Ouch! $1000 increase in delivery costs

[hugh]

Argh, perfect timing. I'm about a month away from signing off on the build sheet, and just got the email that delivery prices are going up.

For eastern US delivery, the price has gone up $1000!

I guess it's not surprising, given current inflation and labor issues, but a hard pill to swallow nonetheless. Unlike money going into the trailer itself, delivery costs feel like money that's just being thrown away.

[splitting_lanes]

Ouch! We will be picking ours up in Sumas, so we won’t see the increase in delivery. But I’m certain that fuel & hotel prices won’t be cheap. Plus, there’s the week we’re going to spend going there and coming back. I am rather looking forward to bringing it back though.

[Mike G]

I look forward to picking mine up in person and making a vacation out of the return trip. I'll pack a tent and camp on the way out to Sumas, even.


That said, I was talking to my buddy who has been doing hotshot driving along with his wife. He says motel rates have gone up 30% in the past year. Insurance was $1800/month for two pickups (F350). And of course we know how much fuel has risen. Then there are the tires, the oil changes, the mechanical issues, etc. Putting 3500+ miles on a vehicle every week means a new truck every couple of years, and those have gone up in price also. I told him tonight that Sumas to KC went up to $3200 and he said it's too cheap, not worthwhile with all costs factored in. (Actually, he and his wife sold their trucks and goosenecks about 8 months ago and got out of it, but now drive for a company that supplies the equipment and pays the motel fees, so all they have to pay for is food; his wife says they are finally making a little money!)

[sofmerc]

I was going to pick mine up in Sanford, Florida.... I can't stomach the $1400 price increase . Probably go to Denton ,Texas and pick up... in 2 weeks or so if they are still on track..

[sofmerc]

Originally Posted by Mike G

I look forward to picking mine up in person and making a vacation out of the return trip. I'll pack a tent and camp on the way out to Sumas, even.


That said, I was talking to my buddy who has been doing hotshot driving along with his wife. He says motel rates have gone up 30% in the past year. Insurance was $1800/month for two pickups (F350). And of course we know how much fuel has risen. Then there are the tires, the oil changes, the mechanical issues, etc. Putting 3500+ miles on a vehicle every week means a new truck every couple of years, and those have gone up in price also. I told him tonight that Sumas to KC went up to $3200 and he said it's too cheap, not worthwhile with all costs factored in. (Actually, he and his wife sold their trucks and goosenecks about 8 months ago and got out of it, but now drive for a company that supplies the equipment and pays the motel fees, so all they have to pay for is food; his wife says they are finally making a little money!)

Keep in mind, Factory is $3200 x 2....They ship 2 trailers per flatbed

[Reimj]

I have been thinking about going at least part way to Sumas, and making it a bit of a vacation out of the trip (mine won't be ready until 2023). Prior to the increase it looked to be about breakeven for delivery vs going to get it. With increases in gas, hotels, etc it still might be about the same. But for that kind of expense, I'd like to at least get a good road trip out of it.

[7Gentex]

Been following the trucker protest in Canada, the MSM here is not showing the magnitude of such..............Imagine that!


So, it appears to be around $1.45 U.S. per mile (2,269), per trailer, to Denton now.

You have to factor in the additional tilt bed truck cost at drop-off as well.

I'd have to drive 2X that to go get it....4,538 miles.
Add in fuel / hotel / wear&tear / meals. Doubt I would come out ahead much...

Coming back with the trailer would be great - an extended vacation.

Going to Sumas, not so much.........Had my fill of long drives staying at hotels (and some REALLY bad ones at that!) over the last 25 years.

Hence the desire for a travel trailer.

Hmmmm.........Maybe I should order/buy a new truck in the PNW, fly to the PNW (Ugh - hate CML flying these days) pick up the pick up, then the trailer and have fun on the way back?

Nah............


Hate to say it, but I would not discount a 2022 trailer price increase as well. Crazy times..

[Iowa Dave]

Personally, I still don’t mind the thought of a tent.
That’s what we did on the way to Tucson to get our first Escape. Then we camped our way back home. A couple weeks later I drove about 150 miles to a rendezvous. Stayed in my Eureka Timberline again, with a perfectly good Escape at home. Probably crazy but I like tents. There are lots of state parks with reasonably priced cabins in campgrounds too. Jar of jelly, jar of peanut butter and a loaf of bread and I’m 18 again. Hotels and restaurants meals have no attraction for me when I’m trying to make a lot of miles. Good luck to all with the challenges of picking up a new trailer. It will soon all be behind you.
Iowa Dave

[Rossue]

Originally Posted by Mike G

I look forward to picking mine up in person and making a vacation out of the return trip. I'll pack a tent and camp on the way out to Sumas, even.

Been there, done that at Rasar SP near Sedro-Wooley.

[Frisco Kid]

The price more than doubled! OMG, I get the increase but double?

[Rossue]

What did Gordon Gecko say?

