Good to hear an update. My 73 (the Burrito) is at Tor's now for a transplant, will follow in Bean's footsteps over the next 30 days. Sounds like you are happy with the eRod/LC9 - how are you liking the Speedhut gear? thx
Bean! My FJ60 build and adventure (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter theron
- Start date
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New too, might paint my truck red as soon as I decide to paint it.
- Thread starter
- #183
Loving the Speedhut gauges, worthy upgrade
- Joined
- Jun 21, 2011
- Threads
- 232
- Messages
- 21,773
- Location
- Redding, California
- Website
- trail-tailor.com
Maddie! Got any sisters for my cruiser?
Love your Instagram too!
Love your Instagram too!
- Thread starter
- #186
There are hardly any Toyota's in Mexico. I figure I've seen maybe 3 after driving around 2,900km the past few weeks in the country....everyone has Nissan NP300 trucks, which look pretty rad. But that all changed once I hit Belize! So many Toyotas everywhere. Even some of their buses are Toyota's with snorkels.
But I ran into a few mechanical problems out on the road this time. Everything gets really difficult when you're away from home....away from fast internet and traditional parts and resources. Central America simply doesn't have many old Land Cruisers out there. Thankfully I did find a Toyota shop in Belize. My main problems:
1) Rear diff was leaking and getting worse at the pinion seal
2) Broken rear sway bar mount
3) My front drive shaft is shot, it's rattling like hell and getting worse @ the slip joint after 20k miles
The shop in Belize actually had the Toyota diff seal so that got fixed quick. And they had a wrecked FJ60 in their junkyard for the sway bar mount...but no dice on the front drive shaft. Today I drove 3 hours back north to Orange Walk and hit up some leads on drive shaft folks + other junkyards but all the solutions were cutting poor fitting + rusty drive shafts and then welding something together for $250-300 USD....I figured I'd roll the dice on the one I have right now...def a bummer because I'd hate to lose 4x4 in Baja and my truck sounds like a huge rattle can
Up on the lift at Belize Diesel, one of the few options of a place having Toyota parts in Mexico/Belize. A good option for aftermarket parts in Belize is Westrac. My truck is so clean in this photo! I was nice and got a car wash before stopping in
Broken sway bar mount
Front spring is starting to shift, gotta get it fixed back in the States
The shop offered to change my front diff oil + transfer case for free, really nice of 'em. The front wasn't too bad (photo) but the rear was terrible from the seal going out
Lots of awesome Land Cruisers and Hilux's in Belize
Quickly learned there is nothing cheap about Belize. 6 pack of beer made in Belize is $10 USD....not that bad but after coming from Mexico where you can get a 6 pack for $4.50 USD it's a jump
Gas in Belize was around $4-5 USD depending on proximity to a big city
But I ran into a few mechanical problems out on the road this time. Everything gets really difficult when you're away from home....away from fast internet and traditional parts and resources. Central America simply doesn't have many old Land Cruisers out there. Thankfully I did find a Toyota shop in Belize. My main problems:
1) Rear diff was leaking and getting worse at the pinion seal
2) Broken rear sway bar mount
3) My front drive shaft is shot, it's rattling like hell and getting worse @ the slip joint after 20k miles
The shop in Belize actually had the Toyota diff seal so that got fixed quick. And they had a wrecked FJ60 in their junkyard for the sway bar mount...but no dice on the front drive shaft. Today I drove 3 hours back north to Orange Walk and hit up some leads on drive shaft folks + other junkyards but all the solutions were cutting poor fitting + rusty drive shafts and then welding something together for $250-300 USD....I figured I'd roll the dice on the one I have right now...def a bummer because I'd hate to lose 4x4 in Baja and my truck sounds like a huge rattle can
Up on the lift at Belize Diesel, one of the few options of a place having Toyota parts in Mexico/Belize. A good option for aftermarket parts in Belize is Westrac. My truck is so clean in this photo! I was nice and got a car wash before stopping in
Broken sway bar mount
Front spring is starting to shift, gotta get it fixed back in the States
The shop offered to change my front diff oil + transfer case for free, really nice of 'em. The front wasn't too bad (photo) but the rear was terrible from the seal going out
Lots of awesome Land Cruisers and Hilux's in Belize
Quickly learned there is nothing cheap about Belize. 6 pack of beer made in Belize is $10 USD....not that bad but after coming from Mexico where you can get a 6 pack for $4.50 USD it's a jump
Gas in Belize was around $4-5 USD depending on proximity to a big city
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My wife just flew into Belize yesterday. I'll tell her to keep an eye out for bean. Seems like a pretty awesome looking country.
