Chinese Trailer - NJStar Explorer
- Thread starter oregontrd
- Start date
1HaytchZed
Member
"power winch"? this trailer has a winch? and why is it ON?
Runmorun
Member
Yeah, no winch, master power switch. Needs a new label.
Runmorun
Member
The senior sales rep @Frankji.yuan is now a member of the forum. He can provide details about options and pricing if you want to order direct!
Runmorun
Member
If you want to buy direct from the manufacturer you can, looking at 30k with import fees, duty, and last mile transport. If you want someone to do the work for you and deal with the entire process of importing and delivery you can pay for that. Even at 45k it's a better product than anything else in the price point.
Obsessed2findARuggedHybid
Well-known member
These rigs seem to be a step above other Chinese made units but I do have a few questions.
The electronics are all Chinese made and I wonder about the quality and replacement parts.
Some of the welds look very sloppy. I have seen lots of welding operations but have never welded anything. Does sloppy mean they could fail?
The electronics are all Chinese made and I wonder about the quality and replacement parts.
Some of the welds look very sloppy. I have seen lots of welding operations but have never welded anything. Does sloppy mean they could fail?
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Runmorun
Member
I had my rig looked at by those with welding experience and they felt it was sturdy and no visable issues, but definitely messy. As for the electrical components, they use EU/UL certified parts. I went through mine and checked after receiving. Good friend is an electrical contractor and he was impressed by the wiring of the system and thought it was good quality wires and connections. Its not a complicated set up.
Working in the film industry I have a lot of experience buying Chinese equipment of all sorts. And in my opinion, it takes some brass balls to plunk down $30k-$45k for an unknown Chinese made product of this caliber. I don't doubt that the fit and finish of this thing is leaps and bounds above anything you can find in the USA for this price range. But one thing to be wary of is how skilled the Chinese are at making something appear to be a polished and premium product. Once you start using it though, the spit and polish starts to wear off.
The failure point for a lot of Chinese made products is in durability and longevity. Those sloppy welds are a perfect example. You see the same thing with Chinese LED lights where the light itself is well made, but the soldering is crap, and that's what fails. Yeah, this trailer looks great in all these pictures and videos. Of course it does, it's new. But these aren't the photos and videos I want to see. I want to see what the seams on this thing look like after it's been driven for 2 years down trails and washboarded fire roads. I want to see how the water runs off it after multiple storms. I want to see what that leather lined wall looks like in 2 years and what that canvas looks like after a healthy dose of SoCal UV. Will that door be flush after closing it and opening it 500 times?
I'm willing to give it a chance but only after I see some proof that this thing won't be rattling a part at the seams after some offroad abuse. It's extremely difficult to make a reliable offroad trailer, which is why the industry is littered with failed companies and horror stories. Truth be told, a lot of USA made trailers really aren't something to write home about either, but at least you can call someone up and give them an earful. And getting parts is realistic. Getting this trailer over seas will only be half the battle. How replaceable will these parts be 2-3 years down the road and how responsive will the manufacturer be after they've deposited your money and moved on from your sale?
I do hope this thread continues to be updated over the next couple of years, so we can all see what issues flare up and how responsive the manufacturer is. Thanks for posting your experiences on this.
The failure point for a lot of Chinese made products is in durability and longevity. Those sloppy welds are a perfect example. You see the same thing with Chinese LED lights where the light itself is well made, but the soldering is crap, and that's what fails. Yeah, this trailer looks great in all these pictures and videos. Of course it does, it's new. But these aren't the photos and videos I want to see. I want to see what the seams on this thing look like after it's been driven for 2 years down trails and washboarded fire roads. I want to see how the water runs off it after multiple storms. I want to see what that leather lined wall looks like in 2 years and what that canvas looks like after a healthy dose of SoCal UV. Will that door be flush after closing it and opening it 500 times?
I'm willing to give it a chance but only after I see some proof that this thing won't be rattling a part at the seams after some offroad abuse. It's extremely difficult to make a reliable offroad trailer, which is why the industry is littered with failed companies and horror stories. Truth be told, a lot of USA made trailers really aren't something to write home about either, but at least you can call someone up and give them an earful. And getting parts is realistic. Getting this trailer over seas will only be half the battle. How replaceable will these parts be 2-3 years down the road and how responsive will the manufacturer be after they've deposited your money and moved on from your sale?
I do hope this thread continues to be updated over the next couple of years, so we can all see what issues flare up and how responsive the manufacturer is. Thanks for posting your experiences on this.
Runmorun
Member
I have had my unit for a year at this point. It lives in the driveway. After a year of hard rain and hot summer sun it's still holding strong. No leaks, no rust. If you would like some photos let me know.
The amount of hate towards a product on here is interesting. If you do a little research you can find out a lot. Like this company has been making this model for over a decade. It is one of the top selling models in China. The frame is warranted for the life of the trailers. The trailer is designed for a minimum of a 15 year useful life as is required by the Chinese government for domestic products. I get that a lot of crap comes from China, but so do a lot of high quality products we happily pay high prices for, like most Apple products. I spent 6 months diving into the company prior to purchase so I learned a lot about them and their process.
There's certainly a lot of anti-Chinese sentiment in the USA these days (as there should be with all the IP & human rights violations) but for me personally, and especially concerning this trailer, I wouldn't classify it as hate. I'd label it as cautious suspicion. After being burned for decades on Chinese manufactured electronics and fake knockoffs being sold as OEM products, the suspicion is well justified in my opinion. But I don't hate this trailer. I WANT this trailer to be good and I'm rooting for it. But it's not been tested enough in the USA for me to get behind it yet.
Yes, but who will cover that warranty in the states? Yes, most Apple products are made in China, but they are also made in the USA and their HQ is located here. They have a well established line of service centers throughout the country. I use Aputure and DJI products in the film business, and those are both excellent Chinese companies but they also have established service centers in the USA.
I wouldn't take people's suspicion personally. We all know China has a record of deception when it comes to their manufacturing sector. I applaud you for taking the first leap, assuming all the risk, and trying things out. I do hope you'll give us an honest rundown in a couple of years on how your tailer has fared, and not feel like you have to defend yourself against haters or justify your purchase. Your honest feedback and experience is greatly appreciated.