Vagabond Outdoors Drifter

[nopeoffroad]

Tell me again, did you have a camper on order with VO? One you're currently waiting to pick up? You're not helping anyone by sharing your opinion.

My bad. Opinions are bad facts are good.

Facts:
1. Phil/VO has lied every way possible about timelines and production since Covid started.
2. several people were sold on a 7 - 12 month timeline - complete lie
2. Phil has said multiple times that his communication would be better, which every customer currently knows is a complete lie
3. The current advertised 12 month lead time is a total lie
4. He claimed months ago that he was expanding and the outlook was full steam ahead - lie
5. People are having to sue him for refunds - insane
6. people are having to call their credit card companies to get refunds - insane
7. Phil sold his truck to pay some stuff off which you mentioned was confirmed to be business related
8. He has been producing the same "batch" of campers for months
9. He has stated to customers that their campers were waiting on $300 readily available parts off of amazon
10. Phil has to block comments on Instagram because they know the backlash will be seen there
11. Phil on the lower end of things burned through $250,000 of deposit money
12. Phil has requested final payment for campers that he said were going to be completed soon - total lie. Most have had to wait months to never to get the camper after it's been paid in full
13. This is a public forum where anyone and everyone is invited to read, post, and attempt to help others

What other facts did I miss?

Now for my opinion.

Phil has been given so many chances by folks waiting in line to make up for his mistakes. Every single time this or another forum is calmed by his false promises, it buys him another 3 - 5 months of "hope." How does Phil use these windows of calm? Who knows because here you are again. One more turn of the wheel. For most people the deposit paid and or the final invoice they've paid is not a small amount of pocket money. Sitting without a camper, being out 5k-10k+, and being lied to for over 30 months is insane. Then there's people like you @SoCalTacoTruck that give folks a glimmer of hope.... "hey guys, spoke with Phil. All well. He is doing hard work for the highest quality product. Party on. Look at my cool camper sitting there in the shop." All youre doing is feeding hope and lies and keeping the wheel spinning, buying Phil maybe another sale, or someone not attempting to cancel their CC charge. All so Phil gets one last breath to spout more lies and drag more people down with him, and maybe, just maybe, you'll get your new camper before he goes under.... but hey at least you can show your insta followers how cool your Ram is right?

 

[czukie]

@SoCalTacoTruck Phil told me in November he was selling his Tacoma and Vagabond to do other projects either for himself or the company. He didn’t mention anything about putting that money back into the company. He just said he was thinking about putting the money into either a personal or business ‘project’. It’s good to know that he might be putting that money back into the company though!

Unfortunately, nobody knows if either thing he told us is true or not and even more unfortunate is that selling that camper doesn’t fix any of the issues that people actually have with the camper. Current customers or not. Bottomline is that you having given Phil thousands of dollars doesn’t make your voice, on here, any better or worse than people who have given him zero dollars so long as they are bringing up valid points. I agree people are overreacting and being dramatic, but honestly your responses to individuals on here, who may or may not have paid Phil, also come off as a bit defensive and over the top. Valid points are valid points regardless of who brings them. Not saying they did, or did not, bring up valid points…but saying people who have invested no money into VO can’t have input seems silly to me.

Back to my original point. I’m fortunate enough to have gotten my camper, but I really don’t see how Phil selling his camper “for the company” fixes any communication issues or a three year wait time….which are the main reasons why VO is going to lose enough fanbase to the point of failure/bankruptcy/going out of business.

 

[sn_85]

FYI you can only sue an LLC for $5,000. Even if every person who did sue gets their money back, that's still what...$20,000? Also some over dramatic responses here. @sn_85 @denvertacoma , do either of you have a camper on order with Vagabond that you're waiting for? Or just adding bulls** with no proof out of boredom?

Tell me again, did you have a camper on order with VO? One you're currently waiting to pick up? You're not helping anyone by sharing your opinion.

I'm allowed to have an opinion on a public forum. This isn't a private thread. If you want to play moderator somewhere go create a Facebook group limited to VO owners and those who have one on order. Otherwise I'm free to state my fact based opinion. The only thing I've said is that VO has a crappy business plan. What Phil has is not viable. From a business operation and manufacturing stand point it's terrible and can not continue on like this. I don't think anyone can argue against that. The other thing I've stated in this thread is that the competition (Snap, ATO, Topo, GFC, SP) are all thriving and seem to have things figured out. Customers are getting their campers in a timely manner without being strung along. I don't see threads of complaints with either of those companies. Again, facts.

I did consider VO but thankfully for threads like this I saw the dumpster fire and avoided it all together. I'm glad I did otherwise I'd feel like I've been swindled of my money like so many others.

 

[Northern Tundra]

Now that all the hero's have saved the world from Phil and Vagabond Outdoors, can you kindly move on so all of us swindled folks can resume our regularly scheduled discussions?

 

[crazysccrmd]

What happened with Iggy? Haven’t seen him mentioned with VO in a while.