How many miles have you put on the cruiser now?
How many miles have you put on the cruiser now?
- Thread starter
- #189
I've been trying to figure out for the past few days if I should do this long term update on my James Baroud tent or not....but I believe if anyone out there is about to spend $3000 they deserve to see all sides ya know
My quick long term summary of my James Baroud roof top tent: it's a very risky buy + they have poor customer service and warranty
So James Baroud USA is really just OK 4WD out of NJ. Although they present themselves as James Baroud itself when it's convenient but when I had a warranty issue they raised their hands and said they were actually just a vendor and this is a problem for "HQ". From my perspective if you're going to act like you are actually the brand when you sell a product you should also stand behind it in the tough times.
Over a month ago I submitted a warranty claim that the fibre glass on my tent was starting to separate. I sent along the 2 photos below to show the separation and that there wasn't any hard/direct blow or indentation from a strike. But maybe y'all feel differently? Take a peep at the photos
James Baroud's first response: We will not warranty this as we don't see it as a manufacturing defect
Their response was a huge bummer because I've been such a fan of their product and have sung it's praise over on my Instagram account. After they denied the claim I hopped on twitter and simply said I was bummed that my warranty wasn't honored....and only after tweeting did they call me back and offer to "take a further look and potentially offer a repair." From my shoes it's a damn shame you have to tweet @ a company to get honest support these days.
So! The most recent update to all of this, which is after many emails and phone calls, is that they now want to see the tent in person back in NJ. I'm dropping my tent off to be shipped back next week but if in the end they still decide to deny my warranty I'll have to pay for shipping costs.
Right from the start James Baroud USA / OK 4WD has treated me like the bad guy, like I'm trying to hoodwink them and that's pretty heartbreaking if I'm honest about it. If anyone has ever been to an REI for example you know how wonderful their customer support is and I suppose I expect all companies that are trying to succeeded to approach each situation and customer like they do.
James Baroud does have an innovative product with their tent design, I love the extra space pop up, but I wouldn't buy one again.
My quick long term summary of my James Baroud roof top tent: it's a very risky buy + they have poor customer service and warranty
So James Baroud USA is really just OK 4WD out of NJ. Although they present themselves as James Baroud itself when it's convenient but when I had a warranty issue they raised their hands and said they were actually just a vendor and this is a problem for "HQ". From my perspective if you're going to act like you are actually the brand when you sell a product you should also stand behind it in the tough times.
Over a month ago I submitted a warranty claim that the fibre glass on my tent was starting to separate. I sent along the 2 photos below to show the separation and that there wasn't any hard/direct blow or indentation from a strike. But maybe y'all feel differently? Take a peep at the photos
James Baroud's first response: We will not warranty this as we don't see it as a manufacturing defect
Their response was a huge bummer because I've been such a fan of their product and have sung it's praise over on my Instagram account. After they denied the claim I hopped on twitter and simply said I was bummed that my warranty wasn't honored....and only after tweeting did they call me back and offer to "take a further look and potentially offer a repair." From my shoes it's a damn shame you have to tweet @ a company to get honest support these days.
So! The most recent update to all of this, which is after many emails and phone calls, is that they now want to see the tent in person back in NJ. I'm dropping my tent off to be shipped back next week but if in the end they still decide to deny my warranty I'll have to pay for shipping costs.
Right from the start James Baroud USA / OK 4WD has treated me like the bad guy, like I'm trying to hoodwink them and that's pretty heartbreaking if I'm honest about it. If anyone has ever been to an REI for example you know how wonderful their customer support is and I suppose I expect all companies that are trying to succeeded to approach each situation and customer like they do.
