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Gel Coat Acceptable? Am I being too picky?


bigskydoc

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11 hours ago, Slayer said:

You aren't being too picky at all @bigskydoc.  My 2021 wasn't that good, but my 2022 is worse.  Frankly, I'm extremely disappointed in it.  It's all been addressed with the dealer but at this point I have very little confidence that it's going to be taken care of.  On my boat, the gel is just the beginning and this is 2 years in a row of terrible quality.  It's got me seriously considering selling the boat and moving away from Malibu, unfortunately.  

Another dud?  Sorry man.  At least you still have that excellent RLXi from back when Malibu was a little company that really seemed proud of their craftsmanship.  Wonder if any of those guys from my 2006 factory tour in Merced even work for the company anymore.  Guess this happens when you grow from boutique to large corporate culture.  :(

 

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No good.  My 2022 m240 was next to perfect. Gel coat had some swirls but dealer made it perfect.  I would not be happy/ok with that especially in an M220 

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18 minutes ago, bigskydoc said:

If you run your finger over it, you can definitely feel the rippling. 

Dang. Do they clear coat after the mold release then? I’m curious how the shell could come out of the mold that way. Anyone know the flow?

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ahopkins22LSV
7 hours ago, Slurpee said:

Dang. Do they clear coat after the mold release then? I’m curious how the shell could come out of the mold that way. Anyone know the flow?

No, clear coat is the first to spray for flake as I said above. Maybe it was an attempted repair after the hull was released from the mold.

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10 hours ago, RCorsa said:

No good.  My 2022 m240 was next to perfect. Gel coat had some swirls but dealer made it perfect.  I would not be happy/ok with that especially in an M220 

I just think there are some dealers that care. I really can’t see a dealer giving that to a customer. This should be repaired before the customer sees it.

Of course Malibu has issues. But all it would take is for a dealer to say. 
“hey, we need a couple more days for prep” 

I think some dealers just don’t care. There seems to be a lot of that going on these days. 

Edited by Sparky450
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13 hours ago, UWSkier said:

Another dud?  Sorry man.  At least you still have that excellent RLXi from back when Malibu was a little company that really seemed proud of their craftsmanship.  Wonder if any of those guys from my 2006 factory tour in Merced even work for the company anymore.  Guess this happens when you grow from boutique to large corporate culture.  :(

 

Yeah, man.  It's a bummer.  It's unreal to me that it would be this way, but it is.  I have similar conditions to what the OP showed plus many, many more.  It's disappointing to say the least and for it to happen 2 years in a row is even more disappointing.  

4 minutes ago, Sparky450 said:

I just think there are some dealers that care. - 1,000% I really can’t see a dealer giving that to a customer. This should be repaired before the customer sees it.

Of course Malibu has issues. But all it would take is for a dealer to say. 
“hey, we need a couple more days for prep” 

I think some dealers just don’t care. There seems to be a lot of that going on these days. 

This is what has me looking at other brands.  I don't really want to move to another brand, rather I want a better dealer.  I expressed this to Malibu over the loss of 5 weeks of my season last year and they were of little support.  I reached out to my regional sales rep no less than 20 times over 6 months prior to my 2022 order without a return call.   That's just terrible IMO.  I get that they probably don't want to talk with me, but it sure would be nice of them to return a call and assist me in working with another dealer.  When I attempted that last year, the dealer out of my territory called my dealer and that turned in to a disaster as well. 

Regardless of all of that, there are some good and bad in all dealers and all manufacturers.  I have experienced it many times.  The bigger problem to me is repeat failure with the same client.  In my business, one failure like that of what I've experienced, results in elimination of repeat business. 

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3 hours ago, ahopkinsVTX said:

No, clear coat is the first to spray for flake as I said above. Maybe it was an attempted repair after the hull was released from the mold.

Yup.  I'm still going with popping it from the mold too soon, which caused damage to the gel at the upper edge, then just trying to buff it out rather than fixing it correctly.

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Lots of things can go wrong in the mold.  Including just using too much gel on a spray application causing it to run or sag or prerelease. 

https://www.fibreglast.com/product/gel-coat-troubleshooting-guide/Learning_Center

https://compositesmanufacturingmagazine.com/2020/10/troubleshooting-six-common-gel-coat-issues/

The good news is most problems are repairable to like new by a good gel guy/gal.  

 

 

 

 

Edited by jjackkrash
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32 minutes ago, jjackkrash said:

Lots of things can go wrong in the mold.  Including just using too much gel on a spray application causing it to run or sag or prerelease. 

https://www.fibreglast.com/product/gel-coat-troubleshooting-guide/Learning_Center

https://compositesmanufacturingmagazine.com/2020/10/troubleshooting-six-common-gel-coat-issues/

The good news is most problems are repairable to like new by a good gel guy/gal.  

