Overkill Campers

[Spider7565]

I put a down payment in Jan 2019, and full payment in Feb 2019 for a SO510. I was given a May 2019 delivery estimate and was promised a free delivery to my house in SoCal. The initial delays were due to damage and delays to their fiberglass core material coming from a sole-source supplier in Germany. This was my first alarm bell...they took a lot of people's money prior to having the materials on hand to actually build the units; not a huge deal and a bit common for a start-up. Overkill did a good job by offering a late fee penalty re-payment for each week they were late. This delay, combined with additional lack of parts (Alu-Cab awning, Zarges boxes, basic metal fabricated brackets, sink drain stoppers, etc.). My trailer arrived five months late and without all of the items in parenthesis above. Most of those items were directly within Overkill control and not due to crazy supply chain issues. I took delivery of my trailer with the promise that all the items would be UPS'd down to SoCal. That never happened.

About two days after taking delivery of the trailer there was still a very strong "off-gassing" smell on the interior from the adhesives used in the core binding, laminate application, and vinyl wrap process. Overkill promised this was normal and would go away quickly. The off-gassing continued, which resulted in the vinyl wrap bubbling all over the exterior of the trailer and the internal laminate warping to such a drastic degree that it caused gaps in the roof and side panel. After many photos exchanged with Overkill and backed by some local expert second opinions, I was able to get Overkill to admit they rushed the assembly of my trailer and never let the core "breath" prior to applying adhesives, laminate, and vinyl wrap. Additionally, the front black storage boxes leaked water due to improper sealing of the seams and the rear bracket that holds the Zarges tray system completely broke in half at the seam, which resulted in the rear shelves being off balance and the inability to extend the work table since it was now misaligned and under the rear hatch door ledge.

I completely changed my summer 2020 vacation plans into the wild (yes, mid-COVID) to bring the trailer back to Overkill for an estimated "day and a half" repair in addition to installation of the Alu-Cab FoxWing, Zarges boxes, and rear swing arm tire carrier brackets. The "repair" lasted three days and I left with the assurance it was fixed. A day later the laminate had already re-warped; this time with larger gaps. All of this process was on my own dime, ie. travel expenses, lodging, and meals in Bend.

In November 2020 Overkill agreed to replace my defective trailer with one of their new design "version 2.0" SO510's. I was assured that my trailer would be the very first off the production line and would be delivered no later than March 2021. Their promise was to deliver the new trailer to SoCal, swap my accessory parts (RTT, canopy, and wheels/tires) over to the new trailer and then drive away my old trailer. Their plan was to use my old, defective trailer as a show trailer for Expo, SEMA, etc. or trash it, ie. not for resale.

March 2021 delivery changed to April; changed to May; changed to June. Overkill said they were delayed due to the total number of builds and a completely new redesign process. I still don't have the new trailer and I'm in the process of moving to the east coast. Overkill just sent me a note yesterday, asking my to drive through Bend on my way to the east coast; not exactly on my route and completely counter to their promises.

I will allow that some of the initial delays were due to supply chain issues; none of them COVID-related however and what I would characterize as a gross miscalculation of shipping time and familiarity with the customs approval process. A vast majority of the delays have been self-induced. They botched the initial build on my trailer due to rushing the process and cutting corners. Worse, they've taken a bunch of people's money in order to fund their mass-expansion efforts to grow their business into partnerships with the rental market (20+ units promised to Oregon Adventure Rentals...cut in line of other paying customers) and their new MARS overland project (truck campers partnered with Sherp Tek, producing new campers in Prescott, AZ).

I think we customers have been criminally misled into funding their business ventures. My product was faulty, delayed, and now they're baulking at making it right.

 

[mep1811]

Check out Mission Overland trailers.
No requirement to put down a massive deposit and wait a year to have the trailer made.
You can pick A Mission Overland up at an RV dealer. I've had one for over a year and have been very happy with it.

Home - Mission Overland

mission overland North America’s premier overland trailer See Our Models Build a trailer We understand that every adventurer has a unique vision. With our Build Sheet, you can enhance your dream Mission Overland trailer by tailoring a variety of additional options. Start building your ideal...

missionoverland.ca

 

[datashuttle]

Check out Mission Overland trailers.
No requirement to put down a massive deposit and wait a year to have the trailer made.
You can pick A Mission Overland up at an RV dealer. I've had one for over a year and have been very happy with it.

