The Drifter - Specs and FAQ

It is so convenient how little accuracy a post can give off by what is shared and what is not. I wonder what conversations may have occurred around that minimally shared screenshot, tied with more lies and missing info.

Now back to this amazing Vagabond thread.......

 

Back on track bishes

 

Anybody here camp at Lake Mead near Overton last weekend?
I was there and saw another wedgie from afar, but couldn't even make out which company it might have been from.

 

Anyways I might as well get in line then.....any recent orders have an accurate delivery date? I know #165 was pushed back from July 2020 to November 2020.

 

That's news to me. I'm #152 and today is 7 months from ordering. (Reminds me to send an anniversary text to the gf...) I have not heard a word (on time or delayed). I was told 9-10ish months when I ordered and have conceded that it is much longer than that. And yes, I have reached out to Phil and understand how busy he is. No gripes. I'm hopeful for a year (complete mid/end of summer) but am not optimistic right now.

Reach out to @Happy Heathen , @Kclamer or @excav8tor. They can probably help with more recent build notifications and deliveries.

Since I'm hitting everyone up, @Iggy if you want to take my money and give me a build date I'm here!

Now back to overthinking my buildout and solar setup....

 

I'm #117 and I'm 11 months and 3 days since ordering. No email or call yet for final payment and build confirmation for options.

Most likely lead times are 1 year + from order date. If someone tells you different than they are just trying to make you feel better. My estimated wait was 10 months when I ordered last year.

 

I ordered mine on March 19 of 2019 so our orders are right next to each other and I have been assured twice now that the Drifter will be done by end of March. I have already scheduled time off work and Phil put me down for 4/13 install date. I have not made the second payment yet, that should be happening by end of next week if you noticed that VO say that they collect the final payment right before production starts and it takes 1 month to build the unit.

There is a guy on here that said that he paid 6 weeks ago and his just went to powdercoat so Im kinda confused on how VO is going to get my drifter done in 5 weeks.

 

Drifters also float so I hear

 

I can't say I like reading the first part of your post. I placed my order Feb 2019(#113) and haven't heard back about my final.

On the part about the guy paying 6 weeks ago, I'm pretty sure that was his final balance payment. Which is in line with what VO has been doing in terms of final build timeline.

 

It will be worth the wait...

 

damn this is the first I’ve heard this...I’m order #166 and was told 9 months over the phone before I placed my order sept 3rd 2019....hoping to actually get it in 2020 still considering all the set backs that people are reporting.

but on a happier note, I sold my tan 3rd gen and picked up a red 6MT 3rd gen that will handle the camper a lot better. What’s everybody doing for the additional weight? I just installed a lift with OME Dakar +600lb leaf packs

 

Im not sure why VO still gives out such optimistic finish dates, no miracle is going to get them caught up. When I placed my order I was told on the phone that it would be ready by November and now Im hoping for an April. I think they should tell their customers the truth up front as the demand for the product is there because of quality, not how fast they build them. Customers get buyers remorse when their products are suddenly another 6 months out. If the information is known up front then its not a big deal.

 

I was told via email that my build was welded up and was sent to powder coater, this was the 15th. The 20th was one year from ordering. So hopefully soonish. The wait will be worth it. I haven’t seen a better camper for my needs.

 

That's exactly how I feel. Mine went from 8 months, to 10, and now I'm past 12(02/12/20). I know it's a good product, it just really sucks thinking you'll have it for some planned trips with folks that didn't end up happening. Sooner or later the jokes of..."Are you ever going to get this camper you ordered?" will end. Hopefully soon.

Just not sure what's going on. My email mentioned mine being started the first week of this month but I didn't get any email for the payment on final build confirmation.

 

I got a bunch of those jokes as well and it's not funny when you're the one waiting on the camper. I also had a time crunch with our daughter being due, so it wasn't just missing it for planned trips but for any trips without a baby. My wife also would've probably preferred the drifter over our ground tent when she was 6+ months pregnant.

I'm not gonna tell you it's worth the wait again, since you've heard that enough. How bout....this too shall pass?!

