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What's up with RS FAB?
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RainierSyncro
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PostPosted: Thu Jul 27, 2017 10:36 am    Post subject: Re: What's up with RS FAB? Reply with quote

People might have to make a personal visit to his shop. Anybody in AZ that can stop by to find out what's going on? Seems like a killer product.
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Ahwahnee
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PostPosted: Thu Jul 27, 2017 11:59 am    Post subject: Re: What's up with RS FAB? Reply with quote

Where in AZ?
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gcat
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PostPosted: Wed Aug 02, 2017 12:33 pm    Post subject: Re: What's up with RS FAB? Reply with quote

I think he's in mesa az I hope all is well but just would like a status update his phone is disconnected and can't find the contact info on the website anymore
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PostPosted: Wed Aug 02, 2017 1:59 pm    Post subject: Re: What's up with RS FAB? Reply with quote

gcat wrote:
I think he's in mesa az I hope all is well but just would like a status update his phone is disconnected and can't find the contact info on the website anymore

It shows up, top banner, center page. Not sure if it's good info but it's there. I'm waiting to see how this plays out before I order too. Popcorn
http://rsfabparts.com/contact/
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PostPosted: Wed Aug 02, 2017 3:06 pm    Post subject: Re: What's up with RS FAB? Reply with quote

gcat wrote:
I think he's in mesa az I hope all is well but just would like a status update his phone is disconnected and can't find the contact info on the website anymore


He (Ray Miller) posted yesterday requesting a dialogue on the Vanagon Owners Group Facebook group. It's a closed group, but here's the link:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/154433611260033/permalink/1386319521404763/
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Vnyd Dog
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PostPosted: Wed Aug 02, 2017 3:34 pm    Post subject: Re: What's up with RS FAB? Reply with quote

If anyone could post up any pertinent info from the FB page would be awesome. I'm not into FB so can't access the site.
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flomulgator
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PostPosted: Wed Aug 02, 2017 4:05 pm    Post subject: Re: What's up with RS FAB? Reply with quote

Excerpt as requested:
"Good evening ladies and gentlemen.
First of all, I would like to thank all who support RS Fab by purchasing our products. I am posting this to get some feedback, both good & bad. I would like to give a little history lesson to those who haven't been here since the start of RS Fab, a pet project that has turned into something much more.
When I first envisioned RS Fab, I was going through a tough divorce, living in a different state, starting a new life with an old friend. Oddly enough, we were both going through a lot of the same things. I was in a position new to me. Being an avid Volkswagen fan my whole life, owning a '79 Rabbit, '05 Gti, '63 Kombi and for a brief time a '63 Type III Squareback. I had two children from my previous marriage, a baby in the future and two more from my new girlfriend. We needed more space and set out to get something a little more modern than my Splitte, and more importantly, safer. “I found a Vanagon in Austin,” I told my girlfriend. I packed some tools and parts, hopped a Greyhound, and showed up on the gentleman's porch 16 hours later and purchased it. A little parking lot mechanics, and I was on the road, drove 5 hours back to Broussard, LA. It was a whole new platform to tinker with. Throughout my whole life, my father and I worked together on my vehicles; always redesigning things and manufacturing parts to make things a little better. We had developed a new shifter which I really enjoyed, shared some photos; next thing you know, Bam! I have a company. When I started the company, I worked at an electric forklift company based out of Addison, TX, called Malin. I was a mobile mechanic working out of my home, and drove all over the upper half of Louisiana north of I-10. This lead to a lot of windshield time and time to think. During this time in my life, I had a lot of time to ponder and exercise/make my projects come to reality.
Fast track to 2017, I've moved back to Arizona and went back to my previous job at Otis Elevator. I have a large family now, less time because of work requirements. The business has grown, more than I had ever expected. Now I have found myself in an unfamiliar situation. Sales on shifters and other odds & ends has allowed the business to grow. But how much more? Over the last couple of months, I seem to be getting farther behind. I had to step back and see what was happening. This is what I found: with the demands from my new job back in Arizona, with all the new opportunites with my children as they grow... Wow, it's become difficult to continue my more than full time job, side business and a healthy family life. What do I do? How do I divvy up my time so my passion for Volkswagens doesn't take time away from the other important things? Do I slow down at RS Fab, allowing more time for my family or be more successful at my job? Do I need to put some more of my eggs into the RS Fab basket? Keep pushing hard, complete more products so that some day I have more freedom to take a couple hours off in the middle of the day to take my children to lunch during school? Do I start throwing out the idea of Subaru conversions, done to the level I can appreciate? Or do I sell my products to distributors so the can handle the feedback from & offer a better experience for the customer? The whole purpose of this post was to get some feedback from the community which started this amazing trip. I know I'm going to get some flack from the ones still waiting on linkage rod kits I promised would be out almost a year ago... or people still waiting on black knobs for shifters in which my supplier is having import issues. That is what these groups really excel at, ideas! Comment if you have any. Thank you again for your time; this has been a lengthy post.
Your friend,
Ray Miller [email protected]
FEEL FREE TO POST TO OTHER FORUMS AND GROUPS THAT MIGHT BE OF INTEREST."
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Wellington
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PostPosted: Wed Aug 02, 2017 5:36 pm    Post subject: Re: What's up with RS FAB? Reply with quote