Home - Mission Overland

mission overland North America’s premier overland trailer See Our Models Build a trailer We understand that every adventurer has a unique vision. With our Build Sheet, you can enhance your dream Mission Overland trailer by tailoring a variety of additional options. Start building your ideal...

missionoverland.ca

 

[datashuttle]

This is a long response, but I believe one worth reading if you're considering an Overkill Trailer.

I recently took delivery of a redesigned SO510. Following failure on their part to return calls or emails, here is my experience. You can draw your own conclusions.

The good:

* Very nice design
* Generally quality materials

The bad:

* Very slow or no communication
* Missed delivery date by two months with a nine month lead.
* Most of the specifications unaccounted for and disregarded.
* Multiple issues including:
* Failure to wire the trailer brakes correctly.
* Teflon taping all gas line flare fittings resulting in multiple leaks and triggered gas alarms.
* Mis-fastened gas regulator bracket. Pop rivets to secure the mount bracket completely unengaged with mount hole.
* Aluminum panel reinforcement and structural members cut and installed with sharp edges throughout.
* Multiple aluminum holes drilled for wiring left sharp and will likely result in cut wire insulation over time.
* 20 lb. propane tank mount loose, too big for tank and no security from uplift.
* All access door latch adjusters left loose and unadjusted.
* Water heater water supply hose (branded stainless steel) kinked in cargo door.
* Wire loom above sink unattached and interfering with sink/counter/stove slide and stowage.
* Both brakes left unadjusted. Left brake internal adjuster not engaging brake shoe due to wrong adjuster part (this could have easily been the responsibility of the Dexter brakes).
* Top corner frame extrusion leaked in heavy rain necessitating resealing.
* Lots of aluminum drill shavings throughout electronics bay.
* Received no bill of sale, only a marked up options list they called a contract. This resulted in difficulties during title registration.
* Received no invoices for equipment installed that is required for warranty registration.
* Swinging table edging coming off.
* Alucab shower cube specified and not installed. I received and installed one a week after trailer delivery myself.
* On demand water heater installed and specifically not specified.
* Roof solar panel installed and specifically not specified.
* Lithium battery installed and specially not specified.

In addition, these are customer-supplied electronic component install issues:
* Victron Orion TR 12/12-30 charger swapped to a slightly different model without notification.
* Victron battery monitor swapping to a different model without notification.

At this point you might be interested in knowing my level of satisfaction with the product. I do like the trailer, but only after having to address the above issues myself due to loss of confidence. My experience revealed what appears to be substantial missing quantity control, questionable business practices, and ongoing communication issues.

In addition, and to their credit, I received a thousand dollars in part to help offset the late delivery and specification issues, but before I discovered all of the remaining issues.

If this bit of information helps you, great, as that is my only intent.

 

[mep1811]

This is a long response, but I believe one worth reading if you're considering an Overkill Trailer.

I recently took delivery of a redesigned SO510. Following failure on their part to return calls or emails, here is my experience. You can draw your own conclusions.

The good:

* Very nice design
* Generally quality materials

The bad:

* Very slow or no communication
* Missed delivery date by two months with a nine month lead.
* Most of the specifications unaccounted for and disregarded.
* Multiple issues including:
* Failure to wire the trailer brakes correctly.
* Teflon taping all gas line flare fittings resulting in multiple leaks and triggered gas alarms.
* Mis-fastened gas regulator bracket. Pop rivets to secure the mount bracket completely unengaged with mount hole.
* Aluminum panel reinforcement and structural members cut and installed with sharp edges throughout.
* Multiple aluminum holes drilled for wiring left sharp and will likely result in cut wire insulation over time.
* 20 lb. propane tank mount loose, too big for tank and no security from uplift.
* All access door latch adjusters left loose and unadjusted.
* Water heater water supply hose (branded stainless steel) kinked in cargo door.
* Wire loom above sink unattached and interfering with sink/counter/stove slide and stowage.
* Both brakes left unadjusted. Left brake internal adjuster not engaging brake shoe due to wrong adjuster part (this could have easily been the responsibility of the Dexter brakes).
* Top corner frame extrusion leaked in heavy rain necessitating resealing.
* Lots of aluminum drill shavings throughout electronics bay.
* Received no bill of sale, only a marked up options list they called a contract. This resulted in difficulties during title registration.
* Received no invoices for equipment installed that is required for warranty registration.
* Swinging table edging coming off.
* Alucab shower cube specified and not installed. I received and installed one a week after trailer delivery myself.
* On demand water heater installed and specifically not specified.
* Roof solar panel installed and specifically not specified.
* Lithium battery installed and specially not specified.

