# Does anyone have good or bad to say about Desolation Outfitters shuttle service??



## blackdiamond (Jul 2, 2008)

I'm putting in at Deso-Gray tomorrow and plan to use Desolation Outfitters to do the shuttle. Since we are driving one vehicle, we decided not to use the fly shuttle.

Does anyone have comments, good or bad?

Thanks.


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## Chip (Apr 7, 2007)

We hired them for our Deso car shuttle (Sand Wash to Swasey's) and were pleased: reasonable price, vehicle delivered in good shape. 

We came from the north and were able to drop off our car keys in Roosevelt and meet the owner at his house.


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## blackdiamond (Jul 2, 2008)

Thanks Chip. Sometimes you hear some horror stories. I wanted to make sure they will treat my truck right.


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## Moon (Jul 25, 2007)

I was with a group a couple of years ago that did Deso. We put all the keys in one truck, with instructions for each vehicle. Stagman ignored the envelope, and guess what, he didnt drive truck to the take out. He said he couldnt find anyones keys!! So i had the pleasure of hanging out at Ray's for 3 hours waiting for him then I got to enjoy a lovely 4.5 hour drive back to sand wash. By this time its 0100 and I have to be at work in Carbondale CO at 0800. We now use Green River Shuttles, they are only $150 per car. They put your vehicles in their secure lot untill the day of the take out, and best of all you truck is there at the take out!!!! (what a concept)
Have a great float, its one of the best around IMO!!!


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## stevo1 (May 25, 2009)

River RunnersTransport has always worked well for us.


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## cataraftgirl (Jun 5, 2009)

+1 on River Runners Transport. No problems, and Melanie has been helpful to work with. She gives very clear printed instructions on how everything works. I prefer to mail her a spare set of keys to the designated "lead vehicle" ahead of time instead of hiding a key on a vehicle.
KJ


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## blackdiamond (Jul 2, 2008)

Cataraftgirl, thanks for the River Runners Transport recommendation. 

I just returned from my Deso-Gray trip and Desolation Outfitters had my vehicle and trailer at the Swasey's take-out as promised. However on the return trip the trailer lugs loosened and worked their way out, the wheel came off, and the hub was ruined. The lugs were checked and tightened before the trip. I'm always suspicious that impatient employees are driving the rough dirt roads at 65 mph, giving the empty trailer lots of air miles. 

I'll try River Runners Transport next time. Although they will probably also hire impatient employees.


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## Di (Apr 26, 2006)

Yeah, unfortunately Deso shuttles are hard on trailers. A couple years ago, we arrived at the takeout to find my trailer floor, (it's a converted ATV trailer, with a steel mesh floor, sidebars and a deck on top) had actually bent down on both sides, appreantly from being driven fast (ie bouncing) while empty. Another person in our group found an entire wood panel had come off his flatbed, but apprently the driver didn't notice or didn''t care, as the panel that came off was nowhere to be seen. We used River Runners, and while we have been on other trips using them and not had trouble, it really depends on the individual drivers and condition of the road. And all the companies liability releases pretty much guarantee you're SOL.


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## blackdiamond (Jul 2, 2008)

Hopefully posting recommendations will put the sorry shuttlers out of business.

I also know of one case (not this particular shuttle company) where a rafting friend received his newer Suburban back with about 3,000 additional miles on the odometer. Has anyone heard similar where shuttle employees take advantage of your vehicle while you're on the river?

Regarding leaving a tip for the driver, what is the recommended? 20%?

Also, has anyone ever contacted a shuttle company to request a particular driver and to make sure he/she knows that a tip is awaiting him/her? I would like to speak with the driver personally to let him/her know what I expect to get for the extra money.


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## cataraftgirl (Jun 5, 2009)

No company is 100% without problems. I always confirm with Melanie that her drivers WILL NOT use Nine Mile canyon for the shuttle. This route is shorter, but much rougher, and can really mess up trucks & trailers. She has always assured me that her drivers never use that route. Is that a guarantee that it never happens? Probably not? I don't think that shuttle drivers are long term employees of the shuttle company, so I'm not sure that asking for a particular driver each time will help very much. Worth a try I guess? I think shuttles are kind of a crap shoot. Find a company that you consistently have good luck with, and roll the dice.
KJ


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## Chip (Apr 7, 2007)

I've driven my own shuttle via Nine Mile and flown back. No problems, but I'm a good backroad driver. But leaving Sand Wash late at night to make the airstrip by morning, and then rigging and rowing all day to get past the bugs is a bit taxing, to say the least.


