Help needed

[KTMRIDER]

Originally Posted by E350

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?

E350,
I enjoy your contributions to the forum but with all due respect I have done business with both Derek at CCV and Baja and based on my experiences Derek isn't even in the same universe as compared to Ramsey/Baja. Baja has gone out of his way to help discuss my van suspension needs by phone and to make time out of his busy schedule to install a RIP kit on my van when I was coming through his neighborhood. This included custom valving some shocks to work with my air bags. He even took me over to FOX and gave me a tour and introduced me to folks there. He has also discussed the different options and benefits for 4x4 systems on vans with me even though he was busy. So for Baja I can agree with your generalized statements. I have no doubt Ramsey would be there if I called him. Sometimes he has trouble getting back to folks because he is busy with good products and good customer service.

Derek on the other hand did a HACK fest job on my wiring when building the interior of my van. So much so on one part that he didn't bother to read the instructions for installing my National Luna dual charging system resulting in frying both circuit boards in the system and leaving me stranded on the side of the highway within two hours of my drive home from his shop in Co to So Cal. When I called him while stranded on the side of the highway he told me "sounds like your alternator, you should go to the nearest auto parts store and have it checked..". I don't consider that quality service. What, was I to just push the van down the highway until I find a auto store while a thousand miles from home in a area I don't know after he had been the last one to work on my vans electrical???

I did talk him into coming out to meet me and we figured out the alternator wasn't even hooked up to the van batteries, which is why the van died. We got that sorted out and when I got home I bought new circuit boards for the National Luna system on my dime and rewired the rest of the van myself. Others on here have also had issues with his wiring and other work. I could go on about other issues I have had but that isn't necessary. I will say his mechanical work has held up.

Shortly after this and more had happened I had PMed a few members here who were thinking about using Derek for a build. I PMed my experience and opinions and told them to get everything in writing as I wish I had done if they went with CCV. Derek followed up with a PM to me calling what I did "illegal and morally and ethically wrong" and said he would "go out of his way to pursue this issue further" if I didn't stop....meaning exactly what I don't know? I sent him a PM back saying no problem I will stop responding to people by PM and just respond in the open forums. It is not illegal or immoral to share my opinion to others based on my own experience.

His tops may be well engineered and a fantastic product based on what 86Scotty, REF and others have said here. That is great but based my experience your comments, especially in the second paragraph, are totally off base and came across to me as sarcastic to the original poster looking for help in a situation he was in and I could somewhat identify with.
Eric

[UJOINT]

I have some photos of his work on my Facebook page as well as a thread on expedition portal.

I hear from people often about CCV work, feel bad for most of them. What they all say is that he's a super nice guy and thats what keeps them quiet on public forums. The pics I have speak for themselves.

[E350]

KTMRIDER: Please accept my apologies. I don't know CCV or his work. And I was not recommending him. Your comment based on your personal experience is much more valuable to the forum than my sarcastic comment.*

Sounds like we are in agreement when it comes to agileoffroad.com Again someone I don't know but eventually would like to use and expect to have to wait patiently in line for. BajaSportsMobile appears to be one of those professionals who does it not out of need or for the love of money but for the love of doing. And that my comment was directed solely at protecting those rare professionals whose good work is truly worth waiting for. Again my apologies.

* I will add to my don't list:
Don't post during the World Series drunk.
Don't post while grumpy.

[1der]

Originally Posted by UJOINT

I have some photos of his work on my Facebook page as well as a thread on expedition portal.

I hear from people often about CCV work, feel bad for most of them. What they all say is that he's a super nice guy and thats what keeps them quiet on public forums. The pics I have speak for themselves.

Chris, perhaps you can specify: are you talking tops or are we talking front ends, interiors, or what? You have made a very broad comment that may be mis interpretted. Seems like most are very happy with CCV tops.

Ray

[KTMRIDER]

Originally Posted by E350

KTMRIDER: Please accept my apologies. I don't know CCV or his work. And I was not recommending him. Your comment based on your personal experience is much more valuable to the forum than my sarcastic comment.*

Sounds like we are in agreement when it comes to agileoffroad.com Again someone I don't know but eventually would like to use and expect to have to wait patiently in line for. BajaSportsMobile appears to be one of those professionals who does it not out of need or for the love of money but for the love of doing. And that my comment was directed solely at protecting those rare professionals whose good work is truly worth waiting for. Again my apologies.

