The Drifter - Specs and FAQ

Amber is good to go. So thankful my dash illumination is amber and not the christmas tree stuff on the newer models. Is it dual color or one or the other?

 

The third picture down on my post above is what the amber light looks like. Default is white, one press is Amber. A second press will cycle back to white. The color for each light can be selected separately. So you could have the lower light near the bugs amber and the upper light white. Hopefully it will fool the bugs.

 

If you push the dimmer knob you can toggle back-and-forth between Amber and white

 

Guh, wish I had that Amber selection option on mine. I will say though I agree that the lighting option is well worth it. It's very well designed and does a very good job of lighting up the various areas of the camper individually or separately.

 

I’m in the same boat. Order 111, My only hope is they are to busy building them to respond. I’m at one year since ordering and six weeks since paying the last of it. Would be nice to know what’s up so I can plan this trip to pick it up.

 

Definitely busy building campers! We’re full throttle on that, so communication suffers. I’m sure Phil will reach out soon.

 

Thanks. Got his email just now. It’s built and off to powder coat. Can’t wait to get it.

 

@Iggy @Overlanerd Just a genuine, good-faith suggestion - and please try not to read any animosity into this, because there's none there - but perhaps you guys need to hire a customer service/communications person? I know from my experiences managing/operating/owning various businesses over the years that you can make the best product in the world, but if your customer service is consistently lacking, or if you consistently over-promise/under-deliver, things won't end well. Phil probably has bigger, more important things to focus on than the immediate, day-to-day upkeep of customer relations and basic transactions. Someone as in the production loop as you two, and really organized, but with the sole purpose of keeping customers informed and handling all the small fires that start on any given day, would be a huge improvement from your customers' perspective.

Definitely not trying to pile on here, I love your guys' product and believe in your business. But, I have been trying to give you cash for a drop-shipped solar panel for over two weeks now. I'm in the strange situation of feeling bad for trying to give you my business.

 

Not offended in the slightest. Criticism needs to be looked at and if the shoe fits, denial is not helping anyone. This is a tough nut to crack since there are a lot variables that need to be taken into account when hiring another employee, and as any one who owns a business in CA knows, it’s not as easy like other states.

The biggest dilema is this, if we hire another person will it help us get more campers out the door? A CS person is no doubt a good asset to have, but we are managing resources so that our business remains sustainable is still a key priority, so if we are hiring and not making campers faster, that salary directly affects cash flow and the bottom line. On the other hand if we direct those resources to hire another person in the shop to help speed up production it helps with delays and moving forward get more product out the door so communicating any delays becomes a non issue.

We have gone back a forth a lot on this, but the communication needs addressing for sure. We just keep asking, keeping our overhead light, what would benefit everyone more. Obviously in an ideal world the answer would be to get both, but what would have the greatest impact now?

Thanks for the feed back! We really appreciate it, and any feed back for that matter. Phil is literally working until 4am to catch up on things and with most emails and questions he is the best person to respond. But that doesn’t mean we are perfect and your patience with us is not overlooked

 

I wish I could help with the communications side (being a comm major and doing marketing/customer service).

 

Im in a position where I need to schedule time off work to drive to California and it needs to be done 6 weeks in advance to be approved. I sent Phil an email asking if it would be possible to schedule an install in the middle of April as he said the build will be done in March.

How realistic is this if the guy above paid six weeks ago and his camper just went in for powder coat? I havent even paid yet.

 

Thanks for the thoughtful reply, Iggy. I hear you. I tried to start a business in California and found the red tape overwhelming, so I left the state and headed back to Colorado. It's not easy anywhere, but it is definitely not easy there!

Yes, sounds like you guys have a bit of a dilemma for sure. Personal opinion: Great customer service is equally as important as a great product. If either one lacks, the business suffers. At our businesses, we frequently hear customers compare us extremely favorably to other businesses they've dealt with regarding customer service, because we prioritize rapid and thorough communication. This isn't to brag at all - it's just become apparent to me that people heavily value good communication, to the point where they voluntarily bring other businesses up as negative comparisons. Not everyone understands all the reasons any given product is wonderful, but if they like the experience of dealing with the business, that seals the deal.

I know you're telling the truth about Phil working so late, because I don't think I've ever gotten an email from him during the day! 11:00pm, 2:00am - guy works really late for sure. I hope he actually sleeps sometime.

Growing pains - they happen. I hope you guys can hire people as needed, settle into a rhythm, and keep yourselves happy and healthy!

 

At least no one is complaining about camper failures and a non-existent mobile repair team that’s even necessary in the first place. Oh and IG influencers jumping the queue line or getting free campers

 

I’m still waiting for the VagaPro team to assemble...

 

I am still waiting for Vagabond Outdoors to publish a nice build schedule like GFC does.

 

That’s a house of cards marketing strategy that we all know they don’t adhere to. Why would anyone want to copy that? It’s all smoke and mirrors man. They know TW sees through the fog of Instscam and barely come on here to even defend themselves anymore.

But, hey, that’s, just like, my opinion, man...

 

That schedule is nice in theory, but in reality is worth fuck all.

 

What about hiring someone remotely so perhaps the CA red tape wouldn’t apply. I don’t see why you would need anyone onsite for a customer service person. It could even be a part time position; someone that responds to requests and gives updates a few days per week. Speaking of on-site, do you even have the space to accommodate the extra production that an additional person in the shop would produce? Lots of things to consider, it may be worth hiring a consultant to assess.

 

Picked up my Drifter last week and headed down to drive the Mojave road. I was a little miffed that they didn’t install the “Clapper” for the lights like I asked, but I’m trying to move on.
Obligatory photos:

 

I love the black powder coat on the silver trucks, especially the Access Cab. Raw aluminum top also looks wonderful.