Potential Chinese Topper/Camper Group Buy? (Utah)

[Utah6MT]

What's up everybody? Haven't been super active on here, done lots of reading and learning. Little intro on me: in northern Utah, I have a '25 TRD Off Road Premium with the 6MT (one of those weirdos), first ever new car. Started my career in a 1st Gen Taco, then a 3rd Gen 4Runner, a 100 Series Landcruiser, and an FR-S mixed in for good measure.

I'll get right to it. I have purchased a few big items from Alibaba over the years working with the manufacturers over there. Campers and shells and stuff are insanely expensive anymore, and I have too many hobbies to drop $20k-$50k when I have a nice tent already. Looking to order one of these to try it out:

https://bantrek.com/camper-series/

Been talking to them and trying to get them down to around $3k a unit (plus some shipping likely) if we were to order 10 or so (hopefully can push them even less), and trying to get them to include a bunch of accessories for free(solar or wiring for solar, vent fan, kitchen slide out thing, but also open to the group opinion, we can do some votes or something). I also have them custom building them with the same little window like on the Smartcap to not lose your rear and bed cameras, that was an important one for me.

I've done group buys on forums in the old days, but not in a while. I'm sure I can find somewhere to hold money in escrow and then obviously we'll have to do in person pickup in Northern Utah.

Would anybody be interested in this?

Also just to be clear, not affiliated with this company in any way, I'm not going to be making any money from this or getting mine for free or anything like that, literally just thought it was rad and would like to save a little money on one, figured other people might as well.

They're willing to do video calls and factory walkthroughs and all kinds of things as well.

Questions, comments, and insults are welcome.

Sponsored

 

[aaudiholic]

I’ve had my fair share of hits/misses from Alibaba/Aliexpress. The price is a tad too high for the potential (non-refundable) miss.

 

[lauren01]

You could hold funds on PayPal. I’m not looking for a camper, just tossing that into the thread.

 

[Utah6MT]

I’ve had my fair share of hits/misses from Alibaba/Aliexpress. The price is a tad too high for the potential (non-refundable) miss.

I feel you there. I've been lucky enough to not have been burned yet. Totally understand. I'm hoping if we get enough interest that we can work them farther down on pricing. I'll keep updating the thread with what I hear back!

 

[SilverSurfer]

Surely there's a stateside option. The more we go to offshore, the fewer options we'll find locally.

 

[aaudiholic]

Surely there's a stateside option. The more we go to offshore, the fewer options we'll find locally.

I’m sure the stateside option is also double the cost.

 

[Utah6MT]

Surely there's a stateside option. The more we go to offshore, the fewer options we'll find locally.

There absolutely is,

I’m sure the stateside option is also double the cost.

Probably triple at the minimum at this point, for a soft side wedge unit with no options.

 

[SilverSurfer]

I’m just saying if there was more stateside demand there’d be more manufacturers and prices would come down. Quality would also be higher.

 

[aaudiholic]

I’m just saying if there was more stateside demand there’d be more manufacturers and prices would come down. Quality would also be higher.

Realistically, the price would not come down enough to justify manufacturing that in the United States. I highly doubt they’re gonna sell 50,000 units to fourth GEN Tacoma buyers.
Also, on the quality concern, doubt it would be that big of an issue. The Chinese companies are fully capable of manufacturing high-quality products.

 

[Utah6MT]

I’ve had my fair share of hits/misses from Alibaba/Aliexpress. The price is a tad too high for the potential (non-refundable) miss.

Just curious what price point would get you interested? I want to go to then with as much leverage as I can.

 

[OminousSkitter]

You haven't been burned yet, but have you tried haggling this aggressively? My personal experience with bulk buying from Chinese vendors/manufacturers is that the more you haggle the more closely you have to inspect everything that comes in*; "close enough is good enough" becomes the mantra.

* I wanted to say something like the worse the QC, but that implies they have QC and not all of them do--especially with overseas buyers. The outfits that have good QC normally don't haggle if the order isn't in the thousands (and at that point it's contract negotiations rather than haggling). Again, just my experience.

 

[Utah6MT]

You haven't been burned yet, but have you tried haggling this aggressively? My personal experience with bulk buying from Chinese vendors/manufacturers is that the more you haggle the more closely you have to inspect everything that comes in*; "close enough is good enough" becomes the mantra.

* I wanted to say something like the worse the QC, but that implies they have QC and not all of them do--especially with overseas buyers. The outfits that have good QC normally don't haggle if the order isn't in the thousands (and at that point it's contract negotiations rather than haggling). Again, just my experience.

Fair points across the board. I have done probably ~10 different medium to large orders for all kinds of different things. Led light bars, hydrofoils, and some other random buys.

Not going to pull the trigger unless I can verify all those things, also trying to get an in person inspection of one of the units they already have here stateside.

It's a risk for sure, but the alternative is spending triple. If I can't get to a price and quality that makes sense I won't do it.

 

[SilverSurfer]

I'd rather spend more and get known quality and what I want and move on. This sounds like alot of potential drama for what...a camper shell? I have more important things to do with my free time.

 

[Utah6MT]

I'd rather spend more and get known quality and what I want and move on. This sounds like alot of potential drama for what...a camper shell? I have more important things to do with my free time.

I mean a hard side pop up, yeah. I have too many hobbies to commit $15k to a camper with 0 amenities besides a bed.
But I get it! It's a risk for sure.

I'll probably be moving forward with getting a sample unit, so I'll update the thread with details and photos and all that good stuff if people are interested

Sponsored