 

 

 

 

Correct, but you need a good dealer to facilitate that and get Malibu to agree.

 

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1 hour ago, Slayer said:

Yeah, man.  It's a bummer.  It's unreal to me that it would be this way, but it is.  I have similar conditions to what the OP showed plus many, many more.  It's disappointing to say the least and for it to happen 2 years in a row is even more disappointing.  

This is what has me looking at other brands.  I don't really want to move to another brand, rather I want a better dealer.  I expressed this to Malibu over the loss of 5 weeks of my season last year and they were of little support.  I reached out to my regional sales rep no less than 20 times over 6 months prior to my 2022 order without a return call.   That's just terrible IMO.  I get that they probably don't want to talk with me, but it sure would be nice of them to return a call and assist me in working with another dealer.  When I attempted that last year, the dealer out of my territory called my dealer and that turned in to a disaster as well. 

Regardless of all of that, there are some good and bad in all dealers and all manufacturers.  I have experienced it many times.  The bigger problem to me is repeat failure with the same client.  In my business, one failure like that of what I've experienced, results in elimination of repeat business. 

That whole local dealer racket is such garbage. If your local dealer sucks or won't compete on price, you can't have a boat? I know they've been doing that for decades but it always bugged this capitalist. 

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2 hours ago, Sparky450 said:

I just think there are some dealers that care. I really can’t see a dealer giving that to a customer. This should be repaired before the customer sees it.

Of course Malibu has issues. But all it would take is for a dealer to say. 
“hey, we need a couple more days for prep” 

I think some dealers just don’t care. There seems to be a lot of that going on these days. 

It may also be that they cant get it into the fiberglass shop in a timely manner. 

Anything past a small patch and our fiberglass guy is 2-4months out. And if its in in the metallic it wont be a small patch.

 

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1 hour ago, UWSkier said:

That whole local dealer racket is such garbage. If your local dealer sucks or won't compete on price, you can't have a boat? I know they've been doing that for decades but it always bugged this capitalist. 

I agree it doesn't make sense, although I passed a Malibu dealer on my way to get my boat back in 2017.  I don't think any dealer is not going to sell you a boat if you walk into their store because you are out of their territory.  Now if you try to go to another Tommy's, are they going to make you go to your local one, probably.

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4 hours ago, Slayer said:

it sure would be nice of them to return a call and assist me in working with another dealer.  When I attempted that last year, the dealer out of my territory called my dealer and that turned in to a disaster as well. 

I just moved to another dealer on my own. I told them if I had to buy local. I would not be in a Malibu. I do not care for my local dealer from past experiences. And my dealer is now 3 hours away. That being said I decided to hold cash this year. I asked my dealer to find a buyer for my 2022. I will also say. It was going to take them 2 weeks to do the prep for delivery. 

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2 hours ago, Hemmy said:

I agree it doesn't make sense, although I passed a Malibu dealer on my way to get my boat back in 2017.  I don't think any dealer is not going to sell you a boat if you walk into their store because you are out of their territory.  Now if you try to go to another Tommy's, are they going to make you go to your local one, probably.

That hasn't been my experience.

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22 hours ago, COOP said:

It may also be that they cant get it into the fiberglass shop in a timely manner. 

Anything past a small patch and our fiberglass guy is 2-4months out. And if its in in the metallic it wont be a small patch.

 

So should a dealer not even bring it up?

I say the dealer should already have it documented. 

Show the customer the documentation, and the date it is scheduled for repair. 

Maybe this has been going on, but it sure doesn’t sound like it. 

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30 minutes ago, Sparky450 said:

So should a dealer not even bring it up?

I say the dealer should already have it documented. 

Show the customer the documentation, and the date it is scheduled for repair. 

Maybe this has been going on, but it sure doesn’t sound like it. 

This is exactly what the dealer should do.  Part of their inspection process upon receipt of any boat from any manufacturer should be a QA/QC  check.  The nominal time necessary to do so saves much frustration for both the dealer and the customer.  It's illogical to me that a dealer wouldn't think this way.  

I know my dealer was frustrated last year over my boat and the problems with it.  Had they done what they should have, the frustration would have been mitigated.  I suspect the same to be true this year.  

 

That said, I will give them some props.  My issues have been turned over to someone there who seems to care.  He's been in contact with me as soon as he has updates from Malibu on parts, etc.  I have much respect for that kind of treatment.  Again, this is an issue that they should have caught prior to delivery.  

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On 6/2/2022 at 9:53 AM, Slayer said:

Yeah, man.  It's a bummer.  It's unreal to me that it would be this way, but it is.  I have similar conditions to what the OP showed plus many, many more.  It's disappointing to say the least and for it to happen 2 years in a row is even more disappointing.  

