Camso DTS 129: "The please, Camso-wish list"

Ben 500RR-S · Dec 8, 2017

An open letter to Camso, based on what we'd love improved for the future.

Dear Camso. We DTS 129 owners love the setup but just a few things would make it just that much better.

The first thing would be to create some sort of door, or separate panel, or access holes that we could get to easier so that instead of needing to take all 6 of the bolts to get the top tray/skin off to loosen the three locking bolts and both the primary and secondary drive adjustments, just please, help us here.

The second thing would be those limiter strap/cord cam's where we need to loosen with an allen wrench. Why is it that on my Ski Doo, I can easily adjust either the torsion spring tension by turning a big hex bolt, or couple or uncouple the rear skid with a special-included 2-pronged tool and it is just so easy, but you make a 2 position cam that is just not rider friendly and easily adjustable trailside? Many of us have to ride a trail (quite a long distance) where it would be nice to lengthen the limiter cable, to get to the powder then shorten it once off-trail, and the adjustment is just so involved that to have to fiddle so much with the cam is just too much.

Lastly, for now, I really love how you made the 2018 upgrades to also fit the 2017 models. I hope that down the road, you continue to do this, until you release the next Gen of DTS 129 for which I know you are working on now as progress never stops. It isn't even 2018 yet but I'm looking forward to using this 2018 and seeing what you have in store for upgrades next year.

Anyone have any other suggestions for Camso?

Throndson · Dec 8, 2017

I would like to see a reasonably sized brake lever.

A plastic/skid plate like material along the outer edge of the side panels that will help deflect impacts from rocks and stumps etc.

The skin (Plastic tunnel cover) needs to be a touch longer to effectively deflect snow roost.

A spot to mount ice scratchers for frozen spring conditions.

And more flexibility as far as fit kits. Like being able to return unopened ones in the case you order a kit and then change your bike. Or at least lower the price slightly.

A discounted upgrade package so its more affordable for previous years owners to update there kits.

M5- · Dec 8, 2017

This is timely.

1. Limiter strap cam system needs a re-do. Brutal.

2. Adjustable brake lever about 1/2 the size of the Hayes one supplied. Not everyone has the same length fingers.

3. The whole plastic top thing needs a re-design and needs to be modular not to mention not so bulky. It is unreasonable to expect a rider to remove the gas rack, pelican box, and six bolts on that plastic deal should a chain adjustment be needed while riding. Its riding not wrenching. It just plain feels cheap.

4. Ti spring option would probably drop 5 lbs

5. Shock options

More to follow.

M5

Ben 500RR-S · Dec 8, 2017

I'm with the massive brake lever for which I just spent the past 30 minutes searching for an alternative/aftermarket-smaller lever and even a smaller sprung one like an ASV would be nice.

Even three holes with rubber pull-out plugs for the three lock bolts, then one more round hole and plug for the secondary chain adjuster, but the primary chain adjuster is trickier as some space is needed to swing the ratchet/open-end/combo wrench to get the primary chain adjusted but there are solutions to having to take the entire tray off.

The slotted rubber plugs don't need to be all that strong, they just need to stay in place enough that they don't get blown off the tray from either the wind or the snow from underneath hitting them. Perhaps someone out there will have the plugs molded and come up with the perfect sized hole saw for us to cut the holes out of or trays and install the plug-kit, anyone, anyone?

To keep the price low, I can see how these things could start making the cost(s) go up, so maybe in time we'll see them change, I hope.

According to the 2017 brake recall, there were roughly a total of 600 DTS 129 units sent into the wild, at $4,800 USD, they are/were at $2,880,000 sold last year. Hopefully the # sold will go up this year-I've done my part to add to the 2018 tally, and more get sold to justify the possible changes in production.

summitboy · Dec 9, 2017

The only way i would buy a Camso is if they offered a track for their new Yeti lineup. The track is the gold standard imo. The kit on the other hand isnt very inspiring from a build quality stand point. Even some of the 18 updates arent working too great. The Camso also needs a suspension upgrade. It rides like a toilet compared to my Yeti and always seemed to bottom out and have limited suspension travel. I guess thats the difference between a ferrari and a toyota. Dont get me wrong the Camso prob works the best because if its track only ! I would also need to see a weight reduction on my Camso wish list !

