My "Relentless Fab" Review

Ok guys I am excited to announce that I finally got my shippment in from Eric a few days ago and now have a chance for a review.

This is also my first notice to Eric with my experience after I received my order.

My order: Aluminum front bumper with center hoop and side bars, steel rear bumper with hitch, double cab short bed hybrid weld on sliders, and lastly, two bed bars.

I am still in the process of sanding, cleaning, priming and painting everything so no pics installed yet.

This isn't a completely positive or negative review. I feel that it is fair to let people know what they MIGHT experience based off of mine both good and bad.

POSITIVES:
Being aluminum, the front bumper is pretty well built. AND BAD ASS!

The rear steel bumper is also very well built and strong. I wouldn't even care if someone rear ended me with this thing on. AND ITS BAD ASS!

The sliders are beefy as hell! I can't wait to put them to the test. ALSO VERY MUCH BAD ASS!

Even though Eric hasn't been able to post pics of the bed bars yet, I took a gamble hoping they would turn out to be what I wanted. THEY ARE PERFECT! and exactly what I was looking for. THESE ARE PRETTY BAD ASS.

It looks like the negatives might outweigh the positives but that is not the case! I just put in some suggestions and ideas with the comments is all. Constructive critisism....

NEGATIVES:
Overall communication is lacking. I know Eric is a one man show and probably trying to keep from paying any employees until he gets more established as a business (if he is looking to expand at all). My suggestion is to keep better track of your progress on builds and who they belong to and maybe just do a minimum of a weekly update with customers. Maybe stagger them so you only do 2-3 updates a night? I noticed that myself and some others posting on the threads may have felt forgotten. Could be a good job from the GF to help out maybe?

I know Eric can't have too much control over the shipping but mine was slow. Right around two weeks maybe a day or two more from the time Eric sent me the notice that they were being shipped I finally received my shippment. During the shipping one of the bottom mounts on the front bumper was bent and the aluminum cracked really bad, so I had to find a local welder to repair it. Cost me $20 so no big deal at all.

Build time. I knew going into my purchase that there was a pretty good lead time. I placed my order last Febuary while I was deployed and just asked if the order could be finished by August 1st (6 months) when I got back. I didn't get the order until mid September, so it was a little late but I know Eric was moving and had other stuff going on, but he made an attempt to make it right by making the bed bars at no charge. That was perfectly cool with me! No problem.


Attention to the order details.
So I stated above my order. The front bumper was supposed to have the center hoop and side bars. Got the center hoop but no side bars. And the "cups" for the fog lights aren't flush with the front plate of the bumper if that makes much sense. (I'll get pics later on) looking at the pics that are on the thread they all look like they are flush and clean. The front plate of the bumper overlaps on the inside of the cups by about 1/4 inch all the way around.

The rear bumper was supposed to have the hitch. NO HITCH.

The main thing I am slightly bothered with is that I have to find someone to help me integrate a hitch into the rear bumper, which will also have the benefit of beefing it up a little over what I could see in the pictures posted.

Anyways that is my review. Overall I am absolutely stoked to have my gear finally and I truly believe I got the better built product over the others.

If anyone thought I was unfair or unreasonable in this review I really wasn't trying to be, just put my thoughts and that was it.

I will post pics as soon as I get everything installed or by any requests.

EDIT: I'll also add the Eric was very quick to try and make things right within about 2 minutes of me posting this. He really is a good guy and wants to make sure everything is right, but I really am not too worried about any of this stuff, just minor things and I am not one to worry and raise hell over minor things. THANKS FOR ALL THE HELP ERIC

EDIT: About the fog light holes overlapping the mounting tubes, Eric pointed out that the difference between the aluminum and steel is simply because he wasn't able to get the exact same size tube in aluminum as steel. So to keep it looking straight and not oval or oblong or lop sided he simply overlapped it a little bit. Makes sense to me, and it should all blend together just fine once painted.

 

PMing ya carl
I dont know how things ended up missing. Would like to make it right.

 

Its all good Eric, to tell you the truth just having the center hoop kind of grew on me over having it and the side bars.

 

PLEASE pics!!! At least of the little details you mentioned

 

I will post pictures of the bed bars now that I have them painted and the fog light holes tomorrow. I have pics on my phone but they crap so Ill get good pictures.

 

I'll also add the Eric was very quick to try and make things right within about 2 minutes of me posting this. He really is a good guy and wants to make sure everything is right, but I really am not too worried about any of this stuff, just minor things and I am not one to worry and raise hell over minor things. THANKS FOR ALL THE HELP ERIC

EDIT: added to OP

 

Rep for you 1+!!!

I like how you are mature about the situation and arent all whiny bitchy "I didnt get what i wanted from a guy who works his ass off by himself NEVER BUY FROM HIM". You're a good guy

 

lol thanks man. Dont sweat the small stuff!!

 

Yah Eric is on top of his shit. Doesn't surprise me that he's correcting this so quickly

 

Eric is busy, but he will make it right... Stoked with mine, thanks Eric... Top Notch work... Highly recomend.... Great handbuilt products - take time...

 

just a suggestion.....send final pics before shipping. Maybe too much of a PIA, but it will help with making sure the order is correct before shipping. my .02.

 

Really??? He cant build his products fast enough already, you want him to take time away from fab/shipping to photograph and email pics?


Great AAR OP!

I think he just needs to schedule his work load.
If things went out on time there would be no need to post updates, they are a waste of his fabrication time. He makes no money when he is sitting in front of the computer, he makes money fabricating and shipping product.
If he had a schedule for his shop time he could give accurate lead times for products when they are ordered.

I give Eric credit for what he has managed to do in this horrible economy, maybe it's time for him to hire on some help?

When its all said and done, quality and value rule the day. Many guys will wait months for a very well fabricated unit at a very reasonable price

 

I agree with you taking pictures and email would be a huge PITA. I was thinking the cell phone MMS route. I was also thinking from Eric's end. If a couple of cell phone pics could save a review like this. Imagine your suprise when you just dropped $1000 on a bumper and it gets to you and its not the way you wanted it. I realize not all cell phones are created equal, but my iphone can shoot some good, clear photos.

 

I understand what you're saying and if people have a cellphone they'd like a pic sent to then its not that hard for me. My droidx has an 8mp camera and i take pics and mms them or upload to the tw live thread all the time. If this its something people want before shipping just let me know.
Also, I believe Carl was the first and only order mess up I've had, its never been an issue in the past.

 

You know u got my order. I can only imagine how u felt when he got his bumper. It speaks volumes to your professionalism that u contacted him quickly and r trying to make it right. I have complete faith in u. Just a suggestion since u r busier and probably trying to get caught up. I think your stuff is dope.

 

i will be buying a relentless bumper within a year.

 

Great rewiew!

Eric does awesome work, I love both my bumpers and they both have been tested is some way (hit a deer and been rear ended). Quality is top notch, everything lined up perfectly.

My only real complaint as you stated was communication, and the wait.. Was told it would be 2-3 months, ended up to be over 5 months, which was not a big deal just would have liked to been told that before hand.

No matter of the wait, his products are worth it.

 

Carl
did those shackles show up? They were supposed to show up today I believe

 

havent checked the mail in a couple days but I will check. Thanks bud.

 

based on all this, eric will have my business when i come up with the $ (hellllooo tax time!)



im kinda unclear on some of the options on erics website... op, what options do you actually have on that front bumper?