In November I purchased a new, custom made quadricycle from Rhoades Car in Hendersonville, TN. I was told when I purchased that it could carry 1200 lbs and handle everthing I needed it to do for my steam cleaning business - namely carrying 450 lbs. Of equipment over city curbs, sidewalks & potholes.
Here is a verbatim transcript of my conversation with Rhoades Car on November 7:
Me: "Since I will be carrying approximately 450 pounds it's important that I have the components that will withstand the stresses that they will be placed under."
Rhoades Car: "This model and all its components are designed to support a 1200 lbs weight capacity according to our Master Builder. All Rhoades Car models come with a 2-year warranty. We wouldn't warranty something that we didn't feel like would live up to and/or exceed its expectations."
Also, this from November 8:
Me: "Since the quadricycle is what I'm running the business from I really need it to be as robust as possible. If it aks down I don't have a van or truck that I can use as a fallback. So I need parts and components that are heavy duty and that can withstand rigorous outdoor use..."
Rhoades Car: "All Rhoades Cars are built to last and should have no trouble withstanding the day to day use you will need it for."
I have experienced many problems with the Rhoades Car since taking possession on February 15th:
1) the tailgate fell off;
2) the drive sprocket broke
3) the cargo "waggin'" frame broke;
4) three of the wheels folded and I had to call a wrecker with a flatbed to carry me home;
5) the right rear axle bearing failed.
All of these repairs were done by me (at a cost of around $1500) with Rhoades Car only covering half of the cost of the new wheels.
Following all of these problems the response from Rhoades Car was:
"... Our models will handle up-to 700 pounds of weight (distributed appropriately) on their jig-welded steel frames..."
This is 500 pounds less than I was told prior to purchasing.
I have had several estimates from local machine shops regarding repair of the quadricycle - at least to a point where I can use it for my business. Most mechanics feel the end result wouldn't be worth the cost. Nevertheless, one shop has quoted me a price of $3,000 to re-do the entire drive train. This will involve cutting off the front pedal sprocket and secondary drive sprocket and replacing it with non-Chinese sprocket mounted the correct way (Rhoades Car mounts the bottom bracket backwards - too much pedal torque and the pedals loosen); fixing the rear wheels so they do not "float" on the axle (the only thing that holds them in place are the calipers on the disc brakes); cutting off and re-doing the rear axle/mounts/bearings/drive sprockets and replacing them with non-Chinese parts that will be capable of carrying heavy loads.
In the alternative, I seek a complete refund of the total purchase price of the quadricycle with Rhoades Car collecting the machine at their expense.
Because of the substandard quality of the Rhoades Car design and components - as of this writing, I have been unable to ride this quadricycle since early June.in fact, because of the constant repairs needed, since taking delivery of the Rhoades Car on February 15, the quadricyle has only been operational less than a total of one week.
I simply want the vehicle to do what Rhoades Car and its salespeople told me it would be capable of doing.
I admire Rhoades Car for trying to move people to a greener form of transportation, unfortunately the Rhoades Car quadricycle is huge pile of garbage and an enormous waste of money
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