[Ooshkaboo]

I just picked up my 5.0 a few weeks ago from Kansas City for the old price, with the cost of everything going out of control I don’t see how they couldn’t start raising their prices. The tow company where the escape driver was designated to meet were not cooperative and raised the price on the escape company for the offload on the spot. They gave him a hard time about how it was going to be so difficult to unload the camper, it wasn’t, the escape driver had it all under control and couldn’t have been better to deal with. The escape driver has none of the necessary tools required for hooking up your trailer so you may want to practice on a simulator setup at a Rv shop or someone you know rig’s before you’re in a sticky situation.

The area for the drop off was one of the worst in Kansas City, and it was about to get dark outside…

I was so fortunate the weather cooperated, 60 degrees. If I had to pick one of these up again in the winter months, I would pay the storage fee and just wait for the winter to pass.

[7Gentex]

Originally Posted by Iowa Dave

Personally, I still don’t mind the thought of a tent.

Use to do a tent all the time, 30k miles tent camping on a motorcycle.

Those days are long gone............

[Reimj]

Thinking about it a bit more....

I only read the email, haven't yet watched the youtube video about the increase so making some assumptions.

I don't deal with flatbed pricing very often at work, it is not my area of specialization by any means, but on a per mile basis even the increased pricing is about in line with the current overall trucking market. I didn't calculate the cost to every destination, but the handful i spot checked looked reasonable. Yes they can charge two different customers for the one flatbed shipment, the combined revenue to the trucking company does not appear excessive. Particularly if they happen to have a deal with the carrier(s) to run right back to BC empty, to get the next set of deliveries.

Don't have the exact numbers in front of me right now, but for the past several months flatbed operators, on average, have had anywhere from 20-60 (or more depending upon location) loads available for every truck. That drives pricing and availability.

That said, I'm not thrilled to pay more, either, but that is just the supply and demand reality right now.

[Craiger]

I can see escape's issue in this, there required to turn a profit. If the price is being quoted to them by the trucking companies has increased the only thing they can do is pass it on. I did realize that this is another profit center for them. The only question I have now. When do they bump the price of the trailer up. I'm assuming about a 7% increase, that's what inflation is running right now.

[sofmerc]

Now that I have calmed down... I'll probably pay up, shut up and hook up..lol.. In the big scheme of things, not worth losing sleep over.. Oh well

[sofmerc]

Originally Posted by Craiger

I can see escape's issue in this, there required to turn a profit. If the price is being quoted to them by the trucking companies has increased the only thing they can do is pass it on. I did realize that this is another profit center for them. The only question I have now. When do they bump the price of the trailer up. I'm assuming about a 7% increase, that's what inflation is running right now.

Karl says there is no ETI markup or profit being made on the trucking/shipping side of things..

[Chamberman]

Originally Posted by Craiger

The only question I have now. When do they bump the price of the trailer up. I'm assuming about a 7% increase, that's what inflation is running right now.

ETI did a forward looking price increase last year. How so? You may be wondering. In late May Karl announced on one of their monthly videos that it looked like the price increase for 2022 was going to be around 5%. You could tell that he had analyzed the numbers and that's what inflation had run for them up to that point. The next week ETI edited that tidbit out of the video. 5 - 6 weeks later ETI announced an approx 11% base pricing increase for the 5.0TA we have ordered. I took that extra 6% as being headroom for ETI to cover increasing inflation for the coming year in addition to improved profit margin.

I would not be receptive to another price increase at the start of the 2022 year because I know that they took extra with the new 2022 prices. I believe it would be taking advantage of the situation.

However, I do not think that's what's going on with the current delivery pricing situation. I think its just as ETI said, passing along the pricing as its given to them. I never had the impression that ETI was profiting off of the deliveries.

I do expect that the ETI 2023 pricing when its announced this summer will increase as much or worse than last year though. I also think that its possible that ETI may once again stop offering the 2022 prices to customers that are pulled forward the same way that they did this past year.

[Robc inWI]

Bummer. Our production date for our 21C is October 11th 2022 and with the $1000 increase I will have to do the math again. It was hard to swallow the $3000 price increase on the trailer, another price increase might have us rethinking this. Not all of us are well to do retirees, I still have 4 years to go and my wife has 6 and if our modest 401ks were to take a big hit that might be all she wrote.

I love the idea of a well built fiberglass trailer to be our ticket to travel and fun but there is a breaking point for me financially speaking.

We were looking at a custom fabric etc and we may just have to eliminate a few options. Still the best bang for the buck compared to Indiana built stickies.

[YakRV]

Our plan has been for receiving delivery in Bozeman to save the 800 miles/13 hours of travel each way between there and Sumas. We also chose Bozeman to avoid steep grades we fear we’d be towing through from Sumas heading back to the Midwest.

Upon seeing the new delivery prices, however, we’re now considering a Sumas pickup. With that in mind, is the route from Sumas heading back east too much for newbies? We don’t have a tow vehicle yet, but we’re shopping for a new F-150 so we should have plenty of towing capability. What we don’t have is any experience - at all.

So, does anyone have any advice on whether we should attempt towing from Sumas, or should we stick with Bozeman?

Thanks.