A not so great experience with Escape trailers

[Glenn Baglo]

You should have bought your Escape when I did - in 2008.
Would have saved a lot of money.

[Mary F]

Even when we bought ours in 2015, the price was not the price until we signed off on the Build Sheet. Back then there was "just" a nine month production wait, but the Build Sheet, with all of the options (or lack thereof), formed the actual production/price contract (and, once it was signed, changes to the Build Sheet became costly).

One thing the original ETI owners did differently: once their production slots were filled, they quit taking new orders "for the year," or at least until production caught up a bit. I don't believe they ever had a 24 month lead time, although they may have sometimes been 12 months out.

Anyway, I'm sorry you've had a bad experience trying to purchase your Escape, and I hope you can get what you'll enjoy using, ASAP. We all need to go camping!

[Perryb67]

Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo

You should have bought your Escape when I did - in 2008.
Would have saved a lot of money.

Ours was $41,100 CAD in October 2018. I just ran our configuration and it was $50,430, but that did not include extra lights, and another $900 in our u-shaped dinette, plus other doodads. That's $10-11,000 more than we paid if purchased today or a +25% increase in price since then.

This year alone we added another $5,300 in batteries, 1,500 watt inverter, properly sized and wired cables/fuses/shutoffs, solar charge controller, 300 additional watts on the roof, a new $1,500 latex mattress, new Houzer sink, kohler faucet, Dickinson stovetop, both ugly countertops replaced, handmade cutting boards to replace the flipup counter by the door and over the Dickinson stove.

All in all our 5.0 is still cheaper than buying one today.

We leave Monday for New Mexico/Arizona/Utah for three months. Can't wait!

Enjoy,

Perry

[7GenTex]

deleted - never mind



was an old ad for a 17B

[oldwave]

Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo

You should have bought your Escape when I did - in 2008.
Would have saved a lot of money.

Or even in 2017

[oldwave]

If I would have ordered a Bigfoot in 2019 it would have been 10,000 cheaper. Oliver’s would also been 10,000 cheaper. I specked out my 21 that I paid 27 us for in 2017, it’s now 10,000 more. Demand is driving up prices, not politics. I suspect the bubble will burst eventually, it always does.

[Randyag]

You are not being scammed, unfortunately everything cost much more than it did a year ago. Everything I sell foam, staples, glue and thread cost between 8% to 20 % more now. You have to raise your prices. I know it sucks getting a price a year ago and they can't keep that price.

[Radar1]

Originally Posted by mbbill

With Casita, they sent me a contract with the 2023 price on it. They also claimed they'll not increase the price once a deposit is made.

I think the difference is that Casita "built in" a price increase that you are willing to pay, where Escape is not "building in" the price increase in their estimates, and are waiting to increase based on what the actual market increases will be.
Casita will either make extra profit at your expense if production costs don't increase as much as they expected, or lose money at their expense if costs increase dramatically, or break even with normal profit.

Either way, you will pay more in 2 years than what you would have paid today.

[Dismantle]

Escapes are so small compared to bigfoots. I would always go with a nice uses bigfoot over escape.

[Lanarkwanderer]

We bought a new Escape in 2019. Had a very good experience. It’s too bad it didn’t workout for you.

It’s difficult for anyone to guess what the price of anything will be a year or two from now. What will a manufacturer do if prices go up and they have not padded the price enough two years ago ? I guess either go bankrupt or find a way to save money on how they build the trailer ? Who pays for that at the end of the day ?

Trailers cost what they cost. When the cost of a new one increases so does the cost of a used one as long as demand exceeds supply.

Bob

[floyd]

Originally Posted by 7GenTex

Wasn't a "contract" - it was an estimate.

So settle on the price, get it in writing, or don't buy it!
Once the trailer is ordered and they agree to build it, you have a de facto contract.

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by Dismantle

Escapes are so small compared to bigfoots. I would always go with a nice uses bigfoot over escape.

Compared to our Scamp 13 (which is exactly the right size for us), the OP's choice of an Escape 17B is a big trailer!

The comparable Bigfoot (17' or 17'5) might feel a bit roomier due to the extra width, and it could be an option now that the OP has decided not to deal with Escape, but it will be a harder tow, and it has a smaller main bed.

[MyronL]

re: "...you should have bought your Escape in 2008...etc"

What Gbaggs said.... or, like me, in 2013.

