ETI QC policy - Escape Trailer Owners Community
Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×

Go Back   Escape Trailer Owners Community > Escape Me | General Topics > General Escape
Click Here to Login
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 07-08-2019, 08:18 AM   #1
Senior Member
 
75thRanger's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2019
Location: Sarita, Texas
Trailer: 2019 Escape 21
Posts: 518
ETI QC policy

I'm due to pick up my new 21 on Aug 13. I would like to take off right away for parts unknown but am thinking I should stay close by for a day or two exercising the various systems.

Does anyone have a handle on how thoroughly ETI does their QC?

IE: Has the fridge been checked for cooling in all 3 modes? Have all 120v and 12v outlets been tested for power. Do the brakes lock the wheels? You get the idea.

I read about the water pump staying on. Easy fix but that would seem to indicate no water was in the tank so the system was not checked.

The last trailer I bought was a 2002 Holiday Rambler ( I keep'em forever) I got hooked up and was in the process of finding the best setting for the brake controller and surprise. No brakes! The culprit was a faulty crimp in the 7 pin brake wire at the box. The brakes could not possibly have been checked.

I've been reading posts here since I ordered and am confidant ETI does a good job so don't expect any real problems but wanted to hear from others about their experience with ETI's QC level.
__________________
Why have I never heard of a 'Physic' winning the lottery?
75thRanger is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-08-2019, 09:00 AM   #2
Senior Member
 
tdf-texas's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: Baytown, Texas
Trailer: 2017 21' Escape - upgraded version
Posts: 2,697
I would seriously consider finding a campsite near Sumas and go through a complete checklist on your trailer before heading off. Escape doesn't test "everything" but will resolve any problems you discover. A short trip back over the border should take care of any problems that crop up.
__________________
Normal people believe that if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Engineers believe in fixing it so that it never breaks.
tdf-texas is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-08-2019, 09:01 AM   #3
Senior Member
 
Jim Bennett's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Trailer: 2017 Escape 5.0 TA
Posts: 15,532
I have never worried with either of my Escape trailers, just took off with them with the thought that if any problem arose I would deal with it. Nothing really happened with either trailer.

I did find a couple wee things on both trailers, but fortunately ones that I could easily fix as needed. A couple relied on parts replacement and either Escape or the equipment manufacturer supplied those parts. Just a couple wee items from Escape and a new air conditioner from Dometic.

I have heard from friends way worse issues with their new purchasers from other companies.

You certainly could spend the first night or two not far from Chilliwack, just in case. There is some nice country around there.
__________________
2017 Escape 5.0 TA
2015 Ford F150 Lariat 3.5L EcoBoost
2009 Escape 19 (previous)
“Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” — Abraham Lincoln
Jim Bennett is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-08-2019, 09:22 AM   #4
Senior Member
 
cpaharley2008's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Central, Pennsylvania
Trailer: Escape#5 2022 E19
Posts: 26,268
I had my first 2 Escapes delivered, no issues and picked up my last 2 at Chilliwack and left town within hours, again no issues. I doubt they check the operation of refer on all 3 power sources, just electric or propane, I'm sure they test the stove and furnace for operation as well as pump and awning. If you want to stay close, your choice, but not necessary. I do not recommend using 12v for refer operation.
__________________
Jim
Sometime life gets in the way of living.......
cpaharley2008 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-08-2019, 09:35 AM   #5
Site Team
 
Donna D.'s Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Portland, Oregon
Trailer: 2014 Escape 5.0 TA
Posts: 11,023
My first night of trailer ownership was spent within 20 miles of Sumas. I'm glad I did. I was absolutely exhausted at orientation and pickup. Burned every bit of adrenaline I had because I was so flippin' excited. Too, although I had towed a bumper pull trailer many years and many miles, I had never hooked up and towed a 5th wheel.

I'd suggest planning an extra day or two into your travels plans. I did and I'm glad. Good luck!
__________________
Donna D.
Ten Forward
2014 Escape 5.0TA
Donna D. is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-08-2019, 10:28 AM   #6
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: North of Danbury, Wisconsin
Trailer: 2018 Escape 21C
Posts: 3,033
The issues we encountered with both our new Casita and Escape were not evident at pick up but showed up days / weeks / months later
IE Both trailers leaked but the leaks didn’t show up until the first heavy rain
IE Faulty wiring issues showed up later when loads were applied to the receptacles
( They tested OK )
Our problems with the windows , furnace , water pump , lighting , EMS , range hood , paneling / trim , screen door , faucets , hitch , etc did not show up till a couple of weeks / months later
These issues could not be caught , even with a thorough inspection at pickup or even in the first days of use , that’s why you have a warranty
Many issues require a simple fix so I wouldn’t be overly concerned .
steve dunham is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-08-2019, 10:57 AM   #7
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: Southern, Wisconsin
Trailer: 2017 Escape 19
Posts: 164
Although I trust ETI mistakes do happen. So I agree with Donna and others...find a camping spot reasonably nearby and check things out. If something does crop up you'll be glad you did. If not, no harm done. We camped for two days in Hope, BC., which we enjoyed.
mtnest is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-08-2019, 11:22 AM   #8
Senior Member
 