In addition, these are customer-supplied electronic component install issues:
* Victron Orion TR 12/12-30 charger swapped to a slightly different model without notification.
* Victron battery monitor swapping to a different model without notification.

At this point you might be interested in knowing my level of satisfaction with the product. I do like the trailer, but only after having to address the above issues myself due to loss of confidence. My experience revealed what appears to be substantial missing quantity control, questionable business practices, and ongoing communication issues.

In addition, and to their credit, I received a thousand dollars in part to help offset the late delivery and specification issues, but before I discovered all of the remaining issues.

If this bit of information helps you, great, as that is my only intent.

Sounds like it was just slapped together.

 

[EPO]

It seems appropriate for someone from OverKill to respond to this.

 

[WFOORBUST]

Sorry to read this as they were on my list to look at but I'll pass with that kind of quality control issues... Thanks for posting.

 

[Jamccain]

It seems appropriate for someone from OverKill to respond to this.

I would agree because they were my preferred trailer, but this thread brings up too much risk to move forward with them. The customer service issues and the insanely high down payment just to be on their list.

 

[bob949]

Their customer service issues are a major problem. I am not going to publicly bash them, but if anyone wants to pm me I can explain.

 

[OverKill Campers]

Hello Everyone!
I agree EPO. Someone from OverKill should respond to this and I am appreciative to have the opportunity.
First off, a short disclosure:

I do understand that posting to a public forum is essentially carving these words in stone and as such, could be used against me any time for any reason; so, I shall speak the truth…..as usual. I am also prepared to defend everything I’m putting on this table.

I think I should also post the definition of defamation as it appears in Oxford Languages

Defamation : A public statement about individuals, products, groups, or organizations which is untrue and may cause them harm. Termed libel if in written form and slander if spoken.

There is much to respond to and some myths to dispel which, will take some time. As I am not a writer, please do not fault my potentially poor grammar, punctuation or spelling as this discussion is about campers and more specifically who OverKill is as a company. This post will be spoken from the heart at times and the brain as well. It is full of tangents and segues, rants and ramblings but I feel it is necessary to existing and future clientele as they are the ones deserving of this response and all of the information herein.

As a fair warning, this might be an opportune time to pop some popcorn, change into your jammy pants, brew a fresh pot of coffee or fulfill any other requisite routine you deem required prior to reading a novel. If you bow out early, I don’t blame you. If you make it to the end, good on you as I’m sure if I were not the author, I probably wouldn’t make it to the end. I might even find out the character limits of the Expedition Portal forum.

WARNING—-You will not get this time back.

I do find irony in the fact that this post will discuss delays and timelines and the request for response was posted a couple of days ago. I’m just now arriving at the party. At the time I discovered this “revived thread", I/We did not have an account on the site and the process took some time to get approved etc. I’m also incredibly busy. I’m here now.

This is new to me as I don’t believe I’ve ever scoured the web looking for OverKill fodder. I’m always too busy designing, fabricating and testing campers to engage in activities such as searching for the highlights or lowlights posted to social media outlets. This is an unnecessary exercise for me as I pat myself on the back nearly every day and I still tend to fail at least once in that same day which creates a sense of scrutiny and self-criticism that cannot be rivaled amongst peers or public.

Let’s get started, but first you need to know the condensed history of OverKill as well as a brief description of our core values.

To stir the pot or smooth it over. Stir or smooth………stir or….
I’m going to stir it. I should have chosen “The Spoon” as my handle.

This hypothetical spoon along with its stirring is what the very foundation of Overkill has been built upon. We don’t settle for the norm nor do we accept that well enough is good enough for everyone. In the beginning, we just wanted a camper for ourselves. Then came the trouble of deciding which was the best of what was available at the time, before boutique camper manufacturers were a thing. As we attended manufacturer shows, investigated construction materials and techniques and toured numerous brand new campers with drawers full of broken parts, we decided that nothing would stand up to the punishment we typically dish out in our travels.