This is what has me looking at other brands.  I don't really want to move to another brand, rather I want a better dealer.  I expressed this to Malibu over the loss of 5 weeks of my season last year and they were of little support.  I reached out to my regional sales rep no less than 20 times over 6 months prior to my 2022 order without a return call.   That's just terrible IMO.  I get that they probably don't want to talk with me, but it sure would be nice of them to return a call and assist me in working with another dealer.  When I attempted that last year, the dealer out of my territory called my dealer and that turned in to a disaster as well. 

Regardless of all of that, there are some good and bad in all dealers and all manufacturers.  I have experienced it many times.  The bigger problem to me is repeat failure with the same client.  In my business, one failure like that of what I've experienced, results in elimination of repeat business. 

whole QC situation here (and in the other threads describing gelcoat problems, hoses popping off, garbage wireless chargers, loose components, etc) is disheartening and it threatens repeat business / potential upgrades for sure.  I periodically toy with idea of upgrading, but if i went all-on to get a $200k boat, i'd want to be certain the whole experience would be orgasmic.  Great sales, near-flawless product, bend-over-backwards service to fix inevitable small issues.  But if that's in question with a Malibu, then i'll happily stay in my pre-COVID boat that seems to have been built with some attention to detail, or cast a wider shopping net if i get serious about upgrading.

IMHO, the reputation thing is going to be an important angle going forward as most brands by this point have figured out how to make a big/fun surf wave.  Displace 10k+ lbs of water, use a couple flippers, and 90% of customers will be able to have a great day on the water with friends and family.  Given rise of foiling requires minimal wave, outside of some serious surfers, few will appreciate the nuances between brands' surf waves.  Many brands are adopting similar 'extra' features too (e.g. Stern thrusters), so the differentiator is going to collapse to build quality, reputation, ease of use, dealerships/service, etc.   Thus, hope Malibu figures out these things quick, else effects could linger.

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57 minutes ago, Ronnie said:

Lets not put all the blame on the dealers. These issues should of never left the factory. Something has happened at the factory for them to not recognize these issues before they went out the door. It could be the QC guys or it could be new guys spraying the gel. It could very well be the new norm. I hope not, we all know it's much harder to regain customers if they've been wronged than it is to get them in the first place . Whichever, it should not leave the building until these problems are corrected. Not to be corrected by the dealer.

With the manpower problems nationwide and storage space at the factory, is it cheaper for Malibu to get the boats out and pass these problems off to dealers? Are they building so many that they don't now have room for the amount of repairs needed? 

Whatever the real issue is, I can fully understand the dealer's frustration with it. How much time do they spend correcting factory problems, sending in photos, phone calls and arguing with the factory to get paid? I assure you, the dealers think these things should of never been sent to them this way. I'm not saying they should pass on the problems to the buyer but with such a large percentage of units needing corrections, it has to be taking up a lot of time the dealers just don't have during the seasons when boats are being delivered. With the real Malibu connection to the customer, the dealer gets the brunt of the complaints. They have to deal with mostly hostile customers coming at them for their expensive boats. The factory is probably immune to the complaints from dealers as it is a day to day occurrence for them compounding the dealer's frustration. I get the frustration felt by all.

I have to say, regardless of Malibu delivering a standard, substandard, or straight up lemon boat to a dealer, that part of the transaction is on the dealer.  It is the dealer's responsibility to find and address those problems.  Many here have great dealers, some of us here with the same dealer have totally different experiences.   Regardless, the dealer has an obligation to correct it with the manufacturer and deliver what the customer purchased.  Don't get me wrong here, Malibu certainly has a responsibility to deliver a quality product to the dealer as well and has stated the same to me going so far as to say my last year's boat should never have left the factory......yet it did.  Directly related, Malibu's bottom line, as well as that of their shareholders, would increase with less warranty claims if they implemented a better QA/QC protocol.  

47 minutes ago, CaptainMorgan said:

whole QC situation here (and in the other threads describing gelcoat problems, hoses popping off, garbage wireless chargers, loose components, etc) is disheartening and it threatens repeat business / potential upgrades for sure.  I periodically toy with idea of upgrading, but if i went all-on to get a $200k boat, i'd want to be certain the whole experience would be orgasmic.  Great sales, near-flawless product, bend-over-backwards service to fix inevitable small issues.  But if that's in question with a Malibu, then i'll happily stay in my pre-COVID boat that seems to have been built with some attention to detail, or cast a wider shopping net if i get serious about upgrading.