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## bo-102 (Jun 4, 2011)

i've used river runners transport for over 15 years for trips on lodore and deso--have nothing but good things to say about them


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## PlateauDweller (Jun 6, 2011)

Used Deso outfitters twice. Both times no problems and vehicles were shuttled on time and arrived in great condition.


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## BackCountry (Nov 22, 2009)

I joined a Deso trip a few years ago that had decided to pay a shuttle service (out of Moab I believe) to get the vehicles back to the take out. I reluctantly agreed - my truck is a very customized diesel that is not a standard turn the key and go vehicle and it has been chipped out enough to tear itself apart if not driven correctly. The shuttle drivers used Nine Mile Canyon and drove it like they were racing in the DAKAR in all the vehicles. Upon arriving at the take out all the people with Subaru's in the group had 1 to 4 flat tires on their vehicles sitting in the parking lot. One of the Subaru's would not go down the road at all and needed major alignment issues dealt with (along with 4 new tires) before it could leave Green River. The full sized trucks - mine with a trailer - were fine but you could tell they had been driven hard. The driver of my truck had left his vile of weed in my vehicle and locked the doors. I gave it to someone who wanted it at the take out as I do not smoke.

That was the only time I have ever let anyone drive my truck in its 220,000 miles, and the last time. We always run our own shuttle after that experience. Nine Mile is a fine road compared to what I drive in Gunnison. I just want to do my own driving in my own vehicle...


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## kazak4x4 (May 25, 2009)

Another huge thumbs up for River Runners Shuttle. I never use any other company anymore if I run Yampa/Lodore/Deso. I know Melanie and Ed personally now and they always delivered my vehicles in great condition. We never had a problem.

They always go an extra step to help customers. Once they let me borrow life jackets before we launched so we could pass inspections. Another time when we had an emergency, they delivered one of the vehicles to an alternative take out to help people get out early. Communication was made via a sat phone with a really bad connection, but Melanie came through and helped us out.

It's possible that some other companies might not charge as much, but a shuttle service is something you don't want to "save" money on. If you do Deso/Yampa/Lodore, call River Runners and know your vehicle will be on time and in good condition!

And if you are in Vernal, they have one of the best shops I know. All hard to find parts you will ever need

Alex


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## JBL (Jun 7, 2006)

BackCountry said:


> I joined a Deso trip a few years ago that had decided to pay a shuttle service (out of Moab I believe) to get the vehicles back to the take out. The shuttle drivers used Nine Mile Canyon and drove it like they were racing in the DAKAR in all the vehicles. Upon arriving at the take out all the people with Subaru's in the group had 1 to 4 flat tires on their vehicles sitting in the parking lot. One of the Subaru's would not go down the road at all and needed major alignment issues dealt with (along with 4 new tires) before it could leave Green River. The full sized trucks - mine with a trailer - were fine but you could tell they had been driven hard. The driver of my truck had left his vile of weed in my vehicle and locked the doors.


That is my takeout nightmare. 










Used River Runners on my last Deso trip. My rig was fine but others in our group had minor problems with theirs at the take out - wiring harness ripped out, trailer license plates torn off trailers, etc. 

No shuttle co. is bulletproof. 

On an up note, I hired Torie Davis at 970.677.2818 or 970.560.1475 for a Dolores shuttle last weekend and my rig was just fine.


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## Rando (Mar 24, 2004)

River runner's did our shuttle last year and wrecked two cars. They paid for one to get fixed and then on the other one we spent the entire winter trying to get them to pay up or report it to their insurance company. They were never good about returning phone calls and basically blew us off. I would never use them again. They still have yet to fix the situation.


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## phlexicon (Sep 14, 2009)

do u have a phn # for them?


