Cracks on James Baroud Evasion

[Kevin108]

Nope, just dirt. It hasn’t been hit by anything....but thanks for playing...

Those parallel lines of "just dirt" definitely look to be a transfer from another object. The crack coming down from the rivet hole would also suggest forces exerted upon that area. ?

 

[wiredinoc]

I have a JB grand raid XXL. Cracks are all over the place in the gel coat, and it is black so it looks like crap. Luckily it's high enough on my teardrop that you can't see it. The gelcoat is very thin in places, and there is quite a bit of stress when compressing and latching. Fiberglass is probably the wrong material for these things. Alumicab has the right idea.

 

[dstock]

Crossing James Baroud off my list, do the various versions of the Autohome have this same issue?

 

[HooliganActual]

Crossing James Baroud off my list, do the various versions of the Autohome have this same issue?

Why would you cross Baroud off your list because one person has cracks in the gel coat? That seems a bit hasty. You must not have ever owned anything that had to be fixed under warranty before?

As a counter point, I have had my JB Evasion for well over a year and, while that isn't a long time, I have prolly got 100+ nights in it and it sits atop a rig that I rock krawl with quite a bit in addition to forest trails (I have put close to 10,000 miles on since the RTT was installed). Not to mention, I live in Phoenix, AZ so the sun isn't very forgiving to things that have any exposure.

I work in manufacturing and while we go to great lengths to ensure no product goes to trade with any defects whatsoever, it does happen. The real measure of things will be how James Baroud handles things if the OP pursues a warranty claim.

 

[threplogle]

Thanks for the replies everyone! I agree with the above post...this is not a reason to scratch JB off your list. I love this tent and I've heard from many that their tent is holding up great. Since this tent arrived with small cracks in the gelcoat already, it appears that I just got unlucky. Fortunately, I documented the cracks immediately upon opening the box. I understand that eventually the gelcoat will get cracks but there is no reason for it to do so immediately. So far the dealer has said that all of my information has been passed on to JB and they should be contacting me. I'll update this thread once I hear back.

 

[dstock]

Why would you cross Baroud off your list because one person has cracks in the gel coat? That seems a bit hasty. You must not have ever owned anything that had to be fixed under warranty before?

As a counter point, I have had my JB Evasion for well over a year and, while that isn't a long time, I have prolly got 100+ nights in it and it sits atop a rig that I rock krawl with quite a bit in addition to forest trails (I have put close to 10,000 miles on since the RTT was installed). Not to mention, I live in Phoenix, AZ so the sun isn't very forgiving to things that have any exposure.

I work in manufacturing and while we go to great lengths to ensure no product goes to trade with any defects whatsoever, it does happen. The real measure of things will be how James Baroud handles things if the OP pursues a warranty claim.

Perhaps I am being too hasty, I'll wait to see how they respond to the OP's issue. However, it's not just the OP who has mentioned issues in this thread. It's one thing to have some quality control issues but when the issue is with a main component on a premium priced product it will make me think twice about purchasing a JB and warrants further research.

I'm glad you have had great success with yours and I will keep my eye on this thread for updates.

 

[1pieceatatime]

I had a completely different issue and JBUSA went above and beyond IMO to take care of me quickly so as to not impact a planned family trip.

My first RTT so I don't have a big comparison base for the product itself - but NOT my first rodeo with needing customer support from a company, and JB was top notch in that regard.

 

[HooliganActual]

However, it's not just the OP who has mentioned issues in this thread.

So...I don't disagree with you; just remember 2 things a) the sample size and b) this IS a thread about problems with the JB tent.

a) There are several posts about problems and also several saying their problem was resolved...out of how many tents sold worldwide. Granted, not everyone with a problem is taking it to a forum (or this one in particular) but the same can be said about favorable reviews as well.
b) The internet being what it is and forums being what they are, people are generally posting up problems looking for help, guidance or reassurance. That means that a lot of threads have a "negative" connotation. If I posted a thread about how great my JB tent is, it would get nowhere near the number of responses as one that was less than favorable.

Personally, I think the OP has really shared a cautionary tale that we should all heed at the time we take receipt of a JB tent, or any product for that matter. I'll freely admit that I probably didn't inspect mine as well as the OP did (I was at a dealer's shop and he was installing it); but if I had it to do over again, I would inspect it closer and not taken reciept if it had even the smallest issue (or I might have haggled a price reduction). In my scenario that would have worked well because the guy had 10 more sitting in boxes; so I could have looked for one that was defect free.

@dstock please don't think I'm picking, it's just that if JB was a serious contender on your list, don't rule it out. Just know what things to be aware of and look for. Like @1pieceatatime, this is my only RTT ever; I really agonized and vaccillated extensively before finally taking the plunge. I honestly couldn't be happier with my Evasion and if it's what you want, go for it and camp the heck out of it.

