A Quick Look at Three 'Inexpensive' Silicone Tow Hook Covers

[Gee Bee]

It’s not a fine , never a court date
Faa/pma filed

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[Gee Bee]

Are we one of the "big" EV accessory companies?? If so, I'm flattered, but we're really not. Mostly just me and the missus and a couple of other people helping with support tickets, but at our hearts we've still EV fans, the business is something of a happy coincidence. No VC money here!

I wanted to write my own War and Peace about the hook covers, but I'll try to keep it short (spoiler alert, just finished, and I did a bad job of keeping it short).

First, the obvious, the covers that are all over Amazon et al are a stolen design. We know this, as there's a little easter egg in the mold design. Now, it's not as if this is a highly complex product, so it's inevitable it'll get copied at some point, but it would be nice if other companies actually put in their own R&D. But as we all know, Amazon makes it very easy now for no-name (or as I call them, keyboard smash companies) to sell, and it's just a race to the bottom over there, which is why we got off Amazon. Great for revenue, but horrible for margin, and stress levels.

We have overheads, just like everyone else (or, at least the domestic sellers - Chinese shippers don't need to pay import duty if they exploit the de miminis loophole correctly), but for these, there was the R&D costs (I think I paid around $1400 for the two hooks, they're incredibly well made), the molds were $1500 each, so that's $4,400 in up-front costs, excluding all the other stuff, prototyping, shipping costs, duty etc etc. But rough numbers have us at around $6-7.5k to get it to market. We use 100% pure silicone, because it has excellent UV resistance and performs well in all temperature ranges. Cheaper silicones have fillers like oil, solvents or ground quartz. If you've ever had silicone accessories start to crack, or feel slimy, that's why - crappy silicone. This became a big issue with exercise bands a couple of years ago.

In terms of quality, products from China can be great, or they can be crap. If anyone has ever worked with any offshore resources (for products, or code), you'll know it's all about the requirements specification. They can do cheap all day long, but with the right requirements, the product is good. We work with a single sourcing partner over there, and in the past 10 years she's built a business with us, got married, and is having her first child in a couple of weeks. We know every bit of our supply chain, and do our very best to ensure its ethical.

So there you go. Just because things look the same, they're probably not. If not in the quality of the product itself, then in how it's manufactured. And sometimes, yes, they're the same, there's only so many ways to skin a cat, as they say (oddly!). This isn't meant to be a knock on any other company, competition is good for all of us, but understand the playing field is not always level. Most of the time, you still get what you pay for.

 

[JamboF4]

I would never go to a automated car wash , swirls on paint

Period

 

[Gee Bee]

That’s a fair price for molds

My Zerk and Caliper bleed caps were about the same price, there are so many variations in color.

Continue your progress in parts , I never look at cost , only quality.

 

[AO_Pete]

Period

Going off track, but this is why we wrapped ours in satin PPF. Washed weekly more or less, and nothing to worry about.

 

[Riviot]

Speaking of loss, it has occurred to me (and others and here) to fasten some matching yellow zip ties at the ends of the covers and around the body of the tow hooks (perhaps positioned out of sight, behind the plastic curtain inserts?). This should help avoid loss (due to road-wind or in car-washes) and may even help discourage theft to a lesser extent.

@AO_Pete has great ones, worth the money. I've had mine for a while now and never lost them, I use touchless carwash once a week.

I know, I know. What can I say?

" I need better hobbies"

Some products are made for the Military under a cage code .

Gimme that CAGE !

 

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

Have AO’s. Driver side fit like a glove, not so for passenger side. However, after several washes through touchless automatic washes, it’s stayed on. Many have lost theirs during water crossings. So likelihood is more about direction and volume of water (frontal vs backlash). Would be an improvement if they had holed tabs and nubs to wrap and secure, instead of a “handshake”.

 

[a76marine]

Going off track, but this is why we wrapped ours in satin PPF. Washed weekly more or less, and nothing to worry about.

First of all, I also have the yellow set from Abstract Ocean and they've never fallen off and you can't tell the yellow isn't a perfect match when you're looking at the side of the vehicle at one point and come around to the front of the vehicle to see the hook covers. I get a lot of great compliments and they've been more than worth the cost.

Second, I agree with AO here about the PPF. I have PPF as well and with a black R1T it would be a sin to not get this thing washed weekly (or more often) so I've lost count over the past two years how many times I've been through auto carwashes and everything's going well.

 

[AO_Pete]

Pre-hook covers, but freshly wrapped at the time. Love a satin PPF.

 

[tps5352]

While researching other topics, I came across new info about yellow tow hooks and tow hook covers (THCs):

