Current Management does not support the Escape Family

[M_canada]

My experience purchasing our 2021 has been generally positive. In fact, there are a few things that stand out in contrast to some of the negative generalizations that have been made in this thread.

Firstly, there is the idea that the new Escape owners are only focused on pumping out trailers and making money. This was not my experience in 3 separate instances:
1) My deposit was placed prior to knowing the next model year pricing. I was told, that I could get my entire deposit back if I was unhappy with the new pricing
2) After my trailer was done production and waiting for final prep and delivery, Escape received a delivery of Coleman air conditioners. These weren't expected to be available for my build so we changed to a 2nd MaxxFan instead of an AC. Escape called and offered to replace the MaxxFan with one of the Coleman AC they just received, even though the trailer was already fully completed and they could easily have said it was too late. This shows me that they are not just concerned with pumping out trailers as quickly as possible.
3) When Escape created a workaround to the 21NE solar panel problem, they took it upon themselves to retrofit my trailer after it was completed and waiting for delivery. Some people have the impression that Escape doesn't care about these issues, but they could have easily said my trailer was complete and the panel would have to be dealt with later.

There is also the idea that Escapes service and warranty are useless or substandard. This is not my experience, although I acknowledge that not everyone has had the same experience as me. I have had a few issues, but they have been resolved in a timely fashion to my satisfaction. It's unfortunate that I had issues in the first place, but the service department has been consistently polite, honest and straightforward. In one instance they even said "This is a big oversight on our part and our apologies" and they quickly resolved the issue. I am a handy person, so l actually prefer the Escape warranty and service model because I can personally get direct service from the manufacturer rather than having to suffer through a busy and sometimes incompetent dealer for issues that can be resolved by the manufacturer. Other than the fibreglass bodywork, I don't consider any of the systems on the trailer overly difficult to work with, so I should be able to perform most repairs with a little direction from the service department. The one drawback is what happens when I need to have an appliance serviced only at an 'authorized' dealer, but hopefully that doesn't happen. I've had to deal with Dexter directly on an issue, but it is working out fine so far and they haven't required any involvement from an authorized repair shop.

Overall, I feel that Escape does still care about their customers and provides a reasonably well built product. I assume the workmanship and equipment is at or above the industry standard, it's just unfortunate that the industry standard is fairly low. The cooktop response is a bit concerning, but I suspect there is more to the story that is preventing Escape from saying or doing more to help.

[rubicon327]

Originally Posted by daniel108

My attitude is that the trailer/RV industry is really focused on low cost, and ETI has to play in that market, so that means I need to accept that they don't have a huge amount of quality control themselves, and if things break my first option is to try to fix it myself, my second is to examine the cost of replacing a broken component with new vs getting it serviced.

That’s where I think the customer is being fooled to a degree. Escape trailers are very expensive on a $/FT basis versus stick built. There should be higher expectations. ETI is selling their trailers at a much greater cost than just a few years ago and is no doubt making more profit than ever off of each trailer. All while apparently providing less after-sales support. Not the right combination. People speak with their wallet so we’ll see if the current sales rate can be sustained. IMO Escape has a sweet spot between Scamp/Casita and Oliver/Bigfoot and should try to stay there. As their prices rise and perceived value is lost people will walk.

[sofmerc]

Originally Posted by rubicon327

That’s where I think the customer is being fooled to a degree. Escape trailers are very expensive on a $/FT basis versus stick built. There should be higher expectations. ETI is selling their trailers at a much greater cost than just a few years ago and is no doubt making more profit than ever off of each trailer. All while apparently providing less after-sales support. Not the right combination. People speak with their wallet so we’ll see if the current sales rate can be sustained. IMO Escape has a sweet spot between Scamp/Casita and Oliver/Bigfoot and should try to stay there. As their prices rise and perceived value is lost people will walk.

I agree that they are way more expensive per foot than a stick built... But the resale value isn't comparable..Roll a stickie off the lot and try to get most of your investment back... Used Escapes seem to sell at or above new prices.,,in days

[Telescopist]

Originally Posted by daniel108

Just be prepared to accept that higher levels of support come at a cost to the manufacturer, and those costs have to be covered in the initial cost of the trailer. No doubt there is a line item for after sales/warranty support factored into their cost and pricing, and when someone is saying that we need more after sales support they need to be accepting that they will pay more. That goes for components as well as the trailer itself.

My attitude is that the trailer/RV industry is really focused on low cost, and ETI has to play in that market, so that means I need to accept that they don't have a huge amount of quality control themselves, and if things break my first option is to try to fix it myself, my second is to examine the cost of replacing a broken component with new vs getting it serviced.

