SMB West build and SMB Austin Pickup - anyone done this?

Cowboywanderer · 01-15-2012, 03:08 PM

Good afternoon everyone!

As the time starts to get closer for my pickup of my new 350 EB SMB, I am planning on picking up my van in Austin. Jonathan out at SMB West has been FANTASTIC to deal with, and the project is coming along great!

As many of you know, it is not advisable to actually take delivery of your SMB in California unless you live there as it will incur the application of their sales tax if you do so. I spoke with Jonathan about our options, and as we have family that live in Austin our plan is to have our truck shipped out to the Austin shop as soon as it's done and we are going to go down the second week in March and pick it up with the family and make a fun little road trip back home to Iowa out of the delivery. Needless to say, the family and are are all VERY excited about the trip, and we are counting down the days until we get to hop on a plane and head South! My question is, has anyone done this, and what has been your experience?

I feel bad having the SMB West location do the build, and the Austin shop has to show us the ropes on a truck that they didn't get to build, but Jonathan has assured me that this is not an issue, and the Austin group is a great bunch of guys. I am bummed that I'm not going to be able to make a trip out before hand to California to check on the build and visit the shop, but work has me swamped right up until the day we get on the plane to head out in March, so I am just going to have to cross my fingers and hope for the best!

Please let me know what your experiences have been if any, and I will be sure to post up pictures in March when we take delivery. I have been a HUGE fan of SMB's for a long time, and with my family's love of all things outdoors this should be a great addition to our lifestyle!

Thanks!

charlie56 · 01-15-2012, 05:46 PM

This post goes back quit awhile but it might help you.
viewtopic.php?f=15&t=423

You might try doing searches of Greg's early posts.
Send him a PM as well although he hasn't been too active on the board lately.

Cowboywanderer · 01-15-2012, 06:32 PM

Thanks for the response and the link!

I think I may be missing something in the link though - the post from '07 mostly involved difficulty and delays in getting a van delivered from Ford to SMBW to have the 4x4 installed. Jonathan has already sent me pics of the truck, and has every week for the last three weeks (when my new van arrived from Ford) It already has the 4x4 installed, sound deadening in, generator installed, front and rear bumpers pulled in anticipation of the Aluminess bumpers and custom motorcycle rack out back, and is slated to start interior this week. I am hoping someone could give me a little insight to the SMB Austin shop - anyone special to deal with, and what to expect.

Thanks again, and glad to be hear finally! I will DEFINITELY post up pictures and delivery when we do it, until then we are counting the days until delivery!

**daveb** · 01-16-2012, 08:13 PM

You really should take a little time in Texas and camp somewhere for a few days to make sure most of the bugs are worked out. I'd talk with Jonathon about Texas making minor repairs that might need to be made if you find any.

Viejo · 01-16-2012, 08:55 PM

Congratulations on the new van.

Just be VERY careful who you get to transport it. I can't find the thread right now but a year or so ago there was a series of posts about the transport from hell - a total screw job. Anybody remember that incident and the posts about it?

**BroncoHauler** · 01-16-2012, 09:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Viejo

Congratulations on the new van.

Just be VERY careful who you get to transport it. I can't find the thread right now but a year or so ago there was a series of posts about the transport from hell - a total screw job. Anybody remember that incident and the posts about it?

Of all people for it to happen to, it was Jage. The tale might make a good sales pitch to have SMB use their driver.

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=5550&hilit=+fresno

Herb

**daveb** · 01-16-2012, 09:12 PM

Plus, if SMBW drives it out, at least the engine and drive train will be put to a test.

Viejo · 01-17-2012, 04:38 PM

Quote:

Plus, if SMBW drives it out...

Wow - maybe I'm being way too paranoid, but I wouldn't want anyone, even an SMB executive, putting the critical 1st 1000 miles on any vehicle of mine. When you said delivered to Austin I assumed you meant on a car carrier or flat bed.

The last thing you want is having that engine break-in done by some lead footed minimum-wage kid trying to set a new Fresno-Austin speed record. I don't care if he's an SMB employee or not.

**rionapo** · 01-17-2012, 04:50 PM

We just picked ours up in Nevada with no delivery problems. The driver (name escapes me now) was keeping pretty busy and had delivered a van as far away as Albuquerque within recent months.

The best part of our delivery (I was saving this for the what people say about your SMB thread but here goes) was the FedEx parking lot where we notarized the papers regarding out-of-state delivery. We were moving our stuff from the rental car to the SMB and a woman asked what was going on. The driver explained we were returning the car to the rental agency; the lady looked at the SMB and said, "THAT's a rental car!?"

Cowboywanderer · 01-17-2012, 07:20 PM

Wow! Thanks for all of the responses everyone!

I was on the phone with Jonathan this morning finishing up some details and hopefully getting the last of the details hammered out. I am having a long time family friend that has a trucking company run one of my dual sport bikes and the wife's Zuma scooter out there the end of this month to help mock up a carrier for the back of the SMB, and he is also dropping off bikes and bedding for the family as well. I am then going to fly him out the second week in March and he is going to drive it from Fresno to Austin for me. I've known Rob for a LONG time and he has driven some of my high end stuff all over the country for me, so I feel confident that he will do a good job of getting it from Fresno to Austin for me. He offered to run his truck out with the flatbed for me to truck it, but I actually prefer this as by the time the truck hits Austin it will have enough miles on it to deal with any issues that may arise along the way, and I will have SMB Austin do a full fluid and service inspection as well.

We are planning on camping a few nights in Texas before heading back North with the truck (I live in Iowa), and the wife already has reserved a spot at one of the local parks (Mc Greevy?, not sure of the name but it is supposed to be close! We are open to ANY suggestions as well - it will be the wife, my three young kids, and myself!) and if we have any issues we will hit SMB on our way back North. I have budgeted in one "hail mary" day should something bad rear it's ugly head, and hopefully all goes smooth.

Thanks for being such a welcoming community to a newbie - I have been wanting to build one of these rigs forever, and now it's hard to believe that in just a few short weeks the family and I will be enjoying our new rig!!!