Vagabond Outdoors Drifter

[grain_of_salt]

I agree 1000% that vagabond’s are a superior product to GFC but there is absolutely no excuse anymore. There are so many campers now that offer a plethora of options (windows, doors, awnings, etc.) for multiple truck models and are at the same level or very close to VO‘s build quality. Most of which can produce campers anywhere from 8 to 16 weeks. Topo, Snap!, AT, Camp King, Trailfort, and even Alu-Cab come to mind as companies with a high build quality that can get you a camper in less than a year. All of these companies’ wait times have only declined since their inception whereas VO’s has continued to increase. Thats not how it’s supposed to work.


I agree that VO build quality (esp when including the price point) is top tier and even that Phil really wants to best camper for his customer. The problem is that these campers no longer have the niche market they did prior to COVID. More companies are producing campers which means there are more options. It’s no longer GFC and Vagabond with a bunch of “emerging” companies. VO is now at the point where they are undeniably losing customers to other competing companies and doesn’t seem to care or be doing much to change that. As a customer who has invested in their product, this worries me.


I honestly would prefer they raise prices if it meant they could reduce production times.

GFC owner here, which was purchased when Vagabond went dark after my deposit. Can confirm that Vagabond is not only a superior product, but a very different product. Independent of wait times (which is being beaten to death as an obvious difference). It's definitely flimsier construction with floppy doors and a honeycomb top rather than aluminum (not sure it would survive a roll), but mine has stood up to a pretty proper thrashing on 4wd trails. Not a great winter camper for us weak stock and the sleeping platform is too short for tall folks. Almost zero options available, with a few exceptions, such as the awning mounts. I have my Vagabond place in line (I'm assuming? Who knows) still for a reason. But I can't sleep in a place in line.

That said, I have trouble crapping on Go Fast. The GFC is unapologetically a minimalist product and the light weight of the v2 reflects that. What, 270 lbs? It's crazy. When I emailed them questions? They actually had a person who answered them promptly and was really nice about it. I had an install date 4 months in advance, literally down to the hour, and they didn't ******** around and make me waste my vacation time.

They don't pretend to be what they are not, answering the questions of "Hey! When are you going to add an XYZ option?" with "Never. Not what this camper is supposed to be." Have they had serious design flaws? No arguments there. I feel like the dudes tried their best to stand by their product and fix them, however. I'm not sure I have that confidence in Phil, no matter how much people seem to think he's a "good guy." There's someone on TW that had warping Frontrunner panels and a botched powdercoat on the Drifter that hasn't been able to reach VO any better than the rest of us.

Again, re-iterating, Drifter is the product that I ultimately want for my purposes, but had to stand up for GFC. I think their tents are great for a lot of people and think they try to be an upstanding company. If you're looking for something super simple, light, and minimalist to keep weight down, with almost zero wait time, I think it's a fine option.

 

[danneskjold]

I agree 1000% that vagabond’s are a superior product to GFC but there is absolutely no excuse anymore. There are so many campers now that offer a plethora of options (windows, doors, awnings, etc.) for multiple truck models and are at the same level or very close to VO‘s build quality. Most of which can produce campers anywhere from 8 to 16 weeks. Topo, Snap!, AT, Camp King, Trailfort, and even Alu-Cab come to mind as companies with a high build quality that can get you a camper in less than a year. All of these companies’ wait times have only declined since their inception whereas VO’s has continued to increase. Thats not how it’s supposed to work.


I agree that VO build quality (esp when including the price point) is top tier and even that Phil really wants to best camper for his customer. The problem is that these campers no longer have the niche market they did prior to COVID. More companies are producing campers which means there are more options. It’s no longer GFC and Vagabond with a bunch of “emerging” companies. VO is now at the point where they are undeniably losing customers to other competing companies and doesn’t seem to care or be doing much to change that. As a customer who has invested in their product, this worries me.


I honestly would prefer they raise prices if it meant they could reduce production times.

I agree, in some ways I think I might owe my life to Phil and Vagabond (I was the one who flopped Zero), but if I had to buy a new camper tomorrow I would get an Alu Cab. Yes it’s heavier, and more expensive but it has a 2-3 month lead time and there is so much aftermarket support for it that I would compare it to a Jeep.

Vagabond has the best product IMO, but when you factor in lead times it’s ranking drops pretty close to the bottom in my opinion.

 

[trashrose]

Not to be a jerk (I am being a jerk) but can we move on to talking about VO as a product and stop comparing? I feel like this discussion has happened every 6 months or so

 

[grain_of_salt]

Not to be a jerk (I am being a jerk) but can we move on to talking about VO as a product and stop comparing? I feel like this discussion has happened every 6 months or so

Okay. So here are the Q's I've been chewing on for the last 6 months or so and wonder if y'all might have thoughts:

1.) The new Tern double-pane window that is offered seems like a solid option for dog owners who were previously considering the slider w/ screen. Seems like it would have better insulating properties and I dig that it has a privacy shade too. Any reason that one wouldn't want it? Can it stay cracked open while driving, do ya think?

