Attached is my recent correspondence with Mike Moore at Seattle Sports
Company.  Seattle Sports is the manufacturer of the Sherpak line of car top
carriers.  A few months back somebody mentioned that the Sherpak 8 fit just
right in the roof top luggage holder on the Vanagons.  After much searching
for a distributer which carried this model and no sucess I decided to go to
the source and contacted Seattle Sports directly.

As you can see from the responses below, Seattle Sports would be willing to
make a limited run of the Sherpak 8.  Minimum quantity is 200 and Mike
estimated $110/unit.  I think this price is high as I have seen the Sherpak
15 at $95 but maybe for a limited run.  I suspect this is their SRP and
they can't sell below that or they would piss off the retailers that handle
their products.

I was just wondering how much interest there is in a product like this.
Also, I know some of the Vanagon mail order retailers read/participate in
this list.   It may be possible for one of them to order the minimum
quantity at wholesale and distribute at retail as I can't afford a $22,000
roof top carrier.  That's what it would be until sold the remaining 199.

Regards,

Tom Moritz

>-----Original Message-----
>From: Mike Moore [mailto:MIKEM@seattlesportsco.com]
>Sent: Wednesday, June 28, 2000 4:34 PM
>To: Moritz, Thomas W
>Subject: RE: Sherpak
>
>
>Thomas:
>
>Sherpak 8: 20" wide x 45" long x about 14" tall
>
>RF welded seams, with #10 coil zipper and same construction as existing
>Sherpak Elite: see our website www.seattlesportsco.com
>
>Basically it is our Sherpak 15 cut in half.
>
>We could do it in blue, yellow, charcoal, black, green, tan, orange, lt
>blue, lt grey.  We could do a minimum of 50 per color.
>
>Best regards,
>
>Mike Moore
>Seattle Sports
>
>>>> <Thomas.W.Moritz@nww01.usace.army.mil> 06/28/00 03:12PM >>>
>Mike,
>
>Do you by chance have the dimensions of this bag available?  I would like to
>confirm this bag would fit as well as I have been told.  Also, can you
>provide information on the bag construction, materials, colors etc. that I
>might distribute to other Vanagon Westy owners/parts suppliers.  I would
>like to confirm demand prior to placing an order.
>
>Thank you,
>
>Tom Moritz
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Mike Moore [mailto:MIKEM@seattlesportsco.com]
>Sent: Wednesday, June 28, 2000 2:11 PM
>To: Moritz, Thomas W
>Subject: Re: Sherpak
>
>
>Dear Tom:
>
>Thanks for your interest in Seattle Sports' Sherpak.  We would need a
>minimum run of 200 units in order to make this item, and I'd have to give
>you a price after confirming your interest.  It's been so long since we've
>made them that I'd have to pull up the costing and update all the part
>prices, etc.
>
>As a thumbnail, I would guess that it would be in the $110 range though.
>
>Best regards,
>
>Mike Moore
>Seattle Sports
>
>>>> <Thomas.W.Moritz@nww01.usace.army.mil> 06/28/00 01:33PM >>>
>A fellow VW Vanagon owner recently told me that a product  you used to make,
>the Sherpak 8, fit just right in the luggage rack of the Westfalia campers.
>Do you manufacture this product any more?  If not, would you consider
>manufacturing a limited run?  If so, can you you give me a price/quantity
>schedule for a limited run?
>
>Thank you,
>
>Tom Moritz
>
>
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