New inventory models available now

[Mike G]

I canceled when I couldn't stomach the increased price. It was already about at my comfort level limit when I paid the deposit, and two increases later they'd added abour $6k to that. Having gotten out of debt a couple years ago (for the first time in my life) and facing a declining income rather than a growing one, I have become somewhat allergic to debt (although I would have taken out a small loan if need be, to fulfill my dream of an Escape), so I bailed out of the order. Thankfully I found a pre-loved 19 with an in-reach price and I just about drained my IRA retirement nest egg to buy it. Now my 19 is my "nest egg"! I've just filed for Social Insecurity payments to begin this summer and stopped worrying about the declining income. I'll work a little and play a lot! Last week I camped with the 19 in Mark Twain NF while I prospected for customers around that part of MO; the trailer is handy for my work, too. I promote a literacy program in schools.

[brroberts]

Our story mirrors Centex’s closely. We have a Sept 19, ‘21. We had Joldie, not Linda, but same deal. I too would probably have to bail at today’s prices, but ours has been great with 230 nights on it so far.

[EscapingDan]

Personally I don’t believe the prices will hold, certainly not in the medium term. For example, bicycles/ebikes in particular skyrocketed during the Trump trade wars, and stayed high after that nonsense was over. Then when the pandemic panic buying hit they went higher. I’m in the market for a top drawer ebike, and happened to talk to a shop that discounted the one I wanted left and right, basically 1/3 off wiping many years of price increases away - basically he said demand has fallen off a cliff.

Well that’s ebikes - are RV’s far behind? Sales are down 57% from same time last year, interest rates are sky high, the economy is likely already in recession and will be for a good bit this time. The Fed can’t back off until they see the whites in the eyes of the recession - and inflation significantly backs off.

It’s madness, the demographic market for RV’s is older folks, who (pandemic madness aside) are the ones most price sensitive. I don’t mind waiting.

[ghosthunter]

Well are these price increases only help the used sellers.

I am a white canvas tenter. Will be till the day they throw dirt on me. I spend close to 60 days a year in my tents.
But my wife wanted something a little more comfort. I did not want a trailer. I knew lots of folks with stick builds with lots of problems. I also had a truck I did not want to change.

So I started looking at light weight fiberglass trailers. Casitas and Scamps were ruled out by the wife because of wall covering carpets. She went on her own and looked at Rpods because I wouldn’t.

After about four months of looking I located a used Escape 15 B 40 minutes from our home.
The rest was history. The trailer was well cared for with all the basic needs. Minimal mods but it did have a lift kit and larger axle.

I am not a mod guy. The only thing I did was go from one 20 lb tank to two 30 tanks , accommodate our boon docking. To be honest we seldom use most the features. The bed, bathroom and refer are the most used. We prefer to cook and eat outside and have maybe cooked inside three times in two years. Other than a broken frame the trailer has been trouble free. I had the frame fixed better than new.

We have both retired are debt free , we enjoy the trailer and we get along very well with out all the fancy options. No Tv, Microwave, The trailer will go seven days on battery power only. A solar suit case will keep the batteries charged if we are out longer and a generator with less than 100 hour on it for back up.

If I wanted to sell it today I would get my money out of it based on the trailers I have seen for sale. If I had to do it again or wanted to go bigger I would go used again. I like not having to fix a lot of stuff on it. Most the bugs worked out by previous owners years ago.

[Ooshkaboo]

Originally Posted by EscapingDan

Personally I don’t believe the prices will hold, certainly not in the medium term. For example, bicycles/ebikes in particular skyrocketed during the Trump trade wars, and stayed high after that nonsense was over. Then when the pandemic panic buying hit they went higher. I’m in the market for a top drawer ebike, and happened to talk to a shop that discounted the one I wanted left and right, basically 1/3 off wiping many years of price increases away - basically he said demand has fallen off a cliff.

Well that’s ebikes - are RV’s far behind? Sales are down 57% from same time last year, interest rates are sky high, the economy is likely already in recession and will be for a good bit this time. The Fed can’t back off until they see the whites in the eyes of the recession - and inflation significantly backs off.

It’s madness, the demographic market for RV’s is older folks, who (pandemic madness aside) are the ones most price sensitive. I don’t mind waiting.

I’ve been hearing great things about San Francisco lately, maybe bumping up your timeline on getting an Escape would be advisable.

[occer]

Originally Posted by Ooshkaboo

I’ve been hearing great things about San Francisco lately, maybe bumping up your timeline on getting an Escape would be advisable.

[WillyB]

We had been thinking about getting a camper for a few years and started looking at much larger campers but the more we looked the more we seemed to like smaller versions. The reason? We asked ourselves one question: Are we indoor campers or outdoor campers?

