The problem has never been corrected.  The most amazing thing to me is that Sundowner has never recalled any of these trailers or attempted to alert their customers of the inherent dangers cooncerning the frame issue.

So alerting my friend, who just bought a used 2005 Sunlite 727 would be a good thing. Otherwise, since she doesn't spend a lot of time on the internet, she would have no access to this information.

I think it is a nice thing that this topic (which you claim has been discussed many times) was brought up again. Many new people join this forum frequently and reposting information as valuable as this is a good thing for those people.

Using the search function allows the new members, to access a wealth of preposted information. This knowledge is voluminous and varied, incorporating almost any particular involved in the ownership of trucks and horse trailers.

However, constantly rehashing the same issues, is counter productive and makes it quite uncomfortable for all involved. It detracts from the camaraderie that the membership has enjoyed, and may result in some readers finding another venue in which to browse and source for information.

This thread was different, in that it was quite tempered in its manner when compared to past examples. Perhaps it means we are becoming more civilized, and can actually discuss an issue.

Discussion is always the best policy, but "Don't ask, don't tell" has been most recently used to avoid conflict. It is a self preservation tactic, and I have written about the results in my political correctness thread.

I'm hoping that this will be our new start in the discussion of facts with little rhetoric being involved.

BOL  gard

A lot would depend on where you live; snow belt or dry area.

Just as all aluminum trailers are not built equally, neither are all steel trailers. Some manufacturers will prepare the steel as well as possible, while lesser quality builders will cut corners. This is why it's best to be educated about the various brands when you shop, and know what the build quality and reputation is of the brands in which you are interested.

Gard

I do not write since I am not as gifted as others on projects.  This subject has caught my eye.  I am glad the information was brought up.  I don't have lots of people helping me and all the fixes I either have to do or pay someone to do for me.  My husband owns the truck but I have to do everything since he is not involved with horses.  So buying a new/used trailer is my business and the closest dealer is Sundowner.  I was thinking about trading or buying a different horse trailer.  Some information might be like "beating a dead horse" but I do not think this was one of those times.  As far as buying a used or new Sundowner I will be printing this information and showing my Sundowner dealer.  I am interested in learning about what they are going to do to help me not have this issue.  Especially if I want a used horse trailer.  Thank you for keeping me and my animals safe. 

Duckman, it is a problem only with Sundowners because of the powdercoating as VA points out. The other brands that are painted aren't showing this "rot" (the best word I can think to use).

(Edited for spelling, because I can't spell)

There are other brands of steel frame trailers with rust issues (oxidation) depending on where they are used

For those of you that are Sundowner Valuelite owners (or know people who are), and have any technical questions regarding your powder-coated frame rusting, I would suggest you call Anthony Holder, Sundowner's Warranty Manager.  His e-mail address is:  anthonyh@sundownertrailers.com.  He can be reached at 1-800-654-3879.

Best of luck.

Clay Smith

Mandy:

I am not sure when the problem first surfaced.  Through all of this I have met people who have had their frames treated as early as mid 2002 by Sundowner.  So obviously they knew about the problem then.  The only thing Sundowner did to correct the problem was to discontinue making the trailer this winter.  That's 9 years, and not tell anyone about it.

I'm fully aware of the search function as I have used it many times. Often because I can't get answers to questions I have by asking them.

The difference in this case is the information that was presented here would not ordinarily affect me. This also means this is information I would have never found by searching and especially not for this particular problem, but because it was mentioned, I found out about something I had never heard of, but that does also affect me since a friend just purchased a trailer which falls into this category and this is a friend I haul with quite frequently. Presenting her with this information could keep both of us from getting in a bind somewhere on the road.

I also read Gard's political correctness thread and I agree that there is way too much "don't ask, don't tell" stuff around here. I'm a member of several other forums and this one, as probably the smallest one I am a member of, seems to have the biggest problem with people getting their feathers ruffled over other peoples comments...and quite frankly the things here that I have seen people get their feathers ruffled over are rather simple things that, elsewhere, other people would have just blown off.

The strange thing is, most other places, things are disputed in a very civil manner (depending on which other forum I am on) and most of the time, many good points are stated from opposing sides, ending often with the "let's agree to disagree" comment. In just a short time here, I seem to come across more "my way (or my brand) is better and there is no other way (or brand)" and yet there seems to be little support for certain reasons.

I've rec'd PMs from members on several topics with opinions they were afraid to state publicly just to avoid controversy. This is sad because it takes away from the educational value of the board. Almost anytime someone has a question, you can bet there is someone else in the world with the same question, reluctant to ask. If we only share the "good" stuff via PM, there are many people missing out on valuable information.