Anyone getting a new Escape delivered in 2021?

[okhcolot]

The hubby and I are inches away from putting an order in for a new Escape (YAY!), but we live in the Midwest, approximately 2500 miles from the Escape factory. I talked to Linda at Escape yesterday and she informed me that the delivery prices listed on the website are for this year only. There are no more slots left for this year, so my question is, if you are getting a trailer delivered to you, were they able to give you a quote for 2021? She told me that they haven't negotiated any shipping prices for 2021, which seems odd since they only have slots for next year. I've looked at some old threads that showed delivery charges were as high as $3/mile in the past with Escape. I need to factor all costs involved before we put down our deposit, and slots are filling quickly. Has anyone used someone other than Escape to facilitate delivery?
We've discussed driving out to pick up, but this will be our first trailer, having only done tent camping. We also have two dogs that we would need to bring with us, and they've never been inside a trailer, let alone driven across country in one. We were hoping to get it delivered so that we could acclimate them before doing any big trips. Seems to me that it might be overwhelming to climb such a steep learning curve with two dogs in tow, one a puppy who hasn't even been tent camping yet.
I've been lurking online for months, hoping to maybe find a used one closer to home to avoid the cross country trek, but the Midwest seems to be pretty devoid of any Escapes. We are looking at the 5.0.
Any advice regarding either scenario would be greatly appreciated!

[Small but Sweet]

If it were me I think I would look into boarding the dogs and going to pick up the trailer without them. From what I understand the more reasonable 2020 delivery fees are an incentive. Escape are completely full of orders now, plus there are unknown future fuel costs so my guess is the 2021 fees would at best stay the same but more likely go back up.

[okhcolot]

That's maybe what we will have to do unless the delivery fees don't go up as much as it will cost to board them! I guess I will have plenty of time to figure it out since we are thinking of May as pickup or delivery. Was just thinking if we made the drive to pick it up we'd like to take our time, and it will be a shame if the border is still closed and we can't explore BC or if we feel like we have to hurry back. I think I'm just going to put my deposit down and wing it, which is NOT my usual M.O.

[Small but Sweet]

May would be a lovely month to make the trip!

From what I’ve read in the forum, lots of people have had their first camper-towing experience upon picking up the Escape and they seem happy about it too.

PS There’s a separate discussion going on right now about deposits and canceled orders, and you can get most of the deposit back if you should cancel it before it goes into production AND before you finalize your options. So there is probably a window for you in which they'll announce their future delivery fees before yours starts being built.

[okhcolot]

Yes, I was told by Escape that if we have a May delivery we have until February to cancel and would only lose $150. So, I just put my deposit down and am going to roll with it. The trip sounds fantastic, and my hubby has towed trailers at work, so I'm sure we can figure it out. Just concerned about the pups-they've never been boarded, we've only had a dog sitter who stays at our house with them. She has gotten a different career so we are going to have to find another one as good as she was before May I guess. Now to figure out what to options to order!!!

[Small but Sweet]

Have fun with that! Which size Escape will you get?

[okhcolot]

We initially thought the 21, got to see a 21c a few weeks ago but wasn't crazy about walking into the bed. Plus my husband is not a small man and we have the two good sized dogs, so the bed seemed small. So, thought the 21ne might work best but not crazy about the climb over bed situation. We are currently onto the 5.0, hoping to see one here in Ohio (there's only 1 in the entire state) before finalizing our decision. But we really like the separate queen bed and the fact that the overall length when towing is less than the 21. It's a work in progress!

[Small but Sweet]

It seems like people really love their 5.0s! I think if you have the right vehicle that can tow one it’s an awesome way to go. I’m excited for you :-). We’re currently setting up our new 17A in the driveway for our fifth camping trip of the summer in it.

[okhcolot]

Sounds fantastic, we are so looking forward to doing the same next summer! Have a great trip😊

[thunderworks]

We are getting our 19 in early May, 2021, and are also weighing the pros and cons of pickup in Sumas vs. delivery to Kansas. Initially, we thought it would be a fun trip to pick up the trailer then drive to visit our son and family in Northern California, visiting relatives along the way . . . but the more I think about it, the less I like that idea.

As I read through various threads on the forum, I realize that even very well made products (which I believe the Escape trailers to be) can have issues. Electrical issues, plumbing issues, appliance issues and failures - it goes with the territory. Maybe we get lucky and everything is great from the start. Maybe we are unlucky and have issues that need resolution before striking out on a long trip. Our RV trips to take us to California so picking up in Sumas is really appealing, but on the flipside, resolving problems away from home, my tools, local expertise, etc. seems really unpleasant.

I'm starting to lean towards having it delivered so we can debug it locally for a few weeks before striking out for our summer trip West. As we get closer to production, I'll talk carefully to the folks at Escape about this.

BTW, we also have a dog who goes with us on trips. It adds another worry point if there are issues. We are new RV people, but have a season experience with a Casita so are not total newbies.

[gbaglo]

Could take quite a while to "de-bug". Only issue I had was with the furnace motor. It needed replacing after about a year of use.

[daniel108]

Maybe think about renting a trailer (any brand) locally to get some experience before heading out? I had some anxiety about picking up our trailer as well, mostly related to not being sure how my vehicle would handle with it, and there is certainly a learning curve. It's also good to get familiar with the systems in a trailer. I know our first night it was raining and dark while I figured things out 1 at a time....chocking and leveling, electric, water, hot water, refrigerator, propane, stove, oven, beds, awning, etc....each one something new to figure out. They all seem so simple once you've had a trip or two but that first day even opening doors can be a struggle while the wife and kids are cold and hungry. You have to learn some time.

The way you word it makes it seem as if you would be planning to travel with the dogs in the trailer while you go down the road.

[okhcolot]

We ended up pulling the trigger and are scheduled for pickup on 5/5 for the 5.0. We have decided to go with delivery since the prices will be the same as they are for 2020. Our dogs have never been in a trailer and because we aren't sure what will be going on with the pandemic it just seems simpler. I'm pretty sensitive to chemical smells, so I've recently started wondering about the fumes from off gassing of a new trailer. I'd hate to ruin the trip back from picking it up by having headaches and other side effects. This way we can air it out, get the pups acquainted with it and learn about it before going out on the road for a long trip.