Maybe someone would build us a custom camper based on our specifications.?.? We presented ideas and materials to recreational industry veterans who laughed at the overall small footprint and want for ground clearance……and lack of tv, recliners, and stereo system which I now assume spent more toward this engineering than their frames. The spoon began stirring.

To “stir the pot” can mean many things. To me, it means not accepting standard practice when the standard practice is sub-standard. It also represents a general shakeup to individuals or groups of individuals whom have settled into the “don’t fix what ain’t broke” mentality. Just because “it ain’t broke” doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a good product or shouldn’t be improved upon.

After realizing that we were not alone in the search for something better, we decided to launch OverKill as a brand and begin constructing campers for like minded clients. This, however was several years after initial design and testing……wins and failures. The first S.O.5.10. available to the market had already gone through several adaptations. Adaptations in materials to mitigate rot or instabilities, adaptations in technique to manipulate and construct with our materials and to facilitate a more efficient, repeatable process. That’s what we are known for in the industry…our materials and innovation, which, is often spurred into motion as a means of adapting to the continuous evolution of the demographic we serve and the varied uses of our product.

The automotive industry, aside from a few failed outliers, ceased using wood as structural components in vehicles nearly 100 years ago. The decision was made to use a material that was more efficient to obtain, form, finish, and test with repeatable results, but, they then had to create an entirely new paradigm for these processes. Were there failures? Does this question even deserve a response? With the failures come multiple wins. I’ll name only one win to communicate this point; safety. Would vehicles have such safety systems in place if there hadn’t been failures? It’s the fact that companies who are passionate and hope to succeed, need to respond to failures and mitigate them to the best of their abilities.

Remember the Ford Pinto? If it were still made today, unchanged in its design, would you purchase one?

Heard of the Boeing 737 Max 8? Boeing has 141,000 employees, thousands of engineers, billions for R&D and has been in business for 105 years……..and yet, the Max 8.

Jeep has recalled over 60,000 vehicles this year for parts that can cause the vehicle to catch fire. Yikes! And, I’ll bet they have a slightly larger budget for R&D than OverKIll Campers. I also doubt that everyone that that sells them can also construct one…from raw materials.

These examples are not intended to justify our mistakes but serve to prove a point that mistakes will be made…Boeing will continue to make them, as will Jeep, and we will continue to make them. It’s on us to conduct tests and do due diligence to ensure the best possible product is delivered to our client.

As engineers, we can create situations through modeling software and test hypothetically to the best of our ability. We can take what we’ve learned then create the product in order to conduct real world analysis through a multitude of situations but, there are situations that can’t be replicated efficiently or even more simply, haven’t entered our thoughts; i.e. driving into a tree with a deployed awning. Guess what happens? The awning breaks. So do the brackets used to mount the awning. Is this our fault for not testing what happens when you drive an awning into a tree? I hope you didn’t say yes. This consequence should be assumed with high probability. Following this incident, we did, however design our awning bracket assembly to fail before causing catastrophic damage to the camper. For every failure, should be a win. Shame on the company that suffers the same failure over and over. We don’t allow this to happen and may all of our future failures be novel and not recurring.

We have a motto at OverKill. You will find it clearly depicted on our website and in the description of our IG account. INNOVATE-DESIGN-REFINE-EXECUTE. We live this every day at our OverKill shop and amongst our OverKill family of employees. We follow this to the core and it’s shows in our products.

Innovate: obvious by looking at our designs.

Design: Conception without plagiarism from other industry examples . Another reason I don’t watch the other makers in the industry or surf the net looking at campers. Our ideas are completely our own.

Refine: The prime reason we build in small batches. If we find a problem, at least it is confined to 6 and can be remedied before it has been constructed into an armada.

Execute: Setting the culmination of efforts of the prior three into motion.

My name is Dave Poe and I am one of the Designer/Founder/Owners in the OverKill family. And now, we shall address the issues in the prior post. Oh, and I’m typing this while riding shotgun and, without internet connectivity so I’ll just have to quote the post while not directly having the ability to copy the “they said” from the forum and paste into my post.

