Recent Trillium Outback customer service - Fiberglass RV
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Old 07-07-2016, 12:11 PM   #1
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Name: Ken
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Recent Trillium Outback customer service

Hi, we're looking at purchasing a new Trillium Outback, but have seen some mixed reviews about their service. A lot of these reviews seem to stem back to 2014, including some posts on this forum, so I'm just wondering if anyone has any comments on the current state of their customer service...
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Old 11-15-2016, 11:19 AM   #2
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Name: Bruce
Trailer: Trilluim Outback
British Columbia
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Trillium Outback 2016 purchase experience

I can share our 2016 experience. In short, we ordered a Trillium Outback in January 2016 based on the company's assurance it would be ready in July 2016 for our trip (BC to Newfoundland). We paid a $5000 deposit and received a contract which upon later closer inspection stated the trailer would be delivered in "2016". It is now mid November and we are still waiting.

Our interactions with the company have been, in the main, cordial. When we realized the trailer would not in fact be ready for our trip we stopped into their yard in Calgary to discuss modifications to our order and select upholstery fabric. We were promised our trailer would be ready for us to pick up on our return at the end of September. Our last communication from the company was an email on September 24th to advise only the shell of the trailer was complete so we returned to BC empty handed.

When we were at the facility we did see one partially completed trailer and one shell. It may be that the Trillium Outback is a good product if the company is able to make good on its sales commitments. I regret not reviewing other owner's experiences and the company's Better Business Bureau's rating (F) prior to sending our deposit.
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Old 11-15-2016, 03:25 PM   #3
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Thanks for the message

Thanks for the info, Bruce. We're still waffling about buying one, so your information is very useful.
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Old 11-16-2016, 08:12 AM   #4
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Bruce, your experience is very disappointing, to say the least! I'm always sorry to hear about any molded fiberglass manufacturer not doing well.

If there are really only two trailers in progress, completion should be in weeks, not months. It does make me wonder if the company is in a precarious financial position. Others would know better if this is simply the pattern for this particular company or an indication of impending failure.

You have been very patient, but I wouldn't let it drag on too long. If it does go belly up you could be left with nothing, or very little and a long wait to recover.

Seems to me if you don't have a trailer by the first of the year, you have cause to cancel the contract and receive a refund of your deposit. They may not have it. Even if they do, it's a year lost and no closer to having a trailer.

Alternatively, you could negotiate for delivery of a partially completed trailer for a reduced price and arrange for it to be completed by someone else. That could escalate the final cost unless you can do some of the work yourself. I'd at least want all the fiberglass pieces included even if not installed.

I hope I am misreading the situation and you have a completed trailer soon!
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Old 11-16-2016, 08:18 AM   #5
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Yeah, to the original poster, Ken. I don't think I'd be waffling any more. Long delivery times are not uncommon in the Molded Fiberglass trailer market, but long delays beyond the original date and broken promises about delivery are NOT common.

I don't think I would be placing an order or giving a deposit at this point.
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Old 11-16-2016, 10:29 AM   #6
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Gosh Bruce, I feel for you. That is ridiculous and I am glad you posted your experience so others are aware of it.
Please let us know the end result and hope it ends up being positive for you.
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Old 01-08-2017, 09:11 PM   #7
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Name: Bruce
Trailer: Trilluim Outback
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Trillium Outback still waiting

Just after my post in November 2016 Trillium Outback owner Joe emailed to say our trailer would go into production November 23rd and he wanted to confirm our selected options. I later emailed to ask if we could pick the completed trailer up in December but heard no reply.

On January 4, 2017 Joe emailed stating our trailer was almost done and looking pretty nice - he was just waiting for a few things like wheels and cushions. We indicated we could pick up the trailer either at the beginning of February or March.

For one night we had renewed optimism. However the next morning brought an email from Joe saying February sounded great - normally their policy was payment upon completion but because we had been so understanding and great and awesome peeps, could we send another $5000. He had five trailers on the go and times were tight... In appreciation for our "help" he would have a surprise gift for us.