Also like the idea of the insulated Tern cargo door for the other side too.

2.) Top items to skip if you are hoping to avoid EVEN FURTHER wait time? Sounds like a.) Powder coating, b.) Tent Insulation, c.) Front Runner doors (?) d.) Tern rear entrance

I definitely wanted the first two. Which sucks.

 

[ns7i]

Okay. So here are the Q's I've been chewing on for the last 6 months or so and wonder if y'all might have thoughts:

1.) The new Tern double-pane window that is offered seems like a solid option for dog owners who were previously considering the slider w/ screen. Seems like it would have better insulating properties and I dig that it has a privacy shade too. Any reason that one wouldn't want it? Can it stay cracked open while driving, do ya think?

Also like the idea of the insulated Tern cargo door for the other side too.

2.) Top items to skip if you are hoping to avoid EVEN FURTHER wait time? Sounds like a.) Powder coating, b.) Tent Insulation, c.) Front Runner doors (?) d.) Tern rear entrance

I definitely wanted the first two. Which sucks.

Tent insulation is something you can add later or they can ship later. I don't even know if they're doing Front Runnner doors any more. They haven't proven to be super reliable and they tend to cause leaks. The Tern stuff is definitely higher quality. I switched from a Vagabond order on my truck to an OVRLND but as for sliding windows, I too got a sliding window for the dog and it's all good until they destroy your screen. Took about a week of camping before that happened. Fortunately on the OVRLND they are easily removable and probably replaced. I almost wish now that I didn't get a sliding window and got a hatch instead because these days I just leave the sliding window on the front open all the time (since it's covered by the cab over) and I've got a MAXXAIR deluxe that I run while the dogs are in the car even while we drive down the road. It does a great job at regulating the temps.

 

[surfjones]

I would get the tern windows but the fact that you can't open them from the outside is a no go for me. I'll always be traveling with at least two dogs so gonna figure something out for the front runner doors, while stopped bc they ride in the cab anyway.

Okay. So here are the Q's I've been chewing on for the last 6 months or so and wonder if y'all might have thoughts:

1.) The new Tern double-pane window that is offered seems like a solid option for dog owners who were previously considering the slider w/ screen. Seems like it would have better insulating properties and I dig that it has a privacy shade too. Any reason that one wouldn't want it? Can it stay cracked open while driving, do ya think?

Also like the idea of the insulated Tern cargo door for the other side too.

2.) Top items to skip if you are hoping to avoid EVEN FURTHER wait time? Sounds like a.) Powder coating, b.) Tent Insulation, c.) Front Runner doors (?) d.) Tern rear entrance

I definitely wanted the first two. Which sucks.

 

[miggypac]

I would get the tern doors but the fact that you can't open them from the outside is a no go for me. I'll always be traveling with at least two dogs so gonna figure something out for the front runner doors, while stopped bc they ride in the cab anyway.

Important to distinguish the Tern Windows from the Tern Cargo Doors. The windows cannot be opened from the outside. The cargo doors can be opened from the outside.

 

[Northern Tundra]

Does anyone know if Vagabond offering the Tern cargo door's as an option? I see they added "Driver Side: Tern Overland 1100 x 450 Cargo door" to the Drifter build page, but don't see that size on Tern's website. So I emailed Tern, and they confirmed that they don't/and have no plans to offer that size of cargo door. There is a window in that size however, so I'm guessing that what they mean

 

[surfjones]

Ah yes thank you. Edited

Important to distinguish the Tern Windows from the Tern Cargo Doors. The windows cannot be opened from the outside. The cargo doors can be opened from the outside.

 

[trashrose]

Been looking into some music gear this week and a friend sent me this company who has a huge lead time (18+ months from the looks of it) - wanted to share how they are keeping customers informed. Maybe someone can suggest something like this to Phil?

 

[ewfrey2013]

For those of you who may not have gotten the e-mail sent out earlier today from VO:


Hello! We hope you had a great Labor Day weekend! We want to provide a long overdue update on what’s going on at Vagabond Outdoors.

Communication
Our customer communication has been extremely deficient and we’re working hard to catch up and change that. No excuses. And aside from catching up on campers, it is a top priority. Apologies for those that haven’t heard from us. Please expect an e-mail update soon.

