Wow! That much?

[airdvr1227]

We've been investigating having a camper top put on our rig. Took it to a canvass guy wednesday. $3500.00!! Nice thing is he made that decision easy for me. Does that seem like alot to put a campertop on this?

Edited to add pic

 

[dockwrecker]

Re: Wow! That much?

Me no see picture... but if it's for the boat in your sig, yeah that sounds like double do me.

 

[Fireman431]

Re: Wow! That much?

Since you already have a bimini top, I assume you only need the aft section covered.

Stainless steel bows, bent to the proper dimensions. Secondary support bow. Webbing for the tensioners. Deck hardware. SS hardware for articulation. Pay for the canvas. Measure it, cut it, sew it, fit it, remove it, mark, measure, cut, sew some more, remove for final trim out, edging, zippers, reinstall. Shop pays for the SS rails, materials, hardware, canvas, labor, and experience.

How much would you be willing to pay for it to seem fair? In my shop, it would run $3200, but that also includes roll down curtains, snaps, zippers, etc.

 

[airdvr1227]

Re: Wow! That much?

Since you already have a bimini top, I assume you only need the aft section covered.

Stainless steel bows, bent to the proper dimensions. Secondary support bow. Webbing for the tensioners. Deck hardware. SS hardware for articulation. Pay for the canvas. Measure it, cut it, sew it, fit it, remove it, mark, measure, cut, sew some more, remove for final trim out, edging, zippers, reinstall. Shop pays for the SS rails, materials, hardware, canvas, labor, and experience.

How much would you be willing to pay for it to seem fair? In my shop, it would run $3200, but that also includes roll down curtains, snaps, zippers, etc.

Something less than 1/2 of what I paid for the boat. Look, I don't doubt you guys make some serious quality stuff. My point is I don't need it to be all that nice. $3500 buys a lot of nights in a motel. So I can only assume that folks like you don't really want my business that bad. I don't need SS (I'm not doing orthopedic surgery)...aluminum would be fine. I'm not all that interested in a ton of zippers and such...enought to get some airflow would be fine. But no one asked what I wanted. I asked the nice lady if she had a ballpark number she could give me and she made a phone call. Without even seeing the rig the guy on the other end said $3500. She could tell by my reaction that it wasn't going to work for me. I said 'well maybe when he looks at it he can give me a more precise number'. She called the next day...same price. So I know he didn't really take the time to look at it. Just like you who can look at a picture and give me a price.

Do you give alot of quotes without getting the business? Maybe it's time to offer something a bit more affordable?

 

[PiratePast40]

Re: Wow! That much?

This is a different boat, aluminum vs stainless, and possibly a different configuration that you were looking for but still a comparison. Boat is an 18' runabout with closed bow. Cost was $1,100 two years ago:

 

[TilliamWe]

Re: Wow! That much?

air, you will find prices like that all over the north, especially by Lake Erie. Limited season, so they charge a lot. I know a place in Lakeland, FL that will do that job for about $1500.

 

[rbh]

Re: Wow! That much?

Just a suggestion, but rethink the stainless.
Thin wall aluminum is/has been known to buckle under a good gust of wind.

 

[Fireman431]

Re: Wow! That much?

REVISIT:

Maybe you need to tell the upholsterer what it is exactly that you want and see if they can work in your price range. Looking at the pic that PiratePast40 included, that is not the type of camper tops that we make. That simple enclosure should run around $1200-$1500. There is minimal hardware and labor in that. Materials and 2 days work.

This is the type of camper enclosure that I was referring to (see pic). Perhaps that's what the shop near you envisioned also. Call them back or visit them with drawings/measurements/the boat and get an exact figure.

I rarely lose the business I estimate, but I haven't advertised in 16 years. All word of mouth and repeat business.

 

[PiratePast40]

Re: Wow! That much?

Just a suggestion, but rethink the stainless.
Thin wall aluminum is/has been known to buckle under a good gust of wind.

The guy that made mine said it would hold up to highway speeds but not if a semi passed you going the other way. It's definately not a towing cover.

 

[oldfordcrap]

Re: Wow! That much?

hi as usual anything to do with marine is crazy priced if you have a boat you must be rich right! as my buddy said the only deal you will ever get is when you bought it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[mnewb1]

Re: Wow! That much?

I've asked for a quote for a bridge enclosure for my 23 WA Cuddy. I'll let you know what they quote.

 

[airdvr1227]

Re: Wow! That much?

Finally went to another place for a second opinion. No, I don't need stainless. I don't want anything super fancy. $1800! And for that price he is going to re-cover all of my seats.

 

[bonz_d]

Re: Wow! That much?

A canvas shop close by to me quoted about $1400.00 just for a morring cover for my 14' Lund! Must not need my money.

 

[NHGuy]

Re: Wow! That much?