Given our experiences over the past year, we did not send additional funds. At this point we are not sure how this will conclude.
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Old 02-07-2017, 09:41 PM   #8
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Name: Bruce
Trailer: Trilluim Outback
British Columbia
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A New Trillium Outback 2017

We picked up our brand new 2017 Trillium Outback Trailer February 6th! It is stunningly beautiful and has all our requirements and more. We are towing it home to the west coast in a snowstorm and it tracks beautifully behind our Tacoma.

Apart from the delivery delay, we couldn't be more pleased. Because we dropped into the shop last summer we learned custom colour gel coat and wood cabinets were available options. We chose a very retro golden yellow colour which is reminiscent of the old Surf Side / Triple E we had when our family (three boys and a dog) was young. Now there is just the two of us, this trailer seems huge!

Joe gave us a thorough orientation to all the systems on the trailer. He was easy to deal with regarding payment and loaned us a license plate until we could get into BC and get insurance.

So far the trailer seems very well put together - the fit, finish and fixtures appear to be of high quality.

Now that we have our trailer it seems that it was worth the wait...
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Old 02-07-2017, 10:56 PM   #9
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Wonderful news! And I love the yellow color! Happy travels!
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Old 02-08-2017, 04:52 AM   #10
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Glad things worked out. Trailer looks great. But then it's a Trillium. They always look great. Safe journey home. Raz
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Old 02-08-2017, 07:59 AM   #11
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Wow, looks amazing. They do really good work. Love to see some interior photos!


Sent from my iPhone using Fiberglass RV
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Old 02-08-2017, 10:04 AM   #12
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So glad to hear you finally got it.
Looks great, love the coloured gel coat.
Congratulations.
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Old 02-08-2017, 10:38 AM   #13
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Although our Outback isn't new anymore (it's a 2004), it remains an awesome little trailer and we have been very, very happy with it and how it has performed.

In our various dealings with Joe over the years, he has often been slow in replying to emails but much easier to reach via telephone. And whatever we'd been looking for was promptly sent to us.

I very much like the bicolour gel coat look! Very retro.

And I would LOVE to see some interior photos to compare ours to yours...see what difference a few years has made.
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Old 02-22-2017, 09:56 PM   #14
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Name: Darwin
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Trillium Outback Customer Service

I am a new member and this is my first post in the forum which unfortunately is in response to some of the recent negative service issues with the Outback Trillium. We recently purchased an Outback Trillium Trailer and had an almost identical customer service experience to what Bruce had.


We orderred our trailer in April 2016 with the understanding that the trailer would be completed by mid August for our move from Calgary to Vancouver Island at the end of August.


Suffice to say the trailer was not ready by the end of August nor was it close to be being done by the the third week in October when we made a special trip driving the 1,000 km from the Island to Calgary.


After a series of emails and telephone calls, much frustration and stress over the course of 4 months, we finally took delivery of our trailer on January 2, 2017 after Joe (owner) had the trailer flat decked out to Vancouver for us to pick up after we paid the drop off fee.


I was very disappointed with the initial inspection of the the trailer after getting it home. The inside was dusty and dirty and there were many minor cosmetic deficiencies in addition to a door that does not appear to have been fabricated correctly. The door does not seal properly as evidenced by the large gap around the bottom of the door.


I can only venture to guess that the poor fit and finish and sloppy workmanship on the inside of the trailer is the result of poor quality control due to a rushed production schedule.


We communicated our dissatisfaction with the trailer to Joe through a series of emails with attached photos and phone calls that went unanswered.


It appears we are now on total ignore. To date we have not had the courtesy of a response to any of our concerns including a request for a copy of the terms of the trailer warranty.


In addition to making a formal complaint with the BBB, I also made it very clear in my last email to Joe that these are warranty issues that he needs to deal with that if he chooses to ignore, will result in further action once the repairs are done by a third party.