• AFAIK, this is the first reference to yellow tow hooks on this Forum site. (April 1, 2021); photos and discussion are about Rivian test vehicles seen in various places. Note: I assume that these are not THCs. Instead, I assume that the hooks are actually painted, correct? (I can only imagine how exciting it must have been to customers with reservations to see these Rivian cars with prototype features being tested around the Country prior to eventual deliveries in 2022.) Second reference.
  |
• Photo showing rear yellow tow hooks. Rivian was apparently trying out various options (some of which did not make it to production).
  |
• Later on, some people were disappointed (and here) that the yellow tow hooks were not standard on production vehicles.
  |
• History of at Abstract Ocean (AO) THCs.
  • @AO_Pete alerted Forum readers to new products, including THCs, in June 22, 2023.
  • Earliest archive of the AO website I could find with THCs for sale is dated September 22, 2023 (but it may have been earlier).
  • First photos on Forum of AO yellow THCs installed (October 10, 2023)? No; see Post #27.
    |
• History of other (non-Rivian) THCs.
  • Post on Reddit January 2023 claimed his/her dad invented THCs for the Ford F-150. (Not sure if they meant invented THCs in general, or invented THCs that fit that particular brand.)
  • The current product version--"TowKz"--can be found at this website. (No Rivian-compatible version, afaik.)
    |
• Another THC product apparently begun for other car brands by Daryl Petricca (on Etsy) here or (the Tuff Trucks website) here. I mention this product specifically because it (a) is available for Rivian and (b) offers 22 color options! For folks wanting to match colors of yellow brake calipers, interior/exterior insignia, the Compass Yellow car color, and/or the yellow THCs, perhaps this product offers the best opportunity? You may even be able to possibly match the teal(?) brake caliper color of the Gen 2 Quad Max. (I can’t vouch for the quality, fit, or customer service, however.)

 

[sub]

• • Earliest archive I could find of the AO website with THCs for sale is dated September 22, 2023 (but it may have been earlier).
  • First photos on Forum of AO yellow THCs installed (October 10, 2023)?

Your timeline is a bit off.

My yellow Abstract Ocean tow hook covers were delivered on July 22, 2023 so they were definitely for sale on the AO site well before September. And I wasn't the first to post a picture. October for the first photos/deliveries is was off.

 

[tps5352]

Your timeline is a bit off.

My yellow Abstract Ocean tow hook covers were delivered on July 22, 2023 so they were definitely for sale on the AO site well before September. And I wasn't the first to post a picture. October for the first photos/deliveries is was off.

Very good. I didn't mention it in my previous post, but I am always happy to receive updated, corrected, accurate, unbiased information from readers. (I actually assumed I would be hearing first from @AO_Pete. )

BTW, gathering information from websites (like Wayback Machine) and forum posts can be slow and difficult--there can easily be gaps in the archive record. So we also depend on information from drivers who were "actually there" (or in this case bought the product).​

I appreciate this new information you provided. Notice that based on your input my statements about the Abstract Ocean website nonetheless remain accurate.

• We have the June 22, 2023 post by Pete (at AO).
• You received yours on July 22nd, which fits the anticipated timeline for deliveries stated in that 6/22/23 post.
• The earliest archived AO website with the THCs for sale I could find remains September. I couldn't find an earlier one in the Wayback Machine archive record. But to my credit, I did say that it could be earlier.

But your observation about the photo is definitely important; and it renders the Wayback Machine information gap and my October 10, 2023 earliest photo observation moot. I corrected my search parameters and instantly discovered a July 17 thread by @AO_Pete containing July 19 and July 21 posts (plus others) with photos showing newly-received and installed AO yellow THCs. Plus a 07/17/23 post that mentions a price for THCs on the AO website. Clearly the AO website was showing THCs for sale as of July 17, 2023.

So why can't I find an archived page for the AO THCs before 9/22/23? Those who mess with the Wayback Machine site may understand; the site archives some main/home pages, but not necessarily links to sub-pages (unless enough users request them). So, again, this leads to gaps in the available archived knowledge-base.​

Thanks for helping to clear this up. The tow-hook covers are a small thing, but popular with many drivers (and businesses), so worth the attention.

 

[AO_Pete]

I can at least answer the go-live date. I've always had issues with Wayback, not sure they take scans when there's just a minor change in terms of content. Shopify is essentially a glorified CMS, so I suspect Wayback only notices when there's more material changes to layouts.

 

[Oldsmobile_Mike]

Didn't read the whole post, but I'm glad I ordered the Abstract Ocean ones back in October '23. Zero issues. Happy with the look. Would much rather support a forum member than some Chinese knock-offs.

 

[tps5352]

...

• Another THC product apparently begun for other car brands by Daryl Petricca (on Etsy) here or (the Tuff Trucks website) here. I mention this product specifically because it (a) is available for Rivian and (b) offers 22 color options! For folks wanting to match colors of yellow brake calipers, interior/exterior insignia, the Compass Yellow car color, and/or the yellow THCs, perhaps this product offers the best opportunity? You may even be able to possibly match the teal(?) brake caliper color of the Gen 2 Quad Max. (I can’t vouch for the quality, fit, or customer service, however.)

More info about the Tuff Trucks (TT) tow hook cover (THC) product:

After further review it appears from photos on the Etsy and TT websites that the TT THC is, in cross-section, a U-shaped channel. As you look at the TT covers from the front (when installed) the front, top, and bottom of the tow hook are covered, but not the back side, at all. (At least that's how it appears to me in some shots.)

Now that may be fine. Lots of color choices and even wording on the front are optional.

But the other THCs discussed in this thread, including the ones by Abstract Ocean (I believe), are more pipe-like (O) in cross section--more like full-coverage sleeves. That is, they appear to more completely cover all four sides of the tow hooks (with a slit necessary along the back side to allow the cover to be easily/quickly installed over a tow hook).

Just something to consider, as some posts at this Forum site have complained about gaps in coverage. The TT THC would (intentionally, by design) have a huge gap at the rear, it appears.

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