In Sept 20 I was diagnosed with Lymphoma and after finishing chemo in Feb 21 we learned about the Escape 5.0TA from a friend. After a while we decided we preferred keeping our truck bed as a storage area. In July 21 we reached out to Escape to see one in our area and three great ambassadors opened their doors to us. A 19, a 21NE and a 21C.

After seeing all three in one day we went home and immediately placed a deposit on a 21NE. We spent the next 9 months sculpting, shaping and dreaming of our Escape 21NE build but then decided the 21C was the one for us. It was the crawl over bed but it was a very hard decision.

We signed off on our build sheet in June 21 and the very next day we received an email saying that pricing had gone up nearly 11%. Concerned, I called Escape immediately and was happy to hear that since we signed off on the build sheet the day before we were not effected by the price increase. If we would have had to consume the price increase we would have backed out as the price on the Escape at that time was already pushing the top of what we wanted to spend.

Now 2+ years in remission and 6 months of Escape ownership we are extremely happy with our decision to escape the everyday in our Escape.

This first photo was an exciting moment.

[Chasing Trials]

Originally Posted by Jill

Just looked and I'm a little surprised they are asking build sheet price. If I were to spend $60k US for an Escape I would rather wait the relatively short build time and get exactly what I wanted.

Wow, is right on the prices! I signed off on my new E19 F1, with what I WANTED, 2 solar panels, foamed underneath, & frameless windows(Kitch & Bath), being the costliest. Dropped AC for a Houghton. I personally am on the simple side for using a Travel Trailer. $46,500.


I 1st put a deposit down 12/21, think the wait time was 1 3/4 yrs! Then found a used 2013. Never knew about the odd "just screen screen door,). Had toured a 2019. It just doesn't work for me, I have tried it for 5 trips. I too sold a House I hand built, for $$$$$ on Martha's Vineyard, only ever had a 15K mortgage on it for Kitchen cabinets. Invested. Never had a mortgage since. Now am Mortgage free, in a self designed & built house to Age In Place in. Bought a used 2014 PreRunner($22K peak used prices, but what I wanted, 10 minutes away) & than got an inheritance, on top of S.S. now, & Divs, etc., add a fairly simple life style. So decided when the shorten lead times notice came out, & put in a deposit for the 2nd time. I know it should hold it's value. You start running into that brickwall called Age, and you have to decide go for it, or loose out. Like breeding & raising/training horses....I did in my 20s/30s & 40s. Walked away in my 50s. NOT something you can wait for to when you can afford it.
Everyone has to look at their own life.



Odd that these loaded trailers showed up close together. I know when I put deposit down for a July delivery, Got 7/6, & within a week upped to 6/28. Since I'm not having anything unusual, I'm almost expecting earlier yet. So not making any plans, as I'm picking up from NC.

[YakRV]

Back when wait times were SO long, ETI used to put up these inventory units and sell them at “sticker price” in no time. Karl said in some of ETI’s videos they ran these unsold units through the line to keep up an organized production flow with different models as needed to have a regular pace. They always loaded them up with options.

I wonder if these inventory units were built for the same reasons, or if pricing and higher interest rates have forced buyers to drop their orders. Either way, I’m curious to see how quickly these units sell at full price compared to even just last year - especially with the added Inventory Surcharge. Haven’t seen that before from Escape.

[Chasing Trials]

Originally Posted by YakRV

Back when wait times were SO long, ETI used to put up these inventory units and sell them at “sticker price” in no time. Karl said in some of ETI’s videos they ran these unsold units through the line to keep up an organized production flow with different models as needed to have a regular pace. They always loaded them up with options.

I wonder if these inventory units were built for the same reasons, or if pricing and higher interest rates have forced buyers to drop their orders. Either way, I’m curious to see how quickly these units sell at full price compared to even just last year - especially with the added Inventory Surcharge. Haven’t seen that before from Escape.

Well, as I said earlier. I put a deposit down 2/15 for an E19, when ETI's site said could get a delivery in July. I got an date of July 6! Then a week later backed up to 6/28(I didn't see email to be able to say yes or no(no smart phone), it gets defaulted to yes. Fine, Don't care to be traveling the 4th. Not sure, when ETI's the delivery(for most models) changed. But, that's only a month more out & yet almost 2 months out from my deposit. So I'd say yes, orders are dropping off. I do hope that means they can slow down a bit, & check out that all is right on them better. One month shorter wait time....

[marant]

The fact that there is no longer a lottery says a lot!

