Does the SUV kit make sense?

[sodamo]

Lately I’ve been rethinking my original configuration of a fully loaded up Slate with the SUV kit along with accessories, and now I’m leaning towards the basic, no frills version in its purest form. Why?

1. Delivery. I get it faster without going the service partner route adding weeks to the final delivery destination
2. Price. It’s the lowest ‘out the door’ cost
3. DIY. After all it’s a “project” vehicle
4. No wrap. Let the factory plastic panels acclimate to solar, UV rays, snow, and the elements. This is how the OEM intended it to be. If the factory finish no longer appeals to me after I few years I can always wrap it then.
5. Insurance. It will be listed as a $25k vehicle, not loaded up to ~ 40k with much higher premiums
6. Accessories. I have time on my side to watch and wait for the aftermarket accessories market to catch up
7. It’s the most highly anticipated, highest in demand, original concept, and will likely have solid resale value. For example, used heavily modified vehicles tend to get lower resale prices. And you never recover the cost of those mods.
8. As owners of the higher contented SUVs continue to post on this forum with personal experiences, issues, and improvements, I can sit back and make more informed decisions of how to customize my Slate.

I’ve been having similar thoughts. Not that I was planning for a lot, mostly the bed topper, no reason I can’t wait a bit, just enjoy my Slate as a basic truck and add on slowly. Even the center console and tablet holder can wait a bit.

 

[sodamo]

I also think it will be fun. Start out with Blank Slate and periodically my friends see me driving a changed vehicle, be it the topper, wrap, running boards, interior. And basically stuff that presents a visual change but over a short time period. 😄

 

[jonboy108]

If the Slate is getting close (with SUV kit, bigger battery) in price to some of the legacy automakers’ budget priced suvs, I still want the Slate. Reasons? GM had the Saturn, lost interest, screwed it up. I’ve had Fords that had such cheap parts that the suspension started falling apart at 20k miles- They are shifting focus on EVs, to where? Chrysler/Stellantis? Not my jam. Slate, OTOH, lives or dies with this first pickup. It’s a gamble for damn sure. But one has to admire the audacity and spunkiness. I’m rooting for their success. And going to place my money where my mouth is.