IShartd · Dec 9, 2017

summitboy said:
The only way i would buy a Camso is if they offered a track for their new Yeti lineup. The track is the gold standard imo. The kit on the other hand isnt very inspiring from a build quality stand point. Even some of the 18 updates arent working too great. The Camso also needs a suspension upgrade. It rides like a toilet compared to my Yeti and always seemed to bottom out and have limited suspension travel. I guess thats the difference between a ferrari and a toyota. Dont get me wrong the Camso prob works the best because if its track only ! I would also need to see a weight reduction on my Camso wish list !

No the other differance between a Ferrari and a Toyota is 100 grand. If I paid twice as much for my kit than the camso, I'd hope to have as good of a track as the camso. For the price point, what they have is pretty amazing, less rolling resistance than my 17 TS le 120, and the mono rail in conjunction with the track just flat works. The suspension and weight are the major concerns for me, they need to look into it. Really, torsion spring? Am I'm I riding my 2005 m7?

AZ800 · Dec 9, 2017

Never been around a Camso kit yet, but the ice scratcher comment made me wonder. Is there a skid mounted ice scratcher option?
Being as this is one of the single most important pieces of hardware on any paddle tracked machine Id hope there is.

racert17 · Dec 9, 2017

summitboy said:
The only way i would buy a Camso is if they offered a track for their new Yeti lineup. The track is the gold standard imo. The kit on the other hand isnt very inspiring from a build quality stand point. Even some of the 18 updates arent working too great. The Camso also needs a suspension upgrade. It rides like a toilet compared to my Yeti and always seemed to bottom out and have limited suspension travel. I guess thats the difference between a ferrari and a toyota. Dont get me wrong the Camso prob works the best because if its track only ! I would also need to see a weight reduction on my Camso wish list !

Considering I payed 1/3 of what you payed for your yeti and I guarantee my camso would follow you anywhere your yeti would go, I have no complaints, 99% of guys out there are not dropping or jumping like Sieg. you can talk up suspension and weight but in the real world the camso performes as well or better than any kit out there.

M5- · Dec 9, 2017

I think everyone who has ridden one agrees that they perform well. BUT, the points mentioned above are not earth shattering "asks". Just because a kit is cheaper than its competitors doesn't give them a free pass to make it simply OK because its cheaper than brand X, Y or Z. It would take so little to take this kit to the next level. I just installed my DTS and there are lots of good points but there is also a bunch of stuff that could be improved upon without jacking the cost to Yeti level.

I didn't buy the Camso because of the price, it was a factor but it was more to do with performance. I think it could be argued that a TS Raw has better suspension than a Camso and I could have bought a new one of those for $700 less than the Camso but it doesn't have the track and you have to deal with Polaris and all their BS. I'd gladly pay a bit more for some upgrade options to get it to where I want my kit to be.

It kind of blows to drop $5K and have to say "Its not perfect but hey it ONLY cost me $5K". $5K that's a lot of dough for what you are getting which is basically the track to beat all tracks.

M5

summitboy · Dec 9, 2017

racert17 said:
Considering I payed 1/3 of what you payed for your yeti and I guarantee my camso would follow you anywhere your yeti would go, I have no complaints, 99% of guys out there are not dropping or jumping like Sieg. you can talk up suspension and weight but in the real world the camso performes as well or better than any kit out there.

So you know what i paid for my Yeti ! Funny. Camso works great but its got a long ways to go. Like i said it needs suspension. All it has is a great track ! It rides terrible on the trail and bottoms out all over the place. The ski is so so imo. Sorry i hurt your feelings on your beloved kit ! A toyota will always be a toyota !

yooper01 · Dec 9, 2017

Merely an observation here.. all the Toyotas I've owned (5) have been pretty sweet vehicles. Definitely Superior to the products that my home town ever rolled of the line (Detroit).