 

[SoCalTacoTruck]

I started a Facebook group for owners/people waiting only. If you want to join, DM me on my Instagram for the link - @socalexpeditions

 

[denvertacoma]

“You’re rooting for Phil because you want your camper. You should be rooting for the company to go under so this guy stops taking money from people that wont even lay eyes on a picture of their half produced pile of aluminum”
#truthhurts

 

[czukie]

What happened with Iggy? Haven’t seen him mentioned with VO in a while.

Iggy hasn’t been involved for some time now…unsure of the reason behind it. I’ve heard he was really only involved in the beginning stages and didn’t have any real involvement with the business side of things. All heresy I’m sure. Though someone threatening litigation did say that he found an ‘Ignacio’ as still being associated with VO while doing research.

 

[Windmill Road]

Hoping for updates on camper builds and deliveries as this seems to be one of few places to keep in the know. Disappointed to read what is going on with Vagabond and those waiting on their campers. I am letdown that Vagabond has not been more forthright in the process and am feeling somewhat foolish for blindly pressing forward with my build. I have had zero responses from Vagabond and nothing to contribute to this conversation; still hopeful to hear some positive news in camper deliveries or communications with Vagabond.

 

[Lord Larry]

Sharing your opinions on public forum is 100% fine!! I support that!! But sharing opinion on public forum to screw me and people who want to wait and actually have invested in VO/ to get our camper is NOT cool at all when some of you don't even have an oder or invested a penny. Your opinion could get us lose our money , let alone campers. Most of us already know all those facts You're sharing. We still want to wait for our campers. I just want my camper!! Can you do your hero shyte somewhere else, please??

 

[grain_of_salt]

Screechy alarmists aside...

He finally updated the website:

 

[UncleAir]

I started a Facebook group for owners/people waiting only. If you want to join, DM me on my Instagram for the link - @socalexpeditions

I regularly read forums like this one. However, I rarely put up content, and when I do, it’s not much of anything super helpful. I’m more inclined to “read the magazine” than to be a contributor. Not that I haven’t posted some, but just don’t spend hours ad nauseum working on the Drifter/Tacoma. It’s a daily driver for me and I use it in a modular fashion for working out of most all the time. It’s just that after reading about VO for the last few years and having their product, which IMO is quite a good wedge, I thought I’d put in one more ‘story’ and after reading the multitude of comments about Phil/VO, and with the references to FB/IG/Twit/etc. that I don’t/won’t subscribe to, and as the postings here have dwindled, I thought I’d put in my two pennies relative to what I experienced with VO in 2019-2020 and move on.

On 2/8/19 I ordered my Drifter and received it on 3/11/20. During those months I experienced the same anxiety as expressed here as well as over at TW. My experience was so similar to others, that when I read about other folks situations currently, I can actually recall those feelings I had then. I remember crickets in response to emails, voicemails, etc. Then promises of “getting better” at communicating along with multiple suggestions from customers about how to mitigate the poor communication problem. Imagining what I’d do if they cut and ran with my deposit, etc. So, during my relatively short wait time I had the same thoughts as I read here regarding VO. We all wanted their wedges and were only wanting communication with updates that contained realistic/honest information. What looks different now is the incredible increase in wait times ( I cannot imagine 36 months?!) in addition to the talk of litigation and bankruptcy.

When I got to the shop to pick up the Drifter, my experience working with the crew there was nothing but positive. They were attentive to me and my setup. I had brought a Yakima car topper that Phil fashioned some brackets to mate with the L-Track. They installed my Strawfoot insulation kit and a couple other things I needed done. So as others have testified, in person, Phil and crew were fantastic.

So with me having a similar experience as many others and seeing the slow degradation of the business practices with increasing wait times I can only wonder about the future. It is too bad to see the slow, continuing pattern of a business situation that many of us think didn’t have to be. As others have said, “great product, poorly managed”.

That’s more than enough information. Just had to get it down on paper. I only wish I had a solution as so many are hanging out there in wonderland.

Lastly, for the record, I love my Drifter. I’ve used it in heat and humidity, in sub zero temperatures, in super strong thunderstorms with high winds and it hasn’t failed in one aspect as of yet.

Best to you all in your journey. Hope it turns out with a Drifter on your rigs.

Happy Trails

 

[chmura]

4 out of the 5 cases are closed. Does that mean VB gave back their deposit?

I still do not understand why folks simply didn't put a dispute in with their credit card? Cases like this 99% of the time the CC sides with you.

 

[czukie]

4 out of the 5 cases are closed. Does that mean VB gave back their deposit?

I still do not understand why folks simply didn't put a dispute in with their credit card? Cases like this 99% of the time the CC sides with you.

A. Where are you finding information about the cases? It’s also interesting as the deposits were non-refundable, no?

B. Others mentioned back on the Tacomaworld forums that they waited so long that the CC companies couldn’t do anything about a purchase 2 years prior to the dispute? Idk how much truth there is to that though

 

[surfjones]

VO email update today. Everyone get excited bc it's the light at the end of the tunnel and your camper will be finished soon. Everyone will be happy and camping not in a tent on the ground. Woohoo!