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Tubes Pitting

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clantonsteeper

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I just developed a leak in one of my pontoons on my 2006 2275RL. I was told that the wood on the trailer caused this pitting and then the leak. The treated chemical came through my worn carpet bunks and has been eating at my toons. I am very upset. I cant beleive Bennington would alow their boat to be put on a trailer with this potential problem. Any one else had this problem?
 
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I read about that recently and thought I had posted it but I can't remember. There was another thread on this pitting issue just a few weeks ago. I am looking into putting PVC boards on top of my carpetted bunks to protect the toons. Plus my carpet is ripping.
 
Ummm, Bennington does not put boats on trailers, except semi trailers for shipping.

That is the selling dealers responsibility, so your issue would be with them.

Otherwise, i would find a local welding shop that has a competent man (woman?) for welding aluminum and have them look at it.
 
Yup, the dealer sells you the trailer.
 
They did look at it and fix it. They said the toons are cheap or the bunks are causing the problem. Dealer said the trailer bunks could not cause this problem. Somebody just wont take credit for the snafu!
 
I find it hard to believe that 1) the chemicals in the wood are causing pitting, significant enough to cause a leak and 2) that the pontoons are cheap (after seeing the factory production of aluminum tubes firsthand).

There is an acid somewhere that is eating your aluminum. Perhaps an old chemical used to clean the tubes?
 
Are the bunks made of pressure treated wood? The chemicals used in older treated wood is bad for aluminum.
 
You should just take your boat to a first class welding shop.  (Marine shops seldom have a real welder qualified to properly weld aluminum.)  They should blow low pressure air thru your toon and go over it with soapy water and a sponge until bubbles appear.  Most toon leaks are found in the seams or welds.

And most leaks are small and easily TIG welded.

It's doubtful that treated wood caused a leak if the boat's sitting on carpet.  My boat sits out of the weather in a boathouse on plain old southern yellow pine 2x6's.  When the wood rots in 15 years, I'll replace it for $50.
 
Yes treated would "could" cause an issue, and it's possible it did cause it, but it's surely not Benningtons fault. The trailer manufacturer should have known that PONTOONS are typically aluminum, and if it was ACQ treated, it should not have been used. Now the question is, could enough treatment leach out to saturate the carpet to the point of causing the pitting of the toons. It's possible, but it's impossible to think that Bennington should be to blame. There are thousands of toons on trailers with treated bunks. Your dealers a crackhead saying the toons are "cheap". It's a Bennington.
 
I agree with Semperfi, Are you sure the toons did not pit from the inside out? As for wood and carpet being the cause, Hmm lets think about how many other Pontoon mfg  and how many boats and trailers are out there with long term storage (sometimes years) sitting on a trailer. I think this would be a "Global" problem across this great country of ours. Just something to think about.

My thoughts ,Insure the toons are dry inside and out,(Venting is key,when applying heat) Find a  great TIG Welder, that has the Aluminum touch, get it repaired and enjoy the boat.

Best Regards 
 
I suppose this is all speculation since we have not seen any pictures of the actual damage.

If the damage is isolated to the area where the toons sit on the bunks, then one can lean towards 'something' in the carpet or wood (he did state the carpet was torn/missing) is the culprit.

We also don't know how many trailer makers use treated wood or regular wood, although it is a known fact that the chemicals in the older treated wood will cause a reaction with aluminum.

As for pitting from the inside out, could be, but what got into the toons to do that?

And, finally, it looks as though we are just discussing this among ourselves, as the O/P hasn't chimed back in  :D
 
I'm wondering if he has rug on pine or not I have plastic and the screws holding them in place run along the side It. This problem could be from a nail head holding the rug that has worked its way in over time. Air will do the trick but not over 7psi.
 
I hope that my Shorelandr Trailer doesn't have the same problem

With pitting, determining the source of problem should be easier.
 
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Most trailer manufacturers DON'T use treated lumber on bunks for exactly that reason. Mine have all been untreated, my one now has the plastic slides over them.
 
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