EdColorado's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Front Range, Colorado
Trailer: ?
Posts: 739
The QC issues surrounding the propane tank installation have been well documented. Be sure the threaded rod securing the tanks is properly installed and that the heads of the screws that secure the propane tank holder to the frame have not been stripped off and that the rubber propane hose is not chafing against the tank holder.
Check during orientation.

All of the above were observed on my delivered 21.

Fixable but issues that should simply not happen.

Besides that, nothing worth noting.
EdColorado is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-08-2019, 12:16 PM   #9
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Southwick, Massachusetts
Trailer: None, sold my 2014 5.0TA
Posts: 7,124
If it were me, I'd plan on spending enough time in the area where I could bring it back for repairs after going through everything in a campground. If you pick up say on a Friday, they may be closed till Monday, which would be the 1st chance to get it fixed. If it's a weekday then you could bring it back the next day, get whatever fixed, and head out. Hopefully there'd be nothing to fix, but it'd be worth 1 or so nights local to go through everything. ETI does not give you the chance to do it at the factory before heading cross border. Might be rare that something is bad, but it does happen.


Takes me about an hour to go through everything before I head out on a trip. That's really all the time you need, with hookups.
__________________
Happy Motoring
Bob
padlin is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-08-2019, 12:32 PM   #10
Bea
Senior Member
 
Bea's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Northern California, California
Trailer: 2019 Escape 21
Posts: 759
Hi 75thRanger,

We just picked up our new 21 in April. We are very impressed with the great quality and QC of ETI, but as Donna suggests, if you have the time to spend a night or two near the factory the day you pick it up, then we recommend it. We suggest trying everything out for hours or a day with full hook ups, and then for hours or a day without any hook ups. Worked well for us.

We had 2 small issues (with faucet and fridge) that showed up the 2nd day and since we were close by, ETI asked us to come back and within hours, all were corrected. Great service! Very professional.

Another potential bonus to staying local the first night or 2 is the possibility of unexpected camaraderie with other new Escapees in your campground. We stayed at the Lynden KOA. We totally underestimated how beneficial that turned out to be. We stayed 3 nights and bumped into 3 other brand new Escapees. Not only it is fun to meet other Newbies, we helped each other with things like, torquing our lug nuts, setting up our Anderson hitch, etc. We called it the Lynden Rookie Rally. Again, not something you can plan on, but could be the 'cherry on top' of it all. Good luck and enjoy!
Bea is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-08-2019, 12:39 PM   #11
Senior Member
 
Greg A's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Phoenix, Arizona
Trailer: 2015 Escape 19 "Seventy Degrees"
Posts: 3,495
We scheduled two nights with full hookups at Lyndon KOA. Toured Vancouver and Vancouver Island while there burning in the systems, stocking, and getting everything setup. Left with confidence for pull home. Other than thermostat being set in Canadian Mode(kids solved on Google) and a bad propane regulator on the trip home(still worked but had water inside it which froze up) everything was good. I would stay in the area for one or two nights, then go yonder.
Greg A is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-08-2019, 01:39 PM   #12
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Felton, California
Trailer: 2018 21' ; 2014 19' (Sold)
Posts: 1,301
Yes, staying at the Lyndon KOA is a great idea. Just know that even if you check out everything, there still may be a few 'glitches' but a call to ETI usually gets things straightened out in a hurry. We had two issues but we didn't catch them until later. The first was the shower. When I tested it after pickup, it leaked so we replaced the shower head that we had ETI install -- but it still leaked. When we got home, we contacted ETI and they suggested replacing the entire faucet so they sent us a new one (it worked). The second issue was one that I suspected but which wasn't confirmed until our RV tech came out to service the trailer this past Spring -- the digital thermostat. When I used it last October, I had trouble getting it to move from one mode to another and then it seemed to get 'stuck' on A/C. I had a heck of a time moving it to 'off'. After testing it, our technician found out the thermostat was defective and so replaced it for us (he just took down the information and sent off to Dometic for a replacement since it was under warranty). Works fine now.
__________________

Jan

We do not remember days, we remember moments.
- Cesare Pavese
CADreamin is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-08-2019, 02:05 PM   #13
Senior Member
 
