Grant wrote:Which 4x4 dealers are you refering to ? I would also like to know where you go to have your extra's fitted.
Kagiso II wrote:this is bad and sad - these "4x4 dealers" are quick to collect the moola - but the service delivery is not in line with the exuberant prices they charge .
Dave - come through Pretoria by any chance? I have the 55-liter fuel tank [the red plastic one] it fits snugly sideways on the Patrol roof rack] - you are welcome to loan it - come fetch and go enjoy your vacation [it has piping & filter attached so you don't have to struggle to get the fuel in your tank
daa'sy - nou's ik klaa' ingils ge tik vir di eres van hirri jaar...
Hi Grant
Seeing as you asked – let me reply [as complete as possible (i.o.w. as memory allows)] of personal experiences of 4x4 Fitment Centres that botched work on my vehicles:
- “Extra Mile” – fitted an extra tank to my Sani. On the morning of departure on an outreach, the filler pipe came loose and some 20 litre of petrol was running on the driveway before I noticed it when I came out the forecourt shop [the attendant was also merrily chatting away with a passing female] – The group left without me – I only got going at 11:00 that day and I had to catch up a day later. In the Selinda forest reserve another pipe came off and I lost some 40 litre of petrol in the ‘sandpaadjies” of Botswana. On return I took the car back to them to rectify – they never fixed it – instead, they damaged the tank to the extend I had to throw it away. [R3800 down the drain]
- Big Country 4x4 – [when they were still in Menlyn; Garsfontein Road] The same Sani with another tank was taken to them – they damaged the inner fender of the Sani, made a hash of the piping and that tank could never receive petrol – then the owner went and bullied Dwergie into paying him for the job while I was on an outreach in Botswana.
- 4x4 Mega World – I bought a drawer system from them – as displayed in their shop (where previously Big Country 4x4 had been). The drawer they installed was NOT the same as the one on display. They displayed one that could take the larger ammo box, 3 of. The one I got installed cannot even take 3 brown ammo boxes [it wont go in sideways] I can only fit 2, length wise] The refused to take it back – and came with the story that that model is not for my Hard Body.
- “Bruce” [advertising snorkels at R1800.oo in Gumtree] – Sold and fitted me a snorkel for Boezman [the ONLY snorkel for Hard Body I could find] – The “head section” BROKE off on the road between Sesfontein & Purros AND it cracked along the bottom – 3mm wide, 30cm long
- Safari Centre – Fitted KC High-lites (not “cheap stuff” you would agree??? )on the Patrol, directly on the plastic bumper protrudes. One broke off on the Namaqua 4x4 route on our way to Richtersveldt. They damaged the wiring which caused the light fittings to melt [you can verify with JG, he helped me replace the light fittings] – They managed to fit the replacement spotlights so that the spots would come on even if the headlights were not eve switched on – instead of only switching on when on BRIGHT .. [a legal requirement I think?] – Now, I sit with gaping big holes on Agarob’s Bumpers (luckily I could buy Izak’s bumper off his Patrol and he gifted me his nudge bar – so, after a bumper respray, I can have Agarob looking descent again .. Only, I am too scared to ask any workshop to do the job for me … J]
- LA Sport: Centurion – I took Brutus to them to have the spare wheel carrier and roof rack fitted. The spare wheel rattled to such an extend, we did not even make the Botswana border post of Zanzibar. I had to pack the spare wheel on my roof rack. The brackets they used for the roof rack, broke. When I wanted to buy new ones I was informed that Front Runner don’t make those brackets any more .. I had to buy the “rail” system [at R1 600] to fit the roof rack to. Which I then did. Then the Menlyn branch kept me on “a line” for 3 months, but never could supply me with the brackets that slide into those rails.
- Wild Africa 4x4 – I took Boezman to them to weld-fix the 2 broken brackets and fit the roofrack on Boezman. I also handed them the Nissan Long Range Tank, the plastic 65 litre one that fits above the spare wheel [the tank gifted to me by VANMAN of the Nissan forum] and also requested them to have the crack on the snorkel repaired. – Then we left for Malawi – A week later than promised, the vehicle was still not completed and I had to call off a planned trip and cancel reservations we had made. At last, when I got Boezman back, they had discarded the brackets I supplied and fitted the hated rails on Boezman [Now I am stuck with forever driving with the roof rack on, causing a LOT of wind noise and lots of extra fuel consumption] Secondly, they REMOVED my fender that the snorkel was fitted to and replaced it with a non-Nissan fender – and never had the snorkel fixed. The cherry on top – they discarded the plastic tank I provided and fitted a stainless steel tank to Boezman. On the first trip thereafter [yes, you guessed it – an Outreach to Botswana – the l/r tank would not fill up – and I had to revert to jerry cans. On our return I had to take the vehicle back to them 3 times before the filling problem on the tank was sorted. Now, when I fill up and drive off road, I have a strong diesel smell .. I suspect the tank or the piping has sprung a leak.
- So – as you can see – I have had NO good experience with ANY of the 4x4 Fitment centres I had dealings with over a stretch of years.
- Can anybody suggest an honest, capable, effective 4x4 fitment centre within reach of Garsfontein, Pretoria area???
