Penthouse Install - Fresno SMB (not optimal)

[JimHefner]

Last week SMB Fresno installed a manual penthouse in my 2012 E250 RB. The short version is I really wish I would have gotten the electric version as the effort required to raise and lower the top is far too great for my pregnant wife.

Out the door the total cost was $6,664 for the manual top. Had I chosen the electric version it would have been an additional $1,234. At the end of the day of the install and when I realized the effort to raise/lower the top was unacceptable I was told it would be $3,500 to convert it.

At the time I didn't argue as I had left my house that morning at 4am to make the 4 hr. drive up to Fresno from LA. I was also pretty exhausted by 5pm and dreading my drive home. However, after thinking about it, the cost they quoted is unreasonable. I said if the electric is $1,234 more than manual, the upgrade price normally obviously covers the additional parts and hardware. Therefore shouldn't my 'swap out' just be the $1,234 plus the labor to remove my manual and then start all over? I went through my sales guy to whom I believe is the sales manager and he 'ran it all the way to the top' of SMB. They still say it will be $3,500.

It's totally my fault for not choosing electric in the first place. I (wrongly) presumed the electric was just for convenience rather than the effort involved. As I said in another thread, I'm far from frail and even though SMB added a link to the chain that drives the springs, the effort force to raise and lower is quite large.

Anyway, I'm very disappointed with a few smaller issues regarding my service with them but I'm trying to keep this thread on topic. Also, apparently I'm not the first to install a manual top and then realize should have gotten electric. I suppose that's why CCV and GTRV now only offer electric versions. Anyway, the $3,500 SMB wants to convert it makes no sense and the only explanation provided is the 'labor involved'. It just doesn't add up though. I'm hypothecating that if I were dropping $80k with them rather than another converter things would be going a bit different.