METROPOLIS LAKE OUTFITTERS, DISCLAIMER AND WARNINGS, VERSION 2

The following disclaimer applies to products sold by Metropolis Lake Outfitters, possibly over the internet at www.MetropolisLakeOutfitters.com or other third party websites such as eBay or CraigsList that may or may not display the business name or website URL.

  1. NO WARRANTY - NO RETURNS. Please fully inspect your trailer before leaving the lot to make sure it is what you want. There is some level of risk involved with the usage of the products offered by the seller due to the nature of the products. In rare instances, trailer parts can break, winch lines can snap, tires can blow out, attachment hardware for any product could fail, etc. In any of the above given situations, monetary damages due to a delayed schedule, hotel bills, towing bills, property damage, severe injury, or even death, could occur. Pushing the limits of the recommended loads or usage for any product will elevate these risks immensely but these risks are never completely gone, they are always there, with any manufacturer. The customer should understand this and assume all risk for use of these products. In rare cases, if it is very soon after the purchase, some manufacturers for the parts may allow a replacement part to be issued IF and ONLY IF the original broken part was returned. If the applicable manufacturer grants the warranty claim, reimbursement is strictly limited to replacing the part with another identical part. It will not cover other damages, real or imagined, and they will not send reimbursement checks. If there is something such as a missing weld that is discovered, the trailer manufacturer usually doesn't have a problem with fixing it, assuming you can bring it back to the shop so they can do it. They will not pay for someone else to do it. Please inspect your trailer upon pickup to avoid this. No warranty from Metropolis Lake Outfitters is implied on anything. Metropolis Lake Outfitters is not the manufacturer of ANY products that are offered.
  2. You must make sure that trailer couplers are always snapped totally shut in the fully locked position. A padlock is recommended. If you have the 8,000 pound coupler and can easily pull up on the latch, it is not engaged properly.
  3. Trailers are not maintenance free! With normal, occasional use, after about 6 months trailer bearings should be repacked in grease. Eventually the bearings will need to be replaced. Hubs may need to be tightened. Long trips, heavy loads, and frequent usage will warrant additional and/or more frequent maintenance. Brake pads will have to be replaced with enough use. Brake operation should be checked often, and may need adjusting if they are not performing well enough. With new brakes you may need to adjust the star nut on the drums for initial use. Light bulbs will burn out and will have to be replaced. Wood may rot or otherwise wear down and will have to be replaced. Tires will wear and/or dry rot and will have to be replaced. Scratches may appear and should be touched up. Exposed metal will rust. Wear and tear even with light normal use will occur and is not warranted.
  4. Leather work gloves are highly recommended while handling trailer parts, winch lines, and any other part that may have sharp metal exposed or has moving parts such as latches or jacks.
  5. Used tires are considered complimentary and are never recommended. Even the new tires can sometimes have problems and aren't guaranteed but they are safer than the used ones. A handling fee of $20 is charged for additional used spares to discourage taking several spares. Used rims may possibly be bent and vibrate the lug nuts loose if left unchecked. Mismatched tires may cause excessive wear on the bearings.
  6. For trailers, the torque on the lug nuts must be checked periodically. Initial checking AT LEAST at 100 miles is recommended. The manufacturer of the new wheels recommends doing this at 25, 50, and 100 miles.
  7. Appropriate tongue weight is critical! Most people agree that about 4% - 10% of the total load should be tongue weight, but the exact amount varies, depending on your load and your tow vehicle. Too little and especially negative tongue weight may cause the tow vehicle's rear end to have inadequate traction to keep control, and/or may cause the trailer to sway violently, and may damage the coupler. Too much tongue weight can lift the front of the tow vehicle up, hindering steering operations, and may put excessive stress on the hitch. Any of these situations can cause you to lose control of the vehicle and have an accident.
  8. Proper driving practices are critical. Even with proper balancing, poor driving habits and actions can cause the trailer to whiplash, which also can cause an accident. Customer should have an adequate understanding of best practices for towing and not tow anything otherwise. DO NOT QUICKLY WHIP AROUND VEHICLES TO PASS.
  9. It is the customer's responsibility to know what is legally required in their home state and request a trailer that will meet those requirements. Braking, lighting, and licensing laws are different in every state, are subject to change, and can even be different in different regions of the same state, so it is too overwhelming for us to keep up with all of them. Reimbursements will not be issued if local state inspectors require the purchase of additional parts to be cleared for highway use.
  10. Kentucky cannot issue temporary tags for trailers. Some states like for you to have a temporary tag, but the receipt and statement of origin (title) is all that can be offered. Customer should understand that they will not have a valid license plate upon purchase unless their home state has issued a trip permit.
  11. The customer should have the appropriate size ball and the appropriate plug in good working order upon pickup. All trailer balls are 2" unless otherwise specified. Due to risk and time involved, tow vehicles cannot be worked on. The customer should notify the seller of what plug they need before showing up. Trailers will be wired and tested with the requested type of plug before pickup. Poor wiring on the tow vehicle will not be worked on by anyone here.
  12. All transactions will be approached with pessimism by the seller. No credit cards will be accepted except through PayPal. PayPal payments should have a confirmed billing address. All heavy shippable items must have a street address for shipping. No orders from foreign countries will be accepted, except in the case of U.S. Military. Any foreign shipment must be paid for with an international money order in U.S. funds. Allow two weeks for personal checks to clear. No personal checks accepted for final payment upon pickup for trailers.
