I could touch that were dry when I started, (In the rod lockers and around the edges of the rear storage areas) are now quite wet. more proof that I am driving the moisture up and out of the foam. I think as long as the water is dripping, I am making progress. Slow and steady. It takes a day to get a little less than a gallon of water, but between that and what the dehumidifier is getting, I am sure that I am making progress. Good luck. Matt, 207-671-8995. Call any time if you want to discuss this. I am sure that if this were a fiberglass boat, that there would be no way to dry the foam, but since it is aluminum, I can heat it up pretty well. Also noticed that when the heater is not right on it, the dripping stops. sitting at room temp. does nothing. When I put the heater on the hull, the water starts dripping.

[milfoil]

Well, Demolitionman was right. If the foam is waterlogged, you will never get it dried out. I blasted the heat to it and kept it tilted way up for a couple weeks and after a few days, the water stopped coming out. I removed some of the floor in the rear storage area, and you would not believe how much water was still in the foam. I was so pissed that I called Tracker back and had another chat. We talked about things like Coast Guard ratings being exceeded, and legal action, and the fact that their boat was basically useless after less than 8 years. After that, they were happy to replace the foam at no charge. While it was out there, I had them re carpet it and it looks like brand new. If anyone is in the same situation, give me a call or pm and I will let you know who to talk to. 207-671-8995, Matt

[greens1098]

Just wanted to say thanks for actaully posting your results as most people dont!

[milfoil]

No problem. I have learned a lot on here over the years, and always want to help out. You never know when this info might come in handy.

[Papdog2323]

Sounds like there should be a recall due to the design flaw.