Where oh where did my turbo builder go?

What's the status on the whole deal? everyone get kits yet???:face-icon-small-con

The last ones will be going out when the new and improved charge box is done. Got the oil tanks done up completely different now and just getting some positive feedback on the testing I/we have been doing on those. Set backs for sure and the previous kits will all be getting upgraded. I have stopped taking any orders to focus on the issues and resolve them to keep refining the kit to my high standards.

Dave

CBX said:

What's the status on the whole deal? everyone get kits yet???:face-icon-small-con

Click to expand...

DWHalverson said:

The last ones will be going out when the new and improved charge box is done. Got the oil tanks done up completely different now and just getting some positive feedback on the testing I/we have been doing on those. Set backs for sure and the previous kits will all be getting upgraded. I have stopped taking any orders to focus on the issues and resolve them to keep refining the kit to my high standards.

Dave

Click to expand...

Dave do you have any explanation of how this mess happened? I was extremely interested in this kit... I made it a point to talk with you at Haydays, but used my better judgment to wait to see some feedback from other users first. Well besides one guy the only feedback was people asking where is my kit and where is my turbo builder. You have created a total mess here for your name, company name, and the ski-doo turbo industry. The worst part in my eyes is somehow you have justified your lack of business integrity. It would have been one thing if you simply returned everyone's phone call, or money and said the kit isn't ready, sorry, I will let you know when I can deliver... but you did the worst thing possible to your new business you dragged them through the mud on a leash. Dude do you have any idea of how many people have been following these Ski-doo Turbo forums and you? You are destroying yourself man... you and Jake did everything right in the summer and early fall and would have sold a TON of Turbo kits. Not trying hate but giving you my honest feedback.

Cheers
Shawn

This is something I have been debating and discussing with friends for some time and the time never seemed right. I felt that focusing on the kits was the top priority and not trying to explain myself and actions and have that all thrown back in my face. I feel the time is more appropriate now, maybe not. This is all very personal to me and I am very concerned with the impact the issues have left. Some repairable, others not. All I can do is continue on and keep my head up and learn from MY mistakes. Everyone seems to be concerned that I got their money and am gone. I'm still here. I am also sitting on some accounts receivable that would be nice to have, but I have to deal with a change in charge box design and oil tank first. The oil tank is being tested now and is way more user friendly and makes a better looking finished product. I have heard rumors of me being an alcoholic and drug user. So far from the truth. I rarely even have a drink. Those days are long behind me.

So here's the long boring story of how I ended up in this mess. I might get flamed for it as it being more excuses, but I can't change people's opinions. I feel I am a very honest guy and am upfront with people and always try to help. But push comes to shove and I will react.