1. It was stated that we were initially delayed during the construction of the clients build by a batch of core that arrived damaged. This is true. This honeycomb composite arrived damaged during the last step in transit. The freight company thought they were acting responsibly by “stickering” the load. (This term can be googled). However, when core is stickered and then compressed with load straps, the stickers telegraph their shape into the core. Damage that is irreversible. At the time of initial order, the core required a lead time of 12 weeks. We order 12-16 weeks prior to beginning construction of a batch. This was an obvious setback as we had to deal with the core manufacturer and freight company to figure out who was responsible for the damage. Seemed obvious to us but, but the insurance companies beg to differ. Seeing that potential for further delay, we placed another order ahead of reimbursement for the damaged batch

I'm not done! I found the limit. It is 10K characters!

 

[OverKill Campers]

2. In another comment, “I was able to get OverKill to admit that they rushed the assembly…”. “Never let the core breathe”.
There is no rushing an OverKill build. If you define rushing as having both a day and night shift as well as some employees working on weekends working on a build,
then guilty as charged. The assembly of our camper is actually a fairly efficient process if we have access to all of the required parts. As an A-ZZZZZ process with
adhesives and curing times required, there is simply no way to rush our construction. Hence, our timelines not always being stellar. We will admit to that. It’s an
unfortunate part of manufacturing especially in this strange new world.
We, like any other company, use materials when they arrive. There is no good business sense (pre-covid) to keeping overwhelming amounts of inventory unless your
intent is to distribute and we are manufacturers not distributors.

Since we had just suffered six months without the building block of our campers, attention was diverted to creating all of the necessary sub-assemblies required to complete the builds. In anticipation of the long awaited delivery of the new batch of core, our faithful CNC router table (named Terrance) was patiently idling waiting to go to work. As soon as the shipment was unloaded, the first piece hit Terrance within minutes as is always the routine. All panels were cut for 4, S.O.5.10. campers at this time. The rest is history, S.O.’s were assembled, given a shakedown test and delivered.

Shortly after delivery, we received a notice from the author of the prior post which described what we are familiar with as off-gassing from the core material. This is common with all fiberglass products and most new products of any material origin. This is what is referred to as “new car scent”. What a love/hate relationship with this smell. Some people are more sensitive to this scent than others and we tend to go “nose blind” to smells that we work around on a regular basis. We asked the client to leave the windows in the vented position and assured him that the smell would recede in short order. One week, stink. Two weeks, stink.

Houston, we have a problem.

Following this, the client sent pictures that clearly depicted bubbling beneath the vinyl wrap on the exterior and buckling of the interior laminate. Both of these are only cosmetic issues but deserve an efficient remedy. So, we sent someone to SoCal to pick up the camper, deciding ultimately that the laminate needed to be removed and installed with fresh material. We removed the laminate and let the camper sit, vented, for one week before installing fresh laminate throughout the interior. Done.

Shortly after, the problem recurred.

We had been using the same core, same adhesive and same laminate for years. Was the problem in our process? We set all progress aside and began testing our process taking careful consideration of temperature, humidity, adhesive lap patterns, adhesive thickness, open assembly times, vacuum duration and pressure. The stated issue was purely repeatable, every time, in any condition. The problem was not in the process. Something had changed in a component which presented a problem of compatibility.

We contacted the core manufacturer, the adhesive manufacturer and the manufacturer of the laminate. All three of these manufacturers are world renown for their products represented extensively in the aerospace and marine industry. Representatives from all three companies quickly turned us over to engineers who set about to find a solution. In short order, two representatives from the three companies visited our shop to inspect our processes. We passed with flying colors. They spent two days replicating that which they said had worked for decades and both left scratching their heads with the promise to find a solution.

When these industry professionals had difficulty solving the problem, we deemed it necessary to eliminate the issue, not by solving the problem of incompatibility, but instead by eliminating its need. We set out to design a core that was micro sanded and gel-coated on both sides; the exterior, white and tan for the interior. This would reduce the three layers previously required to achieve our aesthetic goal. Perfect solution? Absolutely. Instead of fixing a problem, we completely eliminated it and there are several other benefits to our solution as well such as; 30% reduction in weight, it’s easier to clean and it shaved an entire day from the production timeline per camper which nets us a 200% efficiency rating for this process.