* I will add to my don't list:
Don't post during the World Series drunk.
Don't post while grumpy.

Thanks for your response E350. I wish my experience with with them on nobody.

I should also add....we are all entitled to our own opinions since I have mine and others have theirs lol.
Eric

[UJOINT]

Originally Posted by 1der

Chris, perhaps you can specify: are you talking tops or are we talking front ends, interiors, or what? You have made a very broad comment that may be mis interpretted. Seems like most are very happy with CCV tops.

Ray

To me there is no difference. Quality work is quality work. Who knows what is covered up with carpet.

Yes, guys seem to be happy with the tops, thats good.

I've tried to post some pics but can't, here's a link to my FB page:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set ... 316&type=3

[1der]

]

""Thanks for your response E350. I wish my experience with with them on nobody.""

Same question to you Eric as I asked Chris, and I fully recognize the lack of communications issue is indicative of the way a business is being run and managed. Did you have Top installed or only other work done?

CCV may be biting off more than they can handle expertise wise and capacity wise outside of the core expertise tops. I have seen it many times in a small business (even large - how about Google and Motorola). CCV made their name in tops And roof top units. If the tops are a problem, then say it clearly. You made no mention of having a top done. Was that any part of your experience with CCV?

I spoke to many people about CCV tops, everyone had great things to say about there tops and the support they received. I spoke no one about anything else CCV does.

Fact of the matter in this van space is there is NO Single Company that has ALL the expertise down pat. The closest you get at a compromise is Sportsmobile and from all I have read it is exactly that, a compromise. I have seen. A number of older SMB' s and I am taken back at the quality, design, etc. of what they put together. UJoint, Agile have their stuff together on suspensions, but I am not going to them for a top or interior. Van Specialties and others have excellent interiors but no tops or suspensions. Where is the one stop shop that has it ALL buttoned down and the best design? Doesn't exist.

So, let's keep the comments in perspective to what type of work was done. Shutting down CCV from doing his tops would be a loss, imho, to the advancement of what we want to achieve with our vans. His tops are better than SMB and GTRV (unless you need flush style top saving two inches in height, then GTRV is tfhe only game in town).

CCV, like many small growing companies, needs to assess what they do best, what they want to be, then determine what is needed to do that. Likely they need to narrow what they offer to what can be executed and supported really well.

I am a near term customer-to-be of CCV for a top. I have done my due diligence about tops, and I have listened to people's first hand experience about their tops, as well as experiences such as yours about CCV customer service. I will have my own first hand completed experiencei In a couple of months and let the boards know what transpired.

[1der]

From UJOINT: "Who knows what is covered up with carpet. "

I think that is cheap shot.

Yes, "quality is quality", however, this is reference to a "mindset / philosophy" as how to approach doing something and wether it makes it out the door with my name attached to it. As good business people, we strive to have that permeat every aspect of our business. That is my personal approach to business and anything I have manufactured or sold. I have been fortunate and unfortunate to think I know where my limitations are. That has resulted in a very few things going out the door that I realized should have not gone out. I always resolved the situation and learned from it. But it also resulted in my being very conservative in pushing into new areas and not growing as big as I might have. It is a fine balance, isn't it?

So there things that we can do super well and then there are our f-ups. Recognizing, accepting, learning and adapting is the challenge. It is an ongoing aspect of being in business.

[BroncoHauler]

Originally Posted by 1der

...His tops are better than SMB and GTRV (unless you need flush style top saving two inches in height, then GTRV is tfhe only game in town)...

But isn't this strictly a personal perspective, with your opinion being based on other people's opinion's, and also based on your personal expectations are for a top?

I'm not trying to be confrontational, but without taking a person's expectations and planned usage into account, universal declarations like this carry little value. There are plenty of other examples on this forum when someone proclaims a particular brand of cooktop, furnace, or water heater better than another, but rarely, if ever, is one brand better in all perspectives than another.


Herb

[UJOINT]

Originally Posted by 1der

From UJOINT: "Who knows what is covered up with carpet. "

I think that is cheap shot.

Take it for what you want. I've seen the work, fixed the work, talked to people that had and currently have the work. If you're comfortable with someone cutting your roof out that made those same cuts I posted pics of, go for it.

My goal is to make sure guys don't go through what I've seen (like KTM rider) again.