Possible group buy cap opportunity?

[BourbonRunner]

Mods, let me know if I'm over the line with this. No harm, no foul.

I've been messaging with a couple companies on the various Chinese sites and found one that can do a hard sided, 2-full length compartment, security mesh and cross bars cap landed and delivered for $1725. 60 days or so from order to delivery.

She said there's a possible volume discount so I'm throwing it out there. It would have to be set up that you order directly, I don't want to handle anyone's money or be responsible for anything but the referral. Even if there isn't a break this is cheaper by a mile than the FB sellers with a lot of extra stuff.

I recognize these are all stock images but that's what she's sent. I found this specific company from a rabbit hole search all about the Alibaba caps. It was either here or the Tacoma side that raved about them.

Not the style. Flat sides like a SmartCap.

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[Cattywumpuss]

I’m listening.

 

[BourbonRunner]

@Cattywumpuss might be a little more in shipping to get to you in the Great White North but even so, it's still pretty cheap all things considered.

I'll ask her and circle back.

Also, she sent me their install instructions.

 

[BourbonRunner]

@Cattywumpuss zip code?

For that matter, if anyone is interested, if you can reply here with your zip code I'll can relay it.

I also asked her this morning about RTTs. She said they have some available. I'm going to get numbers on wedge style hard tops and post here.

 

[drexotic]

Do you have more information and / or a link online? That's a third less than OpenRoad and half the price of the top brands.

 

[BourbonRunner]

Yup. And that's part of why I've given serious consideration to going direct.

company site: https://www.truckbedcoverworld.com/

product link:

https://cdytxf.en.made-in-china.com...minum-Metal-Hardtop-Canopy-Truck-Bed-Cap.html

Soon as I get the RTT numbers I'll post here. She sent me this pic and said she'd pull firm numbers from the office tomorrow. There is a 12 hour time difference. I also asked her about 270 awnings. If I can come in at under $2500 for a canopy and RTT I'm doing it.

 

[BourbonRunner]

Based on the videos she sent me of the RTT and 270 awning they appear to be an OEM for the "Waypark" brand. https://wayparkglobal.com/products?cat=Outdoor+camping+equipment

 

[ArcticDreadnought]

Here in Anchorage, we believe heavily in shipping things to Tacoma, putting them on the Carlile MyConnect barge, and then they toodle their way up to Anchorage port. Even my Armorlite, which IS NOT A LIGHT BOX, was only $147 in shipping through Carlile MyConnect. My full set of Mojave X springs were only $31.

Secondly, how dare you find an incredible deal on a decent topper that has all the doodads. My only real worry about this is normally the angles of the bends in the construction. Or the inconsistent bolt hole locations. That drives me nuts when I'm attempting to put one of these type things together and the bolt holes aren't lined up even remotely close. Having to cut new bolt holes is a pet peeve.

 

[BourbonRunner]

Here in Anchorage, we believe heavily in shipping things to Tacoma, putting them on the Carlile MyConnect barge, and then they toodle their way up to Anchorage port. Even my Armorlite, which IS NOT A LIGHT BOX, was only $147 in shipping through Carlile MyConnect. My full set of Mojave X springs were only $31.

Secondly, how dare you find an incredible deal on a decent topper that has all the doodads. My only real worry about this is normally the angles of the bends in the construction. Or the inconsistent bolt hole locations. That drives me nuts when I'm attempting to put one of these type things together and the bolt holes aren't lined up even remotely close. Having to cut new bolt holes is a pet peeve.

That seems very cheap. I have a friend in Palmer, he says it's a royal PITA to get just about anything there. When he moved from CO to AK he said it was easier and cheaper to pack his stuff and vehicles into CONEX boxes, then purchase and drive an enclosed trailer than paying for a moving company to do the same.

I can inquire about Tacoma > Carlile MyConnect or Anchorage direct, your call. Only concern is the Tacoma option might get lost in translation.