3. So, EPO, to answer your question “they had to build an entirely new camper?”

Short answer, NO. But the name is OverKill, every step of the way. And that’s what we do. We could have skinned the interior with a different material. This solution probably makes more business sense as it would have been an inexpensive fix, is aesthetically pleasing, and would have fooled any whom are not familiar with the interior of an OverKIll Camper. This solution, however, would have been a lateral move on our part and we don’t make lateral moves.

Now, we sit atop thousands of dollars worth of core, laminate and adhesive that we have deemed only good enough for our personal projects, if only temporary. The solution was to get these four campers, one with obvious aesthetic issues and three with potential concerns off the road. We built a new camper, with all of the extensive upgrades that have been instituted over the past year, at our expense. In fact, we contacted other owners of the other campers in this batch and informed them that they will be receiving new campers as well. Even if these other campers are not presenting the same problems, they were constructed in the same batch with exactly the same materials and process parameters. If we can assume that a future problem might arise, if even only cosmetic, we don’t want them on the road.

4. The Upper Zarges box slide design. This system worked well in trials. In fact, only one camper has had an issue with this system. Yet, we no longer offer this setup since ONE failed. Complete redesign of the galley to eliminate potential issues. Sometimes, making a design stronger is detrimental to the weight, functionality or utility of a system. Often, it’s better to admit defeat, eliminate the component in question and move forward with a completely new design.

5. “Changed my summer plans to bring the camper to OverKill”.

Ummmm….my memory in fact does serve correctly. WE picked the camper up in SoCal and brought it to our shop in Bend. And, we were told you were staying with relatives near Bend when you picked up the camper from our shop. Otherwise, we would have payed for your stay. Just saying.

6. “They botched the initial build on my trailer due to rushing the process and cutting corners.”.

Previously addressed.


Still not done!

 

[OverKill Campers]

7.”Worse, they’ve taken a bunch of people’s money in order to fund their mass-expansion efforts to grow their business…”

I should just say that taking one’s money in exchange for goods and services is certainly not a new institution. I will expand…as usual.

Of course we take peoples money. And, they take the camper which was built with the money we had previously taken. That’s business. What we decide to do with any remaining (some think of as purely profit, it’s not if it becomes reinvested in the business) is frankly, whatever we want to do with it.

If the idea of mass expansion is defined by moving from a 1600 sqft shop 4 years ago into a 3,000 sqft shop, then, last years move into a 8,600 sqft shop; again, guilty as charged. We are proud of our growth. It has been organic; not forced nor rushed. We have increased from three in our herd up to ten awesome, passionate individuals we think of as family whom are as committed to innovating and constructing a top of the line camper and are always looking to refine our product. In fact, it’s such a terrible place to work that two of our herd volunteered their time for nearly two years without receiving a paycheck and two of us still yet to receive a paycheck. Thats how much we believe in our products and we’ve put it all back in for further development. That’s how OverKill works. We’re all in.

For the first eight years, this endeavor was fully self funded with a retirement we could have used for any purpose. We chose to use this money to design and build campers. Again, like-minded individuals looking for a solution and we are capable of providing “a” solution so this was the course we followed. To date, after a dozen years of camper design and fabrication, nearly every single cent (including any profit) has been put back into the company and is spent on materials, material development, R&D, more efficient equipment, new processing equipment, shop overhead and payroll. The fact that the two primary owners of the company have yet to get a paycheck should speak volumes to our commitment to business development.

8. “…into partnerships with the rental market (20+ units promised to Oregon Adventure Rentals…cut in line of other paying customers)

Fact: At the time of this response, exactly ZERO campers have been constructed for said company.
And, 3 campers were guaranteed to this company, not 20.

We have the right sell campers to any individual or company for whatever use is their intent. We do not limit the amount of sales to an individual or company as we are in the business of constructing campers and obviously, selling them. This is how a business operates.

The reason zero campers have been delivered to the said rental company is that they, like every other client, are entered into the queue and are subjected to the next available construction slot. One company we build rentals for has received three builds to date dispersed amongst individual builds as they put deposits down at different times and therefore receive their campers in line, just like everyone else. In fact, we have been working with this company for over a year now. Just because it was recently released to the public might infer, but certainly does not mean that this is a new endeavor.

9. “…new MARS overland project….producing campers in Prescott, AZ.”

This part is a due diligence theme park. And, seemingly stated with absolute certainty.

This is a perfect example of why you shouldn’t believe everything you read on the internet!

