New ETI Price Increase = Adios folks

[jerryc]

Everyone has limits that they are comfortable with, and each has to decide the value to themselves when considering purchases, both large and small. As one posted a few days ago about Amazon Prime not being worth the yearly price, anymore. It's all about what's it worth to you.

[sofmerc]

Originally Posted by WillyB

Sofmerc,

Good Luck on your cancer journey! I'm expecting to hear great news in April.

I was diagnosed with Lymphoma in Sept '20 and went through 6 rounds of chemo, lost all of my hair, got weak but today, with a full beard, markets 1 year since my last chemo. Doc gave me a thumbs up on Tuesday, hopefully with more to come.

We put in our deposit in July '21 with cancer still in the rear view mirror and a couple of Moderna shots in the arm hoping for the best while throwing caution to the wind.

Between medical bills, inflation and that darn c word hanging overhead this $3,000 price increase wasn't as much unexpected as it was a disappointing turn in our journey.

We'll see if we sign off on our build sheet in June or if we find another way to seek adventure.

Stay Strong!

I get it.. Best of luck to you as well!

[CADreamin]

Don't know what size you were looking at but a 19' 2014 Escape in Tennessee just went up on the Escape Travel Trailer FB site. (https://www.facebook.com/groups/9139...87777258008513)

[Jake930]

I get where the OP is coming from. If I had to buy my 21 today I don’t think I could swing it. I’m in the same vote as Donna. Income going backwards.
As far as leaving something for my heirs, well my son makes 4 times what I ever did. And when his boys get out of collage they’ll most likely double that. So their SOL. They can have the 30 acres. Land doesn’t depreciate.
If I could not afford an Escape I would take a look at a Scamp. Not the same quality wise as an Escape (JMO) . But people have them for years and love em. And being fiberglass they resell just as fast , for more or the same as you paid for it. Just my 2 cents.

[escape artist]

Originally Posted by Jake930

I get where the OP is coming from. If I had to buy my 21 today I don’t think I could swing it. I’m in the same vote as Donna. Income going backwards.
As far as leaving something for my heirs, well my son makes 4 times what I ever did. And when his boys get out of collage they’ll most likely double that. So their SOL. They can have the 30 acres. Land doesn’t depreciate.
If I could not afford an Escape I would take a look at a Scamp. Not the same quality wise as an Escape (JMO) . But people have them for years and love em. And being fiberglass they resell just as fast , for more or the same as you paid for it. Just my 2 cents.

Hi: Jake930... I remember you camping at Niagara Wine Escape to look at fiberglass back then. Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

[WanderBred]

We got our 5.0 last Sept. Now it's $7000 more. Yikes!

[Chamberman]

Originally Posted by WanderBred

We got our 5.0 last Sept. Now it's $7000 more. Yikes!

Now add in the extra 10% for the options and then the extra state sales tax for the increase in price and you're closer to a $9k increase.

[Rossue]

Bought my first Saab 99 in 1978 and it was pretty cool. Made me hone my mechanic skills though as many mechanics didn't want to work on them. Later, both Susan and I drove them and you would see them in movies as representing the car of choice for various characters- usually out of mainstream or counter culture in one way or another.

I remember too when the 9000 came out in '84 and a business associate was looking to buy one. After shopping and not finding any discount from the $25K price tag-a fair sum in 1888, he ended up buying a Buick saying "it's just a car". He was right and in '89 I bought my first new car- a Nissan Maxima for $15K and said " I stopped working on cars when I went Japanese'.

SAAB is has been out of business for over a decade: it was after all just a car.

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by Chamberman

My wife and I had the same discussion last night. We can stay at a lot of cabins and AirBNB's in some fantastic locations for the pricing that this trailer is getting up to. This is a lot of what our vacations have consisted of up until now and that's what we'll be continuing to do.

This reply is not intended to put down your choice at all, by all means do what is best for yourselves. It is just a way this guy feels on the topic. Remember, I am weird.

We have used accommodation like this on some vacations, usually shorter trips at a good distance away. As well, I have stayed in hotels and motels for an equivalent of around 8 years while working. There is a place for it. But, there are just too many issues for us to do this most of the time when travelling. There is the cost and availability of meals, having a yummy supply of cocktails, carrying along lots of fun stuff, a place to house your dog, having to go out to eat often, not sleeping in your own bed, sometimes no personal space outside to hang out, can't stay in the backcountry or at many beautiful spaces campsites exist, being able to stay with friends and family and sit around the campfire having fun, and on, and on.

