What percentage are and any idea how many?

[stratos175]

Hello All,
I was just reading another thread and part of it was new member looking for 5.0TA I think it was to look at. CP Harley responded that may be best to reach out to the factory because all owners are not members of this forum. So that is question #1

Do you know what percentage of Escape owners are members of this forum?

My title says our Escape is a 2014 but pretty sure it was manufactured in 2013 based on something I remember seeing on it, I think 2013 was the first year they made the 21'? Leads me to 2nd question:

I know Oliver tells the owner you own unit # any way to know where an Escape comes in that pecking order? More a curiosity thing then anything else.

Enjoy the journey.

Steve

[cpaharley2008]

Steve,
Only Escape can tell you the number of units it has made, otherwise it is a guesstimate. In addition there are forum members that are not owners, another ingredient in the mix. As far as year, I had the 12th E21 made, completed November 2013 and it was a 2014 model. Escape normally switches over Dec1 the model year for any continuing model. Since the E21 was a new model they made an exception. Similarly the switch over to 2ndG models was made in the fall 2016. It would not make good economic sense to wait until a specific date to restart a new model or new year. Remember the early Mustangs, with a 1/2 year model?

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by stratos175

I know Oliver tells the owner you own unit # any way to know where an Escape comes in that pecking order?

Until recently, Escape just assigned sequential numbers for the last three digits of the VIN (with a bit of shuffling due to the way the production line was arranged), so for the first thousand Escapes those last three digits indicate approximately where the trailer is in a chronological list of Escapes built. Then they built more than 999 trailers, and just reset and started again, so if the trailer is from 2015 and likely 2016 just add 1000 to the last three digits.

After that, Escape began restarting the last three digits from 001 each year.

[Iowa Dave]

Thanks for the explanation Brian. maybe a serial number derby to determine build sequence is in order for us northern snowbound rookies, isn't much else to do after plowing the snow and filling the bird feeders.
iowa Dave

[Rossue]

Originally Posted by stratos175

....Do you know what percentage of Escape owners are members of this forum?

Steve- X number may join initially and generally those first coming on the scene and interested in ordering chime in- mainly looking for information for their build sheets. Even then it would appear based on ETI production rates since 2016 that most of those folks don't join the conversation. Then, most of those that do initially participate drop off and either lurk or become disinterested. There was a thread started about this previously by Carl H. Lot of different reasons.

[GusGill]

I asked when I picked my 5.0TA up in Nov. of 2015 in Chillawack and promptly named it "Escape Pod #58".

[Iowa Dave]

Thanks for posting Gus. This might give other owners a point of reference on their TA’s especially if they are not original owners.
Iowa Dave

[trainman]

Production numbers on travel trailers are pretty much of no value, but to those who for some reason feel a need to be recognized within there group. True, Oliver owners usually give there build number in there avatar, or signature on post, maybe the Airstream community does also, don't know on that. The Escape is like the Casita, just another well build trailer, but I don't think it needs an identification as to its build date. My Casita would be #500,073 and would look pretty stupid on the back of my trailer. For these trailers the year model pretty much says it all and no need for more info. Remember, the lower the number the faster your trailer is depreciating.

trainman

[Donna D.]

Personally I find no value in quantity. Whether one-of-one or one-of many. At least as far as builds. I find value in what may be unique. But that's subjective, because what I find unique and valuable, others are 'MEH.'

[Iowa Dave]

In our parks operation we vacuumed up leaves every fall and the late dropped oak leaves in the spring. We used a 1953 Good Roads vacuum that we rebuilt about every year to keep it going. It had a brass embossed plate on the body, with a hand stamped serial number 003. I asked for funding every year for a new vacuum but it always got deferred. One day I was assigned to take 4 out of seven council persons on a little “show me” tour to look at a new land acquisition. On the way we came upon a crew vacuuming up leaves in a park. Never one to miss an opportunity, I mentioned that the men and women on the crew would like to meet their council people on the job site. The council agreed and we stopped. Handshakes and good will ensued. While there, I pointed out the aging vacuum and its sad condition. But the convincer was noting the serial number 003. The next spring at the budget hearing I got a new vacuum with the backing of those same 4 council people. Serial numbers can matter on many fronts. Depreciation is not of any concern to me. I own it, I use it, if it wears out I get a different one. My $80 browning shotgun, new in 1954, has now depreciated down to $900. Hundreds of bolers change hands every year. New, they were less than $2,000. Now they have depreciated to 6 or 7 thousand dollars in a short 40 or 50 years.
Iowa Dave

[Rossue]

Hmmm- Gotta find my rose colored glasses

[cpaharley2008]

Originally Posted by Iowa Dave

In our parks operation we vacuumed up leaves every fall and the late dropped oak leaves in the spring. We used a 1953 Good Roads vacuum that we rebuilt about every year to keep it going. It had a brass embossed plate on the body, with a hand stamped serial number 003. I asked for funding every year for a new vacuum but it always got deferred. One day I was assigned to take 4 out of seven council persons on a little “show me” tour to look at a new land acquisition. On the way we came upon a crew vacuuming up leaves in a park. Never one to miss an opportunity, I mentioned that the men and women on the crew would like to meet their council people on the job site. The council agreed and we stopped. Handshakes and good will ensued. While there, I pointed out the aging vacuum and its sad condition. But the convincer was noting the serial number 003. The next spring at the budget hearing I got a new vacuum with the backing of those same 4 council people. Serial numbers can matter on many fronts. Depreciation is not of any concern to me. I own it, I use it, if it wears out I get a different one. My $80 browning shotgun, new in 1954, has now depreciated down to $900. Hundreds of bolers change hands every year. New, they were less than $2,000. Now they have depreciated to 6 or 7 thousand dollars in a short 40 or 50 years.
Iowa Dave

Hey Dave,
Check out these serial numbers on my dad's Craftsman drill

[Iowa Dave]

Those oldies but goodies remind me of you, wasn’t that a song once? Apparently not everybody thinks like me, imagine that. I get a special pleasure out of keeping older things in good shape, once in a while stuff does truly wear out. One escape owner I know has a nice collection of old woodworking tools he showed me. It wasn’t a fancy display, just some tools that meant something to him. I’m always honored when someone shows me some of their good stuff no mater how little or how great it’s value may be. It’s the friendship and conversation that I truly value. I got a pair of old glasses my dad had around here someplace, and a great story to go with them. Nice drill by the way.
Iowa Dave

[Brian B-P]

Aside from the production order, a serial number can simply be a unique identifier, like a name that no one else will have. That appears to be how Airstream owners used them in the past - even posting their number on the trailer so it is visible on the road - but any single sequence of numbers would be very large for that purpose now.

To do that with Escapes, based on the VIN, it would need to be something like the model year plus the last three digits of the VIN.

[davidmurphy02]

My favorite tool, one that I use daily, is a vintage 45 year old DeWalt radial arm saw, they just don't make them like that any more. A client gave it to me, he had inherited it from his father but it was just gathering dust in his garage. He thought I'd use and appreciate it....and he was right!

[gbaglo]

You keep a tidy shop.

[Iowa Dave]

We had one just like yours in the Recreation Maintenace Shop. We got some end of the fiscal year funding once and the foreman agreed they would all like a radial arm in the park shops. I bid and bought three. This was about 1990. The new ones never would stay in adjustment. They were not in the league with the older one. I think the new miter Dewalt saws are pretty good but those radial arms for a time: not so good. For table saws we had all Rockwell’s with Biesenmeyer fences. They were very good for us.
Iowa Dave