Yes. You covered all the key points. I came to that realization as well. I just don't appreciate Escape performing bait and switch moves with me. Just tell me I am on my own with the leak instead of what I went through. Or telling me that I didn't "winterize the trailer properly" caused a slow burn.

When I show our trailer to prospective customers, I always ask them if they are problem solvers when things around their home break. I feel that it would be irresponsible not to tell them about my experiences. The trailer sells itself. If they decide to spring for one, it isn't because I have to talk it up. Nor do I make any effort to talk it down. Fortunately most Pennsylvanians are a self-reliant bunch. The PA Commonwealth ushered in the industrial revolution in this country. There is a long history of self reliance here which goes back to the 1600's.

[cpaharley2008]

M_canada,
I agree 100%.......

[azjack]

I don't do as many jobs as I used to, I now have yard work done, minor plumbing done by a plumber, etc. When I wanted a nice filter under the kitchen sink installed in the trailer and found I really can't spend much time under a sink I called the local plumber and paid him to do the work.
Years ago I had a problem with a refrigerator in one of the trailers I called a mobile tech and he worked with Dometic and replaced two boards and fixed my problem and I paid for his labor. I would hate to depend on a local shop or move the trailer to get it fixed.
AZjack

[UncleTim]

Originally Posted by azjack

Years ago I had a problem with a refrigerator in one of the trailers I called a mobile tech and he worked with Dometic and replaced two boards and fixed my problem and I paid for his labor. I would hate to depend on a local shop or move the trailer to get it fixed.
AZjack

I sure would like to find that kind of repair person in the Front Range.

Does anyone know a good air conditioner repair person in the FR?

[Fox hunt]

I have always been happy with my trailers almost no issues/repairs. The news about the stove safety problems and the company response is concerning. My one issue with my windows was covered by my warrantee no problem. Sounds like some are unhappy with the service/ support by Escape but most still really love their trailers. Not everybody was happy with Escape in the old days either some had issues but i agree dealing with a small family business was comforting. I still think Escape makes a great trailer.

[stratos175]

It's been a while since I've read anything on the forum and this made for interesting read.
My thoughts are you should go into any RV or travel trailer purchase with the idea repairs will be needed and if you buy an Escape you know they only have one location so....... plan for that.

Also read the warranty and understand what is covered and by who.

Educate yourself before you buy one, to blame someone else because your trailer came unhooked?

YES if you know someone is who is mechanically inclined the world needs more RV techs so encourage people to do that.

As far as the ETI family I would agree, it's the members of this forum not ETI that I feel part of and know if I screamed HELP on this forum many would do just that, help.

Enjoy the road and stay safe.

Steve

[Rossue]

Are you aware of Indeed.com? Saw the ad tonight on World Series so I checked:

https://ca.indeed.com/cmp/Escape-Trailer-Industries-Lp

Not great.

[YakRV]

Originally Posted by Rossue

Are you aware of Indeed.com? Saw the ad tonight on World Series so I checked:

https://ca.indeed.com/cmp/Escape-Trailer-Industries-Lp

Not great.

Looks like it hasn’t been a great place to work for a while. The Ratings Overview graph shows that on a 5-star scale employees rated the company:
2017 - 3.00
2018 - 1.67
2019 - none
2020 - 4.33
2021 - 2.20

Of course, these ratings are very likely skewed because the disgruntled worker is more apt to go through the trouble to post a review than the happy one. I suppose the comparison from year to year might still be of interest though.

[Ron in BC]

Also satisfaction was higher after the takeover. It dropped this last year but maybe the awkward situations created by Covid had something to do with that.

Reading some of the comments made made me wince. Glad they weren't my employees. Especially the dude that said that the f.g. shop management didn't know what they were doing. Sorry dude, if you think that the quality of f.g. shells that Escape puts out comes from management that doesn't know anything that shows how little you know.

Ron

[bborzell]

Originally Posted by Rossue

Are you aware of Indeed.com? Saw the ad tonight on World Series so I checked:

https://ca.indeed.com/cmp/Escape-Trailer-Industries-Lp

Not great.

Hmmm…

Not sure how Canadian wages compare to pay in the US, but it appears that production line folks are getting an hourly rate similar to burger flippers at In N Out.

[Doug2000]

I was really disappointed with all the problems I had with my first 5 trailers. Many leaked and the construction was really poor. I spent a lot of time doing repairs. When I sold them, I took what I could get.

Now I'm own my second Escape and only have good things to say.