You seem to have made a product that there is a demand for. You lack the time to make it.
Simple, subcontract the work out to a machine shop, and distribute the product.
You have completed the R&D, and have proven reliability. Now just get it made!!
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erste
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PostPosted: Wed Aug 02, 2017 6:32 pm    Post subject: Re: What's up with RS FAB? Reply with quote

Wellington wrote:
You seem to have made a product that there is a demand for. You lack the time to make it.
Simple, subcontract the work out to a machine shop, and distribute the product.
You have completed the R&D, and have proven reliability. Now just get it made!!


And then get vendors (gowesty, vancafe, t3, rmw) to handle individual sales.

Granted, it's a niche market, but it could still work out.
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PostPosted: Wed Aug 02, 2017 6:34 pm    Post subject: Re: What's up with RS FAB? Reply with quote

Sorry, my messages seem to be leading people astray. I am not Ray Miller nor do I have any business association with him. I am one of those who paid for a shift linkage a long time ago. I excerpted what Ray posted on Facebook yesterday.
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erste
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PostPosted: Wed Aug 02, 2017 7:38 pm    Post subject: Re: What's up with RS FAB? Reply with quote

flomulgator wrote:
Sorry, my messages seem to be leading people astray. I am not Ray Miller nor do I have any business association with him. I am one of those who paid for a shift linkage a long time ago. I excerpted what Ray posted on Facebook yesterday.


Laughing
I was just assuming he knows or would eventually read this thread Very Happy
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Abscate Premium Member
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PostPosted: Wed Aug 02, 2017 7:50 pm    Post subject: Re: What's up with RS FAB? Reply with quote

Old fart translation, and I say this wishing this gentleman well, in the sincerest way...

I'm asked all the time..." I can't decide if I want a job or start my own business"

Me: you have already decided.

( Stolen from Guy Zkawasaki)

Upshot:Customer feedback can't guide you on this.
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Vnyd Dog
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 08, 2017 3:00 pm    Post subject: Re: What's up with RS FAB? Reply with quote

And so does from that post, is he still actually making his product or throwing in the towel? That mea culpa is a bit confusing but maybe he's posted more. Again, not on FB.
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Sodo
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 08, 2017 5:53 pm    Post subject: Re: What's up with RS FAB? Reply with quote

To assume someone knows how to make something, THAT this person should also know how to run a business, is a common misconception.

To assume that experience purchasing things as a customer, that you would know then all the important details a business owner must accomplish, and be adept at, resulting in far more successes than failures, is common too. It doesn't work that way. There's much more going on in the background that you could ever assume.

It is very common for the "creator" to be a poor businessman. And vice versa, the skilled businessman is often a poor creator (of parts). Each has his own skillset, and rarely does one type of person possess the skills to do both. Often it's best for the person to do one and NOT attempt the other. You can't advise Mr. RSFab with what you wish him to be. He's doing what he can, which is create, and have a family, and the steady income required for a family. Business is a 'whole nuther' thing.

