Other companies like Alu-Cab?

Yes, that is for protection of the seal on the canopy. it is a 90-degree bend and should not affect the mounting of any additional material (cannot guarantee this without seeing what it is you're mounting though).

 

It should be pointed out too that we only last year found out that Andrew is a paid Alu-Cab spokesperson who receives free gear. If your belief is that his is an impartial review you are incorrect. Sorry.
I can absolutely promise a more transparent and reliable representation of RLD products in the US than what has been presented with Alu-Cab. We absolutely believe it is a superior product and have even doubled the warranty term length compared to what Alu-Cab offers.

 

Well, if you insist:

Direct dig at AluCab.

Direct dig at AluCab, a South African company.

How about the thread named The official "Alu-Cab is out, James Baroud is in" Sale on ExPo? Was that meant as a compliment?

And from that gem:

Certainly not shitting on a (now) competitor's brand, not at all.

And how about this post by Rin of OK4WD, clearly laying out the real end to your relationship with AluCab? Having dealt with both Rin and you Tom, on numerous occasions, I know who's word I'm ready to take at face value.

Oh, nice going with gouging customers. Reminds me of when I told you to pound sand when you tried to bill me twice for the same work (and for more hours than the truck was in the shop).

Anything else I can clarify for you?

 

What part of having a land cruiser lowered on a canopy, on video, would you say is biased due to being "sponsored"?

 

I guess we have a different opinion on what the meaning of "trashing" someone means? We are simply promoting a new line we recently found that we believe is a superior product (hence the change in our product offerings). Your choice to believe Rin over us is simply just a belief in representation based upon feelings. I'd be happy to clarify anythign for you and definitely clear up any confusion as to what might have happened while your truck was in our shop. Please provide your name and the date of service and we can review that all here.

 

Also, thank you for bringing that post to my attention I did not see that until now!

 

My belief is based on experience, not feelings.

And nice spin attempt with the "confusion" line.

Here's the email I sent you in response to your $371USD invoice (#1616):

So if it was merely "confusion," why is it that you never replied to the above email, or attempted to collect on the $371USD invoice? After all, you had plenty of security cameras in the shop - time stamped no doubt - which could prove wrong any of my "confusion." Is your business is the habit of simply forgetting about $370 invoices, or perhaps you knew that your invoice was bullshit to begin with?

 

Ah, yes. I do remember your truck now. I'm sorry, I don't know who's who online. First, can we point out here that (as happened about 50% of time last year) your product from Alu-Cab arrived with pieces and hardware missing or improperly treated? We spent a GREAT deal of time fitting your rack to your canopy that we were not originally prepared for when we first talked. We made it clear with you that it would require additional time when you brought everything in to us but I made the decision to not argue with you after you made an issue out of it and just eat the cost here at the shop to make it okay. Now that you are making it NOT okay are you now offering to pay for that extra time we spent?

Not everyone has a shop, so I don't expect everyone to understand how shop billing works, however when more than one person works on something for an hour it is not billed as an hour - it is billed as two hours.

 

Furthermore, just so I understand, you're upset about what exactly? That you didn't have to pay extra for something extra that we did for you? Please clarify.

 

The mounting hardware did arrive uncoated. As per what Hans told me that day, it was a change in what AluCab provided/offered, and not a "defect." This was obviously not what I ordered, yes. I can't speak to your other AluCab orders.

The canopy installation was paid for in full. I know perfectly well what "great deal of time" was spent installing the FrontRunner rack as I stood next to the guys 90% of the 3 hours the truck was in the shop. And I sure as hell know that the rack installation did not take more than an hour cumulatively, including everyone involved. Dana ground down the FRO nuts, and Hans provided a third set of hands to lift the rack on. And you invoiced me 3.5 hours for that time, on TOP of the paid-for installation. That's what I had a problem with - something you did not even attempt to dispute. (A simple "sorry dude, mixed something up" would have sufficed.)

As for now, what grinds my gears is your constant putting down of a brand you used to sell up until just a few months ago. Forget loyalty, that's just unprofessional and representative of your practices.

 

Wow...you're that bent over $371.00? Tells me everything I need to know about this rant. Moving forward you might want to find cheaper hobbies.

 

Glad to hear that money falls out of the sky for you. Please share your email; I'll send you a $371 invoice for work I haven't done.

 

I'm trying to understand, sincerely. But if you stood there for 90% of the time the "guys" were in the shop working on your install then you see that there was more than one person working on it? You were originally charged for 5 hours total install time, which now (by your calculation) you admit to watching take place. I can tell you right now, unequivocably, that an Alu-Cab install with the third brake light and the dome light wiring, takes over 2 hours of shop time. You were billed for 1.5. You had us custom fit a rack that we did not know about ahead of time and then complained about the added time, which I did not end up charging you for. Please, again, explain what you are upset about. We did not mix something up or attempt so somehow screw you over. You added extra work, we ATTEMPTED to bill you for it. End of story.

 

Sure did. I saw Hans working the full 3 hours. I saw Dana spending no more than an hour fiddling with the FRO nuts, and spending the rest of the time answering phones and helping customers in the front room. There was also no more than 3-4 minutes of both Dana and Hans lifting the rack on the truck and bolting it down. Tell me how that's 5 hours of billable work that I'm responsible for.

I told you numerous times, over the phone, that I will need my FRO rack fitted. The fact that you took off to some event, left your guys, and did not communicate this to them is on you.

No, not the end of story. Please explain how billing me for 3:45h, after I had already paid for the canopy install, equates to one guy spending an hour installing the rack?

 

Don't hate the playa, hate the game. Seems this game ain't for you. Anytime you're paying for installs or custom work you better be ready for the labor bill. Anytime you ask them to perform additional tasks or resolve unexpected complications you best be ready to pay for it. With all the work I've had done over the past few years I'd have been pretty stoked to only be running over estimate by $371.00 the vast majority of the time.

 

Honestly, I'm done here. You paid for 1.5 hours of work and got 5. Not listening to this any longer. You are exaggerating the realities and not admitting the whole story. Not to mention that you don't actually have anything to complain about as you just admitted you got that much labor and were only billed for a third or so.

 

Feel free to post the security camera footage and prove me wrong.

 

Caravan Camper Tops have had a system for dust since at least 2010 when I first looked at them: http://www.caravancamper.com/options/

Also, it looks like the new canopies that you're carrying have the same style of latch as the AluCab. Will these ones be better at dealing with cold wet weather than the AluCab ones? I can currently open only one of the three doors on my AluCab due to frozen water keeping the push button from being pushed in. The key part is free, the latch is no bueno.

 

I don't distrust my staff enough to keep cameras trained on them in the shop, sorry.

 

When this overlanding thing tanks, you've got a solid future in politics.