Hondo Garage's New Thing

Thank you for these detailed posts! They are making my wait until July a little easier and I really like your set up.

 

First break in trip

 

I've got two kids. Make that thing open up 180 degrees to sleep 4 and I'd be all over it. Great product, I just need more sleeping space.

 

I put my deposit down. Build date Oct '19. I noticed that they are doing a second side window that is big, on the RTT and someone called kodastacoma had it done for his 1st gen GFC camper. I asked them on fB if it's an option going forward and they said maybe? Can anyone confirm or deny thisv? Would love the added ventilation from the large side window (Koda said they couldn't do both sides due to amount of fabric and it not closing right). Hope that is an option when my build date comes around! Now the waiting...

 

They make that... well not GFC but the product does exist..

http://adventuretrailers.com/campers/habitat/



I’ve never owned one personally (I do have a GFC) personally I’d say a GFC on a long bed would be ideal for a family... or a GFC on a shortbed with an off-road trailer and RTT

 

The only people that could confirm or deny that would be @wileydavis or @gmacmt

Congrats on your purchase. You’re gonna love it.

 

They told someone it would be on option for the camper on this Instagram post that I posted earlier in this thread. It’s ones of the first comments.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bob---3BhkT/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=1bgd3k5z05x7z

 

I believe it’s confirmed. When I picked up my camper, another guy got that big side entrance as an option. No idea on the cost, but you can call and have it done.

 

I asked for it on mine. Was told it’s a $350 option.

 

I also was going to get the lighting kit. I tossed some stick on lights from Amazon that I could get with next day shipping so I could have something to use this weekend. They work really well for lighting up the outside in cabana mode and the inside lower portion.

The goal will be to build something like the gfc setup after I do my drawers.

 

Seems high, would be worth it if that included the ladder.

 

man36: I like the way you're thinking. I even have some of those little lights in a drawer I forgot about. I'll have to try it. Oh Happy Day! I got a surprise in the mail from Elise (backorder):
Never really thought I would be excited about sheets...

 

Did those come with pillow cases and a top sheet? Or just the bottom fitted sheets?

 

GFC now has more than 400 orders. If you order today, according their website, it will be about a year until you get your unit. They might not be able to continue the growth of orders if they can't decrease the waiting period. The long wait could give their competitors an opportunity to snatch more of the market.
Could it be time for them to get beyond crowd funding and get a SBA loan/angel investor to more than double their manufacturing capabilities? They're totally outpacing their relevant competitors. Its clear that there's a sizable market out there. They could expand it further by introducing other camper designs using their creative skills and leveraging their access to CAD machines/robotics.
I wonder how they make use of robotics on the production line?

 

That’s a good idea

 

I do plan to buy the Habitat due to the need for space, but I really like the opening sides on this design.

 

isn't that what happened with Pelfreybilt? They got investors then couldn't deliver on the goods and then went bye bye. I feel like this point, those of us who recently ordered know what we're in for, so if they continue at their current pace and deliver the promised product by the promised time (1 year from now), then everyone is happy and no one is bankrupt. Thoughts? I would rather them not get greedy and try and do too much. They have a good thing going right now.

 

Fortune favors the bold. If they got an angel investor it would probably require that they give up percentage of the business, not go into debt. It would increase their solvency and enable them to take on new orders. There will come a point where the wait just becomes too long for many. Meantime their competitors will not be idle.
It will be interesting to see when the influx of new orders starts to fall off because of the wait time. If they just require $500 deposit, will that provide enough capital to speed up the build rate? 400 orders = well over 2 million dollars. I think that there're only 60 or so Drifter orders.

 

Personally... and keep in mind I have mine so maybe I’m biased (though I waited 9 months) I’d rather them stay small for a couple reasons. First off a hand made product designed and built in the USA, is what I purchased and what I wanted if i wanted a mass produced item I would have made a different choice.

Secondly if they get too big, spend big money allowing them to makes these things in mass and than the initial rush passes, which it will, than they will struggle to stay in business. I mean what’s the saturation point for a 6k dollar camper? I tend to doubt next year there will be another 400 orders... though I hope I’m wrong. Any company has to balance out growth vs future sales. Obviously it’s up to the people in charge but I hope they use caution and be prudent with their financial choices.

Finally i know for a fact that they can and have built 10 a week without issue. The issue is material procurement which always has the potential to clog up a manufacturers build pipeline.

 

I don’t necessarily want them to speed up production. I don’t mind waiting a year since it was my own indecision that made me wait s9 long. I like that it’s all made in the USA and I like to support small homegrown businesses.