My Email to F150LEDs
12-07-2015, 10:45 AM
#1
My Email to F150LEDs
I wanted to share an email with you all that I sent to F150LEDs following the install process of my 32" LED light bar (behind the grille) on my 2014 XLT. I'll make the following comments and then let you read what I wrote:
- I have no problem doing minor fab work to make an aftermarket part fit
- I do really like the light bar and it does improve visibility greatly
- I have yet to receive a reply to my email or even an acknowledgement
- The adhesive backing that mounts the in-cab switch to the steering column just failed this morning...
- I did not do any third-party research on the product before buying (didn't search the forum for reviews prior to buying).
Here's my email and assessment of the product/install process. Remember, these bars are sold as being a "plug-and-play" product that mounts to the truck without any fabrication work.
Good afternoon,
I'll start this email by just saying that I don't consider myself as an unsatisfied or unhappy customer so please don't get the wrong idea. The purpose of this email is just provide some feedback both on the install process and the product itself (32" bar for '14 F150 XLT). The reason I'm taking the time to write this email is because I want to afford you the opportunity to continue to improve your product and also to let you know that now that I've been using the LED bar for a few days, I do really love it. I should also state up-front that I bought this light bar to help with visibility and no other reason. I am not one that plans to modify my truck or change the aesthetics by adding light bars; it's purely for visibility/safety. With that said, here are my observations and feedback on my experience:
- Install: This was easily the most frustrating part of my experience with my F150 LEDs product. Part of the reason I bought the light bar from F150 LEDs was because of the advertised ease of install. To start, the factory drilled holes in the two vertical grille frame pieces were aligned in a way that caused the light bar to line up exactly with one of the horizontal grill trim pieces. If I would have utilized these holes the light bar would not have been effective whatsoever as it would have projected right into the back of my factory grille... So, I was forced to drill new holes in the grille frame. On top of that, the 32" bar did not fit in between the two vertical grille pieces as advertised and I had to loosen the entire grille just to get the bar to fit. So what was advertised as a 5-10 minute job turned into more than an hour. This was very disappointing.
- Wiring: I also was not happy with the wiring harness that was provided with the light bar. The length of the leads that connected to the battery were way too short and had I not extended them, I would of had wires resting on top of the battery instead of snaked around and zip-tied to the truck. The length of the battery leads also meant that had I not modified them, the wires that were to be run inside the cab of the truck would have had to be run diagonally across the engine bay... Not acceptable. In the end, extending the leads for the battery cables by 3.5ft. seemed to fix all of the issues.
- In-cab switch: This was the first thing I noticed when I opened the box. The quality of the button is poor in my opinion. The fit and finish is poor and if there's anything that I feel like is going to fail quickly, it's this component. I opted to not replace the provided switch at this point to both save time and also to see if my prediction comes true.
After the modified install was complete, I was able to test the light and was very pleased with how bright it was. It seems to work as advertised and has improved visibility while driving on the back-roads of MN dramatically. Overall, I'm happy with the quality of the light bar itself.
At this point, based on my experience with the install vs. what I was expecting, I'm not so sure I'll jump to recommend an F150 LED to my fellow F150 owners but I will certainly let them know that the product seems well made (with the exception of the switch). I'll try to take a few photos of the installed product along with my modifications so you can see what I had to do to make it work (if you are interested).
If you have any questions or want to discuss any of my comments further, please just let me know. Again, my intent is to not rip the product and I hope this email is taken the correct way.
- I have no problem doing minor fab work to make an aftermarket part fit
- I do really like the light bar and it does improve visibility greatly
- I have yet to receive a reply to my email or even an acknowledgement
- The adhesive backing that mounts the in-cab switch to the steering column just failed this morning...
- I did not do any third-party research on the product before buying (didn't search the forum for reviews prior to buying).
Here's my email and assessment of the product/install process. Remember, these bars are sold as being a "plug-and-play" product that mounts to the truck without any fabrication work.
Good afternoon,
I'll start this email by just saying that I don't consider myself as an unsatisfied or unhappy customer so please don't get the wrong idea. The purpose of this email is just provide some feedback both on the install process and the product itself (32" bar for '14 F150 XLT). The reason I'm taking the time to write this email is because I want to afford you the opportunity to continue to improve your product and also to let you know that now that I've been using the LED bar for a few days, I do really love it. I should also state up-front that I bought this light bar to help with visibility and no other reason. I am not one that plans to modify my truck or change the aesthetics by adding light bars; it's purely for visibility/safety. With that said, here are my observations and feedback on my experience:
- Install: This was easily the most frustrating part of my experience with my F150 LEDs product. Part of the reason I bought the light bar from F150 LEDs was because of the advertised ease of install. To start, the factory drilled holes in the two vertical grille frame pieces were aligned in a way that caused the light bar to line up exactly with one of the horizontal grill trim pieces. If I would have utilized these holes the light bar would not have been effective whatsoever as it would have projected right into the back of my factory grille... So, I was forced to drill new holes in the grille frame. On top of that, the 32" bar did not fit in between the two vertical grille pieces as advertised and I had to loosen the entire grille just to get the bar to fit. So what was advertised as a 5-10 minute job turned into more than an hour. This was very disappointing.
