EarthRoamer XV-JP "Northwest Edition"

mhiscox

Expedition Leader
Really none of my/our business but has Mr. Swails ever followed up with you or weighed in?
No, and I would not expect him to. Bill had a problem with me last winter when, ironically, I carelessly overstated Bill's/EarthRoamer's high opinion of Dion and his hopes for Dion becoming successful. The quotation from Bill's e-mail is accurate, but I'm sure he feels, as is his right, no obligation related to me actually signing on to conduct business with Dion.

I'd also stress that he, understandably and correctly, does not want any implications that EarthRoamer has, or ever had, any connection with Red Cannon Expedition.
 

mtnbike28

Expedition Leader
At this stage I hope your insurance comes through and you can walk away even at least. I have heard insurance companies have totaled cars for mice chewing through wiring harnesses and your is worse than that!
 

zimm

Expedition Leader
This still disturbs me. They worked together, and Mr. Swails knew Mr. Kranz enough to reach out and provide you with a written recommendation, yet he had no idea that Mr. Kranz is/was way way way over his head with this level of a venture? Putting aside Mr. Kranz's clear lack of knowledge of operating a business, based on the pictures, his workmanship/skill is beyond comment. One has to wonder what his role was at Earthroamer or how long he was employed. Really none of my/our business but has Mr. Swails ever followed up with you or weighed in?

well, i gotta tell ya, if you go back into the thread where Mike first started the rebuild, and why, i found the original product mr swails passed off for 140,000 just as disturbing. speaking only for myself, and not the OP here, i wouldnt have ever asked that company for a recommendation. ER lights up my squirreldar, and ive been vocal from the beginning.
 

mhiscox

Expedition Leader
At this stage I hope your insurance comes through and you can walk away even at least. I have heard insurance companies have totaled cars for mice chewing through wiring harnesses and your is worse than that!
I've got some sad news about that. While my local agent was appalled, sympathetic and everything else you'd hope for, my policy clearly excludes:

“loss to any covered vehicle due to theft, conversion, embezzlement or secretion by …a consignee, an agent of a consignee, or a person who obtains possession of the covered vehicle with the permission of a consignee or agent of a consignee.”

which, unfortunately, is pretty exactly the situation that applied from the time Dion picked up the truck last June.

Bummer.
 

Herbie

Rendezvous Conspirator
I've got some sad news about that. While my local agent was appalled, sympathetic and everything else you'd hope for, my policy clearly excludes:

“loss to any covered vehicle due to theft, conversion, embezzlement or secretion by …a consignee, an agent of a consignee, or a person who obtains possession of the covered vehicle with the permission of a consignee or agent of a consignee.”

which, unfortunately, is pretty exactly the situation that applied from the time Dion picked up the truck last June.

Bummer.

Yeah, this is the "don't call us if your mechanic drops your car off the lift, take it up with him" clause. Sadly.
 

squeezer

Adventurer
I've got some sad news about that. While my local agent was appalled, sympathetic and everything else you'd hope for, my policy clearly excludes:

“loss to any covered vehicle due to theft, conversion, embezzlement or secretion by …a consignee, an agent of a consignee, or a person who obtains possession of the covered vehicle with the permission of a consignee or agent of a consignee.”

which, unfortunately, is pretty exactly the situation that applied from the time Dion picked up the truck last June.

Bummer.

It looks like the best course of action will be to get the local DA involved enough to file charges and then take the loss on your taxes.

Not the course of action anybody would want to take but probably the only avenue to minimize the actual loss.

There is a pattern of criminality demonstrated by Dion/Red Cannon that should be more than enough to satisfy the DA that something should be done about it...
 

krl81

Adventurer
I haven't been in here for over a month and even though I'm extremely late, ******!!!
When checking in on my subscribed threads i saw this one had new posts today and thought wohoo, finally progress! And after going back 20+ pages (because not understanding jack) I've ended up in disgust. I'm really sorry for your loss/mess and i really hope it gets solved in a way that you are happy with! And as being one of your followers here I hope to see your jeep getting back to its glory. Keep at it you deserve better than this! :)
 

torqluvas

Observer
quoting this before it's deleted as well...
this blog has some interesting insight into the interns and other employees working there and the "work" that the did in december.
https://lilithshoemaker.wordpress.com/2015/12/19/december-14-19-at-red-cannon-expedition/

Interns who studying sustainable living doing the Red Cannon Expedition fiberglas. Is that because this Dion guy maybe doesnt have skills needed to do job himself?


"...often illegal and subject to criminal charges. This is serious stuff! If you are going to make claims about an individual, make sure they are 100% true and not exaggerated. Gone are the days that someone who didn't read the //CONTRACT//...and then publicly defame the individual.

Anthony Dion Kranz Red Cannon Expedition,you should read what youd posted.


Edit: Factually incorrect - libelous comment
 
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adam88

Explorer
Interns who studying sustainable living doing the Red Cannon Expedition fiberglas. Is that because this Dion guy maybe doesnt have skills needed to do job himself?




Anthony Dion Kranz Red Cannon Expedition,you should read what youd posted.


470k lol..
Almost 600k now and they arr making an f650 based monstrosity that i assume will.be well over 1 million. Oh well i see earthroamer now has a unit for sale ready to go guess no waitlist.

Imo earthroamer overpriced
 
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Wow! ...this is by far the juiciest thread I've ever started!

Like many, I'm surprised at the turn that this story has taken, but there will always be parties out there that will take advantage of others. I don't know anyone from, or anything about that Iowa outfit, but I'll tell you what... having been fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to work with Mike on this project years ago, I simply cannot speak highly enough of both his professional and personal integrity. Mike's an all-around class act- a kind and generous straight shooter, and I wish there were more folks out there like him.

Bummer about the XV-JP NW Edition, or Jensen, or whatever you want to call it... it was a cool vehicle for sure. Will it ever be the same? No way. But, there's potential here, and lots of it. The base vehicle is a beast, it's already been through two very cool iterations, and it's really become something of a legend amongst the overlanding community.

So there's a tub and a pile of parts there... which any competent fab guy/gal would view as a great opportunity. I'll look forward to seeing this thread get back on track as a build-thread, and I'm really looking forward to seeing what is in store for Gen3 for this vehicle!
 
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PaulJensen

Custom Builder
Fully agree with everything James wrote, especially about Mike...

Mike has trusted me to build out his Jeep, Lexus, Sprinter and RTT trailer... He is generous in every aspect of our professional relationship and as friends... His life's passion (after his love for Sue) is to build and use the best stuff available... We all should be so passionate...

The creative freedom Mike has granted me on all of our projects is what every craftsman aspires to be part of... Mike proposes an idea, we bounce options back and forth and ultimately something unique gets built...

For anyone to misunderstand Mike's ambitions with vehicles and advancing the state of the art, is either jealous or hasn't been paying attention... For anyone to take advantage of that is short sighted, opportunistic and ultimately self destructive...

I have nothing good to say here on this public forum about what Red Cannon / Dion did and didn't do, so I will reserve to conversations for face to face meetings...

The Jeep is not dead and it can never be what it once was... Unfortunately it will not be what Mike hoped and trusted it would become with RC... But it can be resurrected, repurposed and built again into an iconic vehicle that will make heads turn and be an ultimate pleasure to use...

Again, the Mike Hiscox I know is a generous visionary who has advanced vehicle design and a man I am lucky enough to call my friend...
 

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