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Old 09-25-2018, 10:01 PM   #1
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Visit to Chilliwack

We made a road trip from Austin to Chilliwack to finalize our build sheet in person and be able to spend a day sitting in the 5.0 in the showroom and going over some little details and potential changes. Seems a bit crazy to make a 5,000 mile road trip to do this, but after many months of reading the forum, going over all the options, and planning our build sheet it was a big thrill for us to find ourselves pulling into the ETI parking lot on Monday.

Border crossing at Sumas was a non-event - we got a handful of cursory questions, the obligatory question about firearms, and were waved on through. Our sales rep, Linda, was absolutely wonderful to work with and we couldn't be happier with how the process went. I got to meet Reace and chat with him for a while, and it was neat to have a chance to check out and compare all the different models.

We weren't planning to place our order until the end of this year for a spring 2019 production date but jumped in early back when it looked like they were discontinuing the frameless windows and electric awning we wanted, we got a Dec 28 production date. Now it turns out that since both the frameless windows and electric awning have a big following they will in fact be continuing to offer both....but that's fine, it's nice to see them continually adapt to changing conditions and what their customers want. We won't be driving from Texas to Chilliwack and back in the winter to pick up our trailer, though, so it will be painful to get the final build pics and then have to wait until spring to go get it.

It was really helpful to us to spend a whole day in the showroom model and get measurements and ideas for some decorating ideas and other things we want to do. ETI was very accommodating in working with us to incorporate a cat access opening in the bottom of the bathroom door so they can get to their litter box...first time they have done that, they said. My advice to anyone beginning the build sheet process is to ask for any little changes or tweaks that you would like to have, knowing that they will say yes to some and no to others; accept the "no's" graciously and move on to the next item, and you will have a wonderful build process. I am still amazed at not only the amount of customization they are willing to do on each trailer but also the tremendous amount of personalized attention you get throughout the process - Linda was absolutely unflappable. After finalizing our build sheet in the afternoon, we went next door to Tim Horton's for coffee and thought of "one more change". When we walked back into ETI and she met us at the door with our "final" build sheet all printed out and I said "Linda, don't hate me but..." she just burst out laughing, I'm sure she's been through this a million times.

We're in Idaho tonight on the long road home, stopping off at Arches NP in Utah for a couple of days to break up the trip. I just can't say enough good things about Escape!
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Old 09-25-2018, 11:12 PM   #2
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Thanks for your report, David! Hoping to do a report as well when the time comes. Good to know that ETI was willing to work with you on the cat door. So there is room for the litter box in the bathroom, huh?

Speaking of Tim Horton's, I got to try my first cup at the Vancouver airport on our recent trip back from Saskachewan!
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Old 09-26-2018, 05:36 AM   #3
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That Tim Hortons is a busy place. When we stayed at Best Western between them and ETI, it was open 24 hours with customers all night. Their food is not too bad either.
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Old 09-26-2018, 06:28 AM   #4
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So there is room for the litter box in the bathroom, huh?
Just enough room on the bathroom floor for a litter box....as long as humans don't want to fit in there too
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Old 09-26-2018, 09:43 AM   #5
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Just enough room on the bathroom floor for a litter box....as long as humans don't want to fit in there too

Yeah, been there, done that. You'll need to fling the box out unless you have suction cups on your feet and can hang off the walls.


Or use a really small, kitten size box. Which would never work with my full grown kitties.
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Old 09-26-2018, 10:01 AM   #6
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Just try to remember not to allow litter into your gray tank if possible, it can clump and cause a blockage. I'd recommend tightening down the drain inside the shower.
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Old 09-26-2018, 10:20 AM   #7
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Glad to see a thread remain on topic - kitty litter and Tim Hortons.
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Old 10-01-2018, 12:25 AM   #8
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David,
I live in Austin too and was thinking about doing the same trip to the factory but flying into Sea Tec and renting a car (make it a mini holiday). Currently were Casita owners but wife wants a bigger trailer and I always liked the 21' Escape. I suppose to get the correct build would be to visit the factory since they have many options.
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Old 10-01-2018, 08:09 AM   #9
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Just try to remember not to allow litter into your gray tank if possible, it can clump and cause a blockage. I'd recommend tightening down the drain inside the shower.
Yes, for sure - that's what we did in our old rig, the litterbox lived in the bathtub.
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Old 10-01-2018, 08:12 AM   #10
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David,
I live in Austin too and was thinking about doing the same trip to the factory but flying into Sea Tec and renting a car (make it a mini holiday). Currently were Casita owners but wife wants a bigger trailer and I always liked the 21' Escape. I suppose to get the correct build would be to visit the factory since they have many options.
I highly recommend visiting ETI if you can, it was a big help in deciding on some of the options, locations of things, and a few minor customizations. We spent a full day at ETI and given what it took to get there I wish I had allotted two days. We both really dislike flying, and wanted to get a feel for how our new truck would be on the road, so we drove. We are in Albuquerque getting ready for the last leg of our drive home today - it was definitely a LONG drive, flying would make the trip much easier.
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Old 10-01-2018, 11:38 AM   #11
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David,
I live in Austin too and was thinking about doing the same trip to the factory but flying into Sea Tec and renting a car (make it a mini holiday). Currently were Casita owners but wife wants a bigger trailer and I always liked the 21' Escape. I suppose to get the correct build would be to visit the factory since they have many options.
Please remember though, Casitas are built in Texas with AC standard and a furnace is extra. However, an Escape is built in Canada with a furnace standard and AC is an optional extra.
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Old 10-01-2018, 05:02 PM   #12
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We are making the same trip next week from Houston although we are flying to YVR. Thanks for the review. We plan on doing the same with ETI next Thursday.
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Old 10-01-2018, 07:44 PM   #13
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Can you expand on the cat access opening?


