Colorado Camper Van Review (CCV)- Buyer Beware

[xela]

I have never been more confused with a business than I am with CCV now after reading all of the above coupled with more reading here https://www.womply.com/biz/colorado-camper-van-loveland-CO/.
"Derek is the worst.." and then "Derek is the best.."
"Quality is terrible" and then the "Top-notch quality"
"Timing issues" and then "All is delivered exactly when promised".
Two possibilities for me are:
a) the worst one: one group or the other gets paid handsomely OR friends and family
b) the best: the company has changed to the best between 2018 and now. That's what I'm sincerely hoping for while talking to Mark about my future build.

 

[Herbie]

It should be noted that you're responding to a thread the OP started in Feb 2018. At 33 months old, it's possible that the range of experiences has broadened some, in either direction.

 

[RoadCaptian]

Where are we on this topic now I wonder, regarding Colorado Camper and the type of work they may be putting out now?

Has anyone had any recent dealings with CC camper that they can maybe share?

What about any of the old reviewers here that can may be able to give us a bit of an update? that would be great too.

 

[TheEL]

Where are we on this topic now I wonder, regarding Colorado Camper and the type of work they may be putting out now?

Has anyone had any recent dealings with CC camper that they can maybe share?

What about any of the old reviewers here that can may be able to give us a bit of an update? that would be great too.

For what its worth I recently saw someone in a parking lot with a CCV topper on their pro master. I chatted them up about it and they had no complaints. Seemed very happy with it.

 

[ericvs]

A friend had a CCV top on his GMC van.

There were some issues with the installation. It was a bit behind the approved schedule, but he was notified prior to flying out, so not a huge deal just a bummer.

They didn't do some stuff (other than the roof) that they agreed upon, but they didn't charge him for it, so that was a bummer, but no $$ lost.

The roof itself was great. Canvas was nice and installed properly, roof rack was installed and leak free, lights worked etc, but it was not installed quite square to the van, so you had to sort of nudge it into place when lowering. Wasn't a huge deal and it didn't leak or anything, just looked a bit crooked and for the $$ it seems like it should be fixed. He talked with Derek a number of times and it was suggested that he just do the fix himself per instructions from CCV, but he ended up going back into CCV and they fixed it up no problem. He had just moved to Colorado, so stopping into the shop wasn't a huge deal. Otherwise, the CCV remedy did seem like it would have worked.

Despite reading a bunch of negative reviews as well and humming and hawing, he went with CCV and it worked out good.

 

[odingrey]

Got mine done a few months ago. Got the pop top, 4 season, fan, rails, and awning racks. They also installed the awning and solar panels I provided.

Quality is excellent, I couldn't be happier with it. They even recognized that I hadn't added my ceiling yet and left me an extra couple inches gap where their ceiling and mine would meet, which ended up being literally.. EXACTLY.. TO THE MM what I needed. I was partially through a conversion and they managed to do a fair job of keeping everything clean, though there was a little bit of sealant I had to clean up.

Down sides were the communication. Don't even bother emailing, there's about a 20% chance you'll get a reply. Call, you'll almost always get someone. I wasn't walked through any options when I was setting up the order, so when I showed up for the install, I wasn't really sure what they were asking... At the same time, the person walking me through the drop off also didn't know what I had ordered and gave me some incorrect information.

When picking up, they had been delayed about couple weeks due to the fires in CO... Understandable. The issue is, nobody told me. Luckily I live nearby, so it wasn't an issue to wait a couple weeks, but it was annoying that I had already taken the day off work. It also meant I lost access to my van during prime building weather, so it could sit in their parking lot for 3 weeks,

The second pickup went well. Only issues were they had installed my solar panels, but had not wired them. They stated that I hadn't provided the wire, but I had. Once I showed them where it was, they ran in back and wired it up real quick. They just brought it inside of the van, I wired it the rest of the way. During that work, they did scuff up my counter top by standing on it with dirty shoes.

The electrical sub panel was installed strangely. I have a main power cutoff and fuse box, which they entirely ignored and wired straight to the battery. Not sure what was up with that.

So in the end, the quality I got was top notch. Everything is square, tight, looks and runs excellent. The customer service was a bit lacking and would have been an absolute nightmare if I didn't live close by. There seems to be some strange communication issues within the company, with one hand not really knowing what the other is doing.

I would absolutely go back and get another done by ccv if I was given the choice again. The quality of the work by far outweighs the frustration with working with the company.

 

[vtsoundman]

Does anyone know who the CCV employee that posts on here from time to time is? I would like to get in touch with him...ASAP.

 

[vtsoundman]

Does anyone know who the CCV employee that posts on here from time to time is? I would like to get in touch with him...ASAP regarding the top that CCV installed.

 

[marret]

@MSD

 

[vtsoundman]

Just to update this thread... I dropped them an email and also called there customer support line. Never received any response. I had them install a top on my Sprinter van in about 2016. Maybe it was 2017... Anyway it doesn't matter...there were only two options when I decided to get a pop top... Sportsmobile and CCV. Knowing what I know now, I would run as far away from CCV as possible.

The workmanship on my van, which was actually extremely poor, was actually one of the better ones. I've had a chance of looking at a couple of other vans that they've done... Wow I can't believe they're still in business.

They installed an air conditioner approximately inch and a half off center, the maxxair fan is about a 1 inch off center as well... The roof sags as the top is basically a thin piece of fiberglass with very little support...

 

[marret]

Very disappointing. Thanks for posting though.

 

[Farfrumwork]

Like I've said before - CCV is local to me, but I drove 900+mi to Austin to get a SMB top installed.

They are ~the same $$, but the SMB process was as smooth as could be. Arrived in Austin, dropped the van off, had a great time with the wife and kids in the city (pools and Barton Springs), then picked up my van with completed top on the 3rd day. (about 2.5days to complete install)

Color matched 'bedliner' finish, powered lift, bed, roof rails installed to top, awning mounts installed to van.

My color matched top was sitting in the bay when I dropped the van off, complete with canvass attached. The color match is spot on. The top is straight. And the upholstery work is pretty good (not perfect, but much better than I could do).

I also really like the low profile of the top. I don't like the tall CCV. There are other differences, like the lift height of the CCV (it's much taller in the penthouse), and the amount of roof rails cut (CCV cuts fewer, but the SMB can lift the bed with the top and then you have a freaking auditorium in your van).



My only issues were:

• loose cut off bolts left in the rails, which rolled around and made noise - I just pulled back some panels and got them out. There were ~15 pieces in there - no reason those were left laying around.
• More of an issue - the clevis pin and retainer pins that connect the lift actuators (which are beefy) are not sized to the clevis holes which allowed them to translate and catch on the rail structure. Could have stranded us with the top stuck UP if I wasn't handy. I have since replaced the pins with larger Dia pins that fit the space better and don't move - works great now!

The potential problem is needing service done, as SMB Austin is quite a drive from here. But it's been 5 yrs.... and I do most of my own stunts, so I'll fix stuff if need be.