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## BCJ (Mar 3, 2008)

I love all these Deso shuttle stories! But having run it over 60 times in 32 years and driven the 9 Mile Canyon/Wrinkle Road route more than 2/3 of those times everyone should understand that it doesn't take carelessness to have a problem on that road. It is long, bumpy, dusty, sharp Uinta shale rocks on top, fence nails along the road sometimes, etc. and Sh##1 happens. Going out Sand Wash road all the way to the highway to go around through Price is not much better. Anyway, when Glen Baxter retired and Kaycee and Trent Fluckee left town about 6 years ago I started using River Runners and have not had any problems at all. I did try a guy in Green River once but he wouldnt' commit to the date then I got RR and then he called me 3 days before my launch and was PO'd because I switched. It was he, not I, who was non-commital. RR is a good professional outfit. Not sure about all these other stories. My experience has been good with RR.


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## coloradogem (Aug 5, 2009)

Another thumbs up for River Runners Transport. Melanie has gone above and beyond on more than one occasion to accommodate and work with our trips/changes/needs and has delivered our vehicles in normal shape. Just our experience. I'm sure theres some crappy/unconscious drivers out there, but haven't had one yet from them. They were also the only shuttle service that would shuttle last Nov on Deso.


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## Melrose (Nov 2, 2005)

....bump....Looking for shuttle for May 25th launch. Is my subaru with class ('P') tires going to make it? From the River Runners Transport website_:_
_"The spare tire needs to be able to travel 200 or more miles and donut spares are not adequate for this distance or type of travel. Regular passenger tires (4-ply, “P” rated) are not adequate for this shuttle. Even tires marked with advertising like “Off Road Tracker” are often only “P” type tires."_
Also:
_Trailers shorter than 8-foot or narrower than your vehicle are not appropriate for traveling on rough or dirt roads._
These are guidelines....are they going to turn me down if I show up with class P tires?
Are 12" trailer tires going to get destroyed?
If I rent a truck/van, will the rent-a-car company give me better than class P tires? Will the rent-a-car company even know?
Working all day,driving throught the night, then rigging and launching, running own shuttle not really an option. The airplane shuttle sounds cool, drive myself, but how much time does that take? Cost?
Also, River Runners Transport lists no price on their website...ballpark cost for vehicle shuttle?

thanks for any responses-john


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## Osprey (May 26, 2006)

I think the shuttle is $200 last time we did it with RR. Might be a few bucks more now. I know we shuttled Subaru’s in the past, I doubt they check but putting that on their website gives them an out of you have 2 flats at the takeout.

Several years ago before I bought a dedicated raft trailer I towed a dink 4x8 fold up trailer down there and they shuttled it no problems and no questions. Again, think they are just CYA’ing on their website. Like you said, just guidelines.

FWIW, done many shuttles on Deso, Lodore, etc. with RR and no issues here either.


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## BackCountry (Nov 22, 2009)

The Subaru's that used the shuttle service in our group a few years ago were all sitting at the take out with flat tires. Of the three Subaru's, the newest had 1 flat, another had two flats, the oldest had 4 flat tires and the spare was mounted up and also flat for a total of 5 flats. The alignment was totally shot also. None of the trucks shuttled were worse for wear. We always do our own shuttle now after that experience.

The roads are not that bad IMHO. Compared to what I drive in Gunnison County they are highways. A Subaru with regular road tires would do fine if driven cautiously. I have blown a truck tire while running the shuttle but the tires were out of tread and I was driving like it was the Baja 1000.

The shuttle drivers drive like they are racing the Dakar in someone else's vehicle. They don't care about how they abuse the car, it's not theirs and they just want it done as quick as possible. They get paid a set price to shuttle the vehicle. The faster they do it the better for them.

The shuttle company is not going to not shuttle your vehicle because you do not have the tire type listed on their website. Just plan on the possibility for flats at the take out and maybe having to replace rims after they have driven them to the takeout on the flat tires... The shuttle company will not reimburse you for damages to the vehicle. The owner of the Subaru with the 5 flat tires and shot alignment tried and got nowhere.


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## whip (Oct 23, 2003)

Used them for the first and last time. Drove my 4Runnr with the windows open on muddy roads inside of the vehicle a mess. Bounced my SUV and trailer so hard back window knocked of the track and broke the running boards on my trailer. Never a problem RRT.


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## Nessy (May 25, 2009)

We hired RRT for Lodore and Deso last year and no problems.