I had a nice comfortable personal life and professional life before all the chaos started. I have been with my wife for 18 years and she is great to me and our children. I had a nice job with the City that was very laid back and flexible. I felt I needed to be able to financially provide more for my family so I went to work in the oil and gas fields of Wyoming and left my family here and seen them on a limited basis. The money was great and the job was fun, just lonely when I went back to my pad---alone. Well after being off for Christmas I was back to work on the 26th in a whiteout and stepped out for my truck and slipped and fell off the top step to fall about 4 feet to the ground and landed flat on my back. Knowing I was in severe pain I had to finish the job. The next morning I could hardly get out of bed. Long story short, after being off work trying to heal and get back to where I was before the back injury, I finally was ready to go back to work. I was then informed no need to show up, I was no longer needed due to things being slow and my back condition was an issue for them. So after a severe let down there I came home to pursue a different avenue for work. Only to find out my wife and I were not getting along to great. Probably medication induced from the injury and the fact that she is now working 100 hrs a week to pick up the slack. Not to mention dealing with Workman's Comp to get them to pay anything and dealing with the Dept of Labor for Wyoming for being terminated while on Workman's Comp. None of this is resolved to this day other than I got my family back, better and stronger than before. My sister-in-law was going through some personal issues that needed some attention too. Knowing my physical condition, jobs were slim. So I figured I would build kits from the response that I got from those who had seen the sled and wanted one for themselves. I partnered up with a friend of mine to help with the fab work and I would do sales, ordering, shipping, office work and promotion. My place is in the shop. Well after getting into it deep enough he decided to part ways to focus on his construction business. This being his primary source of income. I understand. So I was left hanging by myself. No help and no place to do fab work anymore. So now I am left trying to line guys up to be able to do the fab work at the standards I demand. The interest and demand for the kits was quite overwhelming and I had my hands full with everything I could do. Going through different fab guys chewed up some very crucial time that at this point I didn't have. There were other issues with getting phone calls back on parts I ordered and shipped parts that were not correct when I received them. The clock keeps ticking. I have ran up against every scenario that I feel is possible and have leaned a lot. This is not an operation that has an excessive amount of cash flow available to us to order enough parts for X amount of kits. I run my personal life as debt free as possible and went into this business with the same idea. That may have been wrong, but I hate to borrow money. By the time everything hit the fan it was probably too late for a government bail out. I got myself here, I'll get myself out of it. The first kits were being shipped and now I'm dealing with the issues involved here as well. Spending a large amount of time on the phone daily trying to line up parts and unfortunately not being able to call all the customers back. So there have been mistakes on my part running a business and there have been issues with the kits that are getting resolved. Production on future kits has stopped until the kits that are ordered are shipped. We will continue development of different things on the kits to make the best kit to the highest level of standards along with building kits for future applications.

So I hope this helps explain things in more detail for those interested and I can honestly tell you we will be here as long as the market allows. We will be changing operations for next year based on what was learned the hard way this season. Now that the fabricators have found what I expect for quality. Myself and a few others will be more involved in installs next season to ensure the quality standards are held as high as I expect.

Thank you for taking interest and time reading this. I hope it sheds some light on everything and is not meant as excuses. I hope people try not to take it out of context, like much of what I have posted before and can read it and see that nobody is perfect and I have failed in some ways, unfortunately under the spotlight of a lot of very interested people that without them, I would not be interested in continuing the development of the Ski-Doo two-stroke turbo sleds.

Dave Halverson
R&D Custom Turbo Werx

XP Summit said:

Dave do you have any explanation of how this mess happened? I was extremely interested in this kit... I made it a point to talk with you at Haydays, but used my better judgment to wait to see some feedback from other users first. Well besides one guy the only feedback was people asking where is my kit and where is my turbo builder. You have created a total mess here for your name, company name, and the ski-doo turbo industry. The worst part in my eyes is somehow you have justified your lack of business integrity. It would have been one thing if you simply returned everyone's phone call, or money and said the kit isn't ready, sorry, I will let you know when I can deliver... but you did the worst thing possible to your new business you dragged them through the mud on a leash. Dude do you have any idea of how many people have been following these Ski-doo Turbo forums and you? You are destroying yourself man... you and Jake did everything right in the summer and early fall and would have sold a TON of Turbo kits. Not trying hate but giving you my honest feedback.

Cheers
Shawn

Click to expand...

Thanks for the explaination, hope things work out for you and everybody involved can learn from this and push forwards.

DWHalverson said:

This is something I have been debating and discussing with friends for some time and the time never seemed right. I felt that focusing on the kits was the top priority and not trying to explain myself and actions and have that all thrown back in my face. I feel the time is more appropriate now, maybe not. This is all very personal to me and I am very concerned with the impact the issues have left. Some repairable, others not. All I can do is continue on and keep my head up and learn from MY mistakes. Everyone seems to be concerned that I got their money and am gone. I'm still here. I am also sitting on some accounts receivable that would be nice to have, but I have to deal with a change in charge box design and oil tank first. The oil tank is being tested now and is way more user friendly and makes a better looking finished product. I have heard rumors of me being an alcoholic and drug user. So far from the truth. I rarely even have a drink. Those days are long behind me.

