Say Bye Byes to Ram Mount

Oh Snap!!

It seems that RAM Mounts has gone into legal financial protection
Odd just got a delivery last week for a Humminbird 385ci mounting plate. (Btw: The mount went well (sheesh: almost seems like having a child...Read 5 times drill once, hehehe))

RAM delivered the order after 10 days but my local supplier in Canada warned not to send in another order.

The Good News:
Found a New Kiwi product that is sending out product under the name of "Railblaza". Looks good and has a better price point than RAM. It also offers an amazing degree of versatility to allow swap outs. (And who wouldn't mind swapping out a spare rod holder for a drink holder? etc

http://www.railblaza.com/

Pls check it out and offer up your opinions.

Regards
Trinomite

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Always looking for ways to make good things 'Gooder'

Hiyas
I'm not a lawyer or a marketing rep for their competition.

In the last 2 weeks as I've tried to outfit my AI through local Hobie and RAM retailers and found that there was no stock to meet my needs. The suppliers in British Columbia, Canada that I tried to do business with all had the same common factor: No stock and RAM was slow in shipping (if at all).

One supplier told me that RAM was seeking Chapter 11 protection and were in the process of restructuring their Company.

2 years ago, after having to sue a local Miele Dealer for a $2000 coffee machine, I send this message out as a warning: A company in financial problems could end up gobbling up your cash and not provide product until the Bean Counters sort out the mess.

Considering that a lot of Hobie add-ons for our Kayaks are provided by the same said company, I would respectfully ask to get an opinion from Hobie as to what the story is in terms of their ability to provide product from RAM Mounts advertised in their catalogue?

Regards
Trinomite
(chief Hobie Forum (censored) disturber)

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Always looking for ways to make good things 'Gooder'

I'll believe it when I see it.... RAM provides adapters to far more than just the fishing market. Any company can file Ch.11; but any "word of mouth" information I get is normally found to be uncredible; mainly because it's always heard from a guy, who heard from a guy, who heard from a guy....and there are never any of those guys to take responsibility for distributing the info in the first place.

Hmmmm....
The devil is in the details, bro.
The minus:
1) I cannot buy local supply from the retailers as they can't get orderly shipments from RAM. If they can't order, or receive shipments we as consumers can't buy, dahh!
2) If a retailer who warns me not to send in an order am I gonna take the arrogant road and dismiss him? (non-rhetorical)

The pros:
1)I'm sure that Hobie has a supply chain longer than your post to ensure that our shiny new kayaks will be outfitted as needed (No worries, I'm sure they'll let us know if not....)
2) I also mentioned that they are restructuring. Good as more than a few float mobiles are at stake here: RAM supplies the Law enforcement communities, Aviation both private and commercial, the military and God knows who else needs their support. (Dood, read the whole article before offering your 'wisdom'
3) I also mentioned that I did recieve the product that I ordered in a timely fashion, so if it is here say then it may have something to do with Jupiter being aligned with Mars (Damn it I hate that when that happens). Yet me be happy.
4) If RAM goes by the way of the Dinosaur well someone was obviously asleep at the switch as I am a firm trust holder in both Hobie and Ram Mounts having enjoyed their products for many years.

I also used the previous post to share a new line of products that I found on the Net that could benefit us all in this community. I also asked for input, which you ignored.
Seems you lost most of the meat of the matter in my post. (Have a Burger and catch a fish, hehehe)

Trinomite

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Always looking for ways to make good things 'Gooder'

Hummmm, I'll read the whole article

EDITED After reading and looking at the Railblaza....

I'll just comment on the new item....

IMO, just a knock off of Scotty....or whoever came out with that interlocking system first (this is just by quick observation)....Atwood, Scotty, etc. Anyway, I do like the rail part but still torn because essentially all it is, is a couple of flush mount holders, and a Johnny Board....I'm sure it would definetely have it's uses, as would all the tables. Kind of goes back to a post I wrote a while ago about having a channel bar on the PA to mount different items. Aside from being wide and straight, that's (the Railblaza) pretty much what it would be. I was thinking something more along the lines of the WS track system though.

It does offer quite a bit of versatility, but as far as ease of "swapping" out items, I don't think it would be any more difficult than the RAM. The RAM is pretty simplistic

No need CurtnAz

You can get the abridged version in December, 2011 called
'Rant and Raves of Trinomite 2011 as he implodes on New Year's Eve. 2011'
:Nudge :Nudge.

(Ever done Lake Hasasu?)

BTW: the Railblaza line looks really good. (other than a possible water seal issue) I just ordered $3k worth of gear off them.

Be well
Trinomite

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Always looking for ways to make good things 'Gooder'

Wow, and I thought I was the only one up at these hours. I'm assuming by Lake Hasasu, you mean Lake Havasu....and the answer is, no. Reason, I live a mile from Lake Powell....what would the purpose of Havasu be Plus, Havasu is more for the party kids from Vegas who just want to get drunk....not really my element. I don't travel a whole lot as work and chores take up most of my time That and what extra $$$ I have normally goes into projects which would be enjoyed at home (TVs, entertainment systems, tools, etc.)

OMG!
That is too funny. The reason I looked all over hell's half acre was that the Scotty's base footprint was way too large for the Adventure (Island).

The Diamond shaped 'B' RAM base was almost perfect yet it would have damaged the Hobie hull after time due to not enough weight distribution on a 360 (IMHO)`without a wider backing plate. (leave the kayak in 120 degree heat and wonder why sheit has happened)

The Starbase looks brilliant as it is based on the male female mounting system for sailboat winches-handles. It is also round which distributes the load over a 360.

Ill let you know if it works out (my AI is in the balance)

Take care

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Always looking for ways to make good things 'Gooder'

Sorry that was a typo, I meant Lake Havasu. We lived there for 3 month after Christmas 2010. I heard that all the LA rippers come there in the summer.
We went there in our RV. No rippers there at that time just ancient ppl rushing to the Walmart to buy Depends.
Yah would love to do Lake Powell. You`re lucky as am I. I live 20 feet from the ocean on Eastern Vancouver Island.
Hope we may cross paths sometimes....I got the white one will all the weird gear on it, lol

Be Well Buddy

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Curtn
Have the ppl sitting on Hoover done anything to balance the water tables?
We took a rented 18 footer up the canyon from Havasu and almost lost our prop pin due to the Colorado being as low as a barely flushed toilet.
(Hesus, by the time the Colorado goes south of Yuma it is barely a minor stream!!!)
Regards
Trinomite

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Always looking for ways to make good things 'Gooder'

No Idea bud; Lake Powell is dammed by Glen Canyon Dam....Hoover is down stream.