Guys I'm trying desperately to get ahold of Derek at CCV. I bought the silver penthouse top from him in early January from the classified section of this website. I also bought a 4x4 kit. Derek advised he needed at least a month to ship and came through. The top arrived February 2nd. But with no 4wd parts. So I naturally called him and he said they didn't get them powder coated in time. Ok so no problem just send them when you get done. I like to give people the benefit of doubt so I haven't thought to much about it. But since then I have text I have called I have emailed and even sent a facebook message. And so far I have had no communication(except for last week when I talked to his secretary she said she would have him call me back). I'm not trying to throw Derek under the bus by any means but it just seems like he has disappeared off the face of the earth. Has anyone heard anything from him I know there are a few on here who have been looking at his tops. The whole thing really has made no sense as he has been really helpful anytime I have called and talked to him. I have a lot of money tied up in this project right now and would appreciate anyone's advice.

My two cents, (which may or may not be even close to reality and are my own speculation):
I would guess CCV is undergoing some growing pains. They clearly have a fantastic product (which I have recently purchased and am now a full supporter of their tops) and I would guess that they have a decent backlog in just doing poptops. I believe that CCV has been busy working out molds to make their product more successful as well. In short, I'd guess that the plate is full not only from the business perspective but also knowing that Derek has a young family (and I hope all is well on that front). Is this an excuse for a lack of communication? Probably not, but I wouldn't draw any conclusions at this point. I've had to deal with (unrelated to vans) secondary vendors for various odds and ends at work and the cumulative processes can add up to significant delays if things don't drop right into the schedule. Hang tight, good luck, and keep us posted.

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Josh
2009 Express AWD, CCV Top & 50-ish home build. Daily driver/camper/kid hauler

^^^ all that.

i dealt with derek pretty consistently for a year and a half trying to get everything situated with my top. most times i would hear back from him in a very timely manner, and other times it took me a month to get a hold of him. he was just straight up busy...plus there was a small flood in his area during that time too, lol. oh, and his secretary is his wife...or at least was.

in short, dont stress, derek is good people. he will get you taken care of. i know its a pita when people dont get back to you, especially when money has already been spent, but like rockbender says, having a desirable product and being that busy does have its downfalls. another good example is ramsey and his rip kits. really good stuff for these vans and lack of people making that stuff can cause huge backlogs. ive only been a van owner for a couple years now, but ive seen and learned that you cant be in a hurry for the good van products.

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"understeer is when you hit the wall with the front of your car, oversteer is when you hit the wall with the rear of your car, horsepower is how hard your car hits the wall, and torque is how far your car moves the wall."

I was up there last week to drop off my van for a significant amount of work. He had a van in every bay, and now he's got mine sitting and waiting in storage. So, yup, super busy.

I've noticed the same in terms of trying to get a hold of him. Calling and leaving a voice mail appears to be the best way to communicate. I have the luxury of being just about an hour away from Loveland, CO, so I've been able to stop by and chat. When you're there he definitely gives you his undivided attention, and then some.

I would say CCV is at the point where it needs to expand it's operations, especially in terms of administration, but I get the impression that Derek is very much a hands-on kinda guy. Delegation can be tough some times

If you want more directed replies, I would suggest editing the title of your post to something like "Help needed re: CCV"

Really apreciate all your replies.

Again I'm not trying to to throw anybody under the bus. Just knew that there were people on here who had done business with him.

I know exactly what is like to be in demand I have had a two year waiting list before with my work. I'm down to 6 months now due to the economy. I also know how it is to be a hands on guy its very hard to find people who are dependable and will still do quality work. Quality is very rare in the disposable world we now live in.

If anyone talks to him mention my name to him. Lee by the way. In the meantime I'll be waiting by the phone to hear something and by the mailbox. Thanks again guys.

Yeah, I've got people yelling at me to complete their work too. So, even though I don't know Derek and have never used CCV, I can feel for him (and for Baja for that matter).

In my experience, the waiting lines are shorter for lesser quality service. Why not ask for your money back and buy something of unacceptable quality from an inferior vendor which you can get quicker?

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2002 E350 ext.; 160K; 7.3L; 4R100 (w/4x4 deep pan & filter); 4x4 conv. w/2007 F250/F350 coil frnt axle (oppos. dual Bilstein press. shocks cured DW) diff chg from 3.55 to 3.73 (bad!); BW1356 t.c. (bad!); LT265/70R17/E Michelin LTX M/S2; Engel MT60 Combi Fridge-Freezer; 4 BP 380J pv panels; Auragen 5kw AC gen. in top alt. position; Webasto Dual-Top; Voyager top. 1995 5.8L EB Bronco, bone stock.

He's busy. Shenrie is right on all points. Plus, Derek does this because he loves it. He loves building the vans he loves exploring in. He may've just gone out to play for a few days and turned the phone off. That's what I have to do on occasion, and he's probably not going to announce it to the world.

Derek is good people. His business is growing. He is passionate about what he does, but not perfect. Just try and remember that part.

Just heard from Derek he said everything was good and should be on its way soon. Thanks everyone for the replies.

crisis adverted!

glad to hear you heard from him. good luck with your build

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"understeer is when you hit the wall with the front of your car, oversteer is when you hit the wall with the rear of your car, horsepower is how hard your car hits the wall, and torque is how far your car moves the wall."