Is this just a rough opening? Or, are you planning to install an off the shelf swinging cat door? How to plan to keep shower water from leaking out the door or opening?
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Old 10-01-2018, 09:18 PM   #14
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Can you expand on the cat access opening?


Is this just a rough opening? Or, are you planning to install an off the shelf swinging cat door? How to plan to keep shower water from leaking out the door or opening?
This will just be a 6" x 8" open cat doorway at the bottom of the bathroom door. The bathroom door does not actually keep water in the bathroom - it is mounted on the outside of the doorway, and has about a one inch gap at both the top and bottom for ventilation of the bathroom. There is about a six inch lip on the bathroom floor at the bottom of the door, and a shower curtain that you slide across the doorway opening to keep water out of the doorway when using the shower.

You could install a cat door if desired - in our previous trailer we just had an open hole at the bottom of the bathroom door for the cats and it worked fine so we will do the same here. ETI will incorporate the opening into the bottom of the bathroom door when they build it so that it will be trimmed out to match.
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Old 10-11-2018, 10:10 PM   #15
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Dallas to Chilliwack twice

We drove up from Dallas TX to Chilliwack, pulling our Casita, to finalize our build. This was in Feb 2017. We went up Hwy 101 to avoid ice and snow on I-5. We then drove up again the following August to pick up our new trailer. Both trips were memorable. I recommend the drive to anyone who has the time.
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Old 10-12-2018, 12:24 PM   #16
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Minnranger.
It's not necessary to post the same thing multiple times.
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Old 10-12-2018, 02:17 PM   #17
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ok, thanks
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Old 11-05-2018, 08:16 PM   #18
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Trip to Chiliwack

My wife and I are flying out to Vancouver in about 2 weeks to the Escape folkks and finalize our build sheet on the 2019 5.0 TA we just put a deposit on. I was too nervous about plunking down that much cash and not getting inside one of these things and getting the feel of it, also, being new to the RV ownership thing, we're a bit nervous regarding choosing the right options and so talking to them ion person will be more comfortable.

I have been following the Escape forum for a long while (most recently as a new member) and you all have been hugely informative and very helpful in this process, thanks to everyone!!

BTW - off topic, being new to the site, how do you post the photo that shows up in your profile when you make a post?
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Old 11-05-2018, 09:11 PM   #19
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My wife and I are flying out to Vancouver in about 2 weeks to the Escape folkks and finalize our build sheet on the 2019 5.0 TA we just put a deposit on. I was too nervous about plunking down that much cash and not getting inside one of these things and getting the feel of it, also, being new to the RV ownership thing, we're a bit nervous regarding choosing the right options and so talking to them ion person will be more comfortable.

I have been following the Escape forum for a long while (most recently as a new member) and you all have been hugely informative and very helpful in this process, thanks to everyone!!

BTW - off topic, being new to the site, how do you post the photo that shows up in your profile when you make a post?
On the forums home page click on User CP. From there you will see a tab for edit avatar. From there you will be given option to choose file(picture).

Hope this helps.
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Old 11-06-2018, 07:13 AM   #20
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My wife and I are flying out to Vancouver in about 2 weeks
You may have booked already, but I much prefer flying into Abbotsford. Smaller airport, car rentals, between Escape and Vancouver. You gotta love it when it takes about 5 minutes to get to the baggage carousel, and your luggage is already there.
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