Top Perch Mod: Dealership says $500....

[Rob Whitey]

a truly knowledgeable/honest salesperson or customer service rep in ANY industry is becoming hard to come by. think about it....the world's knowledge and research is no longer found at brick and mortar stores...it's done on the internet with other enthusiasts. and thus the internet forum has thrived.

I think you have to be careful about what you find on the forums. No two people use their vehicles the same way. No two people have the same expectation of performance, or the same idea of what an acceptable trade off is between convenience and comfort is. One phenomenon that I've observed on many different forums is the guy who says "this is a great product (for me), it will be great for you too". This comment is usually without regard for the other guy's circumstances. User "A" might come on a forum looking for a mild lift for his mall crawler/daily driver. User "B" has the lift-o-matic 2000 on his trailer queen, and it might be the most awesome product off road, but is a nightmare to drive on the road. Still, he says "get the lift-o-matic 2000, you won't be sorry!". Or user "B" dosn't even have the lift-o-matic, he's just saying what everybody else says to be cool.
Not to say all the info is suspect, you just have to be careful with it.
It will be interesting to see what impact the forums have on the industry press. The writers and editors of magazines like Petersons and Four Wheeler. I can only guess how their subscriptions have fallen over the past few years. I have subscribed to Peterson's since before I had a driver's license. I feel like I know some of those writers. If I want to know about a product, I'd find out if a magazine had done a write-up. They will tell you if something works, or if it sucks. They will tell you if there is something better, and they will always qualify it with a statement about who it is good for and who will hate it. Most guys posting their opinion of something on a forum are not looking from any perspective but their own.