We are very frustrated and disappointed with the very poor customer service shown by Outback Trillium Trailers after spending so much money and investing so much time in the purchase of their product.


Which brings me to the last order of business. Some of the best spots on the island are on gravel logging roads and I am very concerned about dust enterring the inside of the trailer through the large gap around the bottom of the door.


Does anyone have any suggestions with regards to replacing or sealing the door or know of any company on Vancouver Island, the lower mainland or interior that might be able to assist with a repair of this type? Any help would be greatly appreciated!
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Old 02-22-2017, 10:29 PM   #15
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Welcome to FGRV Darwin. I think you may be the record holder for a first post. Hope things work out for you.
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Old 02-22-2017, 11:27 PM   #16
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Darwin, we had a large gap at the bottom of our 13' Scamp that would allow rain to soak the bottom part of the door. I purchased some flat aluminum stock and screwed it to the underside so it almost touched the door. I then placed automotive type seal that pinched onto the flat stock with the "bulb" of the seal touching the very bottom of the door. A good way to check for a poor door seal is to have someone shine a light all around the door at night, as you are inside looking for light.
Dave & Paula
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Old 02-23-2017, 03:05 PM   #17
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Wow! Darwin--first off, welcome to this forum! Secondly, I can only say how very saddened I am to hear of your troubles with Joe and your new Outback.
No one who buys anything in good faith, whatever the product, should be treated to such terribly poor customer service. Or lack thereof.

As I had written, our experience with Joe has always been good---but there is a "but" there---- our purchase was NOT thru Joe. We actually bought our trailer thru a third party who ordered 6 trailers at the time, chose the options, arranged delivery to Nova Scotia and paid the bill to the company directly. We bought from him. Our contact with Joe has been for small items, questions regarding our fridge and other such reasons.
As I also noted, email contact was often slow but phone calls worked better.

How incredibly disappointed you must be! The gap at the bottom of your door is surely a problem. Is the rubber gasket in place? It should rim the entire door. One of our contacts with Joe, in fact, was to order more gasket after the bottom part split from years of stepping on it. And service was very quick, in fact, he sent the product at no cost.

Please keep us informed how the story progresses..... and again, we are glad that you are here.
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Old 02-23-2017, 03:39 PM   #18
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Name: Bruce
Trailer: Trilluim Outback
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Joe is getting some poor press here and i too feel sorry for D's experience. We ARE happy with our trailer - thank goodness. Otherwise i fear there is no recourse and we felt that all along. The bottom of our door looks a bit like it sticks out, but we dragged her home in a blizzard and no mush or slush came in.

I posted some pictures of the trailer under the introductions section, if you wanted to take a look. I think if i posted them here it might be rubbing salt into D's wounds.

We did take care to preserve a cordial relationship with Joe, despite his broken promises and our disappointment. I seems no good comes from having bad will with the person you hope is building your trailer!
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Old 02-23-2017, 03:43 PM   #19
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Originally Posted by Bruce Rhodes View Post
seems no good comes from having bad will with the person you hope is building your trailer!
Should work the other way around too.
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Old 02-23-2017, 10:46 PM   #20
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Name: Darwin
Trailer: 2016 Trillium Ouback
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Thanks for the feedback everyone. I appreciate the support.

Does anyone know of a qualified company (or individual) in British Columbia or Alberta that could have a look at the door for me?

For the record, I gave Joe every opportunity to respond to my concerns and only posted this after much deliberate thought and consideration.

I can live with some minor cosmetic deficiencies because I know that the trailer will be put to some hard use once it gets on the road. But to spend big dollars on a new product and then to be totally ignored by the manufacturer because you have some concerns is not acceptable.

I do not think anyone who just purchased a brand new truck from Ford would be ok with a couple of dents in the dash, a scratch on the seat and a driver's door that does not close properly.
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