2 years ago I found a pattern made, gusseted, color matched mooring cover in Indiana for my 88 Baja, cost me I think $470 shipped. It was a perfect fit.
On the phone the guy was very careful to be sure he had identified the boat correctly. Since I bought it through the mail I had to do my own snap installation. This guy was inexpensive, not cheap. I'd recommend him in a heartbeat.
I still have the guy's #, if anyone wants it PM me.

 

[nlain]

Re: Wow! That much?

You also have to take into consideration the quality of the materials used and the quality of the workmanship. Top quality material is expensive as is the top quality workmanship. I paid $2500.00 several years back for a full enclosure for my boat, there were no patterns for this boat, so he had to make patterns, boat came with bimini, he had to remove it from the frame and sew zippers on to attach the panels, the fabric used is Sunbrella and the clear is Strataglass, he used all the existing snaps and installed new ones on the windshield, it fits perfect. Some say I paid too much but I feel I got my money's worth. Makes boating thru the winter months here enjoyable.

 

[hostage]

Re: Wow! That much?

Some of the boats I looked at when I was in the market had camper enclosures. Maybe you would be better off buying a used boat that has one already included. I got my 2000 Maxum 19ft Cuddy w/ a 4.3L and it came with a full camper enclosure. It is 4 parts:
Front cover the top of the driver and passenger w/ rigid poles
Two side windows that snap in to the other parts
One large back portion that attaches to the top of the front part and then snaps into the rear.

Also the front part has a zipper so you can enter/exit threw the front window.

In all honesty I would suggest estimating the cost of your boat, estimating the cost of adding camper enclosure. Then see what type of boat you can get off craigslist for that much. I bet you would be surprised.

We haven't used ours, since we got a bimini from iboats for about $300. It seems to act as a parashoot. I also can't stand when I use it.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Wow! That much?

"Something less than 1/2 of what I paid for the boat."--while this may be a factor in your decision, you sound as if it is a factor in the shop's pricing. Of course, it's irrelevant. But for any work on a boat, the conversation should start with the buyer's expectations: top-line to salvage.
When it comes to labor intensive work, many shops are smart to stay away from cut-rate work. You have a lot of the same work. You are more likely to run into surprises (like bidding an improvement job on an old house). Your customer may say he wants less than perfect but that changes when he sees it. The shop's "name" is on the product when it leaves, and a short-cut job is not the best marketing. And if you are a good shop, you are busy, and you don't need the cut rate work.
I seldom dicker with quotes. If we are both together on what needs to be done and what it will look like, I eitehr take the quote or decide I'd rather spend the money on something else (as the OP pointed out).

 

[tswiczko]

Re: Wow! That much?

REVISIT:

Maybe you need to tell the upholsterer what it is exactly that you want and see if they can work in your price range. Looking at the pic that PiratePast40 included, that is not the type of camper tops that we make. That simple enclosure should run around $1200-$1500. There is minimal hardware and labor in that. Materials and 2 days work.


View attachment 83322

I'm with Fireman on this, you only asked for a ballpark and gave no other description of what you wanted than a generic term "camperback". I think the big problem with the price is a lack of communication fromboth parties involved.

I would take the boat in and, have the job appraised before I would consider a ballpark figure that was given with out a thorough evaluation of the job. I have asked around a few time about fabric work and have gotten a wide range of estimates for the same job sight unseen, but have only had a couple of guys tell me bring it by the shop or that they will come measure it and give me an accurate quote.

I don't think that price is too high for somethig like Fireman produces but I feel you need to get with the person doing the work and let them know exactly what you want, get more than one quote, and don't forget most of that cost will be labor. If it takes 20 hours of labor to do a job with expensive materials it will probably take the same amount of labor time to do the same job with inexpensive material and the only difference you will see is from the cost of material and how long the job will hold up.

 

[sschefer]

Re: Wow! That much?

Having been around the block with this sort of thing a couple of times, I would probably pay the 3500.00 and have it done right. I can say that because I've had the 3 season tops that sell for 1800.00. They don't store well and are not made of quailty materials. I've also had one come down on me at 40mph and that wasn't fun.

I've learned that in the boating world a quick quote over the phone for a price that seems high can often mean that the vendor knows his product well.

Check out the vendor and see how long he's been in business. If he's been around for a while and can quote those kinds of prices in this ecomony he's probably pretty darn good. His product will likely outlast the 15-1800.00 version 3 fold.

Just sayin...

 

[airdvr1227]

Re: Wow! That much?

I would take the boat in and, have the job appraised before I would consider a ballpark figure that was given with out a thorough evaluation of the job.

You must have missed this from the original post.... I trailered my rig to them in February...in the snow so they could see it.

I asked the nice lady if she had a ballpark number she could give me and she made a phone call. Without even seeing the rig the guy on the other end said $3500. She could tell by my reaction that it wasn't going to work for me. I said 'well maybe when he looks at it he can give me a more precise number'. She called the next day...same price. So I know he didn't really take the time to look at it.

That was their opportunity to offer me something for less than $3500. They passed. I'm glad they did.