>I think Ron and Joshua missed a major detail on this thread.  Stebro
>guarantees the systems for life.  Presumably that means guarantee against
>cracking as well as rusting.  Ron have you spoken with Stebro about
>distributing their product?  Stebro have been selling exhaust systems in
>Canada for a billion years.  I am sure they didn't get this far by dealing
>crap.

I certainly don't mean to imply that the Stebro is crap, or anything close
to it.  But at the same time, a "lifetime" warranty" isn't the end-all
answer in my mind.  Anyone can offer a lifetime warranty.  Take RMMW, for
example, who "lifetime warranties" everything they sell, even cheap quality
Malaysian made bearings that will certainly not last the life of your van.
Of course, since they are charging twice what they're worth, they can afford
to honor this warranty for those who choose to take the time and expense to
remove the part and mail it back to them.  You are paying for that warranty
up front, just as you do when you buy an "extended warranty" on an
appliance, except that it is already built into the price.  What I'm saying
is, a lifetime warranty is not a guarantor of quality, nor is it free by any
means.  If I could get the same product as (or a better product than) the
Stebro, for say 1/3 less money, with a still-substantial-but-not-lifetime
warranty, it might be worth it.  On the other hand, if I could not save a
substantial amount of money by doing this, then it would certainly make
sense to offer the one with the lifetime warranty.  I don't know enough
about my options yet,  but over time I will definately research both
alternatives.  Like I said, it will take a little while, so anyone who wants
a stainless exhaust RIGHT NOW should probably get it from Stebro.
Meanwhile, all I am saying is that I have gotten an inside line on another
option from a reliable source, and while it may or may not pan out,  I at
least want to make the effort to investigate it before jumping on the
Stebro.  Sometimes the first alternative ends up being the best one after
all, sometimes it does not.  I will find out.

- Ron Salmon
 The Bus Depot
 http://www.busdepot.com