Slee SliderStep

Desertdude

Expedition Leader
Willman said:
If i was them....I would go back to the drawing table and try to lower the cost to get more of the market.

Not to diss anyones opinion here but,

What I like about Christo Slee and Slee offroad is that they offer very high end products, and the best customer service for years. Ben over at Slee will answered many questions you might have and remembers every customer by name. What value can we put on this?

Its very easy to see something built already and then suggest that it can be built cheaper. To stay healthy a company needs to make a profit.

Money spent on any Slee product I see as an investment in the company. Lets not tear into a company because a person feels its out of their particular price range.

In this economy it takes everyones help to keep business going, including spreading the good word on excellent products and customer service. :ylsmoke:
 

Redline

Likes to Drive and Ride
x2 for Slee Off Road.

When I was starting my 4Runner build a couple years ago Ben @ Slee knew a bit about the 4Runner platform where many others did not. Ben's friendly, helpful, patient attitude stands out in a huge field of sometimes gruff gearheads who may be great guys/techs but don't know how to speak well on the phone with customers.

I have purchased all my OME suspension stuff from Slee, largely due to Ben.

Desertdude said:
Not to diss anyones opinion here but,

What I like about Christo Slee and Slee offroad is that they offer very high end products, and the best customer service for years. Ben over at Slee will answered many questions you might have and remembers every customer by name. What value can we put on this?

Its very easy to see something built already and then suggest that it can be built cheaper. To stay healthy a company needs to make a profit.

Money spent on any Slee product I see as an investment in the company. Lets not tear into a company because a person feels its out of their particular price range.

In this economy it takes everyones help to keep business going, including spreading the good word on excellent products and customer service. :ylsmoke:
 

sleeoffroad

Adventurer
Willman said:
Looks like a great slider!...Seem the 80 LC version in person....They do good work....

But...

Making my living in the steel business.....They are asking way to much money for those....People are going to pass them up due to the price......I could see $595 to compete with the market......If i was them....I would go back to the drawing table and try to lower the cost to get more of the market.

Just my .02 cents

All I can comment on this is if you can make them for $595 and deliver them to us in Golden based on our standards, quality, specs and time frame I will buy them from you. Professionally welded by certified welders, sandblasted, washed , powder coated and wrapped.

These are not anywhere near a 80 slider. Much more metal and much more details in the fabrication.

It is easy to look at a piece of steel and then think the a product does not contain that much steel, so the price is out of line.

There is a whole business model behind all this and our company that puts prices were the are. I am sorry that it does not always sit well with people, but that it is what it is. Some people might think it is arrogant. However I have seen many people try to do sliders cheap, undercut us, copy us and then they can not deliver and eventually fade away. It takes a certain amount of profit to run a business and try to stay in business.

Another thing people always forget is sliders are a pair, not a single one, you have to make two pieces for that price. A bumper is a single piece.

Just for reference, these are the kind of welds that are on our products.

weld1.jpg

weld2.jpg
 
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bigwapitijohnny

Adventurer
My Stubbs custom sliders were...

Sliders from Stubbs welding = $350

5 Bar aluminum plating from Cutsmetal = $60

Welding of the sliders = $40

Ameraguard coating = $150

Satisfaction of a project done My way = PRICELESS

IMG_1271.jpg


IMG_1272.jpg


IMG_1290.jpg
 

sleeoffroad

Adventurer
Also, by coincidence I just received this from a customer today.


Slee,

Last weekend I was driving to Utah from Colorado when the roads got dangerous just outside of Cheyenne Wyoming. 40+ MPH winds with a very wet snow meant icy roads. Long story short the cruiser went into a slide....I over corrected back and forth about 6 times when I finally went off the road sideways into a street sign. To my surprise when I jumped out to access the damage, the sliders took the brunt of the pole, bending it over completely. The cruiser just slid over it without a scratch to be found on the body. The slider does have a small dent but is in otherwise perfect condition.

I know your products are spendy compared to the others but they just paid for themselves! Thanks again for making such a solid product!

Tim York
 

DaveInDenver

Middle Income Semi-Redneck
No need to say much Christo, there are a lot of people who know what you got going is top shelf. We are uber lucky to have Slee here in town and as a member of the Rising Sun. They've more than once taken care of me even though I don't drive one of their core supported trucks. The fabricators of Slee products are definitely industry leading (think ARB level easily) and the whole organization is strong supporters of Toyota enthusiasts. Sometimes the price of things includes a lot of intangibles that make their value far more than just the raw steel would indicate.
 

sleeoffroad

Adventurer
bigwapitijohnny said:
Sliders from Stubbs welding = $350

5 Bar aluminum plating from Cutsmetal = $60

Welding of the sliders = $40

Ameraguard coating = $150

Satisfaction of a project done My way = PRICELESS

There is definitely satisfaction to do your own sliders and projects, however you have a small piece left out from the above, and that is the time in between the steps to do all those. Unfortunately time is not free.