James Baroud does have an innovative product with their tent design, I love the extra space pop up, but I wouldn't buy one again.
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Shoot, so stay away from James Baroud. Check.
Wow that is a bummer. How long have you had it? Is water leaking through those cracks? Definitely not the customer service I would have expected.
- Thread starter
- #192
I've had the tent on my roof for 35k miles and less than 8 months. We'll see what the final outcome is but it def shouldn't have been this difficult
Wow. That's barely into short term testing territory. With a price tag like that I'd want it to last a decade or more with out major issues. Good luck with a replacement and hopefully that one lasts longer!
Finally caught up on your travels and write up. thanks for sharing so much detail and the great pics.
Are you a freelance photog or an employee?
Jealous either way.
Are you a freelance photog or an employee?
Jealous either way.
torfab
Supporting Vendor
There are a hundred wiring harnesses in this truck, so you might have to be more specific on that question. Most of the harnesses are made with custom wiring though, nothing off the shelf.
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ModisetteJ
SILVER Star
Loving this thread! About to buy my first cruiser. Curious, do you have a lift on your cruiser? Or is it just super weighed down in every picture? My cruiser has 33's on it with a 2" lift, and for me the lift is a little excessive to me. I feel like your's is a good balance though.
torfab
Supporting Vendor
normally we build the engine harness from the old 5.3 wiring, but the erod engine comes with its own harness.
Theron -
I have followed your postings for a while now and am a big fan of you, your photography and your truck. It is always a pleasure to see it in person at Torfab, as two weeks ago (I was the guy in the Lexus delivering parts).
As a "young" importer/dealer of Land Cruiser parts, your challenges with the jersey boys is a great lesson for me in how NOT to build relationships, reputation and brand in our community.
I am sorry for your challenges and hope that they see the light and make it right. If it is any small comfort, please know that my partner and I will try to learn from your experience in our own business dealings.
Thanks for taking the time to document the issue, your efforts and (hopefully) a positive resolution.
Ward
I have followed your postings for a while now and am a big fan of you, your photography and your truck. It is always a pleasure to see it in person at Torfab, as two weeks ago (I was the guy in the Lexus delivering parts).
As a "young" importer/dealer of Land Cruiser parts, your challenges with the jersey boys is a great lesson for me in how NOT to build relationships, reputation and brand in our community.
I am sorry for your challenges and hope that they see the light and make it right. If it is any small comfort, please know that my partner and I will try to learn from your experience in our own business dealings.
Thanks for taking the time to document the issue, your efforts and (hopefully) a positive resolution.
Ward
I've been trying to figure out for the past few days if I should do this long term update on my James Baroud tent or not....but I believe if anyone out there is about to spend $3000 they deserve to see all sides ya know
So James Baroud USA is really just OK 4WD out of NJ. Although they present themselves as James Baroud itself when it's convenient but when I had a warranty issue they raised their hands and said they were actually just a vendor and this is a problem for "HQ". From my perspective if you're going to act like you are actually the brand when you sell a product you should also stand behind it in the tough times.
Over a month ago I submitted a warranty claim that the fibre glass on my tent was starting to separate. I sent along the 2 photos below to show the separation and that there wasn't any hard/direct blow or indentation from a strike. But maybe y'all feel differently? Take a peep at the photos
So! The most recent update to all of this, which is after many emails and phone calls, is that they now want to see the tent in person back in NJ. I'm dropping my tent off to be shipped back next week but if in the end they still decide to deny my warranty I'll have to pay for shipping costs.
Right from the start James Baroud USA / OK 4WD has treated me like the bad guy, like I'm trying to hoodwink them and that's pretty heartbreaking if I'm honest about it. If anyone has ever been to an REI for example you know how wonderful their customer support is and I suppose I expect all companies that are trying to succeeded to approach each situation and customer like they do.
James Baroud does have an innovative product with their tent design, I love the extra space pop up, but I wouldn't buy one again.