I don't think there's a lot of opportunity for Vanagon accessories producers as a main source of income. They all need more going on than just the Vanagon market. That's a tough row to hoe. I hope you guys get the stuff you ordered, - or - that Mr. RSfab has the $ to pay you back if he can't get it done.
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 08, 2017 8:47 pm    Post subject: I do hope... Reply with quote

I do hope if he can't keep up with his production--for whatever reasons, and his is the call as to the merits of them--that he perhaps allows one of our other fine aftermarket producers to make them by mutually profitable agreement. His midline shifter joint looks useful and practical, I'd be curious to find out.

Best!
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cactuskombi
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 08, 2017 11:20 pm    Post subject: Re: What's up with RS FAB? Reply with quote

I just ordered a BigShot shifter from Ray.

This is after reading all the posts on here about stuff arriving late and so on.

I'm in Auckland, New Zealand so that might take a while Cool

There are many people like Ray in this world. Realities of life always get in the way. Currently I am juggling, fulltime work, fulltime study, running a business, running a Juniors football team and so on, before I get to family, kids and friends.

I love VWs and my T3 1980 Doka is a gem. But last year the shifter just didnt seem right anymore and progressively got worse. i have been bearing with it until I did the internet search thing and found some videos on rebuilding the factory shifters.

Being at this end of town, makes things a little difficult to get freightwise. Amongst my search came up links to the BigShot sifter and eventually to RSFab.

Ray has got a good website, all setup for info and sales. The product from reviews here appears to be great.

Ray took a few days to reply to my emails but he did and I paid.

But, if he finds it difficult to manufacture, take someones suggestion and farm it out. Do the easy stuff. Be the designer and engineer, rather than the boy in the workshop. This will allow development of more wonderful products that Ray might have ideas for already.

Communicate well and let people know that their emails may not be answered superquick.

It is Winter here and my Doka is laid up so I can do other stuff on it , such as installing 44 webers , etc. In 8 weeks I intend to do a trip in it with my family. It would be really nice to have a nice new shifter taking my mind off the shifting duties...

All the best to Ray.
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PostPosted: Wed Aug 09, 2017 2:37 am    Post subject: Re: What's up with RS FAB? Reply with quote

Hey I live over the ditch in Gosford NSW and have had one of Rays big shot shifters fitted for aprox 2 years now and it is fantastic. A mate who only has 1 arm just installed the Big Shot for Auto box and also loves it. By the time you rebuild a stock shifter you could get the Big Shot and be done with it.
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PostPosted: Wed Aug 09, 2017 2:53 am    Post subject: Re: What's up with RS FAB? Reply with quote

Luckyphil wrote:
A mate who only has 1 arm just installed the Big Shot for Auto box and also loves it.


It's not Beven, is it? (1:25) (Not safe for panty-waisted idjits)

Link


BTW- This is from BROADCAST Television.
I fuckin love Oz!
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PostPosted: Wed Aug 09, 2017 4:13 am    Post subject: Re: What's up with RS FAB? Reply with quote

If I pay upfront to a small business for future product, I'm completely prepared to lose the money, and to not gripe about it.

Otherwise, charge my card on shipment like the rest of the world.

Sodo hit nail on head with the business aspect. I make a third of my living trying to help people in high tech sell their stuff.

Reading deeply between the lines, if you sent money here, I would write it off, but as always, I wish everyone success and good outcomes.
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PostPosted: Wed Aug 09, 2017 6:29 am    Post subject: Re: What's up with RS FAB? Reply with quote

It looks like rsfab is getting some straight talk on fb. A few folks are wishy washy about his fake conundrum (whether to go into business) but about half are calling him on his bs for taking money and not responding. Right now, his only consideration should be giving money back to folks who gave it to him for product he hasn't delivered.

Geeze, the dude has time to whine on fb about personal trivialities but doesn't make time to communicate with customers who've given him money. He's confused and doesn't have the critical thinking skills to make decisions. Countless businesses based on a great product idea have failed in the same way.
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