CTS trailer problem

[Willyracer]

Posting to see if anyone else has had trouble with this brand of trailer.
Dealer try's to help but sends us back to manufacture for warrenty
They won't stand by it .Said we over loaded it. "stocker 69 Camaro
and gas golf cart" in a 10k rated trailer Don't think that is over loading

Problem is the tongue A-frame is cracked at the point where
frame and box meet. We have less than 12 trips of 70-300 mi
max. The second photo is flipped 90* Both cracks are across
the top of the tubing

Never buy a CTS brand again

[Mark Yacavone]

Ray Charles coulda seen that coming.
That is NOT the way to attach a tongue to a trailer frame.

[Dan 1525]

Nasty looking. I had a problem with some of the welds on the frame and the tongue once with my ATC (aluminum trailer) it also had to go back to the Manufacture.5 year warranty they came and got it fixed it and extended the warranty from date of repair they also returned to me, at NO COST. Great trailer, Great People to work with. Yes I would buy another ATC trailer they stand behind there product !!!!!!! Dan Lynch H/SA 1525

[GTX JOHN]

Originally Posted by Mark Yacavone

Ray Charles coulda seen that coming.
That is NOT the way to attach a tongue to a trailer frame.

You need to run a wrap around tongue going back to front axle hanger even
on a 7000 steel open trailer!! (WE have built trailers for 30+ years}.

Especially on a Aluminum trailer!
They are fragile enough if under rough treatment!

Unbelievable!!!!

[Terry Cain]

Originally Posted by Willyracer

Posting to see if anyone else has had trouble with this brand of trailer.
Dealer try's to help but sends us back to manufacture for warrenty
They won't stand by it .Said we over loaded it. "stocker 69 Camaro
and gas golf cart" in a 10k rated trailer Don't think that is over loading

Problem is the tongue A-frame is cracked at the point where
frame and box meet. We have less than 12 trips of 70-300 mi
max. The second photo is flipped 90* Both cracks are across
the top of the tubing

Never buy a CTS brand again

Sad that a company won't stand behind their products. Looks like you might have to "LEGAL UP" . Sometimes, all that's needed is a letter from an attorney.

[Larry Hill]

Just for fun show those pictures to the local trades school instructor. His opinion will give you something to talk about if it leads a legal discussion.

[Ralph A Powell]

Had the same type problem on a Featherlite 15 years ago it cracked were the tounge was welded to main rails right along the weld the cracked across the floor trailer dam near cracked in half. I was at the IRL RACE in Phoenix. They had their service team there but didn’t have a big enough welder so they called one in and patched it up enough to get it back to their factory in Iowa were they completely rebuilt the front section. I had bought a new one and was setting at home in my shop. When I got home we jacked it up and it was welded the same way. Featherlite sent someone to get it took it back to factory in Iowa and completely redone the tounge to frame welding and reinforcement and returned it back to my shop. The problem was when they welded it the first time it caused a stress riser right along the frame were the weld was.

[Mike Pearson]

Not only a bad design also some really bad looking welds.

[Kenny Wigington]

Must be a lot of that going on. I saw an ATC (24ft ?) on I-85, just south of Charlotte, in the middle of the highway, missing the tongue. It was hanging off the back of a duality, on the shoulder 100 ft away, a few weeks ago.

[SSDiv6]

Not enough weld penetration and this type of joint needs to be reinforced.
Those welds may be good for a living room table, but not for a high load structural joint.

Find a certified welding inspector and pay them a few bucks for a letter. Then have a lawyer send them a letter and attach the report with a statement that you will be also filing a report with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for the defective welds and request a recall.

I promise you they will either fix it properly or give you a new trailer. They would not like to have the NHTSA pay them a visit, shut them down and fine them.