You have to compare apples to apples. This is not to criticism on you, just pointing out some things.

How long did it take you to prep the frame, weld them on etc.

Did you take them over to the coating place? Did you add that time.

Did you pick up the aluminum from the store. How long to cut that shape, drill the holes, put in the nutsets etc (Nice job on those btw).

Then those sliders are not close to the same design on uses the same material. Also hardware for install is missing etc etc.
 

detailbarn

Adventurer
personally I doubt I'll put another slider on my truck, I even offered Slee extra money to make these for my single cab Tacoma.
 

slooowr6

Explorer
I was ready to order from Slee when I found out the note on their site saying the slider won't fit on a double cab long bed.

Christo,
What is the part that does not fit?

Thx
Alex
 

sleeoffroad

Adventurer
slooowr6 said:
I was ready to order from Slee when I found out the note on their site saying the slider won't fit on a double cab long bed.

Christo,
What is the part that does not fit?

Thx
Alex

The mount against the frame. The long bed truck has a frame that is stretched between the front and rear axle, so the mount does not fit.
 

bigwapitijohnny

Adventurer
sleeoffroad said:
There is definitely satisfaction to do your own sliders and projects, however you have a small piece left out from the above, and that is the time in between the steps to do all those. Unfortunately time is not free.

You have to compare apples to apples. This is not to criticism on you, just pointing out some things.

How long did it take you to prep the frame, weld them on etc.

Did you take them over to the coating place? Did you add that time.

Did you pick up the aluminum from the store. How long to cut that shape, drill the holes, put in the nutsets etc (Nice job on those btw).

Then those sliders are not close to the same design on uses the same material. Also hardware for install is missing etc etc.

When I was young, I always wanted to mod a 4x4 vehicle. I never had the time or money. Now, I have both. I chose to do my own slider project because I could not find a product that met my needs. Your are right, this is not apples to apples. But it is a sense of satisfaction to me and it was worth it.

Personally, I don't have a problem with your price point, in fact, it might make business sense to charge even more...There is always a market for exceptional quality, seamless installation, and product support. It is up to the buyer to consider all these issues and crunch the numbers.

Based upon your product line, I don't think that your market is 'the masses' rather, it is the discriminating ones, with the eye for quality, who have discretionary income,and are willing to part with it. There will always be a market for Mercedes Benz, Tag Heuer, and Pinarello.

I bet you get calls all the time about your 'short bus' bumpers and how they can fab it for half the price. I ran into that when I posted about my front and rear bumpers from Armorology. Some just don't get it, and some never will. I chose to do this project after hours of thinking and planning, it was a form of relaxation for me. That is how I am wired. During the fabrication process, I presented a binder, to Jed, on what I wanted, he had the skills and insight to make it a reality...After everything was said and done, I feel as though I got a great set of bumpers and made a friend as well.

By the way, if I lived out in Colorado, I would take my rig to Slee to install an ARB locker in my 4runner. Heck, I might do it anyway. I know the I-70 route to Colorado rather well....
 

cruiseroutfit

Supporting Sponsor: Cruiser Outfitters
Having installed a variety of Slee products over the years from sliders to bumpers to air compressor brackets, I can appreciate not only the quality of the fabrication and innovation of the design but the customer service before and after the sale. Kudos for that Christo!
 

Willman

Active member
Willman said:
Looks like a great slider!...Seem the 80 LC version in person....They do good work....

But...

Making my living in the steel business.....They are asking way to much money for those....People are going to pass them up due to the price......I could see $595 to compete with the market......If i was them....I would go back to the drawing table and try to lower the cost to get more of the market.

Just my .02 cents


Here is my last post....

I didn't mean to start a fire here.

I am not attacking their quality....It is A+ work for sure. I have seen their products first hand.

The cost of the slider just seems high to me. That is my opinion. If people will pay that price....Thats Great!...

I hope to pickup 80 series LC someday......Slee will be the first place i look if i decited to buy and not build the item myself.

:)
 

soonenough

Explorer
Just to clarify - I hope no one took my post as me bashing Slee products; quite the contrary. Everything I've ever seen / heard / read about them is absolutely top notch. I just personally can't justify the $$$ for their sliders, but I'm definitely jealous of those who can :D
 

sleeoffroad

Adventurer
soonenough said:
Just to clarify - I hope no one took my post as me bashing Slee products; quite the contrary. Everything I've ever seen / heard / read about them is absolutely top notch. I just personally can't justify the $$$ for their sliders, but I'm definitely jealous of those who can :D

Just bashing the price then :D
 

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