- Wiring: I also was not happy with the wiring harness that was provided with the light bar. The length of the leads that connected to the battery were way too short and had I not extended them, I would of had wires resting on top of the battery instead of snaked around and zip-tied to the truck. The length of the battery leads also meant that had I not modified them, the wires that were to be run inside the cab of the truck would have had to be run diagonally across the engine bay... Not acceptable. In the end, extending the leads for the battery cables by 3.5ft. seemed to fix all of the issues.
- In-cab switch: This was the first thing I noticed when I opened the box. The quality of the button is poor in my opinion. The fit and finish is poor and if there's anything that I feel like is going to fail quickly, it's this component. I opted to not replace the provided switch at this point to both save time and also to see if my prediction comes true.
After the modified install was complete, I was able to test the light and was very pleased with how bright it was. It seems to work as advertised and has improved visibility while driving on the back-roads of MN dramatically. Overall, I'm happy with the quality of the light bar itself.
At this point, based on my experience with the install vs. what I was expecting, I'm not so sure I'll jump to recommend an F150 LED to my fellow F150 owners but I will certainly let them know that the product seems well made (with the exception of the switch). I'll try to take a few photos of the installed product along with my modifications so you can see what I had to do to make it work (if you are interested).
If you have any questions or want to discuss any of my comments further, please just let me know. Again, my intent is to not rip the product and I hope this email is taken the correct way.
12-07-2015, 11:14 AM
#2
Beer, Boats, and Trucks.
Fair review with great points. If I was the owner of the company, I couldn't ask for a better email!
I almost purchased a lot of stuff from them due to how easy they made the install feel. Glad I didn't. Their stuff looks cool and I definitely want a lot of the products they are advertising, but after hearing about hard installs and some quality issues, I'm going to sit on it a while.
I almost purchased a lot of stuff from them due to how easy they made the install feel. Glad I didn't. Their stuff looks cool and I definitely want a lot of the products they are advertising, but after hearing about hard installs and some quality issues, I'm going to sit on it a while.
12-07-2015, 11:25 AM
#3
Fair review with great points. If I was the owner of the company, I couldn't ask for a better email!
I almost purchased a lot of stuff from them due to how easy they made the install feel. Glad I didn't. Their stuff looks cool and I definitely want a lot of the products they are advertising, but after hearing about hard installs and some quality issues, I'm going to sit on it a while.
I almost purchased a lot of stuff from them due to how easy they made the install feel. Glad I didn't. Their stuff looks cool and I definitely want a lot of the products they are advertising, but after hearing about hard installs and some quality issues, I'm going to sit on it a while.
Yeah. I wouldn't say the install was terribly hard... just not as convenient as advertised. I hope to hear back from them at some point. Like I said, the quality of the light bar seems good but everything else was just ok... Who knows, maybe my standards are too high.
12-07-2015, 07:27 PM
#4
One Clean Machine
iTrader: (5)
Theyre install videos are a Joke! Wires just laying everywhere, no split loom fully covering the wiring.
12-12-2015, 02:58 PM
#5
Same issues for me with install regarding the grill. I had to unbolt parts of the grill and me and my dad had to pull parts over to jam the bar in between and needed to drill new holes as the factory holes no longer aligned.
As far as the switch goes - it doesn't bother me. I knew what I was ordering when I ordered it. I'm intending to install up fitter switches into the right side cubby hole and wire it into there so the current switch is just temporary for me.
However I'm very pleased with the light output and final results. I didn't have any issues with the wiring length. It is unfortunate that you did. I have a little extra spooled up in the cab even.
Also, I found the same light bar and hardware not including the harness and switch for 86$ Canadian versus the 300+$ I paid for the f150LEDs version of the whole kit. So id recommend to buy that and order a harness and switch to your preference and save a bunch of money.
Bottom line though, I bought f150LEDs for the advertised ease of install and I didn't get that. I was okay paying more knowing that the install should be a breeze based on the video and in reality it was far from it. No wonder the video left major portions out.
As far as the switch goes - it doesn't bother me. I knew what I was ordering when I ordered it. I'm intending to install up fitter switches into the right side cubby hole and wire it into there so the current switch is just temporary for me.
However I'm very pleased with the light output and final results. I didn't have any issues with the wiring length. It is unfortunate that you did. I have a little extra spooled up in the cab even.
Also, I found the same light bar and hardware not including the harness and switch for 86$ Canadian versus the 300+$ I paid for the f150LEDs version of the whole kit. So id recommend to buy that and order a harness and switch to your preference and save a bunch of money.
Bottom line though, I bought f150LEDs for the advertised ease of install and I didn't get that. I was okay paying more knowing that the install should be a breeze based on the video and in reality it was far from it. No wonder the video left major portions out.