NEXTRAIL “custom aluminum boat trailers. BEWARE!!!!

Larry Sturm

Active Member
GOLD Sponsor
Mar 26, 2017
140
Chiefland, Florida
Boat Info
2003 SeaRay 420 Sundancer
2003 SeaRay 320 Sundancer
Engines
Cummins 6CTA8.3-M3
Mercruiser 350MPI
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After a lengthy discussion in person with Jeff the salesman at NEXTRAIL, I ordered a supposedly custom boat trailer from NEXTRAIL boat trailers in Ocala FL for my SeaRay 320 with v drives and under water exhaust for the price of $11,000. Jeff and the owner Brad guaranteed me that this trailer would work for my boat. When I went to pick up the trailer I question both of them again, I could not see any way I could load and unload the boat in the water without risking major damage to the under water gear. It was then Brad, the owner of Nextrail told me I needed to use a fork lift to safely load the boat. I wanted a trailer to trailer the boat around the state. They places I go are mainly public boat ramps, and they sure don’t have a fork lift. I explained this to them at our first meeting. I headed home to compare the trailer with the boat. I would have around 2 inches of clearance between the bunks and under water exhaust, and the drive shafts would be touching the crossbeam of the trailer. I had two professional boat haulers look at the trailer and both stated it won’t work for my boat. The next day I called Nextrail and told them the trailer wouldn’t work for my boat. I have not registered the trailer, nor did I title it. The trailer was never used or in the water. So they could take it back like a brand new trailer. That’s why I didn’t register it, I didn’t think it was going to work for this boat. Jeff asked me if I was going to sell it? I said no, I want my money back from Nextrail. He said you have to talk with Brad, after 12 more calls to Nextrail, no response from Brad. No one will return my call. The only thing custom about the trailer ends up being the options I choose, ie disk brakes, stainless hardware, and a y stop. I even offered to deduct all the options they added to the trailer from my refund, but no luck. Trailer would work fine with outboards or I/O, but not inboards with v drives. Now I’m stuck with a $11,000 trailer that NEXTRAIL won’t stand behind their custom built trailers. After the fact I looked at there BBU reports, and other reviews of this company and should kick my self in the butt. If your looking for a trailer mark NEXTRAIL in Ocala Fl off your list.
 

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As a nearby boater, I will spread the word about them. Sorry for your plight.

You might call the local TV station 'customer advocate' if you have one. They might publicize your situation and force the vendor to change its mind. Alternatively, a letter from a lawyer might not cost too much in relation to the $11K, and might produce some results. Did you pay by credit card? Consider a charge back.
 
Did you spend $11k on a custom trailer without having something in writing from the builder regarding exactly what it was being custom built for? Did they measure your boat or suggest they had measurements for your boat?

You said they guaranteed it would work for your exact boat - did you get that in writing?

I personally wouldn't go on the internet and claim foul play if I didn't have a 100% secure position. To spend this kind of cabbage without an appropriate agreement is almost as heinous as them not returning your calls at this point.

I do hope you can get this rectified. It sounds like some modifications to the bunks might help remedy this? I assume you'd never power-on or power-off with a boat/trailer like this. So maybe you can make this thing work with "minimal" clearance?
 
Looking at the pictures, if the clears is only a couple of inches, seems the bunks could be modified. Looks like a nice trailer.
 
Thanks for the feed back. The paperwork does show the trailer being specifically for my make/ model/year boat. Jeff and Brad at Nextrail said they have made dozens of trailers for this specific boat for a dealer up north. They never took any actual measurement from my boat because they said they had them on file from previous trailers they had made for this exact boat. I did see my lawyer yesterday. He said I had plenty of documentation to more than likely get a judgement in my favor in court, but we were looking at over a year in this area to get to court, and with his fee in wouldn’t be worth it and we don’t know if Nextrail really has any money if we do get a judgement.
 
The boat either fits or it don't, whether loading it with a fork lift or floating it on should not matter which method. The boat should be floating all the way to the winch stop. Maybe you should try it in clear enough water to see what touches first, bunks or gear. Until then it's speculation
 
Did you spend $11k on a custom trailer without having something in writing from the builder regarding exactly what it was being custom built for? Did they measure your boat or suggest they had measurements for your boat?

You said they guaranteed it would work for your exact boat - did you get that in writing?

I personally wouldn't go on the internet and claim foul play if I didn't have a 100% secure position. To spend this kind of cabbage without an appropriate agreement is almost as heinous as them not returning your calls at this point.

I do hope you can get this rectified. It sounds like some modifications to the bunks might help remedy this? I assume you'd never power-on or power-off with a boat/trailer like this. So maybe you can make this thing work with "minimal" clearance?
Nextrail didn’t even offer to look at the boat and trailer to see if any adjustments or modifications could be completed to make the trailer work.
The boat either fits or it don't, whether loading it with a fork lift or floating it on should not matter which method. The boat should be floating all the way to the winch stop. Maybe you should try it in clear enough water to see what touches first, bunks or gear. Until then it's speculation
The chance of damaging the boat is to great to even try loading it in the water. There is a big difference in loading with a fork lift and water loading. Could maybe get it to fit with 2 inches to spare with a fork lift, but in the water your now dealing with tides, currents, winds, other boat wakes. Not worth the chance to me. This is not a trailer custom made to trailer a 320 DA, no matter what Nextrail states.
 
This maybe not as big a deal as your making it sound. How did you come up with this 2" measurement, just by looking at it ? The running gear doesn't make contact until you slowly pull the boat up the ramp after it's all the way to the stop. You'll have pvc guide poles on either side so the boat can't shift sideways. Then if the gear hits first you can say it doesn't fit.
 