JStelly's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Friendswood, Texas
Trailer: 2015 Escape 19' (sold), Escape 5.0 as of August 2019 (sold)
Posts: 664
When we picked up our 19 in August 2015 we had no issues after taking delivery. I concur with others who say 1 to 2 days just to check things out. I’ve met many on the road who had stick builts who were shocked we only stayed a couple of days in the area. Their experience has been weeks near the factory or dealer and several trips to/from for warranty work. It’s all relative.
JStelly is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-08-2019, 03:00 PM   #14
Senior Member
 
Upfisk's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Yarnell, Arizona
Trailer: 2024 Bigfoot 21 Rear Bed
Posts: 545
Heck, we picked up our Escape on a very vigorous driving schedule. We had to drive 200-400 miles a day for the next 17 days to make our commitments. As we had owned an aging sailboat for 17 years, we were not afraid of anything too major breaking. Our awning lock did not work from the start at orientation, Carefree sent us the part once we were home. We figured out that we could jam a stick into the lock area and the awning was unable to roll up. Our inverter died 1 month into ownership, Go Power sent us a new one by the fastest service possible before we headed home. We already had a spare water pump, for pumping water from jugs into the tank, part of our boondocking in Mexico supplies.

Do not worry about it, problems will arrive, but not in the first 20 miles.
__________________
Myrl and Gary
Upfisk is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-08-2019, 05:58 PM   #15
Senior Member
 
Ron in BC's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: North Van., British Columbia
Trailer: 2014 Escape 19, sold; 2019 Escape 21, Sept. 2019
Posts: 8,743
Quote:
Originally Posted by Greg A View Post
Other than thermostat being set in Canadian Mode(kids solved on Google)
No Greg, it's not Canadian Mode, it's rest of the world mode.

Ron
Ron in BC is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-08-2019, 11:49 PM   #16
Senior Member
 
arniesea's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: Bremerton, Washington
Trailer: 2019 5.0 TA
Posts: 1,141
We picked up our new 5.0 TA end of April. Since we only live about 3 hours from the factory, we headed home that day. The only issues I have found was the table was not level with the Springfield pedestal (fixed myself) and a few spots of tape residue from mounting the graphics. It was only visible at certain angles and light. A bit of rubbing alcohol and some elbow grease and all was good.

Very pleased with our purchase.
__________________
- Arnie & Paula & Kizzy the rat terrier
https://www.arniesea.com
- 2019 5.0 TA, 2017 Tundra Platinum.
- Bremerton, WA
arniesea is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-09-2019, 08:17 AM   #17
Senior Member
 
kstock11's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Asheville, North Carolina
Trailer: 2014 Escape 19
Posts: 895
I think it depends on your attitude and experience in the past. If you’re afraid something will be wrong , then stay close. I went by their reputation and others results. I picked mine up in May of 2014 and stayed a few hours away to get set up and begin learning how to be an rv’er. Couple minor problems down the road, but everything worked at pick up. Escape stood behind the product and made me appreciate their professionalism.
__________________
Kevin
Thanks to the interstate highway system, it is now possible to travel across the country from coast to coast without seeing anything - Charles Kuralt
kstock11 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-09-2019, 08:34 AM   #18
Senior Member
 
Jim Bennett's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Trailer: 2017 Escape 5.0 TA
Posts: 15,532
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ron in BC View Post
No Greg, it's not Canadian Mode, it's rest of the world mode.

Ron
Dang, you beat me to making the same comment.
__________________
2017 Escape 5.0 TA
2015 Ford F150 Lariat 3.5L EcoBoost
2009 Escape 19 (previous)
“Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” — Abraham Lincoln
Jim Bennett is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-09-2019, 01:23 PM   #19
Senior Member
 
Greg A's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Phoenix, Arizona
Trailer: 2015 Escape 19 "Seventy Degrees"
Posts: 3,495
Ok guys, let me rephrase: Other than thermostat being set in "Rest of the World Mode"(kids still solved it on Google)
Greg A is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-09-2019, 01:32 PM   #20
Senior Member
 
bdornbush's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Chattanooga, Tennessee
Trailer: 2015 19 foot
Posts: 439
Quote:
Originally Posted by Greg A View Post
Ok guys, let me rephrase: Other than thermostat being set in "Rest of the World Mode"(kids still solved it on Google)
You did keep all of the manuals that ETI provided with your trailer, didn't you? The answer is there, too, no internet needed.
__________________
Bill Dornbush
https://dornbush.net
bdornbush is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off




» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Escape Trailer Industries or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 07:36 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Copyright 2023 Social Knowledge, LLC All Rights Reserved.