FAQ: When will I get my Drifter? How long are people waiting?

That's cool to hear but crazy I haven't heard anything. I'm order 159. No powdercoat. If that's the case I should have heard something! What email address have you had the best luck getting a response from? If the web form are you putting a new one in each attempt?

 

I just replied to the invoice e-mail.

 

Same. I first responded with some version of “if you want me to pay I would like to know your timing.” to which I got the update I posted a page or so back on August 23. I then paid the balance and asked a question about a small modification I could make to my order, which wasn’t responded to.

 

Any movement? It seemed like things were picking up for a little bit there but it's been radio silence since!

 

I dropped in the other day…four on the floor being worked on, additional two waiting to go to powder and told two currently at powder. So eight in process? More window parts on the shelf than I have seen in past visits, Nomad builds are included in this. Specialty parts/parts are still an issue/delayed to get for the builds. All the campers looked top notch, the quality is as it should be.
So here I sit waiting to finalize my order, my deduction is it’s still happening folks and the wait continues!

 

At this rate I'll be in a flying car before this mythical camper is finished. at some point you just chalk it up to one of the worst consumer experiences ever and a company that is filled with empty promises. an interesting concept/product does not make a well run business; clearly. another 3 days before we kick the can on the 'october build' and reach out to phil (likely without response) to learn sometime months from now that 'we're back on track! February 2025!! issues are just about to be fixed. just you wait!' what a joke.

 

Nah, this isn't the PELFREYBILT FAMILY. That was a

 

Josh, I know it’s very frustrating waiting and the customer service/communication is lacking. One of the reasons when I’m in the area is always dropping in is to see what is going on with the builds. I need/want to be comfortable before giving my final payment. On my last visit I can honestly say they are doing their best with what they have to work with and are still turning out campers. They are a very small company and I do have concerns as well. I think most people waiting feel the same. As of today I still have confidence in Phil and his team.
I’m hopeful to be in the next batch, you might be as well. If not, you could be in the batch after the next IDK but you are close.
Yes, the wait time sucks and lack of communication makes it even worse. If you’re totally fed up with the process and and want to wash your hands of it you could always just offer up your spot. I’m sure you wouldn’t have a problem turning it since you’re so close now.
Good luck buddy with whatever you decide, he’ll good luck to us all!

 

Yea, certainly appreciate your update and dropping a note in the thread after stopping in. Just frustrated and would like to know an actual timeline. Its hard to bail and start completely over with a different option; then again if I had done that after the first 4 blown timelines I'd have a product to show for the investment. its been interesting keeping tabs on other companies and comparing how they are weathering (or not) the challenges - many/most have scaled, adapted, closed production times, released new products, and are back on track. Anyways, the mystic of the mythical drifter continues on for another unknown period of time.

 

Those other companies have quality issues…

 

Saw Jay and Phil at the Overland Expo. They get a bad rap for their communication skills but they are good peeps. Seeing the Nomad there made me even more stoked to get mine. I'm so close! It has sucked waiting but being a manufacturer's rep, I can tell you supply chain issues are projected into the middle to end of 2022 and many things are delayed. My Audi wound up taking 4 times promised-1 year instead of 90 days so VO is good now at only twice as long. When I ordered it, I knew full well it was year out and still chose to wait because I thought it was the best. Would I have gone with one with a shorter lead time if I had known it would be two years? Possibly. But looking at a lot of the other offerings there, I'm still happy I went with VO.

The only other one I considered was the AluCab. This was the first time I've seen it in person. Lot's of bells and whistles but really bad bed design in my opinion. At 6'3" I can stand up at every point in the truck bed with the Nomad bed stowed. The AluCab has an short bed piece that folds down at the tailgate end of the camper. It was in my way standing and there is a very small gap to get between that and the bed. Also, a portion of the main bed also hinges up and I couldn't stand completely up as I got closer to the cab side of the bed. A lean-mass challenged man was trying to squeeze through the little gap and was having a hard time getting up on the platform. The 30" gap with the VO bed extended is awesome, as is the product quality. The AluCab ceiling insulation has a fabric cover. I pushed on it and could feel the hard foam behind. I wasn't going to test the puncture resistance but I wondered how long it would take the grandkid to leave finger poke holes in it. The white composite cover VO uses has a really quality feel.

You also have to remember the Vagabond has a comparatively low entry price if you don't load it up. Speaking of loading it up, I saw the Tern door and I am seriously considering adding that.

 

FYI - this panel is ePanel. It's an aluminum sandwich with white coated aluminum on both sides with ~3mm of closed cell foam in between.
Also referred to as Signboard sometimes as it is used for retail signage.

I have had things hanging from the upper part of inside my drifter that swing and slap into the "Lower Insulation" package, which has these panels and other than some of the white coating coming off, I don't see any damage to the panel itself. That includes heavy and rigid things leaning against it while driving the White Rim trail.

 

And that’s a fact.

 

Yeah, every company taking less than 2 years to make a camper is doing a shit job. All these other camper manufacturers putting any effort into communication definitely coming at the cost of quality.

 

GFC is like GoPro, a marketing and influencer company. It’s a glorified RTT on top of a steel tubed frame. Only benefit is that you do have some inside standing room when bed is disassembled.

Super pacific has an interesting product but their one-shell fits all Tacoma’s has proven to only fit the 3rd gen decently. Extrusions don’t line up with the corners. Leaks. Clamps loosening and campers almost flying off in Baja… and so on. Some good design decisions like utilizing smaller pieces of aluminum and riveting together avoids supply issues with giant sheets of 1/8” aluminum. Pricing is on V3 and over $12k for the base model with plastic windows, not tempered glass.

And so on.

 

judging by instagram comments, it seems that SP also has wait and communication issues.

i don’t know why we are rationalizing a superior product and/or the owners to be good folks/that they are trying as excuses for how poor the business is run or that this is acceptable.

furthermore, are they good people if they are holding hundreds of thousands of dollars of preorders against a lead time they are straight up lying about? just a thought. despite that, even if other folks want to choose an inferior product… they should be able to have that luxury. if the communication was transparent, it would be easier for us pre-pandemic orders to make decisions.

glad to see they have a bunch of stuff in production. not thrilled about another optimistic and unrealistic estimate. to see that they have 8 in production is…. disheartening but not at all unexpected. VO needs to start shooting straight with their customers.

 

All we want is communication. We get shut down for that on the faq page but they have thousands of dollars. We are not asking for hand holding but just occasional info. Thanks to those of you guys who have been in the workshop or made contact at expo and can provide that info.

I have said this before elsewhere but I’m mostly just sad. I work and live out of my truck two to three days every week in the Utah desert, and the five foot bed is fine in the summer because the weather is typically fine and I can sleep in the bed with the back open, but as the season is shifting that changes. I spent my time out this week in my tent and it was fine but such a pain. I just want to know when I might get the Drifter. And like many of you I’ve waited too long at this point to change course. If I had known I’d probably have gone with a CampOVRLND. But here we are.

 

I can confirm GFC is crap. No offense to anyone who has one.

 

And Vagabond has even worse Communication Issues.

 

What's your status? Any word at all?