How would a forklift be any different then loading at a ramp ?.... something doesnt sound right if your lawyer says it's clear that a judgement would be in your favor why isn't the trailer company working to modify the trailer to fit the boat ?
It seems raising the bunks might be a possible solution or modifying that last cross member.
You could also have a yard sling it and see exactly what needs to be changed
 
How would a forklift be any different then loading at a ramp ?.... something doesnt sound right if your lawyer says it's clear that a judgement would be in your favor why isn't the trailer company working to modify the trailer to fit the boat ?
It seems raising the bunks might be a possible solution or modifying that last cross member.
You could also have a yard sling it and see exactly what needs to be changed
 
Picture the underwater exhaust sitting about 2 inches on the outside of the left and right bunks. So the boat shifts 2 inches left or right due waves, wind, current, etc, you just broke the underwater exhaust. All I’m saying if it’s a custom built trailer I shouldn’t have to do anything except maybe find tune the bunks, not mortify the entire trailer.
 
there are trailers that can handle V drive boats properly....maybe you can find one to compare to yours to see what the differences are and go from there....

cliff
 
You're $11k into this thing...I'd head to your marina and pay them the haul-out fee to carefully sling your boat over/onto the trailer. For a couple hundred dollars you could get the boat within a few inches of the bunks and start taking photos and measurements. With that maybe the trailer guys would be willing to make some modifications? So far they probably still assume your boat will fit and that there is some other reason you don't want it.

I can see your point on the exhaust. This seems addressable with some PVC guides as mentioned above though, maybe?

Don't give up so easily. That's one sexy looking trailer...
 
In the "for what it's worth" category - with this thread you're confirming that your boat WILL fit on this trailer. What you're describing here is that you're not comfortable with the amount of clearance. I'm not sure how your lawyer can be so confident in your case if you've told him the same story you're telling us.

Wanting more room to accommodate wakes, tides and the like is not the same as "not designed correctly for my boat". It's possible prior trailers have been made to this design and have been used for your same boat and that those customers have accepted the risk associated with the tight clearances.

If you were seriously considering legal action your lawyer would have just advised you to stop posting immediately. :)
 
You're $11k into this thing...I'd head to your marina and pay them the haul-out fee to carefully sling your boat over/onto the trailer. For a couple hundred dollars you could get the boat within a few inches of the bunks and start taking photos and measurements. With that maybe the trailer guys would be willing to make some modifications? So far they probably still assume your boat will fit and that there is some other reason you don't want it.

I can see your point on the exhaust. This seems addressable with some PVC guides as mentioned above though, maybe?

Don't give up so easily. That's one sexy looking trailer...
Thanks for the input. I did ask them for trailer guides when I ordered the trailer. They said they won’t put them on a trailer/ boat combination that size because if the boat hit the guide it will flip the trailer.
 
I have been thinking about this a little and looking at some pics of the underwater exhaust.....

I know when you trailer a stern drive boat or an outboard boat you want to have the bunks run all the way back to the edge of the transom to keep the weight of the stern drive or outboard motors from warping the back of the boat and creating a 'hook' in the hull....

but since your boat has inboard engines and transmissions their weight is inside the boat and not centered over the transom and should not pose a threat to warp the transom, especially if you are not going to leave the boat on the trailer for extended periods of time.......

would it be possible to simply shorten the bunks on the new trailer so that they do not hit the underwater exhaust when the boat is loaded on the trailer?

cliff
 
In the "for what it's worth" category - with this thread you're confirming that your boat WILL fit on this trailer. What you're describing here is that you're not comfortable with the amount of clearance. I'm not sure how your lawyer can be so confident in your case if you've told him the same story you're telling us.

Wanting more room to accommodate wakes, tides and the like is not the same as "not designed correctly for my boat". It's possible prior trailers have been made to this design and have been used for your same boat and that those customers have accepted the risk associated with the tight clearances.

If you were seriously considering legal action your lawyer would have just advised you to stop posting immediately. :)
Not considering legal action. Not worth the money. I just want fellow boaters to know that if your dealing with Nextrail they are not a reputable company as I later found out.
 
I have been thinking about this a little and looking at some pics of the underwater exhaust.....

I know when you trailer a stern drive boat or an outboard boat you want to have the bunks run all the way back to the edge of the transom to keep the weight of the stern drive or outboard motors from warping the back of the boat and creating a 'hook' in the hull....

but since your boat has inboard engines and transmissions their weight is inside the boat and not centered over the transom and should not pose a threat to warp the transom, especially if you are not going to leave the boat on the trailer for extended periods of time.......

would it be possible to simply shorten the bunks on the new trailer so that they do not hit the underwater exhaust when the boat is loaded on the trailer?

cliff
Good point. I will look into that option. Thanks
 
View attachment 55792 View attachment 55792 View attachment 55793 I would have around 2 inches of clearance between the bunks and under water exhaust, and the drive shafts would be touching the crossbeam of the trailer. I had two professional boat haulers look at the trailer and both stated it won’t work for my boat.
If it were me....I'd get this boat in slings over the trailer and prove/take pics that as built the trailer can't handle your boat. Be able to show the trailer mfg that they made an error. Coordinate this with them, try to get them there to see for themselves. It might benefit them to see it and be a help in deciding how to correct it. Everyone might find out this isn't as big a deal as it seems.
The paperwork does show the trailer being specifically for my make/ model/year boat.
Does that paperwork say specifically that it's a V-drive boat?
 
I agree with Cliff ...shorten the bunks. It looks to be a very well made trailer otherwise. Very nice. I know dealing with bad customer service sucks, but maybe if you present them with a viable solution other than returning the trailer for a refund, they'll work with you and rectify the problem themselves. That seems like the best solution to me.
 

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