WELDCRAFT BOATS- Buyers beware

bugleemup

bugleemup

Member
I pulled the trigger two summers ago and spent a significant amount of money on a new Weldcraft 240 Cuddy King boat from a local dealer on the West Coast Vancouver Island. I love my boat so much, I referred a friend to the same dealer who in turn purchased a larger model that was well over the $200,000.00 once rigged and sitting on the trailer this past summer.
I have noticed that since new the paint was bubbling and coming off and this past summer the a hinge weld had broken off holding the back door in place, so I contacted my dealer service centre and requested some warranty work and spoke to them about the paint issues. September 2016, the service manager told me there is a lifetime warranty from Weldcraft(Renaissance Marine Group)and the broken weld would be fixed along with the paint and they would start a warranty claim for me.
Fast forward to today, and after speaking again this morning to my service centre representative, I was told that Weldcraft(Renaissance Marine Group)has been made aware of the paint issues/problems for over a year now, and to date "Renaissance Marine Group has not decided on a solution, nor a response". NOT EVEN A RESPONSE can you believe this....

This post is not aimed at my dealer as they are wanting to resolve the matter as bad as I do along with the list of other customers who are having the same paint problem. It is pointed directly at WELDCRAFT (Renaissance Marine Group) for failing to even respond to the dealer let alone the customers who have spent their hard earned money on their product.

I am one customer, but I bet there are a lot more. If you are having a similar problem with your investment-You are not alone.
I am considering contacting the BBB and Go Public on this matter so I would like to know if any other Weldcraft owners with similar issues before I make the next step.
 
I always thought you bought a aluminum boat for the durability, never understood why anyone would paint or buy a painted aluminum boat. The bubbles in your paint are most likely electrolysis under the paint, next to impossible to contain. All you can do is have good zinc and electrical connections and hope for the best.
 
bugleemup said:
I pulled the trigger two summers ago and spent a significant amount of money on a new Weldcraft 240 Cuddy King boat from a local dealer on the West Coast Vancouver Island. I love my boat so much, I referred a friend to the same dealer who in turn purchased a larger model that was well over the $200,000.00 once rigged and sitting on the trailer this past summer.
I have noticed that since new the paint was bubbling and coming off and this past summer the a hinge weld had broken off holding the back door in place, so I contacted my dealer service centre and requested some warranty work and spoke to them about the paint issues. September 2016, the service manager told me there is a lifetime warranty from Weldcraft(Renaissance Marine Group)and the broken weld would be fixed along with the paint and they would start a warranty claim for me.
Fast forward to today, and after speaking again this morning to my service centre representative, I was told that Weldcraft(Renaissance Marine Group)has been made aware of the paint issues/problems for over a year now, and to date "Renaissance Marine Group has not decided on a solution, nor a response". NOT EVEN A RESPONSE can you believe this....

This post is not aimed at my dealer as they are wanting to resolve the matter as bad as I do along with the list of other customers who are having the same paint problem. It is pointed directly at WELDCRAFT (Renaissance Marine Group) for failing to even respond to the dealer let alone the customers who have spent their hard earned money on their product.

I am one customer, but I bet there are a lot more. If you are having a similar problem with your investment-You are not alone.
I am considering contacting the BBB and Go Public on this matter so I would like to know if any other Weldcraft owners with similar issues before I make the next step.
Click to expand...
What about the hinge weld? Are they making arrangments to repair that?
 
bugleemup said:
I pulled the trigger two summers ago and spent a significant amount of money on a new Weldcraft 240 Cuddy King boat from a local dealer on the West Coast Vancouver Island. I love my boat so much, I referred a friend to the same dealer who in turn purchased a larger model that was well over the $200,000.00 once rigged and sitting on the trailer this past summer.
I have noticed that since new the paint was bubbling and coming off and this past summer the a hinge weld had broken off holding the back door in place, so I contacted my dealer service centre and requested some warranty work and spoke to them about the paint issues. September 2016, the service manager told me there is a lifetime warranty from Weldcraft(Renaissance Marine Group)and the broken weld would be fixed along with the paint and they would start a warranty claim for me.
Fast forward to today, and after speaking again this morning to my service centre representative, I was told that Weldcraft(Renaissance Marine Group)has been made aware of the paint issues/problems for over a year now, and to date "Renaissance Marine Group has not decided on a solution, nor a response". NOT EVEN A RESPONSE can you believe this....

This post is not aimed at my dealer as they are wanting to resolve the matter as bad as I do along with the list of other customers who are having the same paint problem. It is pointed directly at WELDCRAFT (Renaissance Marine Group) for failing to even respond to the dealer let alone the customers who have spent their hard earned money on their product.

I am one customer, but I bet there are a lot more. If you are having a similar problem with your investment-You are not alone.
I am considering contacting the BBB and Go Public on this matter so I would like to know if any other Weldcraft owners with similar issues before I make the next step.
Click to expand...
if your hinges are bullet hinges and are breaking off its most likely not welded on properly. 9 out of 10 people do not know how to put them on properly
 
I'm guessing if they were bullet hinges they were only welded on one side. they would need to be welded on both sides in order to stand up. was that your thinking fishing solo?
 
bigdogeh said:
I'm guessing if they were bullet hinges they were only welded on one side. they would need to be welded on both sides in order to stand up. was that your thinking fishing solo?
Click to expand...
yeah that is correct but there is a proper position hard to explain without a picture... looked on their website and looks to me they are on wrong but I cant zoom in
 
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bugleemup the place that sold you the boat should fix the paint bubble. Like Albernifisher said it's usually due to electrolysis but can also be from the surface under the paint not being 100% properly prepped before painting in small spots.