[parmm]

Originally Posted by mbbill

I feel I'm scammed. Now if I cancel the order, I'll have to pay them $150 so called processing fee. I'm not sure if that's normal on the RV industry? I thought the Escape was pretty legit. Really didn't expect that they would use an impossible price to lure buyers, but I'm still lucky I noticed this before waiting the "surprise" for 19 months..

Be glad you are not dealing with the "rest" of the RV industry. Generally speaking, they make Escape look like angels!!! To get them to honor warranties, you have to go back to the dealer you purchased you RV from, can't get it done on the road. I know a guy who's trailer had to go back to the factory twice to fix a leaking roof. And his 3 year warranty was running out when he finally got it back so he traded it for a different brand. Go over to the other RV forums and you will read real horror stories!!!~

Of all the RVs I've owned, loved my old 1994 Foretravel motorcoach, and love my current travel trailer, a 2006 Scamp! Were getting it ready for a 2500 mile trip right now.

[jeepers29]

Originally Posted by mbbill

Talking to the Casita, and they seems pretty good so far. Their listed price is based on production schedule, which is 2023. They also sent me email saying they will never increase the price once a deposit is made, although it's not in the contract.

We ordered our casita 12 months ago. We pick it up Tuesday, and the final price is what we contracted 12 months ago. Never a hint of going up on price.

[jeepers29]

Originally Posted by 7GenTex

To "estimate"



BTW - Is your Casita deposit refundable once you sign the contract?

Yes it is. They put it in writing, 100% refudable.

[jgilliam1955]

It's not a scam. I understand your feelings but materials cost more every year, so I do not have a problem with this. You are talking about almost 2 years from now. 10% looks legit.

Our build time for our Casita was two months in early 2019. The price has increased by $5000 since then.

[jgilliam1955]

Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo

You should have bought your Escape when I did - in 2008.
Would have saved a lot of money.

Would have saved more money if you bought one the first year of production. LOL

[RogerDat]

Originally Posted by FRED SMAILES

They accept your order today but have to build it with materials purchased a year from now,,,the way markets are today how would they know what the actual costs will be?

Exactly. They are willing to preserve a place in line for you but have no way to know what prices they will be paying for goods and materials when they actually build "your" camper. Or even labor well over a year in the future.

They would be foolish to lock themselves in to a specific sale price without knowing what their costs will be.

I do think however they should make this point and the reasons for it clear up front. Leaving the customer to decide if they want to deal with a company that admits the costs are expected to go up and what that means for this sale or a different company that will have the same issues and need to charge more to deliver that many months in the future but doesn't spell that out.

I would rather deal with a business that tells me up front about this stuff rather than hide it. Mostly because I figure all of these manufacturers are facing the same pressures on price and same demand induced long wait times. Would rather be told to expect a 10% or even greater increase instead of figuring after waiting 19 months you will take it or someone behind you on the list will be glad to get it for todays full price

[floyd]

Originally Posted by RogerDat

Exactly. They are willing to preserve a place in line for you but have no way to know what prices they will be paying for goods and materials when they actually build "your" camper. Or even labor well over a year in the future.

They would be foolish to lock themselves in to a specific sale price without knowing what their costs will be.

I do think however they should make this point and the reasons for it clear up front. Leaving the customer to decide if they want to deal with a company that admits the costs are expected to go up and what that means for this sale or a different company that will have the same issues and need to charge more to deliver that many months in the future but doesn't spell that out.

I would rather deal with a business that tells me up front about this stuff rather than hide it. Mostly because I figure all of these manufacturers are facing the same pressures on price and same demand induced long wait times. Would rather be told to expect a 10% or even greater increase instead of figuring after waiting 19 months you will take it or someone behind you on the list will be glad to get it for todays full price

Then don't accept orders that you have no way of knowing whether you will be reasonably able to fill them in a predictable manner.


At least take some of the risk in recognition of the trust extended by the customer. Another Fiberglass trailer maker has taken the responsibility to set firm 2024 prices on orders placed today for delivery in 2024, and with only a small amount of "earnest" money down.

I'm surprised that buyers are willing to wait two years for a trailer anyway.
As a customer, I would be willing to share some of that risk in the form of a price increase in exchange for a firm price on a known product.
What if they decide to change the size or structure or content in the interim?

I can sympathize with both parties, but firm promises require firm understandings.