IMHO, the reputation thing is going to be an important angle going forward as most brands by this point have figured out how to make a big/fun surf wave.  Displace 10k+ lbs of water, use a couple flippers, and 90% of customers will be able to have a great day on the water with friends and family.  Given rise of foiling requires minimal wave, outside of some serious surfers, few will appreciate the nuances between brands' surf waves.  Many brands are adopting similar 'extra' features too (e.g. Stern thrusters), so the differentiator is going to collapse to build quality, reputation, ease of use, dealerships/service, etc.   Thus, hope Malibu figures out these things quick, else effects could linger.

Agreed.  Dealer performance is a direct reflection on Malibu as well, IMO.

12 minutes ago, hethj7 said:

 

I'm not defending Malibu completely, but this QA/QC issue has been a theme for years.   But reality is all builders deal with it - there are great boats and lemons rolling out from all the builders.   I get it if someone has repeated issues and you want to move on from Malibu, go for it.  But there are no guarantees your Nautique or Mastercraft won't also have issues (I've seen it).    We're fortunate enough to be a on a website here that isn't filtered by Malibu itself - so we get the good, the bad, and the ugly here.   Last I knew

I also think many people do appreciate the nuances between the waves, once you are lucky enough to ride different brands.  And in most cases, the local dealer still makes the biggest difference regardless of brand.   I'm pretty confident that my dealer wouldn't have let me take delivery with that gel blem in this thread, or they would have already noted it and told me it would be on offseason fix so I could enjoy my summer.  

If your expectations are an orgasmic experience, regardless of which brand you buy, you may want to invest your dollars in a uh, well, you know - something that may guarantee those results.  

You're correct on your statement about all brands.  No question there.  BUT, if brand X has a boat you're not absolutely thrilled with, but fits your budget and performance needs and the dealer is exemplary, would you not entertain it??  Fortunately, you have one of the better dealers out there.  @CaptainMorgan point is valid, though.  A new boat purchase that your ordered to your specification should be a wonderful experience.  Not one filled with frustration because several people in the chain failed to execute their jobs well.

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8 minutes ago, Slayer said:

I have to say, regardless of Malibu delivering a standard, substandard, or straight up lemon boat to a dealer, that part of the transaction is on the dealer.  It is the dealer's responsibility to find and address those problems.  Many here have great dealers, some of us here with the same dealer have totally different experiences.   Regardless, the dealer has an obligation to correct it with the manufacturer and deliver what the customer purchased.  Don't get me wrong here, Malibu certainly has a responsibility to deliver a quality product to the dealer as well and has stated the same to me going so far as to say my last year's boat should never have left the factory......yet it did.  Directly related, Malibu's bottom line, as well as that of their shareholders, would increase with less warranty claims if they implemented a better QA/QC protocol.  

Agreed.  Dealer performance is a direct reflection on Malibu as well, IMO.

You're correct on your statement about all brands.  No question there.  BUT, if brand X has a boat you're not absolutely thrilled with, but fits your budget and performance needs and the dealer is exemplary, would you not entertain it??  Fortunately, you have one of the better dealers out there.  @CaptainMorgan point is valid, though.  A new boat purchase that your ordered to your specification should be a wonderful experience.  Not one filled with frustration because several people in the chain failed to execute their jobs well.

Absolutely on all accounts.   Frankly, some of these issues shouldn't be leaving the factory and I'm not trying to justify that is okay.   I was just stating the sad fact that it isn't just a Malibu problem.   A friend took delivery of  Mastercraft, albeit several years ago, that had a leak in the hull - turns out there was a clean hole drilled completely through it below the waterline from the factory.  

On your question about Brand X that is a good boat but with a great dealer, absolutely.  And I think most on TMC have given the same advice - shop and be comfortable with the dealer as much as the brand.    A bad dealer for your dream boat is a worse situation than a great dealer with a pretty good boat.   Frankly, if my dealer quit carrying Malibu tomorrow and went to Moomba I'd probably be in a Moomba next year - wait, I guess I do have some limits.  Lol.   But for the Big 3 or 4 brands, I'd buy based on the dealer as much as the boat.   

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21 hours ago, Slayer said:

That hasn't been my experience.

Same in this area as well.  I am on the north side of Charlotte.  There is a dealer in Greensboro, Raleigh and a few in South Carolina (all less than 2 hrs away).  They will all direct you back to your local dealer.

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My second Malibu had a 'dusting' on ~2/3 of the black gel.  Very odd places but it looked like you could wipe it off - but you couldn't.  It ended up having to go back to the factory to be repainted.  Like it has been stated over and over in this thread - the dealer makes or break this situation.  My dealer worked with Malibu to make it right (no push back from them at all).  The dealer even gave me a loaner '23 LSV while mine was at the factory.  They are awesome.

file2-5 (1).jpeg

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