[EscapingDan]

Originally Posted by Ooshkaboo

I’ve been hearing great things about San Francisco lately

Me too about MissOURA (yeah I’ve got family there)

Under 10 I grew up in the Midwest, then on was in California, except going back to Illinois for grad school. Funny thing is the distorted view Midwesterners have about California, which isn’t vice-versa with Californias. My uncle - a farmer out in Missouri, visited and was amazed at how much agriculture was out here. He thought it was one concrete jungle, somehow the fact that Ca is the seventh biggest economy in the world and the biggest agricultural state in the Union escaped him.

They all were also surprised at how ‘normal’ California is, not realizing that just reading the news gives a distorted view of things. Oh well I digress …

[Ooshkaboo]

Originally Posted by EscapingDan

Me too about MissOURA (yeah I’ve got family there)

Under 10 I grew up in the Midwest, then on was in California, except going back to Illinois for grad school. Funny thing is the distorted view Midwesterners have about California, which isn’t vice-versa with Californias. My uncle - a farmer out in Missouri, visited and was amazed at how much agriculture was out here. He thought it was one concrete jungle, somehow the fact that Ca is the seventh biggest economy in the world and the biggest agricultural state in the Union escaped him.

They all were also surprised at how ‘normal’ California is, not realizing that just reading the news gives a distorted view of things. Oh well I digress …

Actually you’re doing a great job of representing it…

[WillyB]

The state of California has 250 people per square mile (Florida has 400!) while MissourEE (East Side of State) is at 87 people per square mile. The "actual city" where my post office is located is around 800 people per square mile.

But if you take the larger area where my post office delivers to outside of the city limits we're at less than 3 people per square mile. Double that of Alaska!

Based on the ratio of population density to news reports it's no wonder why you've never heard anything about my little piece of heaven.

[Jeremy Kessenich]

2 weeks later and there are still 3 inventory units listed. There's a lot to unpack with that. Price exceeds demand? Inventory surcharge? Short Lead times? Options on the units aren't what's in demand? Excess used units? Downturn in camper demand as production ramps up industry wide?

[YakRV]

Originally Posted by Jeremy Kessenich

2 weeks later and there are still 3 inventory units listed. There's a lot to unpack with that. Price exceeds demand? Inventory surcharge? Short Lead times? Options on the units aren't what's in demand? Excess used units? Downturn in camper demand as production ramps up industry wide?

I think you’ve got it right. All of the above.

[Iowa Dave]

Like a lot of folks in this forum I took some Economics courses in college. Fortunately I sold the books at the end of each class. I say that because in today’s world many of the concepts and what had been gospel since the Henry Ford days is now out the window.

There are many forces in play these days and it makes for complex understanding for me ar a minimum. I’m pretty much a dinosaur now. Don’t buy big things on credit, carry money, won’t pay an up charge percentage for using a credit card and don’t have a rewards card at Paneras. That way, it’s easy and truthful when I say “Your guess is as good as mine”.

Only needed a small bag of ice for my cooler in the car this morning so I bought the small bag at a store just now. Used what I needed and put the rest in the Escape freezer which is running at 8 below F. That’s economy my way.
Have a great weekend
Iowa Dave

[SageRpod]

Originally Posted by Jeremy Kessenich

2 weeks later and there are still 3 inventory units listed. There's a lot to unpack with that. Price exceeds demand? Inventory surcharge? Short Lead times? Options on the units aren't what's in demand? Excess used units? Downturn in camper demand as production ramps up industry wide?

You almost sound happily about it. What’s to unpack and more importantly, what’s the big deal? ETI has inventory, so does everyone else. Car dealers are even beginning to build inventory. We’re happy and grateful to have our 5.0 and looking out the back window at beautiful desert mountains.

Enjoy the ride

[Jeremy Kessenich]

Originally Posted by SageRpod

You almost sound happily about it.

I've been following Escape for 5 years, in that time I don't think I've seen used trailers or new inventory units last that long as a general rule. Sure there have been exceptions, but as a rule I would have said 24 hours or less. I intended my comment to be factual and if anything expressing surprise that they are still there. I did not intend to express happiness.

A consequence of these trailers still sitting there is what if life changed for me tomorrow and I had to sell my new 5.0. It has me questioning if it would sell quickly just like these inventory units aren't selling quickly. The trailers not selling is signaling to me that the market for new well equipped trailers has changed. Trust me no happiness and IMO there is information to read from this. I respect you don't feel it's a big deal, I respectfully disagree and feel there is something to read in the tea leaves.

[MVA]

I believe it is not surprising. Given that the current wait time is measured in months, not years, why would one purchase a trailer at full list price with options and specifications that may not be what you would choose? Waiting a few months can save you money (assuming one does not want all of the options on these trailers) and you can customize the interior options (countertops, flooring, etc.) to one's choosing.

Just a thought.