DANGER!!! Plastic Fenders

N

nordicstallion

New member
Yesterday, Paula & I finally got to find out that our little new/used boat does indeed float. It was an absolutely beautiful day on Lake Berryessa. Upon our return home to wash the boat, my wife experienced the very real dangers of plastic, piece of crap, King trailer fenders (and others I’m sure) Plastic fenders are, in my opinion, marginal at best & a threat to life & limb at worst. Stepping out of the boat onto this collapsible junk ,it folded up quicker than a chinese circus, depositing my 52 year old bride flat on her back in the square edged concrete gutter. What good is a nonskid step that flexes under normal conditions & fails completely when warmed by the sun? She didn’t slip off, She was dumped! Today we are counting our lucky stars & the bruises on the back of her head, chest,neck,wrist,hand ,forearm, hip, butt ,calf & knee are proof she could have been hurt much worse. Assuming many C-brats are in the retirement age category, this threatens our golden years. By the by, my little woman is a hulking 120 lbs. I saw a photo of a block of wood between fender & tire. A good stopgap measure for the owner, but another thing for us old & feeble minded retired folk to remember. A better idea, for the wise trailer mfg.firm is to sidestep the inevitable future lawsuit & nip this in the bud before it one-day nips them in the butt! Im not a lawsuit kind of guy but, kill my woman, you will bleed out before you can pry my jaws from your juggler. Looking for a fix, how do we firm up this step? Your friend and mine, The Wild Nordic Stallion. Vern/C-dog
 
I hope your wife is ok!! Now that you know about it, don't use it as a step.

Mine also started to buckle and so I
lift myself up stepping lightly on the fender, but most of my weight is on the fender base step or
I use a ladder.

I also tell others not to step on it.

I have not replaced my fenders nor do I plan on it. It is only a problem when the boat is trailered and I really don't want others crawling over my boat.

Maybe a placard, this is not a step, should work. But really a small ladder is easier for boarding on the trailer at home.

Yes the fenders are not strong enough, but at least they don't rust. I am happy with my trailer, and the additional security of the weak step did not cost any extra.
 
HI VERN,
SORRY TO HEAR OF YOUR WIFE'S MISFORTUNE, BUT GLAD TO HEAR IT WASN'T ANY WORST THAN WHAT YOU HAD REPORTED.
I'M NOT SURE WHO THE MANUFACTURER IS OF YOUR TRAILER BUT I WOULD THINK IF YOU CONTACTED THEM AND DESCRIBED WHAT HAD HAPPEN THEY PROBABLY COULD ASSIST YOU WITH METAL REPLACEMENT FENDERS. YOU MIGHT ALSO TAKE PICTURES OF YOUR WIFE'S INJURIES, NEVER KNOW WHEN THEY MAY COME IN HANDY OR FOR THAT MATTER SHOULD COMPLICATIONS OCCUR MONTHS FROM NOW, THE PICTURES COULD BE WORTH THEIR WEIGHT IN GOLD. ALSO, SHOULD YOUR WIFE NEED PAIN PILLS OR OTHER MEDICATION YOU MIGHT LOOK AT YOUR BOAT POLICY FOR REIMBURSEMENT FOR SAME.
ANY PICTURES OF YOUR TRAILER WOULD HELP THE REST OF US TO BETTER UNDERSTAND WHAT KIND OF FENDER YOU'VE GOT.
BEST REGARDS
PAT
 
Vern,

Sorry to hear about the tumble your bride took. Hopefully she is OK.

I think you ought to call the trailer manufacturer and ask them to replace the fenders, gratis!

Steve
 
Vern,

Sorry to hear about the mishap, and hope that your bride is ok.

I too have a King trailer. It's a 2003 model with double axles. Just for the record - I've never had a problem, even when the trailer has been sitting in the sun up at Powell (presumably the plastic fenders would soften, but there was no noticeable change.)

I just went outside to "inspect" my fenders. Both fenders are formed with a smallish (maybe 8") square area stop the fender that serves as a non-skid step, as well as non-skid steps on each end of the fender -so King obviously intends for user's to step in those areas.

Just for grins I climbed on the fenders and bounced my dainty 200# around to see if I could get them to bend or deflect. Nothing moved, nothing bent, nothing slipped. Puzzling, so say the least.

From my perspective the fenders appear well designed and well made. The plastic is formed with curves and reinforced areas that clearly help strengthen the load surfaces. If you want to compare what I have with what you have, email me (lorencasebeer@aol.com) and I'll be happy to send you some digital pic's for comparison.

