LabRak FJ80 Rear Cargo Shelf Install/Review

[CVT Cascadia Vehicle Tents]

Jerry, you might want to get with many folks on this thread then:

Problem with MetricTLC Leather Kit - Support yet again = Vaporware

Trust is a tough thing to re-establish in business. Too bad as it looks like a well thought out and constructed item, but a Shane transaction reminds me of that saying, "NOS is like a hot chick with an STD, you want to hit it, but you're afraid of the consequences."

Jerry does not do anything either. He hides behind everything. Will not answer calls. Both he a shane are no good in our book.
They (LabRak) owe us over $3300 now for 6 months. No product. No updates. Nothing. They have also kept money from a few other folks for months and have not given them anything as well. They have deleted all of the customers comments and now shut down their IG page. We will never recommend them. This is not the only time this has happened. We are taking them to court. He wanted this and asked for it. We are very forgiving but he does not give a sh-t!

Do Not Use Them!

There are also tons of threads where this is happening to a lot of folks.

 

[CVT Cascadia Vehicle Tents]

Jerry, is it your intent to rectify the issues that are still outstanding... meaning giving refunds, etc to those affected by Shane in the past?
I was able to get a refund from Shane back in 2006 when he sent me the wrong stuff but it wasnt without a ton of pestering on my end and threats.
I have been on MUD for 10 years and if you guys working with Shane want to win back the loyalty of this forum, the best way to do it is to refund those affected. I know it is not easy as Shane has likely spent all the money sent to him over the years but it is the right thing to do and there are threads that go back years complaining about him. That money he stole was hard earned by many here on the forum and he stole it without even a concern.
You guys here at MUD are too nice and forgiving IMO. In many other forums, folks would have tracked a hustler like Shane down at this home and confronted him regardless of whatever random illness he claims to have again this week.
And for those MUD folks that can visit Shane's place of business... why dont you ask for him to refund your fellow MUD members money? That would be the best thing you guys could ever do for this forum...

It is still the same s***. He is screwing anyone who does not have a leg to stand on. If you use paypal or a cc you will get your money but if you sent it via Jenn you wont.
Jerry is just as bad as Shane.

They are both a piece of work.

 

[jaymar]

I'm fairly new to MUD but wanted to share a new product a friend in my local Cruiser club shared with me. I carry a lot of gear and I'm always looking for more storage in my 80. LabRak recently developed a cargo shelf that looked like it would fit my needs perfectly. The shelf exceeded my expectations in build quality and functionality. So, I decided to share.

It bolts to the 3rd row grab handle locations, behind the second row seats and allows you to use the top 8" of space that typically can't be used. I like it a lot.

Install/Review:
The packaging was pretty impressive. After opening the cardboard box I found the whole thing wrapped in heavy paper to avoid scuffing.


All the mounting brackets were wrapped in bubble wrap and zip tied to the rack. Looks UPS proof to me.


Always a plus.


The rack is heavy gauge square mesh that looks like it will never sag, with thick steel mounting brackets. The whole thing has a very nice powder coat finish. The mounting hardware is stainless carriage bolts & stainless flanged nylock nuts. It's all high quality.

I did notice no installation instructions. Doesn't look difficult but instructions are always nice.

I assembled the rack before installing it. The shelf drops into the side brackets making it very strong. The keyed holes and carriage bolts made assembly very quick and easy. I had to play with the spacing a little before installation. I like the location.


The side brackets bolt directly in the third row grab handle mounting holes (remove the handles). They fit perfectly. The spacers and necessary hardware is provided. I determined they mounted with the bolt holes forward. It's pretty obvious.


Because I pre-assembled the rack I needed a second person to hold the rack while installing the bolts & spacers in the grab handle locations. In hindsight I think you could install the side brackets, then rack, then front guard. I'm not taking it apart to test this, just a theory.



I don't have a barrier so used the front guard. Mounting it is very easy and straight forward. It mounts just like the side brackets with carriage bolts.

After assembly was compete I noticed a couple spare bolts.


The Test:
I ran about 100 mile of the OR Back Country Discovery Route #3 on my way to a family camping trip. The rack remained solid. No creaks or rattles. I slept in the truck Friday night so the above head storage was very nice.

One thing I really like is the quick access. The smaller things I usually lose are right there easy to find.


I have a Foxwing awning, the poles and tie downs were always in the way or lost. Now they're easily accessible through the side window and not in the way. I'm pretty happy.


You do lose a little visibility through the back window. Personally I carry a lot of gear and gave up on seeing through the back window a long time ago.

Can you post up a shot of the rearview mirror, as you're looking at it? Just wondering how much of the view is obscured by the rack...