Supply Chain
We have been hit hard by the global supply chain issues. Material shortages, factory shutdowns, shipping/ logistic issues, and increasing demand for products, has put a strain on our ability to build campers on schedule. The “Just-in-Time” supply chain principle, that many manufacturers have adopted, was thrown out the window as many larger companies stocked up on raw materials and parts. This created a shortage for many smaller manufacturing companies like ours.
We have not stopped fighting to find solutions and it has conditioned us to create contingencies to our contingencies. Workaround after workaround. While we've found solutions to many of these issues, this mentality has become a standard practice and we don’t see it changing in the near future. These supply issues have hardened us without compromising build quality. And it will ultimately
We have partnered with a forming company that has committed to providing our formed and laser cut parts with consistency. This is a huge improvement over what we’ve experienced in the past year and it took a lot of effort to get to this point. Unfortunately, there were large gaps between shipments in the past and it has delayed our overall build schedule. We are on the other side of that hump now.

COVID
Like many of you, COVID has been a huge challenge for the past few years. Condolences to anyone who lost friends of family.
Every Vagabond Outdoors employee was infected at some point and some had it worse than others. We stayed compliant with local and state guidelines when it came to isolation after infection. This meant employees had to stay home in addition to shutting down early on. We're grateful that all employees recovered and back to work.

Costs and Pricing
In addition to the increased costs created by the global supply chain issues, inflation is the new challenge. We have always worked to supply the best product and we refuse to compromise quality by purchasing low grade materials. We are forced to increase the cost of our campers and options.
Please note:

1. If you have a camper on order, we will NOT increase the prices of your camper or current options.
2. If you sell your build reservation, the purchaser will take advantage of our current base camper pricing ($7,750 for Drifter and $8,750 for Nomad).

Options
To streamline production, we have been working to phase out some of the current window/ cargo door offerings, while offering improved replacements. The intent is to create a single- sized cutout. We currently have 5 different cutout sizes per side panel. Having one cutout size will allow us to increase our supply of the laser cut and formed panels. It will also allow customers to change window selections later in the build process. If you have windows specified, we will honor those options as long as they are available. If you want to make a switch, please let us know.

Some of the window offerings will be:

• Tern 450 x 1100 Cargo door ($650)
  • 15.7” x 41.4” Opening (larger than the Frontrunner Gullwing door).
  • Powdercoated Black aluminum outer/ inner panels with foam insulation.
  • Gas lift struts.
  • Low profile latches with double cut keys.
  • Approximately 20 lbs lighter(per door) than the Frontrunner doors.
  • *Requires side wall insulation.
• Tern 450 x 1100 double pane acrylic window ($750)
  • DOT certified impact resistant (17x more resistant than glass) dual pane acrylic window.
  • Internal screen/ shade
    • Only the screen OR the shade is available on the Drifter due to height restrictions.
  • R-value of +/- 4.0
  • Telescopic strut support.
  • Powdercoated aluminum frame.
  • *Requires side wall insulation.
• Tern 450 x 1100 side slider window ($450)
  • Acrylic side slider window with bug screen.
  • Acrylic is 17 times more impact resistant than glass.
  • More thermally efficient than glass.
• Glass windoor
  • We're working on this. Please stay tuned.

Website
Over the past 4-1/2 years, we have worked with many manufacturing companies in the overland & offroad markets. We became dealers with companies that we know and trust. We run most of these products on our own rigs and are happy to offer them to our customers using an easier platform. This online store is long overdue! Please check out the “Store” section of our website for products that will enhance your overland, off-road, and camping experience.
We limited the products to items we are familiar with and common for our industry. We can still purchase items, from the manufacturers we’ve partnered with, that are not on our website. Please contact us (store@vagabondoutdoors.com) if you need something that is not listed in our shop.

Thank You
We can't say enough to express our gratitude for everyone’s patience and understanding. Thanks to our customers, team members, supporters, manufacturers, and the vendors we work with.

We really look forward to putting a camper on your truck. If you already have a camper, we hope you’re enjoying it to the fullest.

Please feel free to contact us with any questions!

 

[OVRLNDFX4]

Saw that as well

 

[Northern Tundra]

It sure is nice to see some communication from Vagabond, hopefully this becomes a semi-regular thing. Only time will tell if they actually become more responsive to emails and phone calls as well. I remember reading some similar promises in the Tacomaworld threads..
I am also happy to see they are attempting to streamline some of their options for side doors and windows. Though I still am not sure what they are doing with the Tern cargo door. (as I mentioned in post 68) Whether they are putting their own door into the frame, or if they have a deal with Tern directly. Either way I'm happy with the option, especially if it "speeds up" production.

 

[grain_of_salt]

Inexplicably never received that email. I'm beginning to wonder if I got left off some master-list.

Looks remarkably like the apology-posting we would receive once a year on TacomaWorld. I really do hope it's more sincere.

Thanks a ton for sharing -

 

[Lord Larry]

Didn't receive it either. But im just 9 months in