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## Litig8r (Mar 23, 2011)

I know this thread is old, but in case anyone checks, I can say that RRT is great. We have used them twice to shuttle our vehicles without incident, and once we had them outfit our entire trip, food and all. I highly recommend them. We take a gourmet approach and requested many items she couldn't purchase in UT. Paul went to CO and picked it all up. That's service. Out group is too small to use them for that this year, but I can't wait to do it that way again. So relaxing. If you need a shuttle, or someone to put your whole trip together, you can't go wrong with RRT.


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## Canyon Country (Apr 23, 2012)

*Has Anyone Used A-1 River Shuttles out of Green River?*

Wondering whether anyone has used these folks this season and has any recommendations either way?


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## MacDaddy (Feb 6, 2009)

I have used RRT twice this year, both times were flawless over the years I have used a lot of different companies but for me none compare to RRT


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## Canyon Country (Apr 23, 2012)

Thanks - you mentioned that you have used a lot of shuttle services (in addition to RRT). Was one of them A-1?


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## MacDaddy (Feb 6, 2009)

I have used River Express Shuttle Service,Green River Shuttle Service,Desolation Outfitters,River Runners Shuttle Service,River Runners Transport and, Tex's Riverways. I have not used A-1 River shuttle. I have not heard anything bad about Tumbleweed Tours and Shuttles I didnt mind most of the companies that I have used,but what I do like about RRT is they are very personable at least to me and are always ready on time and my vehicles are always taken care of. One of the companies I have listed smoked in 2 of our 3 vehicles a few years back. and in 2006 one of the companies was going way to fast in my pickup around a turn and gathered an oil transport truck


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## 2tomcat2 (May 27, 2012)

Been using Deso Outfitters for many years, no problems.


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## kennyv (Jan 4, 2009)

For MacDaddy and all interested, Tex's Riverways doesn't do Deso shuttles, never has, and doesn't EVER transport customer cars to anywhere other than their secure back parking lot (approximately 100'). They only do shuttles for paddlers on Labyrinth and Stillwater Canyons of the Green River.


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## Moon (Jul 25, 2007)

Was just getting off Deso. yesterday afternoon. As we were de-rigging the boats and duckies, a couple of guys come up and ask if they can borrow a phone. They claimed to have been waiting "24 hours" for their shuttle! As I was digging out my phone, I asked who they had used for the shuttle. The guy says Desolation Outfitters. They were none too happy to say the least.... Offered them a ride to Green River, they wanted to stay with their gear. Hope everything worked out for them...


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## David Miller (May 23, 2010)

Seems like a crap shoot with all these companies. I think most of them do a good job most of the time but when they screw up they screw up good. The day we took out from Deso we saw a car with the drivers door folded back. It was the done by the same company we used. Our vehicle was fine. It's hard for anyone to hire good help these days. It's hit or miss. You can't expect them to do a through background check on employees that earn jack squat. I can just imagine what the turnover rate is for this kind of crappy job. There are probably some drivers that come back every year and do a great job and others that destroy equipment until they get fired. So how do you make sure you get the good drivers? Damned if I know.


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## Pro Leisure (Sep 19, 2011)

Its definately a roll of the dice when you trust your vehicle to someone else. Even worse when you sign away your rights on their liability forms. I've been lucky enough not to have any issues so far. We've used River Runners Transport and with great results. I would recommend them for anyone needing a shuttle for yampa/ladore/deso.


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## 2tomcat2 (May 27, 2012)

Yes, I sincerely hope everything worked out for those folks waiting at Swaseys. Don't know if this would help...I e-mail my take out date AND day, as soon as I get a launch. I also confirm the day AND date a week or so before the trip. In regards to driving shuttle as a "crappy" job...as a former outdoor rec guide who did everything from cleaning groovers, head cook and dishwasher, permit planning, LNT training for Forest Service and NPS staff, as well as transporting clients and running shuttles...there are many safe and reliable drivers, who take pride in their seasonal and low paying jobs...those who do not or cause vehicle damage or who do not deliver on time should be reported to the shuttle company owner.