  13. Any and all items and equipment should be inspected regularly to insure proper and safe operation.
  14. Upon purchase, customer agrees to pick up items at specified appointment time and location. Showing up at a time much different than what was agreed upon may result in not being able to pick up ordered item(s) at that time.
  15. Trailers are not guaranteed to be in stock immediately unless specified. All orders are normally ready within 5 business days after a deposit is received. Unless agreed upon otherwise, the trailer will not be ready until the time specified by the seller after payment is received. DO NOT bid on a trailer or otherwise agree to purchase one and then immediately take off to pick it up, unless agreed upon by the seller. Most trailers are custom built to order. Exceptions to the 5 business day timeframe may occur if a strange option is ordered that is not in stock, such as very strong tires, or if one is ordered during one of the very popular times of year and several orders are back logged. Customer will be notified as soon as possible after the delay is realized. Please confirm the approximate date when it will be ready then make an appointment to pick it up or have it delivered sometime after that time.
  16. The customer should be aware that some form of advertising for Metropolis Lake Outfitters, www.MetropolisLakeOutfitters.com, etc., in the form of a decal may be placed on the trailer, whether or not the advertised pictures show them. The text may include business name, logo, slogan, phone number, or website.
  17. Most products are not intended for commercial use. This includes business propositions with examples such as using self-recovery winches as an overhead hoist in a factory, or using a base model trailer for professional car hauling, just as a couple of examples. Unless specified otherwise, such as with a commercial Warn winch, all products are intended for light, occasional use from an individual.
  18. The required 25% deposit will be forfeited as a nonrefundable payment if the customer orders a custom trailer and never shows up to take ownership of it. This policy is in effect because it is very difficult to find another party who wants the same exact options and specifications as the trailer in question without offering significant discounts.
  19. The load rating on any parts is the absolute maximum that it can possibly take and should never be exceeded under any circumstance. Overloading these limits is guaranteed to have severe consequences. Even pushing the limits is asking for trouble. In the case of trailers, the load rating is based on what the axle assemblies are rated at. Since the axles see the weight of the trailer itself, this rating represents the total weight of the loaded trailer, not the weight of the cargo on top of the trailer. The only way to know the true weight of the trailer is to weigh it at a weigh station. Every installed option changes the weight of the trailer. The weight can change slightly over time due to moisture retention in the wood decking.
  20. Even if abiding by the load rating on trailers, certain load configurations may be inappropriate. Most trailers are designed for the load to be spread out evenly over the entire trailer. Weight configurations other than the normal setup may require slight customization. One example of this situation would be trying to load a tractor with a large mower attachment onto a base model wrap-tongue style utility trailer with rails, which is weaker in the rear, yet 100% of the load is on the rear while loading. Another example would be trying to load a full sized pickup truck on the utility style, where all the weight is in the extreme ends, which could bend the trailer. Heavy vehicles will bend mesh tailgates. Last, but not least, would be the loading of skid loaders and fork lifts on to any style trailer, where all of the weight is concentrated into a small area, which puts an extreme load on the crossmembers. Trailers can be built to handle most situations, but the customer has to request these extra capabilities. Otherwise, the trailers are built with the idea that the load is spread evenly. Customer should understand these limitations and order a trailer according to their needs.
  21. Trailers are not designed for high speeds. If something did go wrong, it would be too hard to maintain control at high speeds. High speed itself can be the cause of things going wrong. Customer should drive much slower and cautiously than usual, and have a top speed of no more than 55 mph. Slower speeds than that are recommended, if possible.
  22. Any used part is never guaranteed by anybody. In the event that a used part is purchased, the customer agrees to take on a heightened level of risk, due to the fact that the history of the item(s) is unknown and could have been abused, in exchange for a lower price.
  23. Strength of attachment hardware for all products is critical. Hitches are the most important. Attachment bolts for bumpers, hitches mounted to vehicles, receivers, receiver pins, balls, welds for weldable items such as D-rings, etc., all must be rated at or greater than the given load.
  24. Tow vehicles themselves have tow ratings and towing best practices that should never be ignored. Your owners manual should have recommendations on these load limits. Misuse can cause serious damage to the drivetrain, or otherwise not allow you to have enough control if something went wrong, especially with shorter wheelbase vehicles.
  25. Some products such as winches come with very detailed instructions. Any and all available literature should be thoroughly read and understood before attempting to operate or use any product.
  26. When using any product, customer should take any and all possible safety precautions. This includes, but is not limited to, using multiple tie-down points on trailers, using winch line weights, ordering trailers that are stronger than what is actually needed, etc.
  27. The information on the website is for general information and/or entertainment uses only. On areas such as the trouble code listing or "trailering 101", use all available information at your own risk. Most information was made available to point you in the right generalized direction. Trailer advice was not intended to replace consultation on a case by case basis. Vehicle information was not intended to replace a professional inspection by a certified mechanic.
  28. The customer and seller hereby agree that all disputes and matters arising under, in connection with or incident to this transaction shall be litigated, if at all, in and before a Court located in the State of Kentucky, to the exclusion of the Courts of any other state or country.