Forgive me, but sometimes brutal honesty is also blunt.

I’ll dare anyone to drive around Prescott and search for our secret location. Remember to fuel up first and you might want to add a few more Roto-Pax for this journey. Get enough diesel or gas to get you from Prescott to Bend…….because…..BEND is where we work.

As our business grows, we will open another location in the future, but until we are satisfied that everything OverKill is in order and we are caught up with our deadlines after this COVID shakedown, we will be right here, in beautiful Bend, Oregon. Come and see for yourself.

To address the “NEW” part of new project.

Do you know where you were two years ago? Do you remember what you were doing?

I do. I was working for OverKill 60-80 hours/week. I still do. But two years ago, I was also designing MARS units between 20-40 hours/week. Oh, I still do that now.

For those that don’t know me directly, I have worked on average 80 hrs/week for the past 20 years. I’m a business owner and I’m fully engaged in my business. I love it! I’m sure people will respond with “get a life” but the truth is, l’ve had the pleasure of working side by side with my wife for nearly this entire time. We celebrated our 20 year anniversary two weeks ago; at the shop for a 12 hour day. That is our life and also our family time. My son suggests design amendments and ideas using legos and has provided a wealth of input into our designs. This is what we do for fun. I also mentioned earlier that I have the pleasure to work with our team on a daily basis and I can’t imagine a better group to work with, hang out with, share celebrations with, share secrets with and watch each others children grow. OverKill is not just business, we’re family.

Multitasking is not new to me, it’s something I’ve mastered by managing dozens of employees through several endeavors all the while dreaming and designing new products for the past 20+ years. Ask anyone who knows me from our suppliers, our friends, our associates, our employees. I’m relentless. I even had a bed at our prior shop and was known to spend nights on end there working unfettered through the hours designing products that changed our game. I’m a workaholic. I’m not alone. I know several industry leaders with the same dedication to our individual crafts. We continue to innovate and create change throughout the night while others might be satisfied with an 8 hour work day. I prefer not to shower often because I’d rather have that three minutes at my computer refining that which I’ve already refined or dreaming up our next big thing.

What I decide to do with my limited time following a full week and a half or two in a one week period, devoted entirely to OverKill, I’ve earned. I can do whatever I want and whenever I want. I choose to keep progressing our products.

Admittedly, many companies have been formed along with the industry explosion this past year and several existing companies have released new products. Several companies probably had ideas in the works long before the viral outbreak and while the industry was beginning to take off. No doubt, many saw this increase in demand and decided now was a good time to capitalize on an idea and begin to produce products on a whim without any prior experience or testing. We do not fall into the latter. MARS is not a new endeavor just because it has been recently released publicly.

Again - know the facts before casting allegations. Better yet, "a knot not neat need not be knotted."

The post from "Datashuttle" is valid but I believe requires some clarification. Like I said earlier, we take honest criticism to heart and change our protocols based upon this information.

The components unspecified were upgrades to the systems. The client requested a specific brand of AGM battery. We supplied a Relion Lithium Ion. We have replaced nearly every AGM in every prior build with Lithium at our own expense (4X cost). We did this because you get a lot more realistic amp hour use from the lithium and it also has an installed data logger as well as bluetooth connectivity which helps us determine the cause of failure, should it happen. No failures to date. And, AGM batteries require sensitive parameters that most clients don’t want to deal with…they just want the battery to work.

Still not there yet.

 

[OverKill Campers]

We also installed solar panels without asking. SunFlare solar, walkable panels. Again at our expense. Most of our prior clients assumed they would be charging in tow and everything would be topped off upon arrival at camp. This requires research on your end. Think, lots of juice, tiny straw. This is not a defect with OverKill protocol, but instead, the light weighting of nearly every vehicle manufacture using a 16ga wire to pump electricity to the 7-pin. We thought $800.00 of free solar would be a welcome addition.

Lastly, we are guilty of swapping out components that the client delivered. These components had been replaced by upgraded versions from Victron (mppt & BMS). We upgraded these components to the latest version with data logging and bluetooth. This allows us to remotely troubleshoot and assess the history of the system with the client should an electrical issue occur.

Bad brake adjustment. This is why we use Dexter never-adjust brakes. We’ve never had an issue but now we know there is a potential for this problem and we will work with Dexter on how to troubleshoot this.