 

[spressomon]

This is not an isolated incident. And a true test of the warranty and commitment by both JB <any manufacturer of "quality" goods> and the distributor. I've got no dog in this fight other than basic curiosity how/if its resolved. FWIW, I did have a problem with my first RTT, Autohome ? (forgot the name but it was a cloth fold-over) and had issues with it. Mike Spies took care of me without hassle. Since then I've owned and extensively used a Maggionia Grand Tour and my current Columbus XL Variant that has been tortured. All without gel coat defects.

 

[ebrabaek]

There should be no cracks in the gel coat if done right. This is off course assuming no stress impact from either transport, opening or closing. One additional possibility I can think of since my last reply, is a mix of polymer and polyester. If say JB use polymer ( epoxy ) for strength on the fiber layup, but use the less expensive polyester for gel coat, there can be some form of thermal coefficient of expansion incompatibilities. In short, one material does not expand as much as the other, and one will crack. Perhaps not very likely but this is really odd to see a company regarded as such high quality having such a simple problem. Most likely the gel coat layers were simply just added to thin.
It is important to mention that gel coat is not just a cosmetic item. It is also a outer hard shell that protects the inner core from dust, moisture and other elements that can create problems.
For sure not normal, and hopefully JB will replace the lid.
Erling

 

[dstock]

So...I don't disagree with you; just remember 2 things a) the sample size and b) this IS a thread about problems with the JB tent.

a) There are several posts about problems and also several saying their problem was resolved...out of how many tents sold worldwide. Granted, not everyone with a problem is taking it to a forum (or this one in particular) but the same can be said about favorable reviews as well.
b) The internet being what it is and forums being what they are, people are generally posting up problems looking for help, guidance or reassurance. That means that a lot of threads have a "negative" connotation. If I posted a thread about how great my JB tent is, it would get nowhere near the number of responses as one that was less than favorable.

Personally, I think the OP has really shared a cautionary tale that we should all heed at the time we take receipt of a JB tent, or any product for that matter. I'll freely admit that I probably didn't inspect mine as well as the OP did (I was at a dealer's shop and he was installing it); but if I had it to do over again, I would inspect it closer and not taken reciept if it had even the smallest issue (or I might have haggled a price reduction). In my scenario that would have worked well because the guy had 10 more sitting in boxes; so I could have looked for one that was defect free.

@dstock please don't think I'm picking, it's just that if JB was a serious contender on your list, don't rule it out. Just know what things to be aware of and look for. Like @1pieceatatime, this is my only RTT ever; I really agonized and vaccillated extensively before finally taking the plunge. I honestly couldn't be happier with my Evasion and if it's what you want, go for it and camp the heck out of it.

@HooliganActual not feeling picked on at all, no worries. I am the same as far as agonizing over purchases, so this just adds to the research, all good.

 

[Jenny Cruiser]

I've got a new Evasion. I could see why a well used maggie would not have cracks as most of them are raised/lowered by the crank. I have not tried to close one of their budget tents that have struts like the JBs, so I can't personally say how hard they are to close. I can say that my JB's struts are very peppy. It is not as easy to close as a maggie. You have to put pressure on it from above with your hand(s) to get it closed. The dealer who installed mine told me to use my hands. I can't imagine how you could close it without pushing down from above. I had to close it the other day with ice on the top and it was as slippery as an eel. I still love it though and will keep an eye out for cracks.

 

[concretejungle]

Why would you cross Baroud off your list because one person has cracks in the gel coat? That seems a bit hasty. You must not have ever owned anything that had to be fixed under warranty before?

As a counter point, I have had my JB Evasion for well over a year and, while that isn't a long time, I have prolly got 100+ nights in it and it sits atop a rig that I rock krawl with quite a bit in addition to forest trails (I have put close to 10,000 miles on since the RTT was installed). Not to mention, I live in Phoenix, AZ so the sun isn't very forgiving to things that have any exposure.

I work in manufacturing and while we go to great lengths to ensure no product goes to trade with any defects whatsoever, it does happen. The real measure of things will be how James Baroud handles things if the OP pursues a warranty claim.

Give it a little time. I believe it's way more than one person. Mine has cracks which I reported back maybe two years ago. I've had mine for about 6-7 years now and have well over 100 nights in mine.

However, I will say that after several emails with the dealer who I bought it from, they stepped up and had me take it to a local fiberglass shop to get a professional opinion on it's condition. The local shop said it was just gel coat, probably crappy/cheap build quality, but that I should not worry about it. So, I haven't.

I feel that for the costs of these tents it should not crack like that.

 

[Utah KJ]

Give it a little time. I believe it's way more than one person. Mine has cracks which I reported back maybe two years ago. I've had mine for about 6-7 years now and have well over 100 nights in mine.

However, I will say that after several emails with the dealer who I bought it from, they stepped up and had me take it to a local fiberglass shop to get a professional opinion on it's condition. The local shop said it was just gel coat, probably crappy/cheap build quality, but that I should not worry about it. So, I haven't.

I feel that for the costs of these tents it should not crack like that.

"Don't worry about it".... thats what I posted a while ago

 

[krick3tt]

Do the cracks cause it to leak or they just annoying visually?