ETI's strange build process

[JeffreyG]

Given the latest threads on ETI and their business practices, I have to comment on how they build trailers now that mine is in sequence.


My GCD is 10/25/21. So on 8/12/21 I started getting photographs from ETI showing the progress of my build. What surprised me is that over the course of a week the trailer went from a hull sitting on a frame to what looked like 90% complete.


According to ETI, this trailer will then be placed in storage for a couple months and then they will finish it through some process that is their main bottleneck. I'm not sure what the bottleneck is, because the last shots of my trailer had all appliances, wheels, decals......it looked pretty much done.



As someone associated with manufacturing, that process doesn't make much sense to me. 90% complete trailers are huge, I can't believe ETI wants to store 2 months of production of mostly done trailers. It's very strange to me that they have set up their production this way.


If you are not into manufacturing, this post may not make sense to you. But anyone involved with making stuff will recognize what I'm talking about here. It's kind of strange.

[YakRV]

I have no idea what Escape’s bottleneck is, but with what’s going on in the auto industry (and many other industries right now) there’s a lot of nutty things going on these days. Crazy times.

[brroberts]

Interesting. My E19 GCD is 9/24 and I got pictures 9/1-3. 9/1 & 2 showed a lot of interior changes. 9/3 I couldn’t see a thing. No pictures yet since. I do not have anything with finishes or appliances yet. If it’s to be 9/24, it certainly can’t sit that long.

[dfandrews]

That makes no sense to me, either. I went back and looked at my build photos (sent once a week from Escape, on or just before Fridays): {Edit: built in Aug. & Sept. 2015}
-shell on frame, -rough cabinetry, then electrical, -appliances, -finishes, drawers, doors, etc. That's about 3 weeks. Then there was QC, and: done. Picked it up 4 weeks after start.


A guess is that they are lacking some component(s) common to most or all, and to keep crews in each area working, they've chosen this scheduling method.

[meekhotglass]

My gcd is 10/12 and I haven’t seen a photo yet...

[Centex]

In my case (dates are actual date photos were taken, from image file metadata)

• 07/23/2021 First build pics
• 08/03/2021 "Substantial Completion" pics
• 'storage pause'
• 08/18/2021 GCD
• 08/19/2021 "Final Completion" pics
• 08/20/2021 pics of loadup on transporter for delivery

FWIW I indicated willingness to accept delivery ASAP, ETI acknowledged my full and final payment on 08/05/2021. Having been advised that under no circumstance would my trailer be transported 'early' I didn't make the delivery payment until 08/10/2021. I was assured via email that those payment dates would not affect my earliest possible delivery date.

Though my 'storage pause' was not as substantial as some, I do find any 'pause' bewildering for the reasons you state, Jeffrey.

I must note that the completion process (sans specific dates), including the 'storage pause', was fully disclosed in an email as my build approached and at no time did ETI even hint at the possibility of 'transporter loadup' prior to the committed GCD. Karl has also made reference to the 'storage pause' in at least one relatively recent YouTube I've seen.

I'd idly wondered if in my case the 'pause' related to the schedule / availability of the logistics contractor making the delivery to Denton, but that doesn't seem to hold water for at least some of the cases mentioned in previous posts.

Yes, IMO from a 'manufacturing standpoint' it's quite bewildering. So it goes, my trailer arrived in Denton, TX the afternoon of 08/25/2021 and I'm content with that No Worries!

[Chamberman]

Originally Posted by JeffreyG

My GCD is 10/25/21. So on 8/12/21 I started getting photographs from ETI showing the progress of my build. What surprised me is that over the course of a week the trailer went from a hull sitting on a frame to what looked like 90% complete.

That is bizarre, especially given the fact that others are scheduled before you and appear to be behind you in the build process. You may have to compare build sheets with brroberts as they have an E19 scheduled before yours. Spray foam option maybe? Do you both have that?

Either way its very odd (inefficient) to be storing a trailer for two months. It would be interesting to figure out what ETI's mfg constraint is due to.

[Rossue]

My bet is labor- oops Labour! Happy Labour Day!
https://ca.indeed.com/cmp/Escape-Tra...ies-Lp/reviews

Can you tell the real ones from the phony's?

[gbaglo]

Probably waiting to install the 'complaints' box.

[HABBERDABBER]

Originally Posted by gbaglo

Probably waiting to install the 'complaints' box.

Or waiting on some backordered piece of something....that the supplier says will take 50 days to arrive.

What else? It makes no manufacturing sense to me. I don't think they do it to "keep on schedule".

[kavm]

It is either a shortage issue with some component(s) and/or production batching issue where the larger batch size provides economies of scale and increased production efficiency.

[George Johnson]

I'm confident that ETI isn't doing this because they want to, it's because they have to. If they don't have the parts, they can't complete the project. All global supply chains are a mess right now, and all industries are suffering the consequences.

Political turmoil (and I'm not being political here, I don't care what side you are on!) that upsets international trade has always had this effect.

[gbaglo]

Ford truck ads here all focus on "build it your way". Order your truck now and get it later. A GM plant that was closed is not reopening as scheduled.

[Iowa Dave]

My daughter is a manager in a manufacturing company. She told me they had a container arrive in Chicago. It took 44 days to get it hauled from Chicago to Fort Wayne I’m July and August. The product was designed for sales for the back to school/ fall target dates. The machine is very hard to restart for a variety of reasons. And good help is very hard to find.
Iowa Dave

[Ops]

Originally Posted by Iowa Dave

And good help is very hard to find.
Iowa Dave

That is becoming ever more the case up here in Canada. Even entry level jobs/employment are straining to find workers willing to actually "work". A local (to me) Canadian favourite coffee shop has closed in-store service with just drive through service (25 cars in the queue) being available.

Big sign on the door stated exactly that...can't find help.

[bborzell]

For what it’s worth, our GCD is 4 days after yours and we have not heard anything about the trailer beginning construction. We certainly have not seen pictures.

[WillyB]

Jeffrey,

I wonder if someone cancelled their order which had similar finishes as your build.

That or they started drinking early in the production scheduling department.

[cpaharley2008]

I believe the stop in production is to allow "off gassing" of the the product while it sits and cures.........

[brroberts]

Mine won’t get off gassing time then, unless they did the shell / frame a while back and are just now adding it to the line.

[JeffreyG]

I guess I'll give them a call today and mention that since it looks pretty done, I'd be willing to take delivery at first available time. They might tell me that's still 10/25, but I might as well ask.