So here's the long boring story of how I ended up in this mess. I might get flamed for it as it being more excuses, but I can't change people's opinions. I feel I am a very honest guy and am upfront with people and always try to help. But push comes to shove and I will react.

I had a nice comfortable personal life and professional life before all the chaos started. I have been with my wife for 18 years and she is great to me and our children. I had a nice job with the City that was very laid back and flexible. I felt I needed to be able to financially provide more for my family so I went to work in the oil and gas fields of Wyoming and left my family here and seen them on a limited basis. The money was great and the job was fun, just lonely when I went back to my pad---alone. Well after being off for Christmas I was back to work on the 26th in a whiteout and stepped out for my truck and slipped and fell off the top step to fall about 4 feet to the ground and landed flat on my back. Knowing I was in severe pain I had to finish the job. The next morning I could hardly get out of bed. Long story short, after being off work trying to heal and get back to where I was before the back injury, I finally was ready to go back to work. I was then informed no need to show up, I was no longer needed due to things being slow and my back condition was an issue for them. So after a severe let down there I came home to pursue a different avenue for work. Only to find out my wife and I were not getting along to great. Probably medication induced from the injury and the fact that she is now working 100 hrs a week to pick up the slack. Not to mention dealing with Workman's Comp to get them to pay anything and dealing with the Dept of Labor for Wyoming for being terminated while on Workman's Comp. None of this is resolved to this day other than I got my family back, better and stronger than before. My sister-in-law was going through some personal issues that needed some attention too. Knowing my physical condition, jobs were slim. So I figured I would build kits from the response that I got from those who had seen the sled and wanted one for themselves. I partnered up with a friend of mine to help with the fab work and I would do sales, ordering, shipping, office work and promotion. My place is in the shop. Well after getting into it deep enough he decided to part ways to focus on his construction business. This being his primary source of income. I understand. So I was left hanging by myself. No help and no place to do fab work anymore. So now I am left trying to line guys up to be able to do the fab work at the standards I demand. The interest and demand for the kits was quite overwhelming and I had my hands full with everything I could do. Going through different fab guys chewed up some very crucial time that at this point I didn't have. There were other issues with getting phone calls back on parts I ordered and shipped parts that were not correct when I received them. The clock keeps ticking. I have ran up against every scenario that I feel is possible and have leaned a lot. This is not an operation that has an excessive amount of cash flow available to us to order enough parts for X amount of kits. I run my personal life as debt free as possible and went into this business with the same idea. That may have been wrong, but I hate to borrow money. By the time everything hit the fan it was probably too late for a government bail out. I got myself here, I'll get myself out of it. The first kits were being shipped and now I'm dealing with the issues involved here as well. Spending a large amount of time on the phone daily trying to line up parts and unfortunately not being able to call all the customers back. So there have been mistakes on my part running a business and there have been issues with the kits that are getting resolved. Production on future kits has stopped until the kits that are ordered are shipped. We will continue development of different things on the kits to make the best kit to the highest level of standards along with building kits for future applications.

So I hope this helps explain things in more detail for those interested and I can honestly tell you we will be here as long as the market allows. We will be changing operations for next year based on what was learned the hard way this season. Now that the fabricators have found what I expect for quality. Myself and a few others will be more involved in installs next season to ensure the quality standards are held as high as I expect.

Thank you for taking interest and time reading this. I hope it sheds some light on everything and is not meant as excuses. I hope people try not to take it out of context, like much of what I have posted before and can read it and see that nobody is perfect and I have failed in some ways, unfortunately under the spotlight of a lot of very interested people that without them, I would not be interested in continuing the development of the Ski-Doo two-stroke turbo sleds.

Dave Halverson
R&D Custom Turbo Werx

Click to expand...

OK Dave it is all better now for you but sucks to be me and others that you F up our WHOLE SEASON!! TIME OUT MONEY OUT and sled out He!! i had to R&D my own oil tank and charge box and let you all know how to fix! sent my sled to TP and Thanks to them i can now ride it! So Thanks to Josh at turbo Performance for stepping up and fixing my sled!!

