Date: Mon, 22 Apr 2002 07:51:17 -0400
Reply-To: 80 Westy Pokey <pokey@VANAGON.ORG>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: 80 Westy Pokey <pokey@VANAGON.ORG>
Subject: Re: Utility rear bumpers ?
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
I bought www.Fastforward.ca 's Bush Bumper made out
of 'Schedule 40' 1.5" OD drill casing and features a 2.0"
trailer hitch receiver. It incorporates extremely heavy
bumper arms that bolt to the frame - replacing the weak
factory units. A thick stepping plate finishes off the top
of this bumper, great for stepping on to put windsufers on
the roof. Unfinished or Gloss Black. Fastforward can be
reached at: Fast Forward Automotive Inc., 4356 Quesnel Hixon
Road, Quesnel, BC, Canada, V2J 6Z3 Phone: (250) 992 7775,
Fax: (250) 992 1160, email: sales@fastforward.ca
I have the fastforward bumper on my van and I like it a lot
but i had a LOT of problems getting it from Fastforward
1) Terrible communication e-mail after e-mail call after
call. Takes a multiple attempts from me to get an answer. n
David if you would like to dispute this I can publish my
phone bill and e-mails for the period in question. I am not
the only one last week a listee was asking if fastforward was
still in business because they could not contact fastforward
either.
2) Shipping delays - Took weeks to get despite initial e-
mails saying that they were a day or two away from being
ready to ship. I almost missed being able to use a trailer to
move because of it... it came the day before. and only
because I insisted it being sent by courier. No offer to pay
the increased shipping even though the delay was on their end.
3) Imperial vs. metric bolts. The hitch is supposed to have
metric bolts, several were missing and the ones that were
there were imperial and threaded as such... unlike the rest
of the van which is metric. Lame "that's the they made this
one" apology no offer to replace the product.
3) Not drilled for reverse / fog lamps which I ordered and
were never sent... admittedly I was never charged for them
either but the point was I ordered the lamps and never got
them.
4) Lack of tow hooks despite the fact that the site
advertised at the time the bumper had tow hooks. This
information has since been deleted from the site.
All I got from David was a half hearted apology, despite all
the problems. No tow hooks... not even ones I could weld on
myself, no reverse lights despite MULTIPLE calls and e-mails.
I finally gave up on them.
Despite all this it is a great product, but if you want a
reliable vendor look elsewhere (ie: you need it withy ANY
sense of urgency).
Projectzo has a great looking rear bumper that I think you
can get through Ken Wilford at Vanagain.
http://www.vanagain.com/Accessories.htm
Thanks,
Chris
---- Original message ----
>Date: Sun, 21 Apr 2002 21:03:30 -0700
>From: The Wilsons <coyote808@COX.NET>
>Subject: Utility rear bumpers ?
>To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>
>We've got a 86 Sycro Westy that has been the family windsurf
mobile since
>new. We've been through 4 back bumpers over the years. The
stock version
>is real flimsy. One little tap and they bend like a
pretzel. They're also
>not very easy to stand on (necessary for stacking sailboards
on top).
>
>My current solution is an oak 2" X 4". Hoping to do
better. Anyone know of
>a supplier of good sturdy utility type after-market rear
bumpers?
>
>Thanks,
>
>Mike Wilson
>coyote808@cox.net
