UJOR Build Thread
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350outrage
Adventurer
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Just to be clear, and then bail on this topic before it gets too out of whack, I'm not talking a custom customer-wants-it-just-this away one off builds. I get the expense on that, but theres a whole bunch more being sold that are essentially all the same design with the custom part being "do you want hoops and/or light holes". The research was done scad a million bumpers ago. Ditto on the design. The equip investment? I know a bit about that. I have a single furnace in my shop I paid over $400,000 for sitting inside of 7 figures worth of industrial real estate, and I dont need to charge $85/hr to make money. My customers would laugh me out of business.
For me its value per dollar, and I dont see $2,000 of value in any bumper I can think of. That isnt to say a fabricator doesnt get $2,000 worth of time and material in it, according to his calculations anyway, but that doesn't mean there is $2,000 of value there. Maybe he's too slow and/or inefficient?
With that said, stuff is worth what people are willing to pay and there are certainly people out there willing to drop $2,000 + on a bumper. I'm not one of them but more power to them, its their money. Shoot, there's guys over on Taco World willing to drop that kind of cash just to get brighter headlights for crying out loud.
Soooo, when's Chris going to stop sluffin off and get back to postin awesome pictures of awesome stuff?
. It better be soon because you see what happens when the natives are left unsupervised and start to get bored. Hehe.350outrage
Adventurer
Preach on Rev. Greening!:bowdown:
350outrage
Adventurer
Front of mine looks pretty scroungy so dont feel bad. I used the factory bumper and trimmed the ends to clear the tires, but thats not the ugly part (really!). I tossed the Lower valance when I was working because the end snaps were busted off and someone had run bolts through instead, but duhhh! Those were going to get cut off anyway. Now I'm probably heading to Chris, hat in hand, to see if he has any take-offs laying around.
brushogger
Explorer
. hey I got that V5 bumper still....we should work out a way to get that on her!
350outrage
Adventurer
If you need a lower valance, good luck, as those usually fell off pretty early in the vans' life and were ripped rest of way off and trashed by owners. (My history anyway). If you need a bumper, I have one and its yours for the shipping cost. End is pre-trimmed to clear UJOR conversion just as you describe.
Now that I think about it, Chris has done some late model vans that prob had the lower valance attached. If they got a new bumper, you might be in luck. If he has one, I'm sure he'll do you right.
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350outrage
Adventurer
I Really thought about that but I need a bumper that is wide enough to deflect brush and small saplings, etc. off the sheetmetal. That's why the one I built is so wide; works well in the environment where I use it. Chris's bumper is excellent though, but is more of a rock crawler style. I'm sure you will move it soon. What's great about his bumper is that it's LIGHT, very LIGHT. These vans are behemoths, but every pound still counts.
BTW, when I brought my van to Fletcher NC for the conversion, Chris was gracious enough to give us a ride all the way to Charlotte in Your Van. Its a sweetheart, rides great on the highway. Glad it went to a good home.
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patoz
Expedition Leader
10 Top ‘Adventure-Mobiles’ From Overland Expo 2015
Yep, the UJoint Sherpa is in the top 10 too!
Read the rest: http://gearjunkie.com/adventure-mobiles-overland-expo-2015
Yep, the UJoint Sherpa is in the top 10 too!
ujoint
Supporting Sponsor
Yes! Honored to be in that group of rigs. The Sherpa got a lot of attention at the show, mainly the stove mount (everyone thought it was some kind of transformer engineering marvel, which it isn't) and the Yeti Jockey box. Even though the show had terrible weather I'll file it as a success. Got to chat with a bunch of van guys, see peers that I haven't seen in a few years and just hang out. Chilling doesn't happen for me often.
Thursday was nice
Late Friday our 2nd rig arrived, Brad's SMB with a 6" UJ kit from CA
Viva La Vida arrived Sat night, Brad to leave Sun am and my neighbors left the show so Viva joined V4.
After the show we filled up with food in Flagstaff and headed north to Page. Camped at Lone Rock for the night and then headed up to Smokey Mtn Rd.
Incredible scenery, drove the entire road and then made our way to Boulder where we started the Burr Trail.
Little side trail that gave us spectacular views of Capital Reef.
Once we finished that Claude went north to Moab and we headed south to Bullfrog. Camped right on the shores of Lake Powell, incredible spot.
The next morning we got on the ferry and headed to Telluride to see a friend, now we're in Breckenridge where the forecast is calling for 4-6" of snow. Here for a few days to actually sit still and relax.