[Fender]

Whew! There's a lot to absorb in this thread and I must admit, for someone with a deposit in place waiting for a new Escape trailer it is difficult after reading some of the posts to not be a bit uneasy. I recognize totally that with the internet you can easily talk yourself in or out of any decision.

If I knew how to do it this would seem to be a good place to insert a poll. One of the questions I would ask is "If you lived 5,000 km from the factory and considered yourself reasonably handy, knowing what you know now, would you buy another Escape trailer?".

My sense of it is that most people, even those that have had issues and are not happy with the service response they've received, are generally still happy with their Escape trailer. If I'm correct, that in itself speaks volumes.

[WillyB]

Fender,

We are waiting in line for our 21C (Oct 2022) and we go back and forth about similar concerns.

Generally, it sounds like the Escape portion of the Escape trailers are built pretty well but the supplier parts are a problem. Although there have been more unfinished Escape details that seems to show a lacking in the quality control area. Padaway's recent loose wiring connections is very concerning but I see that as a QC process that can be easily corrected. I'm sure Karl doesn't want any "Fire Escapes" in the news.

For now Escape appears to brush off supplier warranty issues with little concern for their 2-Year Warranty but the RV industry's warranty process has always been a bit hit or miss.

With all that, our deposit is still in place. Come on October 2022!!!

[azjack]

We are using our 4th Escape and so far nothing to fix, fit and finish is excellent, especially compared to half dozen other trailers we have owned in the last 50+ years. This 5th wheel is an out standing design as well and I just confirmed that our stove is not a dometic, although our last one was and no surprises with it.
AZjack. P.S. we only live 2000 miles from the factory

[Perry Butler]

Originally Posted by WillyB

Padaway's recent loose wiring connections is very concerning but I see that as a QC process that can be easily corrected.

We've had 15 previous campers. Each time the first thing I do is check all electrical connections. I don't think I've ever found one that had all connections tight. The worst was our Lance.

I also inspect all connectors every 10,000 or so miles, and no matter what brand, many times I find at least one wire that has worked loose from all that vibrating down the road. I just completed a check on our 5.0 with well over 30,000 miles traveling down the road. Only one connector moved and that only needed a 1/8 turn to tighten.

Our biggest problem was keeping wires in our Victron SCCs (the bus on the Victron 100/20 is a joke). Then I started using crimp connectors instead of bare wires in the SCCs and the wires stay in place, even in that crappy bus on the 100/20).

My advice to everyone is to check your wiring immediately on purchase and every 10,000 miles thereafter. Oh, and don't expect 100% perfection.

Enjoy,

Perry

[Bobbie54]

Originally Posted by Fender

Whew! There's a lot to absorb in this thread and I must admit, for someone with a deposit in place waiting for a new Escape trailer it is difficult after reading some of the posts to not be a bit uneasy. I recognize totally that with the internet you can easily talk yourself in or out of any decision.

If I knew how to do it this would seem to be a good place to insert a poll. One of the questions I would ask is "If you lived 5,000 km from the factory and considered yourself reasonably handy, knowing what you know now, would you buy another Escape trailer?".

My sense of it is that most people, even those that have had issues and are not happy with the service response they've received, are generally still happy with their Escape trailer. If I'm correct, that in itself speaks volumes.

That would be me. I love the trailer but am highly disappointed in the responses from the misnamed service dept especially regarding the safety issue of the stove. Other. Problems have been minor. FYI- response or lack thereof from the stove manufacturer are no better.

[Telescopist]

Originally Posted by Fender

If I knew how to do it this would seem to be a good place to insert a poll. One of the questions I would ask is "If you lived 5,000 km from the factory and considered yourself reasonably handy, knowing what you know now, would you buy another Escape trailer?". My sense of it is that most people, even those that have had issues and are not happy with the service response they've received, are generally still happy with their Escape trailer. If I'm correct, that in itself speaks volumes.

I think you are very close to hitting the target dead center. There is a "service response" problem which has broken out of the corral. And a reasonable assumption can be made that the majority of Escape owners are satisfied with their trailers. It is an odd juxtaposition. Customer satisfaction is high whereas the way the company is dealing with warranty issues, etc. is not so high.

I would not recommend anyone buy an Escape who either: 1. Is not "reasonably handy" at fixing things when they break, and/or 2. does not have friends or professional services which are available to help when a problem crops up. And there will be problems. Someone on this forum said one time that you are dealing with a "moving house". There always going to be problems of one sort or another when houses are moving over surfaces of doubtful integrity at 96kmh.