I suspect there may be another explanation. You may have a different King plastic fender, or maybe King changed fender models. Could there be a crack in the edge that would weaken the tread area? Is there a loose or broken mounting bolt?

I'll be interested to follow this thread. If there is an inherent safety flaw in the fender (or some of the fenders) we need to be attentive.

Best,
Casey
C-Dory Naknek
Lake Montezuma, AZ
 
I have a 2004 single axel trailer.No cracks or deformations.If the weather is cool, they flex.If its warm,they droop under my 152 lbs,will dump you if you are too close to outer edge. Hot sac valley ,they are silly putty. Yesterday, 85 degrees, north side,wet & being washed with a hose,your gone! My thoughts run toward ss strap to brace from below. Hauling a ladder or just not using it are out, built as a step, it will be a step. I use my old rock climbing nylon web aiders as a wet boarding ladder.The only thing smaller than a 19 is a 16 & us little guys need all the room we can get. No barkaloungers or kitchen tables in our boats. Vern & paula/C-Dog
 
Casey that is weird. I have a dual axle king trailer with plastic fenders and the flat spot in the fender, directly over the wheel flexes quite easily, especially when heated in the sun. I still step on it but it helps to know that it's going to give way. I wonder if they put some kind of metal support under yours? By the way, the steps on the lower part of the fender is supported and does not flex.
 
I have a Karavan single axcel trailer with plastic fenders that give about an 8 in sq . surface to put your weight onto Im 235 lb and mine flex a little but no problem and thats with Naples fl. heat 80=90 degrees with humidity to match. I think maybe you got a broken plastic fender maybe you hit something cracked somthing or your bride lies to you about her weight . sorry about your missap
 
Ill take a hard look underneath on the marrow but doesnt act like a crack, you just kinda ooze off the outside edge as it flexes to the point of no return then pops pack into shape & lays in wait for another unsuspecting victim. Both sides are the same. I stay away from the sunny side. The little woman often exhibits a loose relationship with the truth but she is pretty aerodynamic. thanks for belng there boys & girls. Vern
 
I've been toying with the idea of putting a piece of 1/2 plywood across both fenders to use as a step. The weight would then be spread over both fenders and the plywood is a bigger target.
 
I owned a 2003 King dual axle trailer and I know of what you speak. I am however 250 pounds and the fenders do give and the plastic deforms at the flex point. I have no faith in King Trailers. They absolutely refused to stand behind their lousy disc brakes for the same model year. A salesman at the Seattle Boat Show told me I should avoid driving down hill. Fortunately they did change the design and I understand the new disc brake system is better. What they should have done is replaced the brake system for those that were inadequate to do the job. I appreciate your reluctant to sue attitude. The flip side is I hope King hears loud and clear your concern.
 
Vern, I have a 2004 dual axle King also and know of what you speak. Weighing in at 180 #'s, they don't collapse on me during the cooler days of the year (which is about 360 days around here.... :disgust ), however during our "5 day hot summer" they certainly will collapse under me. Knowing this, I step on the curvature edge of the fender and am able to avoid a collapse.....however, I then have to be careful my foot doesn't slip off.

(Likewise, I'm glad that your bride survived the collapse.....sounds like a lot of wounds for you to kiss to make them better.... :wink )
 
I have a suspicion EZ Loader uses the same fenders. Wouldn't surprise me. My EZ Loader has fenders that sound the same and my 235 pounds still use that step with no problem yet. And I am only using the outside edge as the guide boards extend out over the fenders. But I was always a little leery of them so I have a good hold on the handrail before I step down, and then I quickly step down to the lower fender step. I know it isn't smart but it is so convenient I take the stupid way out.
 
Hello Vern,
I have a year 2000 tandem like yours. I was doing some work on the boat this spring and as I was entering and exiting the boat many times I noticed an increasing flex in the fender step. I have the wood step in between the wheels on the Starboard side but not on the port. I did some checking and noticed the bolt on the inside edge of the fender was not tight. This was causing the fender to flex and move down as I got in and out of the boat. I soon was checking all the bolts on the fenders and found others to be loose as well. I would check these to verify they are tight and not allowing the flex downward as you step out of the boat.

Jim
 
Hello Vern, I hope your wife is feeling much better. Sorry to hear about the fall. Knowing you have far more serious issues to deal with than the boat right now, if you haven't finalized your kicker yet, I finally got mine working reasonably well on port. Posted a plan for a DIY bracket today that is doing great, but think your mini-jacker will probably be fine if that's how you already went.

Best regards, Chris
 
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