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Review content:
At last - after almost 2 years - we would like to thank Francis and his perfect rescue team!
Quick recap (or introduction): we are the German couple from the 4x4 Adventures PDXRovers(dot)com website (www pdxrovers com/adventure.html). The background for our 2 year driving expedition was that we had saved money over the course of four years, modified our Land Rover Defender TD5 110, shipped the vehicle across the Atlantic and started an America tour May 2008 in Baltimore, Maryland.
After only four months of driving through Canada and Alaska, the Defender was leaking diesel and oil heavily. The official Land Rover dealership repair shop in Anchorage could not help us with a small electric problem and also it would have been quite expensive, so we decided to search for an independent workshop ? for an expert who is able to repair something and not only changing parts. Internet research pointed us to PDX Rovers in Portland and we decided to show up on a Monday morning without having an appointment.
Francis, the owner, quickly detected the leak but had bad news for us as well: ?There are particles of brass in the transfer case. It seems that some seals took leave.?
We thought this would mean the end of our travel - and our plan of driving through whole America, from Alaska all the way down to Tierra del Fuego, the ?land of fire?. But Francis was awesome! He invited us to his home. We didn?t need to order a new and expensive transfer case because PDX Rovers repaired the old one and it is still working! Francis found and fixed even the electric malfunction which Land Rover Anchorage couldn?t.
You immediately notice that Francis loves Land Rovers. He has a lot of specialist knowledge and showed a keen sense of our vehicle and our needs for the trip. Therefore he did fit ?Fender? with an extra booster button so the car couldn?t overheat e.g. in places like the Death Valley. He also replaced brake pads, employed more effective lamps inside the Defender and even paid attention to the chipped varnish!
After three weeks working on the Defender and a test drive we regained the trust in our expedition vehicle and had no more fears of breaking down in the middle of nowhere. Thanks to PDX Rovers and Francis! Everything was so perfect on the car that we continued travelling one and a half years, through more than 17 countries without any difficulties and made it from tip to toe of America. At least we drove approx. 53,000 miles and PDX Rovers assisted us greatly.
If we had a problem, we contacted Francis and Elsemarie via skype and they sent us spare parts and other urgently required equipment to Central and South America. It was fantastic to experience the dedication and support by PDX Rovers, a great help across all land borders.
In contrast to other shops, we were not ripped off monetary-wise during our desperate situation, but our undertaking was supported by PDX Rovers with all available means.
We even received a laptop as a free gift so we could stay in contact and transmit pictures, reports and the current position of the journey by e-mail. And PDX Rovers sponsored us with T-shirts, a headlamp, gummy bears ;-) and a lot more.
One year later in October 2009, we had a super reunion with Francis and his son Terry in Lima, Peru. The four of us travelled together for one week - from Lima over the Andes to Cusco. Francis shared great insider knowledge with us about Peru and the Inca culture and it was an amazing time ? among others the visit to the legendary Machu Picchu being an unforgettable highlight.
We most warmly recommend PDX Rovers. And we don?t say so only because we made friends. We believe they can help you with any problem ? and charge a fair price. Look and see for yourself!
We also congratulate Bend Rovers on their first anniversary! We would love to visit the new shop in Bend and experience Francis? ?Super Rover? live.
Your most loyal customers,
Stefan, Silke & ?Fender?
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