On the off chance something did break they are pretty easy to wrench on. And they never took 8 hours to change the spark plugs on ( here's looking at you Triton 5.4).

Maybe camso should be compared to Kia?

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

summitboy · Dec 9, 2017

Sorry Kia would be TS LOL. Kia is better than Toyota Imo ha ha.

IShartd · Dec 10, 2017

I'm flattered that my 4300 dollar kit is being compared to your 9000 dollar yeti, and you still have track envy. And by the way, all you TS people, camso didn't charge me extra for a fit kit that came 2 months into the season. I've been having a blast on my "Toyota". The thing rips. I'm stoked

dirtnerd · Dec 10, 2017

AZ800 said:
Never been around a Camso kit yet, but the ice scratcher comment made me wonder. Is there a skid mounted ice scratcher option?
Being as this is one of the single most important pieces of hardware on any paddle tracked machine Id hope there is.

Ok I have a sled but really don't ride it or know much about it. But how the scratchers were explained to me is; you put them down to kick up snow to hit the under side of the tunnel because that is where the sled gets its cooling from. Unless you're in deep powder in which case the tunnel is getting all the snow action it can handle. So with that explanation why would you want scratchers on a snow bike? Does the track/tunnel need cooling on its own, because the bike has its own cooling?

dirtnerd · Dec 10, 2017

a better wheel kit option would be nice too.

Better dealer training would be nice and a demo unit program, it sucks when the only info available is from users off the internet. I would have liked to try one before I bought it.

a mechanical lock down on the chain tightener would be nice, relying on friction and bolt torque specs isn't cutting it. Like on a dirt bike if set properly there is no way for it to move, unless the chain stretches.

ps. I did talk to one of the camso product guys, he said they were riding and tweaking the suspension until June in Colorado on the '18 model and he thinks they made a major improvement to the suspension. He was saying that the packing the 17 suspension would do has been dialed out. I'm waiting for snow now so I can figure out how well it works.

Camstyn · Dec 10, 2017

Regarding the long lever, has anyone tried swapping the master cylinder assembly with the OEM front brake one? That Hayes one sure is big and ugly.

IShartd · Dec 10, 2017

Camstyn said:
Regarding the long lever, has anyone tried swapping the master cylinder assembly with the OEM front brake one? That Hayes one sure is big and ugly.

I've done it with every kit I've installed.

Brapp · Dec 10, 2017

Been really happy with my 2018, was surprised on how good the suspension is on the woops, better than my 2015 St Timbersled Kit with a TSS.

summitboy · Dec 10, 2017

IShartd said:
I'm flattered that my 4300 dollar kit is being compared to your 9000 dollar yeti, and you still have track envy. And by the way, all you TS people, camso didn't charge me extra for a fit kit that came 2 months into the season. I've been having a blast on my "Toyota". The thing rips. I'm stoked

If and when they make the Camso for the regular Yeti no one will be comparing the two. The Yeti will walk the Camso tank. They are the same company by the way !

AZ800 · Dec 10, 2017

dirtnerd said:
Ok I have a sled but really don't ride it or know much about it. But how the scratchers were explained to me is; you put them down to kick up snow to hit the under side of the tunnel because that is where the sled gets its cooling from. Unless you're in deep powder in which case the tunnel is getting all the snow action it can handle. So with that explanation why would you want scratchers on a snow bike? Does the track/tunnel need cooling on its own, because the bike has its own cooling?

Yes, on a liquid cooled sled, ice scratchers are dual purpose. Heat exchanger cooling and snow to lube/cool the hyfax.
A bike will melt hyfax on the hardpack trail just as quick as a sled.
On my old TS kit, I just mounted a single spare ice scratcher on one side and it kicks up enough to never have hyfax issues. Run them on all our sleds, even the fan cooled ones for this purpose.
Just seems the single rail design of the Camso doesn't allow for a traditional ice scratcher to be mounted. That leaves ski mounted scratchers as the only option?

Camso DTS 129: "The please, Camso-wish list"

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