Getting my knee scoped out last Monday and being slow with work gave me far too much time to spend on my ass. I was ready to pull the trigger on the local FB sellers so I could have it for our NC beach trip next month, and even found a Smartcap with load bars, interior shelf basket and side windows locally for $2200 but I really don't want anyone looking in and seeing all my crap. I have to park on the street and security is a concern.

I have the same concerns but I also have access to a full on marine salvage shop via a friend with every tool known to man if it comes to it.

 

[ArcticDreadnought]

The reason the Carlile MyConnect route is so cheap is that its slow. Its basically a barge that goes from Washington to Anchorage. Average trip is about 8-12 days.

Your bud in Palmer does have to pay more simply because the stuff there has to be taken, packaged and then trucked over the Chugach from Palmer down to Anchorage and THEN dispersed to the shipping companies. Adds a big charge for extra shipping.

Anything I order in the lower 48 normally has free shipping... to anywhere in the lower 48.
No problem. I have it shipped to the MyConnect address in Tacoma, with my MyConnect account number attached, and then set my destination as Anchorage.
Before hand, I get the dimensions and weights of each box that is being shipped, and the MyConnect site lets you automatically calculate how much your shipping will be.

Its slow, but you must consider the semi-mystical thing known as "Alaska Time". No one here either gives or believes in an ETA. It will get done when it gets done. Such is the nature of things here.

 

[BourbonRunner]

The reason the Carlile MyConnect route is so cheap is that its slow. Its basically a barge that goes from Washington to Anchorage. Average trip is about 8-12 days.

Your bud in Palmer does have to pay more simply because the stuff there has to be taken, packaged and then trucked over the Chugach from Palmer down to Anchorage and THEN dispersed to the shipping companies. Adds a big charge for extra shipping.

Anything I order in the lower 48 normally has free shipping... to anywhere in the lower 48.
No problem. I have it shipped to the MyConnect address in Tacoma, with my MyConnect account number attached, and then set my destination as Anchorage.
Before hand, I get the dimensions and weights of each box that is being shipped, and the MyConnect site lets you automatically calculate how much your shipping will be.

Its slow, but you must consider the semi-mystical thing known as "Alaska Time". No one here either gives or believes in an ETA. It will get done when it gets done. Such is the nature of things here.

Makes total sense. If you want to PM me the MyConnect address I can relay it to her when she's active again tomorrow. I asked her to send me a full price sheet with specs for shipping crates. I'll post that here when I get it.

If anything, from the few pics ive seen of the RTT it seems to check all of my boxes- 4 season capable, heater port, internal lighting and storage, load bars and an X-brace with a front window by the foot. Only thing I'm missing from this specific one is a skylight for star gazing. I can always add 12v ports for our devices.

And yes, he's told me about Alaska Time. He referred to it as a much frostier version of "island time."

 

[drexotic]

Looks like this company make the cap sold by Openroad4wd and others I'm seeing on there road regularly.

 

[BourbonRunner]

Looks like this company make the cap sold by Openroad4wd and others I'm seeing on there road regularly.

Might be the case. There's a ton of similar caps out there, I don't know if any one company is at this point the OEM for them or they're all just bogarting each other's IP that was bogarted from SmartCap or others.

 

[Bandit’s Lair]

If this goes forward and someone gets those internal shelves I’d love to get some basic dimensions. Been waiting for OVS to put some out but so far it hasn’t happened. I’d like that option on 1 side of my current cap but not getting rid of a perfectly working cap to replace it with another cap.

 

[BourbonRunner]

If this goes forward and someone gets those internal shelves I’d love to get some basic dimensions. Been waiting for OVS to put some out but so far it hasn’t happened. I’d like that option on 1 side of my current cap but not getting rid of a perfectly working cap to replace it with another cap.

I think you're going to be waiting a while- best I can tell is OVS is discontinuing the canopy for a combination RTT/topper.

I screwed around with some prototyping on Send Cut Send the other night before I stumbled onto this seller. You might be able to have them custom made but it would need to be two separate pieces that bolt together.

That said I'll certainly send you the measurements. I originally only planned on one side box but for the price getting both just made sense.

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