www.iFourWinns.com

So I look under my 3 week old boat that's been out on the lake a total of 3 times and has only 6 hours on it and this is what I see.



Yes, thats right, all the sticky tabs holding the brake lines to the trailer are loose. I used some zip ties to hold them back on.




Not only that, but I see this on the bottom of the boat! What is that, why is the paint missing? That doesn't look like gelcoat over paint to me, it looks like paint over wood, and its exposed Did they install the transducer badly?










I think I'll be giving the folks at Fourwinns a call first thing on Monday. I'm not a happy camper right now.

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2011 SL242 5.7 VP GXi - 320 HP Dual Prop

Brake lines and sticky pads are a well known issue on this web site... They seem to last just long enough to get out of the dealer showroom...

In my state in Australia, motor registration would not even consider registering the trailer with the sticky pads and they had to all be replaced with zip ties and brackets. Sticky pads are deemed to be a non-permanent attachement for brakelines and therefore unsafe. For once they seem to be on the ball for a Government department

I'd definately be having that hull transducer installation looked at by the dealer - this doesn't look like it was factory installed at all. Looks more like a botched dealer installation to me and completely unacceptable. Almost seems like they drilled the pilot hole in the wrong place and then covered the screw up with a piece of tape.. Also clearly says on the label to "Remove this label after installation" so they didn't even do that, plus lots of scratches around the transducer where they have smoothed the edge with sandpaper - very disappointing and why I think it is dealer installed and not FW.

Can be easily fixed, so don't take any crap and press them to get it done right.

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Alec

2006 Horizon 190
VP 4.3GL/SX, Sunsport

I don't think that its a dealer install. The boat came shrink wrapped from FW with the transducer already installed. The wierd thing is where the paint is missing, its like a little bulge, but from the inside going out (bulges towards the outside if the hull of the boat). There are lots of scratches around the transducer, so someone screwed up. The inside of the transducer is right next to the bilge pump.

I've already emailed FW and will call them first thing tomorrow morning. Selling dealer is 2 hours away from me. The closest FW dealer is 76 miles away (Don Hyde Marine), and the next closest is The Boat Warehouse where I got the boat.

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2011 SL242 5.7 VP GXi - 320 HP Dual Prop

Looks like you got yourself a Friday boat. Someone painted over tape to finish it up in a hurry instead of re-fiberglassing

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1981 Columbia 8.7
2015 Yamaha FZR - 87mph - sold
2006 Yamaha GP1300R - sold
2003 Chaparral 215 SSI - sold
2009 Stingray 195CS - sold
2000 Four Winns H180 - sold
1976 O'day Daysailer II - sold
Rick's Four Winns H180 Mods/Upgrade Thread

I'd be p-o'd for sure, that's why I buy used and fix my own junk. Sticky pads, on a trailer that costs how much? Any decent trailer mechanic could do a better install than that. You deserve nothing less than stainless steel lines properly secured. And the transducer installation, they should be ashamed. Disgraceful.

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88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II

Just wow.



Alec is right. There's no excuse for it and someone's head ought to roll over it... but, it can be repaired correctly, so just make sure they do.

The sticky pads are stupid, but compared to the boat issue it's an easy fix.

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Mike
2005 Four Winns 230/240
VP 5.7GXi/DP
1998 F-150 XLT
Boat Pic

^^ Very nice! Where did you get the stainless hardware to secure the brake lines?

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2011 SL242 5.7 VP GXi - 320 HP Dual Prop

Any hardware store. They're usually sold as wiring clamps. The ones I used are rubber lined.

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Mike
2005 Four Winns 230/240
VP 5.7GXi/DP
1998 F-150 XLT
Boat Pic

I spoke to Bill over at FourWinns. He called that area a "blow hole". He said its normally drilled out to install the transducer, but they installed the transducer a little bit off. He's going to give me the contact information for a guy who does gel coat work for them, and I'll get it repaired.

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2011 SL242 5.7 VP GXi - 320 HP Dual Prop

Easy enough to fix, but "blow hole?" C'mon, Bill!!

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Mike
2005 Four Winns 230/240
VP 5.7GXi/DP
1998 F-150 XLT
Boat Pic

what the heck is a blowhole, is that a euphemism for they screwed up on this nice new expensive boat? How hard is it to drill a hole accurately to install a sounder? It should not be a tough repair but make sure they do it right. Personally I'd rather have a transom mount transducer anyway, much easier to install....

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88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II