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## Canyon Country (Apr 23, 2012)

*A-1 Tumbleweed Tours Shuttle*

Just used these folks for a Deso shuttle last week. After seeking recommendations (and finding none), decided to use them anyway because the price difference between them and the predominantly-recommended co. was just too large to ignore. Also spoke with owner a couple of times and was satisfied with responses to my questions.
These guys did a fine job. No issues. Cars delivered in good shape to take-out on time. 
Were they 'above and beyond'? Well, one of our group forgot to leave a check in his car. They shuttled his vehicle anyway and he delivered payment afterward. 
No, I don't have any connection with these folks. Just adding the info that I was seeking earlier to this thread.


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## beware209 (May 15, 2010)

After reading all these horror stories. I've found what I think is a workable solution. Anyone see any problems with this? Do you think I'll get hassled by the rangers?


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## beware209 (May 15, 2010)

More on topic, I've used Stagman (Desolation Outfitters) on numerous occasions. I did 23 days from Flaming Gorge to Lake Powell. At the end of the first week he met us in Jensen with my rig where we offloaded garbage, took on fuel, a motor, water, and a prepared cooler he had kept frozen for us. A week later he met us at Green River State Park where he once again brought us another prepared cooler, ice, fuel, alcohol, water, and offloaded more garbage and fecal matter. He's a full service outfitter so shuttling is just part of his business. Most if his drivers I've seen are the elderly, retired and presumably on fixed incomes, never seemed to be in much of a rush.

Consider the difficulties associated with running a small, specialized business in a rural area. For Stagman that means wearing a lot of hats. It also means filling his vehicle with drivers so the maximum number of vehicles can be shuttled in a single trip. I always request my vehicle be delivered at least a day early so as to avoid any confusion about having it there on time.

If you're overly concerned about your vehicle, and you have 2-3 extra days and/or a motor, you can launch at Jensen and save the wear and tear... all paved roads from there. Just make certain you have your ducks in a row for the rangers as you're stranded at that point. It's all flat water.


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## zeaper (May 27, 2013)

*A-1 Shuttle Service Sucks*

A-1 Shuttle left us sitting in 90 degree temperatures at the take out for 3 hours, wondering what happened to our rigs. We found a state park employee who helped us by phoning A-1. We were told they were running late. This is after 7 days on the river. When they finally showed up we asked for a partial refund-no way, these guys are scum do not use them.


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## slamkal (Apr 8, 2009)

zeaper said:


> A-1 Shuttle left us sitting in 90 degree temperatures at the take out for 3 hours, wondering what happened to our rigs. We found a state park employee who helped us by phoning A-1. We were told they were running late. This is after 7 days on the river. When they finally showed up we asked for a partial refund-no way, these guys are scum do not use them.


That's funny. The last shuttle we did (different outfitter, different river) were helping us rig our boats at the put in so they didn't have to make a second trip to shuttle our rigs .. 

Some people just don't understand "service"


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## Wavewrangler (Jun 12, 2013)

We just had a horrible experience with Gil at green river shuttles. DO NOT USE THEM FOR ANY REASON! Our cars were not at the take out and when we called him he said he was 45 minutes out of green river and didn't realize we were going to be there. An hour and a half he shows up at swayzes with 4 rigs that are not ours with 4 obviously tweaked out drivers. He can't figure out who we even are he is so messed up. He starts pacing the ramp and blinking his googly eyes. And reaches into his pocket and asks if this was our key. It was!! He said I've been carrying this around for days wondering who's it was. That's when my blood began to boil our cars were still at sand wash. While he was was trying to figure out what to do he said to my wife and a couple other women on our trip to "get out of my hair you F-ers" and if you back me in a corner I'm going to tell you all to F off. Not a lot we could do. He loaded all our stuff in someone else's rigs and drove us to green river to wait at Rays while figured out what to do. He decided hours later to strand us at the motel 6 while he and his meth buddies ran the shuttle. He wouldn't drive us to sand wash to get our own cars because he wouldn't have to give us a refund because he technically ran the shuttle. At 2 in the morning when he finally got back he said we couldn't wait until we slept to unload all our stuff from someone else's trailer. 
If you know anyone who ran Deso June 7-13ish and owned a white excursion with Mississippi plates or white Tundra or a white 4runner tell them GIL at Green river shuttles used them to drive another groups stuff piled to the brim!
DON'T GET GIL'D in GREEN RIVER with your Deso shuttle.


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