I can say first hand Kevin is awesome. I had a slight issue with my fairing and he called me asked me to send a couple pics which I did and then he called me right back with a solution. I personally never had an issue with them so no harm done here. So far im loving the slimline bumper and rack
Southern Style Offroad Full Length Roof Rack
- Thread starter Louisiana Overland
- Start date
I can say first hand Kevin is awesome. I had a slight issue with my fairing and he called me asked me to send a couple pics which I did and then he called me right back with a solution. I personally never had an issue with them so no harm done here. So far im loving the slimline bumper and rack
chuffaluffigus
New member
Well I got my rack today. Or at least, like, 30% of it. I got a 15lb box containing the side rails, wind fairing, and mounting hardware but no cross bars at all. The box contained a packing slip showing the cross bars that had them checked off, but they damn sure aren't in the box. SSO hasn't indicated at any point that there might be more than 1 box. In fact, I got an auto generated email from them saying my order had been delivered. I emailed them, but of course it's Saturday so I don't expect to hear back from them until Monday at least. It's just more frustration. If they're coming in a separate box from SSO or the manufacturer of the cross bars that would be fine if they'd told me to expect that. If they forgot them all together then not only is that piss poor, but I can't understand how anyone picked up a 15lb box and thought it contained a complete roof rack. Anyway, wish me luck. At least it saved me the temptation of pulling the tent off and installing the rack today before I leave tomorrow.
edit: Well, Kevin just emailed me back on a Saturday, which I definitely appreciate. He indicated that the crossbars were being drop shipped from the manufacturer.
edit: Well, Kevin just emailed me back on a Saturday, which I definitely appreciate. He indicated that the crossbars were being drop shipped from the manufacturer.
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Are they sent at relatively the same time? Or could the crossbar manufacturer ship the crossbars like a month later?
chuffaluffigus
New member
Absolutely no idea. There wasn't any indication of when to expect them or any kind of tracking number or anything.
Okay. Keep us updated, please!
notoriouslyKEN
New member
How long ago did you place your order?
WizardBlack
New member
Hey, first time poster here.
I bought an SSO rack back in Nov 2018. I got it a week or two past the projected delivery date. It's not a huge deal to me because it takes such a while, but the bars came in in a separate box. My rail/fairing package was busted up (happens a lot in my area) and screws were loose but none were missing. I personally think they should use screws at least 1/4" longer but I have had no issues with it.
Installation was easy; no drilling. Everything fit pretty well. I ordered two or three extra bars to max out every mounting point. It includes some screws and plates to go into the T-slot rails. So far I have only used ratchet straps to fasten lumber and other necessities to the rack.
Overall, the ladder from Gobi made it in only a week or so prior to the rack itself. I am happy with all of it. I also had slight fitment issues with getting the fairing together but nothing terrible.
I get mild wind noise from the rack; mostly with a crosswind. Between that an 2" lift I get 15.1 mpg indicated with mostly city driving. I hope that helps, but everyone needs to understand timing of stuff like this. It takes a big, expensive machine to cut aluminum like these rails. I work in OEM auto manufacturing and everyone is unbelievably overloaded right now so I would just hang tight and be patient. It's an awesome rack.
I bought an SSO rack back in Nov 2018. I got it a week or two past the projected delivery date. It's not a huge deal to me because it takes such a while, but the bars came in in a separate box. My rail/fairing package was busted up (happens a lot in my area) and screws were loose but none were missing. I personally think they should use screws at least 1/4" longer but I have had no issues with it.
Installation was easy; no drilling. Everything fit pretty well. I ordered two or three extra bars to max out every mounting point. It includes some screws and plates to go into the T-slot rails. So far I have only used ratchet straps to fasten lumber and other necessities to the rack.
Overall, the ladder from Gobi made it in only a week or so prior to the rack itself. I am happy with all of it. I also had slight fitment issues with getting the fairing together but nothing terrible.
I get mild wind noise from the rack; mostly with a crosswind. Between that an 2" lift I get 15.1 mpg indicated with mostly city driving. I hope that helps, but everyone needs to understand timing of stuff like this. It takes a big, expensive machine to cut aluminum like these rails. I work in OEM auto manufacturing and everyone is unbelievably overloaded right now so I would just hang tight and be patient. It's an awesome rack.
jtice
New member
Those stages dont mean much,,, mine has said shipping label created (which was the next to last stage) for over a month.
