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I recently received my Goose Gear Stealth rear seat delete and installed it in my 2 door Badlands. If anyone is thinking of going with this product, read on for what I consider the pros/cons.
For context, IMHO the interior space layout in both the 2 and 4 door leaves a lot to be desired. Specifically, the seats do not fold entirely flat, which wastes space and makes it tough to sleep/load cargo/take dogs places/etc. What I can't figure out is why so many automakers can't take cues from the few manufacturers who have figured out a way to make useful space when seats are folded down. For example, the Honda Fit, even though it is really small, has had flat cargo space ever since the first year. There is also the VW Atlas, certain Dodge vans, Landover LRs and Discoveries, etc.
On the Bronco 2 door, to get as flat as possible you have to fold the seat bottoms forward, then fold the backs flat...but after doing so, you lose overall length and have tilted up floor space. I have large dogs, so I need the space (and no I have no interest for myself in the 4 door Broncos, and even the 4 door space is limited by the way those seats fold).
On to my experience. I ordered the kit in early October, and planned for at least the 8 week wait advertised on the Goose Gear website. I called about 7 weeks in, only to be told by GG that they didn't receive my order until early November. Customers cannot buy from GG directly, so I bought mine from a 4x4 parts dealer...who claimed they submitted the order to GG the day after I ordered it through them. I have no way of finding out if the 4x4 parts dealer or GG is being truthful in regard to the order date, but the end result of someone's error is that my order took nearly 10 weeks. The 10 weeks would not have been big deal IF the product was all sorted out, but there were some glitches (which, to be fair, are often to be expected in a new release...just like our Broncos)
The pros:
1. The panels (there are 3 of them and two access panels for our cubbies) are coated with Line X, which is a good idea because the panels are cut from Baltic Birch, which is not waterproof.
2. The panels are cut precisely, with rounded edges and steps.
3. The hardware seems stout.
4. The overall design is well thought-out, and addresses a real issue.
5. The kit came well-packaged with no damage.
The cons:
1. No instructions. The kit is pretty straightforward, so instructions are really not all that necessary, but if the kit has been in development for months I imagine shooting a video and providing a link should not be out of the question. The manufacturer indicated that instructions should be available soon.
2. For some reason, the blocks used under the panels are not all the correct height...and several blocks are missing from key locations in which they should be installed to provide support for bolts to hold the panels down. This is a pretty big deal, because if I would have simply tried to install the panels as I received them there is no way I would have been able to install them successfully. To make them fit, I had to pry off several glued and stapled on blocks, replace them with the proper height blocks I sourced from Home Depot, and use some aluminum rectangular stock as supports. My hope is that GG will use the pictures and other information I shared to make adjustments on any new kits.
3. The carpet is supposed to be removed prior to installing the kit. I am not sure about the carpet layout in the Broncos, but the rubberized flooring in the Badlands and the Black Diamond is one piece...and to remove it I would have had to cut the one piece into two pieces just behind the front seats...which I had no interest in doing because it would have resulted in more road noise, less water resistance, and I would have ruined my factory rubberized flooring. I imagine other people won't want to modify their factory carpet or rubberized flooring either. Fortunately, after I installed the correct height blocks, I was able to leave my rubberized flooring intact.
4. Two of the required plates needed for connecting the panels together were missing (but the manufacturer is sending out replacements).
Overall I think the product has a lot of potential, but as-is IMHO it needs several tweaks.
For context, IMHO the interior space layout in both the 2 and 4 door leaves a lot to be desired. Specifically, the seats do not fold entirely flat, which wastes space and makes it tough to sleep/load cargo/take dogs places/etc. What I can't figure out is why so many automakers can't take cues from the few manufacturers who have figured out a way to make useful space when seats are folded down. For example, the Honda Fit, even though it is really small, has had flat cargo space ever since the first year. There is also the VW Atlas, certain Dodge vans, Landover LRs and Discoveries, etc.
On the Bronco 2 door, to get as flat as possible you have to fold the seat bottoms forward, then fold the backs flat...but after doing so, you lose overall length and have tilted up floor space. I have large dogs, so I need the space (and no I have no interest for myself in the 4 door Broncos, and even the 4 door space is limited by the way those seats fold).
On to my experience. I ordered the kit in early October, and planned for at least the 8 week wait advertised on the Goose Gear website. I called about 7 weeks in, only to be told by GG that they didn't receive my order until early November. Customers cannot buy from GG directly, so I bought mine from a 4x4 parts dealer...who claimed they submitted the order to GG the day after I ordered it through them. I have no way of finding out if the 4x4 parts dealer or GG is being truthful in regard to the order date, but the end result of someone's error is that my order took nearly 10 weeks. The 10 weeks would not have been big deal IF the product was all sorted out, but there were some glitches (which, to be fair, are often to be expected in a new release...just like our Broncos)
The pros:
1. The panels (there are 3 of them and two access panels for our cubbies) are coated with Line X, which is a good idea because the panels are cut from Baltic Birch, which is not waterproof.
2. The panels are cut precisely, with rounded edges and steps.
3. The hardware seems stout.
4. The overall design is well thought-out, and addresses a real issue.
5. The kit came well-packaged with no damage.
The cons:
1. No instructions. The kit is pretty straightforward, so instructions are really not all that necessary, but if the kit has been in development for months I imagine shooting a video and providing a link should not be out of the question. The manufacturer indicated that instructions should be available soon.
2. For some reason, the blocks used under the panels are not all the correct height...and several blocks are missing from key locations in which they should be installed to provide support for bolts to hold the panels down. This is a pretty big deal, because if I would have simply tried to install the panels as I received them there is no way I would have been able to install them successfully. To make them fit, I had to pry off several glued and stapled on blocks, replace them with the proper height blocks I sourced from Home Depot, and use some aluminum rectangular stock as supports. My hope is that GG will use the pictures and other information I shared to make adjustments on any new kits.
3. The carpet is supposed to be removed prior to installing the kit. I am not sure about the carpet layout in the Broncos, but the rubberized flooring in the Badlands and the Black Diamond is one piece...and to remove it I would have had to cut the one piece into two pieces just behind the front seats...which I had no interest in doing because it would have resulted in more road noise, less water resistance, and I would have ruined my factory rubberized flooring. I imagine other people won't want to modify their factory carpet or rubberized flooring either. Fortunately, after I installed the correct height blocks, I was able to leave my rubberized flooring intact.
4. Two of the required plates needed for connecting the panels together were missing (but the manufacturer is sending out replacements).
Overall I think the product has a lot of potential, but as-is IMHO it needs several tweaks.
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