 

Hot damn, have the wait times really jumped up that much? I wonder why?

I'm happy I have money down on mine, but if all this talk is accurate then I must not be getting mine until this time next year which is a real bummer. I know I'm getting a quality product, I know it's made by skilled enthusiasts, and I know it's exactly what I want, but that's a long time and a decent jump from the August date I got later last year. I had enough godawful courses on operations/production/supply to know how hard it can be to manage job shop production, and simply hiring more people isn't always the best solution, but runaway delivery times aren't going to be good for anyone. I'm still soooo stoked about the camper and haven't been as excited for a purchase in a long time, but hopefully the VO guys can keep improving and find a solution that's affordable and gets campers delivered on time.

 

I certainly don't think anyone is debating the awesomeness of the camper and quality going into them but the pushed out delivery times are a certain headache. I think people would rather know ahead of time that it's going to be a 1yr wait from the beginning and if they get installed before that, then it's a win-win.

 

Sorry for not replying here earlier. We appreciate everyone's patience! We absolutely want to get people into their Drifters/ Nomads and out into the wild. The desire to build them faster is mutually beneficial. Our operating costs are fixed regardless of how many campers we produce.

In 2019 we had struggles with suppliers. Expected lead times on parts grew, even with a margin of error built into the equation. While our main suppliers have drastically ramped-up (including hiring or process improvements), the previous delays have pushed back a cushioned schedule. We put new developments on hold (like the flatbed camper) and focused all efforts into production efficiencies. And it's something we work on every day. Because we're a small company, we're able to implement the efficiency improvements with each batch. Not by re-designing just to make it faster, but improving on an already proven design to make construction more efficient. Like having holes laser- cut instead of drilling.

When redesigning or implementing something new, we ask ourselves these questions (in order of priority):

1. Will it have the same quality/ functionality/ strength and/ or improve it?
2. Will the change keep production the same or make the process faster?
3. Will the cost stay the same, increase, or be reduced?

If the answer to question 1 isn't "Yes", we don't move to question 2.

If the change is better, faster, but costs more, we often implement it. With no cost increase to the customer. Time is money, so we can justify these increases.

If the change makes the product better, for the same cost and production time, we implement it.

We delayed launching Vagabond until Iggy and I beat every single element of the camper to death. For example, the tent window design alone took us over 2 weeks, many conversations, and well over 100 late night texts. And each element of the camper went through a similar process. We knew we were losing market share to competitors, but didn't want our customers stuck with product requiring warranty work. We love hearing back from customers, after the first night, week, month, or year with great things to say. People notice the small details that they didn't on the internet or at a visit to our event booth. Or when viewing campers of our many great customers willing to show them off.

We're working ungodly hours and are doing our best to get everyone their campers as soon as possible. And completely apologize if our previous lead times were incorrect. We have always prided ourselves on a quality product that will stand the test of time. Our sole selling point is the camper we designed, and not a short lead time. We had no intention of being inaccurate.

Again, we apologize for the increased lead times and are working our tails off to improve on efficiency and communication. The lead times we have provided in the last 6 months have been much more accurate after experiencing the unforeseen delays. We will continue to ensure that each camper that rolls out the door meets our high quality standard, while building as efficiently as we can!

On that note, it's 4:38 am and I'm heading home. Each stoked customer that rolls out the door keeps me from every getting burnt out. I love this job, this industry, and the products we're creating! Love the customers too, but I'm not in love with you. I hope you understand...

 

Sadly it is pretty common with the ceramic block type burner. Good propane is critical as well, any blends( butane/propane mixes have problems due to the different boiling points for vaporization) You could try warming the propane bottle(1# size in your sleeping bag, that may help)
It takes a lot to warm them up enough to start burning efficiently. We tried a similar type out in Antarctica and found they worked great once they were warm but at camp build out - not your best choice. They still use them in some fish huts and RacTents that get used closer to town where it is warmer. Catalytic burner type fuel oil drip stoves still reign supreme. But not too practical in a truck.