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NCangler:
Thank you for taking the initiate and forwarding my Gas Smell in Center Console issue posting with my boat to the Customer Service Department at Triumph.
Customer Support from Customer Service at Triumph called and talked to me that very same day, August 30th.
He asked me about the Gas Smell in Center Console issue and we talked for a while and then I informed him that I had posted all of the related pics and verbiage on the forum.
In a very unfriendly tone Customer Support stated "that he does not have the time to ever look at the forum and wanted me to tell him in my on words about my problem”.
I gladly explained the Gas Smell in Center Console issue to him.
From in depth reading of your "Great Forum” I clearly understand that Roplene and Inner Hull leaks can and will emit a gassy or fuel like smell and/or fumes.
Plastic as you already know is made from petroleum, so I get it.
In discussing my "front" "L" bracket problem with Customer Support he clearly stated that the front "L” bracket had to be an after purchase - owner modification and not a factory install one.
Since I am new to this type of boat and learning as I go (one the main reasons that I really like your forum) I didn't disagree with him, but to say the least I was a bit confused.
At this point I asked Customer Support exactly how the tank was originally mounted at the factory since earlier in our conversation Customer Support stated “that he was on the original design team of the 2001 Logic V210 CC boat".
Customer Support response was; the tank is centered with 2 dual centering chucks and that there are 2 "L" brackets, one in the front of the tank as well as one at the rear of the tank that hold the tank in place.
For at least 10 minutes prior to Customer Support telling me how the tank was originally mounted at the factory we had been discussing the front "L" bracket on my boat as the potential source of my Gas Smell in Center Console issue which he said had to be an after purchase - owner modification and not a factory install one.
At this point, I clearly felt that Customer Support was definitely misleading me and/or really wasn't interested in any Gas Smell in Center Console problem whatsoever that I had or might have with my boat.
In all of my time and work in the bilge area I had never seen any evidence of a rear "L" bracket but I had also not cleaned out all of the black stain and old black RULE in the bilge hull area either so I just didn't know if there was a rear was a rear "L" bracket there or not.
But in my case I still thought I could have a fuel leak issue because of the fact that the tank had jumped off of it rear centering chucks and was sitting on top of the rear centering chucks.
As well several of my cables and wiring harnesses were also under the jammed and stuck under the tank and were under a considerable amount of pressure.
At this point I can only assume that the previous owner was possibly running low on fuel
making the tank very light in weight and was possibly in choppy water causing the tank to jump up and move out of its proper location and position.
With that said, the front "L" bracket was present and under significant stress. The rubber washers were shot and at that time I mistakenly thought that 2 of the 4 "L" bracket screws actually screwed directly into the tank.
I was definitely wrong and Customer Support did not inform me or try to correct me or say anything about how the bracket is actually mounted.
At this time he requested that I send him “via email” all of the appropriate pics and verbiage from my posts related to that issue on the possible fuel leak.
He said he would review my email, pics and verbiage and verbally committed himself and Triumph that they were there to help me with my issue in anyway that they could.
I gladly sent the email with pics and verbiage that very same day, August 30th.
After further examination I saw that there was not and has never been a rear "L" bracket installed on this boat. I cleaned out all of the old RULE off and there are not any existing screw holes in the bilge hull where 2 of the 4 rear "L" brackets screws would have been screwed directly into the bottom of the bilge hull. I did see the 2 female metal fittings in the rear of the tank that were never used.
At this point I also realized the 2 screws in the tank actually screw into female metal fittings molded into the tank and do not actually breach the tank. I then assumed that the metal fittings in the front "L" bracket could have or might have been worked or wiggled loose and/or could have caused a leak or even a crack in the front of the tank. As well, there could be a crack in the tank underneath the rear centering chuck.
All of this due to all of the stress that the tank was under being out of position. When filled to its 85 gallon capacity that there is a lot of fuel weight that tank is probably not designed for.
The fact is that the rear "L" bracket was never installed at the factory during production and a tank with low fuel could easily move or shift as mine did.
Now the only other possible fuel tank support could be the stainless steel support bar on top of the tank and under the rear gray hatch cover. But as most of us know from reading the many different posts in the forum is that when in the hot sun that the rear hatch cover becomes soft and pliable and the way the stainless bar mounting is designed upward that the bar will easily move up and out of position when the rear hatch cover flexes and the tank is low on fuel and light in weight at every wave that you hit.
With the tank approximately 1/3 to full its pretty heavy, but when it is low it could easily creates the above scenario.
Now, I take the safety of my family and friends very seriously as everyone should and I needed to know for sure that there was not a fuel leak problem that you know could easily lead to a horrific explosion.
So to say the least I needed to know if this boat was seaworthy.
After not hearing back from Customer Support I called and left Customer Support a voice mail at his office on September 5th asking him for some sort of response.
As of today September 26th ”19 Business Days Later" I have not received any emails or phone calls whatsoever from Customer Support or Triumph since our 1 and only communication on August 30th.
Customer Support , on his own, offered up himself and Triumph’s support.
I have never asked for or wanted anything whatsoever from Customer Support or Triumph.
He offered it up.
I have since had the rear hatch cover, live well, seat assembly, foot rest, T-Top, entire center console and the 85 gallon fuel tank removed for inspection.
I then had the tank pressure tested and THANK GOD that no leaks were detected and all of the fumes and smell are possibly just Roplene and foam from inner hull leaks.
I also learned that the by the way the 2 hull screws of front “L” bracket screws into hull
(the part that separates the fuel compartment from the mega hull) that the stress from the bouncing tank is probably what caused the major cracks right under my mega hull drain hole on both the mega hull side and the fuel compartment side therefore seriously breaching the inner hull in two places.
As well there is a lot of postings about cleaning and re applying RULE on the stainless center stringer just in the bilge area, but once I had the tank removed the I could clearly see that the stainless stringer runs the length of the tank and that there all of old RULE needs to be cleaned out and replaced.
This is just another source of a serious inner hull breach.
I am having all of the potential leaks and breaches repaired that again, I have learned from your forum but if this is the type of customer service that I going to get from Triumph "warranty or not" please do not forward anything from me to Triumph in the future.
I have also learned from other Logic 2001 V210 CC owners they also do not have a rear “L” bracket installed therefore possibly putting themselves and their family and friends in great danger.
I fully intend to post pics and verbiage all related to how the fuel tank can be checked and secured and hopefully removing that element of possible danger from our fellow forum members.
You ask me to let you know what happens and this is the way it went down.
Regards,
Greg Davenport
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