Ralph last I heard you still have issues. That's why I wanted to fix the sled for you. The videos I watched it still isn't right. So again the choice is yours. Let me fix it or continue on your rant.

Dave

DWHalverson said:

Ralph last I heard you still have issues. That's why I wanted to fix the sled for you. The videos I watched it still isn't right. So again the choice is yours. Let me fix it or continue on your rant.

Dave

Click to expand...

Well
Post away your god like fixes! Is there some problems still yes can i ride it Yes COULD I RIDE IT after you had it for TWO months F NO!

So if you have can fix it over the internet go fix a way BUT YOU WILL NEVER SEE ME OR MY SLED AGAIN!:boom::boomow

wy-doo said:

Well
Post away your god like fixes! Is there some problems still yes can i ride it Yes COULD I RIDE IT after you had it for TWO months F NO!

So if you have can fix it over the internet go fix a way BUT YOU WILL NEVER SEE ME OR MY SLED AGAIN!:boom::boomow

Click to expand...

wy-doo , not sure i understand what your saying. im sure your blood is boiling and i understand that. but from this message: you gave him your sled to install a turbo ? and he gave it back not running ? or running like chit ? and you had to take it turboboyz to get it running right ?

im not trying to stir the pot , just for clarification as im thinking about a turboing my 09 summit but man oh man i cant spend a whole season without my sled running

Just make it right Dave

Well that story really sucks Dave. I hope you get things made right for those involved because now they have a suck a.. story too. You might want to take out a business loan to pay these fellers back, just a thought. Just make sure you hook my brother Josh Justice up, hes had a crappy year too. You ought to hear how his year has went, poor guy.

Adrenalin said:

wy-doo , not sure i understand what your saying. im sure your blood is boiling and i understand that. but from this message: you gave him your sled to install a turbo ? and he gave it back not running ? or running like chit ? and you had to take it turboboyz to get it running right ?

im not trying to stir the pot , just for clarification as im thinking about a turboing my 09 summit but man oh man i cant spend a whole season without my sled running

Click to expand...

Sorry adrenalin long story you would have to look at all my post to understand my problem with DAVE but Sled head racing did the install to Dave's instructions but the sled would not run Dave did the right thing and took my sled for Two months and after all the time spent to get my sled back and more money The sled still was a POS turbo performance had it for a week and Now the sled will run ok! I had to tell dave how to fix the charge box witch i had to cut apart and reweld the F-ing pop can oil tank broke of the sled in 10 miles down the trail i now had to get a turbo performance oil tank witch is great! SO bye a R&D turbo kit good luck That is the short story!

I went to ND on my dime to get your sled and no way did I have it for 2 months. I never charged you anything for the engine work or the top end I put on it, that technically someone owes me for, but oh well. The charge box was fixed by Silber and he told me what he did not you because you wouldn't take my call. As far as the install goes that was not to spec and was butchered from the get go.

If it's still not right why isn't TP fixing it for you?? At least I offered, but your being this way so I guess you are stuck with what you got. I told you when we met in Laramie you would be getting a revised oil tank and charge box.

Glad to see you keep winding yourself up though.

wy-doo said:

Sorry adrenalin long story you would have to look at all my post to understand my problem with DAVE but Sled head racing did the install to Dave's instructions but the sled would not run Dave did the right thing and took my sled for Two months and after all the time spent to get my sled back and more money The sled still was a POS turbo performance had it for a week and Now the sled will run ok! I had to tell dave how to fix the charge box witch i had to cut apart and reweld the F-ing pop can oil tank broke of the sled in 10 miles down the trail i now had to get a turbo performance oil tank witch is great! SO bye a R&D turbo kit good luck That is the short story!