I had the same issue on my Kingfisher and when I bought my Weldcraft 260 and it went in for the first service after I bought it I marked a paint bubble area in the back deck gunnel area for Rod's Power and Marine to fix and they did so on that service. Since then I have had no paint issues at all and the fixed spot looks like new. Can't tell there was an issue there.
Same with the weld. your place of purchase should fix that with no cost to you then they will bill the manufacturer.

Also when my boat went in for a service I thought I had a leak somewhere in my hull cause there was water down under the floor boards in the hull. I mentioned it to RPM and they spent a bunch of time trying to see if there was a leak including taking it out in the chuck etc..turned out it was my fault not noticing it was ice melting in my fridge and the water goes down a tube from there and into the hull where the bildges are. Just wasn't enough water to turn the bilge on. My mistake too was not tasting the water prior to vacuuming it out to see if it was salty or not. And Stephen asked me if it was or not but told him I already vacuumed it out. But I took pictures of it prior to the service for them to see. Moral of the story is I have found Rods Power and Marine to go the extra mile for me. They have been great.

Could it be you are not talking to the right people to get this problem fixed. The dealer that sold it to you must deal with any issue and it's up to them to sort things out with the manufacturer afterwards IMO.
 
Chasin' Dreams said:
bugleemup the place that sold you the boat should fix the paint bubble. Like Albernifisher said it's usually due to electrolysis but can also be from the surface under the paint not being 100% properly prepped before painting in small spots.

I had the same issue on my Kingfisher and when I bought my Weldcraft 260 and it went in for the first service after I bought it I marked a paint bubble area in the back deck gunnel area for Rod's Power and Marine to fix and they did so on that service. Since then I have had no paint issues at all and the fixed spot looks like new. Can't tell there was an issue there.
Same with the weld. your place of purchase should fix that with no cost to you then they will bill the manufacturer.

Also when my boat went in for a service I thought I had a leak somewhere in my hull cause there was water down under the floor boards in the hull. I mentioned it to RPM and they spent a bunch of time trying to see if there was a leak including taking it out in the chuck etc..turned out it was my fault not noticing it was ice melting in my fridge and the water goes down a tube from there and into the hull where the bildges are. Just wasn't enough water to turn the bilge on. My mistake too was not tasting the water prior to vacuuming it out to see if it was salty or not. And Stephen asked me if it was or not but told him I already vacuumed it out. But I took pictures of it prior to the service for them to see. Moral of the story is I have found Rods Power and Marine to go the extra mile for me. They have been great.

Could it be you are not talking to the right people to get this problem fixed. The dealer that sold it to you must deal with any issue and it's up to them to sort things out with the manufacturer afterwards IMO.
Click to expand...
 
I notice that all bubbling and crosive on aluminium boats are mainly around where they mix two metals ie ss and aluminum. Around hinges,rod holders,outlets. Is this what is happening with most of your cases?
 
Sea.P.P. said:
I notice that all bubbling and crosive on aluminium boats are mainly around where they mix two metals ie ss and aluminum. Around hinges,rod holders,outlets. Is this what is happening with most of your cases?
Click to expand...
Absolutely correct. Dissimilar metals and salt water cause electrolysis and will bubble the paint every time.
All aluminum boat manufacturers have this problem.
Aluminum boats should come in one color.......grey.
 
My dealer is going to warranty the weld. They want to repair the paint problem, except they have been waiting for nearly a year to hear from Weldcraft on if and how they are going to repair or rectify the problem and have it repaired.
 
bugleemup said:
My dealer is going to warranty the weld. They want to repair the paint problem, except they have been waiting for nearly a year to hear from Weldcraft on if and how they are going to repair or rectify the problem and have it repaired.
Click to expand...
That's what's odd to me. Why aren't they fixing it themselves then billing the manufacturer? When that's what they did with my boat. Feel free to mention my boat as an example to them if you want. My name is Paul and it's a blue Weldcraft 260. Have you been speaking to Stephen about the issue?
 
Chasin' Dreams said:
That's what's odd to me. Why aren't they fixing it themselves then billing the manufacturer? When that's what they did with my boat. Feel free to mention my boat as an example to them if you want. My name is Paul and it's a blue Weldcraft 260. Have you been speaking to Stephen about the issue?
Click to expand...
The dealers would probably go broke. Good luck getting paid from the manufacturer on serious/widespread warranty issues. Warranties aren't worth the paper they are written on in most cases.
 
Chasin' Dreams said:
That's what's odd to me. Why aren't they fixing it themselves then billing the manufacturer? When that's what they did with my boat. Feel free to mention my boat as an example to them if you want. My name is Paul and it's a blue Weldcraft 260. Have you been speaking to Stephen about the issue?
Click to expand...
ive had 2 experiences with Stephan at rpm, there will not be a third one !!!!
 
Chasin' Dreams said:
Really? What's going on over there? I know they had a few employees leave there over the last year. I wonder if they are having issues internally?
Click to expand...
No clue whats going on over there. All I will say is my issues with them were also about warranty. I will leave it at that.
 
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