I do agree there is a cost to RV ownership, but it all does depend on what makes you feel the most comfortable while travelling about.

Given the rewards of trailer ownership, and factoring in the capital cost retention of my Escape, for me owning a trailer is a must. Yes, camping has always been a part of my life big time, so this too is a factor. Having fun is the biggest concern.

[brroberts]

If we were having to purchase in late ‘23, I’m not sure if we would do it either. At some point a 10 year disposable stickie becomes a lower cost option. We might have moved to Scamp or Casita, just due to cost, although personally, I much prefer the Escape.

I don’t like Oliver layouts. I strongly prefer trailers with widths between 7 - 7.5 feet wide for our chosen travels. Those 6’8” wide trailers are too confining for me. (a lot of fgrv’s). So no 8- 8.5’ Bigfoot, although only the 25RQ has a layout I like and I don’t want a trailer near that big. I did like our Bigfoot camper. Our last “stickie” was actually junk composite, but 7’6” wide.

As far as tents for months at a time, it’s great cost wise, but gets old after a while. Same for some type of expandable RV. I even got tired of setting up and tearing down our Alaskan Camper, but 17 mpg on the highway was nice.

Alaskan Campers

The rental car, airline, hotel, B&B, eating out, even if available where we want to be, gets old pretty fast too.

Even without resale, compared to car, hotel, food kind of trips, our truck / trailer will pay for itself in 3 1/2 years compared to motel travel, and the truck will still be fairly new and the trailer should still have good resale barring some kind of accident. We use our trailer a lot. We have 50 nights on it, and by mid June, should have 120 nights on it. Otherwise, it wouldn’t pay.

But, if you don’t have the money, you just can’t do it. If I were buying now; I likely would not. While I love the trips we take, we enjoy our time home also. We have lots of hobbies, so if we couldn’t travel, we would still very much enjoy life. That’s key to me.

Fortunately we actually save money when we travel, and it helps pay for the time at home. We just spend less on the road. If we were full time, that would have to be saved for the next truck / trailer. We don’t want to be full time. Around 40% time is good for us.

I hope everyone here can make some great memories, and still find a way to travel. If you can’t find a way to go now, I hope you can find an alternative in the future.

[azjack]

Over 25 years I spent the night in way too many first class hotels that did not have the sheets with creases from folds or the wriinkles of freshly removed from the dryer. I would pull back the bed spread first thing and check the sheets before I would open my suit case. Not once did I have to do that at home or in my trailer.
AZjack

[Rossue]

Know what you mean; most name brand hotels are ok, however the boutiques ones usually are more satisfying. We don't stay in hotels much & especially while camping unless it is just too cold at night (like now in Prescott) or too hot when on the way home in a place like Parker. We've been last two nights escaping 20 degree overnight temps at a place we found 8 years ago and it is still great and very affordable: The Motor Lodge-
https://www.hotelsone.com/prescott-h...QaAvy9EALw_wcB

[Iowa Dave]

Hi Jack
I hear you. A few years ago we had a high school reunion. I received permission to use some city picnic tables and our host got a crew of young folks to load them on a flatbed. Once at his farm they were spread about his acreage. As I walked around after the catered dinner I happened on some folks who were “the cool kids” in high school. There was a little innocuous magic marker graffiti on one of the three tables they had bumped up end to end. One woman who had always been pretty “high-toned” said to me
“The least you could have done would have been to scrub that writing off of our table.”
My reply “ if you think, Mary Loves Fred, is the worst thing that ever happened on that table top. You have a lot to learn about public picnic tables.”
She put her plastic fork down and pushed her paper plate away.

8 degrees this AM, wind out of the NNW at 35. Coming down from Fargo.
Iowa Dave

[Robc inWI]

Not sure if it's related to increased cancelations or not but got an email from Karl at ETI last night moving our 21C build date from 10/11/22 to 7/21/22 (if we accept it). Happy because we will get to use it this season but it kind of sucks to be only 21 days after the price increase. Reading Donna's post on page one really made me think about things. My mom died 3 months after retiring from teaching for 40 years, longevity might not be in the cards for me but a new Escape is.