Click to expand...

man , stories like this make me not want a turbo =/ but i really want one lol so whats a guy do ? or are turbo 2 strokes something that dont mesh well ?


so is it worth the headache ? you have rode yours right ? would you doo it again ?

i think dave is smart for tossing in the towel after he gets his orders finished . no offense guy but i was considering your kit till i saw how you did business. where i dont always agree the customer is always right one thing for sure they sure the hell all cant be wrong. i like how your website says "we do the R&D so you dont have to" so far that doesnt seem to be the case ?

when these guys gave you their hard earned money you told them 2 weeks. did you really expect to succeed ? i think we all know as well as your self it was gonna be much longer. 2 weeks is barely enuf time to order parts by the time its at your door its time to mail them off to said customer let alone still design and test your prototype ?

none of my business really but what kind of compensation did dave offer you guys for the long wait ?

DWHalverson said:

I went to ND on my dime to get your sled and no way did I have it for 2 months. I never charged you anything for the engine work or the top end I put on it, that technically someone owes me for, but oh well. The charge box was fixed by Silber and he told me what he did not you because you wouldn't take my call. As far as the install goes that was not to spec and was butchered from the get go.

If it's still not right why isn't TP fixing it for you?? At least I offered, but your being this way so I guess you are stuck with what you got. I told you when we met in Laramie you would be getting a revised oil tank and charge box.

Glad to see you keep winding yourself up though.

Click to expand...

and this is why you are not gonna succeed dave , really guy gimme a break , this guy is freaking PISSED you screwed him over !! honestly im surprised you made it this far...

sorry wy-doo but there has to be some kind of recorse to take :face-icon-small-sad

DWHalverson said:

I went to ND on my dime to get your sled and no way did I have it for 2 months. I never charged you anything for the engine work or the top end I put on it, that technically someone owes me for, but oh well. The charge box was fixed by Silber and he told me what he did not you because you wouldn't take my call. As far as the install goes that was not to spec and was butchered from the get go.

If it's still not right why isn't TP fixing it for you?? At least I offered, but your being this way so I guess you are stuck with what you got. I told you when we met in Laramie you would be getting a revised oil tank and charge box.

Glad to see you keep winding yourself up though.

Click to expand...

Well wrong again Dave Silber welded my oil tank (BIG THANKS silber)I cut the top of the charge box and welded a angle neck on it and i send Jake PIC OF MY FIX so get your lies right before you post Chit and FYI Dave turbo performance was going to come to my house to finish my sled and work the last bugs out this weekend ON THERE OWN BIll now that is a GREAT company HE!! not even there kit. If i was going to bye a turbo kit Turbo performance First and yeah i would turbo my xp again But not from R&D
And far as when i Drove to Laramie to pick my sled up TELL US ALL WHAT happend in the parking lot (that we never left) DAVE OIL blowing all over HE11:yell: whet home with out a sled for another Month so what ever Dave I do not think turbo kits should be your line of work maybe Politics is were you should try next!!:flame::flame:

I have Daves kit on my sled and it works pretty damn good.I waited all winter as well but i am happy now. I also have the first version oil can,and yes there is a problem there,but it will get upgraded.There have been a few other little quirks but i think that is normal.I find it hard to believe that every other T-xp out there this year has run perfectly from day 1 that the kit was installed.But then again,I could just be a naive moron,but I doubt that. i have been honest on my posts all winter and with my posts since I got the kit.I have posted ride numbers and results and problems and invitations to meet guys with other T-xps and no one has offered to meet me yet.I have asked TP to post pics of their kits and I have not seen any yet. I have nothing to hide and will gladly meet with anyone to compare apples to apples and LEARN from each other.Really, what do we have to lose. Im not sticking up for Dave or knocking TP,just wanting some real life comparisons. I will be heading to Clearwater in April and Brandywine in May if anyone is interested. Powder King just got 20 cm of new snow 3 days ago and has a 260 cm base still. When the ski hill closes for the season, it is opened to sledders. come one, come all. Quit the ranting and the BS and let the sleds do the talking.

