Gotta say the guys at m.o.a.b. Tell you upfront it's a hobby, I liked there rig at first glance but did not like size cargo room or the we will get it done when we can attitude. Conversely I really liked turtle back but I must of caught Dave on a bad day. Plus I really have a hard time buying from someone who bad mouths compition. You can tell what your rig has as opposed to another politely.
In the end we bought AT Overland Chaser. They took time to show and demonstrate there product , were polite , there well built.
And yes I have had my chaser in some pretty wonky places !
Get what you want I'm sure everyone has an opinion this is just mine .
Not sure when you talked to him. I worked in his shop for a bit and he was always gracious and polite with customers. So yes maybe he had a bad day. I have also never heard him bad mouth the competition and that he is always sensitive to that along with anyone else that reps his trailers. I don't think he has to "bad mouth" his competition. The M.O.A.B and the AT Overland Chaser trailers are very different from his. It is good that you had the ability to visit all three vendors and pick what you wanted.
You are correct with the "We will get it done when we can" from M.O.A.B based on an experience an owner I know had. They were 4 months behind on delivery. Dave has worked very hard to put 1st class components into his trailers. They do not compare to what some other manufacturers include with their trailers. So while going through a tour of a trailer he will point out what is better and what he thinks is better. I haven't heard him ever bad mouth anyone and my first experience with him was as a regular potential owner.
Anyway, I doubt I was in the shop the day you came by so no way to evaluate what was said. From what I have seen, heard, and been told by other potential owners many of his competitors delivery schedules are ridiculous. 18 months? Can't give you a set date? Dave will give you a delivery date and stick to it. I have only seen on a few occasions when something didn't meet his quality standards and had to be redone where a trailer was delayed a week or two. So I would give him the benefit of doubt and say he was having a bad day or had some time constraints during your visit. Hopefully we will see you on the trail somewhere. Dave was a huge help with my DIY trailer.
I think the Chaser is a great looking trailer but for me I didn't want a lid style trailer. I owned a M416 and was about to put a lid on it and then decided against it. I didn't like having to bend over all the time or deal with moving the tent or lifting the tent up. My new build is pretty big and there are certainly pluses and minuses to each style.
"You" as a buyer have to decide what meets your needs.