2021 In Review
2021 In Review
It has been a great year for Conversion Van Enthusiasts! Below are some of the highlights from 2021, and directions we are headed toward in 2022.
Our Installation Shop
(Portland, OR)
The early months of 2021 did get off to a rocky start with significant delays in Transit and Sprinter van deliveries from dealerships. Due to COVID and supply chain issues, there was a period that our customers (both DIY and shop installs) were simply not getting their vans. However, by mid-summer most of these issues had improved, and we have been struggling to keep up with van builds and orders ever since!
We have continued to streamline the build process utilizing our growing product line. As an increasingly robust set of versatile solutions are added, we are able to accelerate the build process considerably. Builds that used to take 3 or 4 months (or sometimes more), are typically turned around in 6-8 weeks. This is largely due to the versatility and adaptability of our mounting system and product line. Once the Core Build is complete, much of the remaining build involves off the shelf products that simply require assembly and installation.
Online Orders
(DIY & Builders)
The Roost product development team has been hard at work to bring more of our product line available for DIY van builders. As more of our products in development reach the Beta or Full Release stage, we are streamlining the release process. We hope this continues to accelerate and we are able to bring more and more of our standard products to the DIY van builder who wants a boost to their conversion van build experience. Please visit our Product Line page to see a list of our growing line of products that are currently or soon to be available for online purchase.
Rental Van(s)
We are in the process of building our first “Try Before You Buy” rental van. When complete it will be available for rent for those who might like to try our products and/or van life itself before making the leap. Our rental van will be build using our standard product line. Depending on interest level in this option, we may consider adding more rental vans in the future, and building a rental fleet. This may allow for more options in terms of build, size, platform, etc…
Affiliate Program
In 2021 we have had a few more professional van builders join the team and start using Roost products in their builds. At present we do offer volume discounts to professional van builders, but beyond that it is a fairly informal program. Long term we plan to build a very robust affiliate and certified dealer program. Our Portland location is only able to service a small fraction of the inquiries we receive for professional van builds, and we hope soon to build a network of qualified and verified van builders who share our values and commitment to excellence. As with product development, we are very careful and methodical about growth and development. We will take the time to make sure that we can confidently recommend/refer customers to reliable and trustworthy builders. Building a vast and reliable will be several years in the making, but we have decided to put a very serious emphasis on beginning this process in the earlier portion of 2022. We look forward to a day that we can serve more customers who are outside of our area, who want professional van builds using our products. More to follow!