Used the eyenuts supplied then augmented those and the threaded studs from a bolt supply store. Not stainless but much cheaper, I plan to remove the non stainless in the winter anyway as I don’t need those ones then.
notoriouslyKEN
New member
I agree. Initially my order sat on Material Ordered for 5 weeks. Then it skipped some stages and sat on the Grinding Station for almost 4 weeks. Yesterday it moved to Preliminary QC.
My order was place on 4/16. I am leaving for the OBX in 2 weeks. It would have been nice to have the rack in time for the trip, but I have given up on that. Knowing my luck, they'll deliver it the day after we leave and it will just sit on my porch while we're gone.
jtice
New member
Yea, sorry, you may want to forget about having it for your trip
Ordered mine 3-9-19
chuffaluffigus
New member
Sorry for not answering. I've been out of town for a week. I ordered 3/28 like 2 days after I took delivery of my 4Runner. SSO PM'd me here and my crossbars are coming tomorrow. As a humorous little side note, last week after my side rails had already shown up and I already had a tracking number for the cross bars the SSO system emailed me to let me know that my rack had been sent to powder coating.
I don't know what to think at this point. I get a little bent out of shape at this industry asking you to pay 100% up front and then wait patiently, but every company is doing it. That isn't unique to SSO. Honestly, I think where this whole transaction went south for me is when I emailed them the first time asking for an update. I was hoping to have the rack for my trip that I just returned from, but if not it wasn't the end of the world, so I just asked for a quick update. They responded promptly, but they gave me a time frame. That time frame came and went, so I emailed again and they told me my rack was completed and awaiting shipping, and I should have a tracking number by the end of the week. The end of the week came and went and I had no tracking number. I understand shit happens, but they're the ones setting the targets and not hitting them.
At that first email a few weeks ago if they'd just replied with something like, "We've been hit with a large volume of orders and are running a little bit behind. Your rack is currently in the process of being manufactured, and we'll get it out to you as soon as we possibly can." Okay, no problem. Thanks for the update. Giving a time frame so far out that they couldn't possibly fail to hit it would have also been fine. When it starts to get maddening is when you give a time frame, don't hit it, give another time frame, don't hit it, give another time frame, and STILL don't hit it.
jtice
New member
This is getting, almost, comical at this point.
Got an email saying my rack is now "scheduled" for shipment. hahaha, yea, ok, sure.
My shipping label was created a month ago, so not getting my hopes up.
In the mean time...
A buddy of mine designed his own roof rack, using hand made cardboard templates, taking measurements, drawing it up in 3D, subbing out the platework and brackets to be cut by a shop near him, and received said parts,
all in less time than I have been waiting on my rack to ship.
Got an email saying my rack is now "scheduled" for shipment. hahaha, yea, ok, sure.
My shipping label was created a month ago, so not getting my hopes up.
In the mean time...
A buddy of mine designed his own roof rack, using hand made cardboard templates, taking measurements, drawing it up in 3D, subbing out the platework and brackets to be cut by a shop near him, and received said parts,
all in less time than I have been waiting on my rack to ship.
SouthernSS
New member
While we do understand your frustrations with getting your roof rack however we are laser cutting, sanding, powdering and packing 75+ roof racks in one month as opposed to your friend who was able to work solely on his. We are just humans who are working diligently to get out as many roof racks as we can, we had 3600lbs of cross bars delivered on Monday (which have been backordered since the beginning of June) and have had all hands on deck wrapping and checking all the cross bars since then. We thank you for your patience and for choosing SSO.
Your roof rack will be shipping on Friday and the tracking number is 788267083330
T4R_KAI
New member
And to think you ordered your rack a month before me....guess i should expect mine some time in September. At least mine made it to powder coating on 6/26.
notoriouslyKEN
New member
Just got a tracking number! Super excited, although the delivery day is the first day that I won't be home as I'll have left for vacation. I'm hoping I can pick it up at a FedEx center the day before we leave instead. Probably wishful thinking...