Metal shavings…….DANGIT! We vacuum the camper probably 100 times during construction. It has been decided that the only way to shake these bits loose from where they hide is to drive each camper through our proving grounds before delivery. I doubt many manufacturers do this but we are implementing this into our checklist. All OverKill campers from this date forward will be individually trail tested. We will use our shop rollers so we don’t get your tires dirty or scratch your wheels. Upon returning from this test, we will install the final wheels and tires. The last step in our process is to check the wheel torque in front of the client anyways, so this makes sense.

We have added the other items to our QC list as well and have drafted a new QC list requiring the purchaser to sign off each item during our walk around. Be prepared to be here for a while, our list is extensive. We still use our original sign off sheet as well and be prepared for JP to make you push every button and actuate every latch or lever.

*The purpose of this post is not meant to be entirely viewed as a rebuttal to comments made in prior posts. But, instead, to provide a view of the past, present and future of what OverKill is as company and a family. We are fully committed to what we do and we pride ourselves in the passion we possess. We will continue to innovate and keep current with our materials, technologies and processes to ensure our like minded clients have the highest level of standards in the industry. We will continue to make mistakes, learn from them and we will also continue to set standards that the majority of the industry will likely never aspire to meet nor exceed.

If you are in the market for a micro-camper or a camper of any size for that matter, I put the due diligence on the consumer. Do your research. There are several varieties available produced by companies that are new startups and some that have been around for decades. We have found that history might not be the best indicator of quality, nor are IG or website pics, nor, unfortunately forum posts. Every individual should be looking to check the greatest amount boxes in the list that they have created based on their requirements and means of intended use.

OverKill checks a lot of boxes for many individuals. If you find our designs are not a good fit then you should do more research and visit the location of the builder. What you see on the road might not be a current design. Even setting eyes on a camper from 2020 might not be an accurate example of the manufacturers current materials, construction techniques or technologies.

An OverKill camper might not check all of your boxes. If it doesn’t, have a look at, in no particular order.

1. Oregon Trail’r
2. OffGrid
3. Boreas
4. Mission
5. NW Teardrops
6. SoCal Teardrops
7. Sherpa
8. Taxa
9. Type camper into the internet. Just because we didn’t give specific mention doesn’t mean they are not OverKill approved. I’m just running from memory and I’m sure I’ve forgotten a few.

All of these companies produce excellent products. They all have different designs, use different materials and different construction techniques and as such, provide a wide range of opportunities for a purchaser to find their best fit. Don’t just look for a comfortable fit with the unit, but also a good fit with those that put their time into its design and construction. We are all small companies, committed to increasing the quality of the industry. Your criticism and complaints, as well as the compliments need to be taken to heart and used in a way that furthers the refinement of our products.

My intent is also to provide a sufficient amount of education for a consumer to make an informed opinion of OverKill. Don’t just take my word as gospel, come for a visit, witness the passion, see the process.

I encourage you not to be a sheep but instead the Shepard.

If you decide that an OverKill fits your bill, give us a visit. Just come knowing that we are not salesmen, what we are is a group of dreamers, designers, innovators and fabricators. We won’t sell you an OverKill camper, they sell themselves.

This will likely be my only response to this post. It is decisive, inclusive and requires no further refute. I need to get back to work. Remember those sensitive timelines? I’m aware of them every waking moment and it’s all I can think about while typing this post…..in chicken peck…for hours; hours that would have been better served doing what I do, building campers.

But, before I go;

HAPPY Independence Day!!!

It is our wish from OverKill that everyone enjoys this holiday with great friends and family, and with safety. For those spending their weekend in an OverKill camper, may it be the best. Several of our owners are health care providers and while I wish the same for them, I am also aware of how busy the ER is on this particular weekend. Sorry guys. Thanks for sacrificing the time though!

Also, a heart felt shout out for everyone that followed in the footsteps of those that won our independence and maintain our freedom to this day. You’ve won this day, earned this day, maintained this day, and provided us with the opportunity for its enjoyment. From the OverKIll Family, Thank you!

 

[givemethewillys]

I can appreciate overkill's response, and totally feel the passion that comes off in the writing. Best of luck in your business, you make some gorgeous campers.

 

[Winterpeg]

Worth keeping an eye on...