I know people who don't think twice about buying a $50k bass boat, atvs, or snowmobiles they rarely use. My wife and I are still excited to this new chapter in our lives.

[Bobbie54]

Originally Posted by WillyB

Sofmerc,

Good Luck on your cancer journey! I'm expecting to hear great news in April.

I was diagnosed with Lymphoma in Sept '20 and went through 6 rounds of chemo, lost all of my hair, got weak but today, with a full beard, markets 1 year since my last chemo. Doc gave me a thumbs up on Tuesday, hopefully with more to come.

We put in our deposit in July '21 with cancer still in the rear view mirror and a couple of Moderna shots in the arm hoping for the best while throwing caution to the wind.

Between medical bills, inflation and that darn c word hanging overhead this $3,000 price increase wasn't as much unexpected as it was a disappointing turn in our journey.

We'll see if we sign off on our build sheet in June or if we find another way to seek adventure.

Stay Strong!

My mom was undergoing her second chemo for lymphoma 10 years ago, at 82, And yes, she's still with us. Good luck to you!

I agree that the market is likely to flood with used trailers and RVs in a year or so.

[Chasing Trials]

Originally Posted by Robc inWI

Not sure if it's related to increased cancelations or not but got an email from Karl at ETI last night moving our 21C build date from 10/11/22 to 7/21/22 (if we accept it). Happy because we will get to use it this season but it kind of sucks to be only 21 days after the price increase. Reading Donna's post on page one really made me think about things. My mom died 3 months after retiring from teaching for 40 years, longevity might not be in the cards for me but a new Escape is.

I know people who don't think twice about buying a $50k bass boat, atvs, or snowmobiles they rarely use. My wife and I are still excited to this new chapter in our lives.

Go for it!! I just canceled my spot(Aug 2023), but yes I'd say quit a few will drop out, especially the late comers as there will most likely be more price increases, on builds out into 2023. Add the increase in Gas pricing...... With the way ETI is building a lot more per week, there are a lot more out there now, for used too. Glad I just got mine used.

[cpaharley2008]

Originally Posted by Robc inWI

Not sure if it's related to increased cancelations or not but got an email from Karl at ETI last night moving our 21C build date from 10/11/22 to 7/21/22 (if we accept it). Happy because we will get to use it this season but it kind of sucks to be only 21 days after the price increase. Reading Donna's post on page one really made me think about things. My mom died 3 months after retiring from teaching for 40 years, longevity might not be in the cards for me but a new Escape is.

I know people who don't think twice about buying a $50k bass boat, atvs, or snowmobiles they rarely use. My wife and I are still excited to this new chapter in our lives.

If you get another 60 day jump you can attend the rally in Osoyoos.....

[Ron in BC]

The TV news covered an RV show out ETIs way. One glimpse of a f.g. trailer looked familiar, it looked like a Scamp 13 and was called a Backpack. It's made by Armadillo in BC. The floorplan is identical to the Scamp but they've added a few inches and call it a 14'.

I was curious to see how their pricing compared to ETIs. Base price for their "A" model, no bathroom, is $34,900 CDN. Base price for an Escape 17A is $33,995, a $1,000 less and 3' longer.

But, and it's a big but, to have the same equipment the E17 comes with you'd have to add; hot water, portable toilet, furnace, spare tire with carrier! , awning and a front window cover. Not sure what that all adds up to but it's a heck of a lot more expensive than a trailer 3' longer.

So is ETI gouging people? I don't think so, prices now just reflect the current world we live in. Fiber glass trailers are becoming more expensive and as much as we'd like prices to be like they were in the good old days they never will be again.

I think that ETI could do a much better job of handling price increases but the reality is as prices increase f.g. trailers will become more of a luxury for more folks.

Ron

[Eggscape]

You are totally correct Ron.
I have been following Armadillo locally here in BC and Escape has always been a better value. It appears that to have a smaller trailer like Armadillo build, you have to pay a premium.

[Reimj]

Originally Posted by Robc inWI

... it kind of sucks to be only 21 days after the price increase.

Yeah that stinks, but on a positive note, at least you know what you'll be paying.

I'm afraid of what prices are going to be by October of 2023. (I'm also selfishly hoping a lot of people cancel and our build slot gets moved way up).