Broken Transom Wheels - Excel - Customer Service

Steve509926 · 27 May 2021, 19:20

Think it's been well documented on the forum that Terry is a man of few words and that he is more of a technophobe than I am, I don't think he knows where the reply button is for emails! But I have to give credit where credit is due.
As I have previously mentioned my C Tug wheels broke whilst I was on holiday. I sent Terry at Excel an email explaining what had happened and followed it up with a phone call a few days later.
Without hesitation, Terry said to send them back and he would fully refund what I had paid. We agreed that instead of a full refund I would pay the difference and buy some 350 wheels from him, he promised to send them midweek.
I got back from my hols yesterday and this morning my shiny, new wheels have been delivered.
Customer service as it should be.

Fenlander · 27 May 2021, 20:07

That's good... but he does know the forum would be all over him if he hesitated.

Steve509926 · 27 May 2021, 20:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fenlander

That's good... but he does know the forum would be all over him if he hesitated.

Pikey Dave · 27 May 2021, 22:27

To be fair to Terry, I had a leaking OPV on my floor when I first inflated my Volaire. I called him for advice & he sent me a replacement OPV & inflation valve in the post the same day FOC. And that was before he knew I was on Ribnet. I think he’s a pretty fair guy tbh.

Steve509926 · 27 May 2021, 22:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pikey Dave

To be fair to Terry, I had a leaking OPV on my floor when I first inflated my Volaire. I called him for advice & he sent me a replacement OPV & inflation valve in the post the same day FOC. And that was before he knew I was on Ribnet. I think he’s a pretty fair guy tbh.

I think he's one of the good guys to

doubt he even knows I'm on Ribnet.

Don't know if you saw on Tims thread Dave, do you have a picture of your 350 wheels fitted to your Volaire?

jeffstevens763@g · 27 May 2021, 23:11

Yea my cover marked the boat no quibble full refund no probs

Steve509926 · 28 May 2021, 16:13

New transom wheels fitted

What a difference between the C Tug and these 350 wheels. Much easier to move and the bow feels much lighter now the wheels are forward of the transom.

Fenlander · 28 May 2021, 16:31

That looks better. You may just end up going puncture proof to lose buoyancy if they are hard to push down in water but they look a better job re the legs themselves.... particularly the balance aspect.

Steve509926 · 28 May 2021, 20:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fenlander

That looks better. You may just end up going puncture proof to lose buoyancy if they are hard to push down in water but they look a better job re the legs themselves.... particularly the balance aspect.

Hadn't thought about the buoyancy of the wheels, that was one good thing about the C Tugs - neutral bouyancy.
Do you think foam tyre fill would work? or should I be looking at the "yellow" wheels

Fenlander · 28 May 2021, 20:46

The foam ones I tried were open cell foam so took on loads of water... so yep I rate the yellow ones. But they are happier with Elling and 9.8 than the were with Aerotec and 15hp which despite their claimed weight capacity was about as much as they were comfortable with.

pumpkinking · 28 May 2021, 21:10

Steve, how did you deal with the old holes from your previous transom wheels? Did you just fill them with something?

Steve509926 · 28 May 2021, 21:33

I used one of the existing holes for the new brackets and fortunately I have loads of different sizes of hardwood dowels which I used to fill the other holes with. Fixed them in with Sika 291.
Dont think it makes much of a difference using hardwood dowels, it's just that I had them so I used them, I think just using the Sika would be OK.

Pikey Dave · 28 May 2021, 22:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve509926

I used one of the existing holes for the new brackets and fortunately I have loads of different sizes of hardwood dowels which I used to fill the other holes with. Fixed them in with Sika 291.
Dont think it makes much of a difference using hardwood dowels, it's just that I had them so I used them, I think just using the Sika would be OK.

Just for the sake of my OCD, I’d probably knock the dowels in just below the surface & cover with some black gelcoat.

Steve509926 · 28 May 2021, 22:50

It's always been my problem Dave, too impatient!
Had 291 on the shelf, would have had to wait until Monday for the gelcoat???? 291 won the day

Pikey Dave · 28 May 2021, 23:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve509926

It's always been my problem Dave, too impatient!
Had 291 on the shelf, would have had to wait until Monday for the gelcoat???? 291 won the day

Patience padowan[emoji6]

Tonus · 31 May 2021, 00:17

Looks good Steve - the 350’s look the part.
I bought some 350 wheels from Osculati which I thought were fairing ok but just noticed that the brackets have started to bend which is seriously uncool. This is making the wheels pitch out so that the ‘tracking’ is not even… just waiting to hear back from them with my complaint…
Steve I wonder if you could do me a huge favour and tell me in millimetres the distance horiz/vert between the centre of the holes in the brackets of the Excel bought wheels? If the brackets are the same template or close I might buy some and swap them out…

Steve509926 · 31 May 2021, 08:33

Hi Tony's, hopefully I'll be getting Redneck out again on Friday. I'll take some measurements for you then.

Steve509926 · 04 June 2021, 20:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tonus

Looks good Steve - the 350’s look the part.
I bought some 350 wheels from Osculati which I thought were fairing ok but just noticed that the brackets have started to bend which is seriously uncool. This is making the wheels pitch out so that the ‘tracking’ is not even… just waiting to hear back from them with my complaint…
Steve I wonder if you could do me a huge favour and tell me in millimetres the distance horiz/vert between the centre of the holes in the brackets of the Excel bought wheels? If the brackets are the same template or close I might buy some and swap them out…

Hi Tonus, been out on Redneck today and measured the bracket holes for you.

132mm vertical, 56mm horizontal between hole center's.

Steve509926 · 04 June 2021, 21:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fenlander

That looks better. You may just end up going puncture proof to lose buoyancy if they are hard to push down in water but they look a better job re the legs themselves.... particularly the balance aspect.

Hi Fen, hard to push down??? Practically impossible to push down!
You mentioned that the foam you used was open cell and took on water, is the foam not held inside the tyre tube?

Tonus · 04 June 2021, 21:47

Hey Steve thanks so much for measuring - much appreciated.
I just went and measured mine and they are dead on thew same... I wondered if we might have the same wheels but 1. I couldn't source the Osculatis anywhere near as cheaply as Excel are selling theirs and 2. the axel part of my wheels were much too wide... the wheels slide along the axels all over the place and I think could have caused the probelem I mentioned with the bent bracket. I ended up putting spacers with a washer to make them fit.

Do your wheels have too much play on the axel?

Thanks again!

PS

Check out how mine have twisted the bracket - the inside top corner joint... anyone else have an issue like this?
Do tell me if I should start a new thread!