By the way,Jakes customer service has been second to none...best service I have ever received...including any dealers i have ever dealt with!!!

hivoltagesledhead said:

I have Daves kit on my sled and it works pretty damn good.I waited all winter as well but i am happy now. I also have the first version oil can,and yes there is a problem there,but it will get upgraded.There have been a few other little quirks but i think that is normal.I find it hard to believe that every other T-xp out there this year has run perfectly from day 1 that the kit was installed.But then again,I could just be a naive moron,but I doubt that. i have been honest on my posts all winter and with my posts since I got the kit.I have posted ride numbers and results and problems and invitations to meet guys with other T-xps and no one has offered to meet me yet.I have asked TP to post pics of their kits and I have not seen any yet. I have nothing to hide and will gladly meet with anyone to compare apples to apples and LEARN from each other.Really, what do we have to lose. Im not sticking up for Dave or knocking TP,just wanting some real life comparisons. I will be heading to Clearwater in April and Brandywine in May if anyone is interested. Powder King just got 20 cm of new snow 3 days ago and has a 260 cm base still. When the ski hill closes for the season, it is opened to sledders. come one, come all. Quit the ranting and the BS and let the sleds do the talking.

By the way,Jakes customer service has been second to none...best service I have ever received...including any dealers i have ever dealt with!!!

Click to expand...

glad it worked out, and its working good for you i was hopeing to come to prince to the snow show to check out the etec and your sled but can't get away ,hopefully i can check your beast out before i buy a kit,i rode a turbo 1200 doo powderlite kit[just a short blast but very smooth and very responsive] i bleed 2 stroke but what kit works on a 2 stroke :bounce:

DWHalverson said:

I went to ND on my dime to get your sled and no way did I have it for 2 months. I never charged you anything for the engine work or the top end I put on it, that technically someone owes me for, but oh well. The charge box was fixed by Silber and he told me what he did not you because you wouldn't take my call. As far as the install goes that was not to spec and was butchered from the get go.

If it's still not right why isn't TP fixing it for you?? At least I offered, but your being this way so I guess you are stuck with what you got. I told you when we met in Laramie you would be getting a revised oil tank and charge box.

Glad to see you keep winding yourself up though.

Click to expand...

Well, I have pretty much sat back and watched and read all this go on back forth between Dave and all the others and have wanted to stay out of it and still want to stay out of it. BUT I now read that YOU say that the turbo install was BUTCHERED and not to spec from the get go!?!? WELL, I guess I would like to know what your spec is because there was no cutting, no welding just installing your parts per your instructions and then trying to adjust everything to get it to fit better in which we could not improve on cause we didn't want to change anything. The only issue was the template for the fuel pump was wrong and caused me to drill through the front cooler, my fault for drilling but your fault for having such a sweet thin cardboard template. Oh well, no big deal at the time easy fix for us but then after the sled wouldn't run you were so quick to point the finger at everyone else but yourself, you stated that the cylinders were unstable, the y-pipe was wrong, the head was unproven even though the entire design of the engine was put together by a group of guys that know how to build high powered two strokes, naturally aspired and forced induction. You installed a "stock" top end because of chrome flaking off of the original cylinders, understandable to want to get back to the stock platform but then after that the sled still did not run, so I guess that the only one constant the entire time was the turbo kit.

I did not want to flip out here but when you say that the kit was butchered and not to spec i really take that personally. And as far as your poor me story, life sucks get over it and move on. I know of people that have had a much more difficult time than you are having and are not promoting excuses like you are, they are moving forward and dealing with what they have been dealt.

I understand that things didn't work like you anticipated but that is not anyones fault but yours, you anticipated incorrectly for this past season. It happens, learn from what you have experienced and become better don't blame others for not becoming what you wanted, if we all did this we would still be in the stone age.


Good luck and I hope you move forward.

The pissing match over Ralph's sled can go on and on. People wanted an explanation. I gave out an explanation of professional and personal set backs (not excuses). Simple as that. Some want to continue to stir the pot and read between the lines and come up with their own delusions of what has/is been going on. I will continue on and will continue to develop new ideas and apply what I learned in a positive manner. All the negative only brings us all down.

Dave