Pre-Delivery Inspection (PDI)

[jking1224]

My completion date is Nov 22, the day before US Thanksgiving. Weather permitting, I would like to pick up on that day. I see on this forum that many people camp out for a few days at a nearby campground as a shakedown period. That way, they can simply return to the ETI factory should an issue be discovered.

I don't have the option of staying around for a few days and I am wondering how this will affect my ability to thoroughly inspect my trailer. I plan to depart that day to northern California for Thanksgiving family time.

So, assuming I get an orientation appointment of Wed Nov 22, I understand that appointment is approx. 2 to 3 hours. ETI thoroughly reviews all the systems and features, answers any questions. Dennis gets your hitch all set up, etc. Then you take actual delivery in Sumas.

But that doesn't seem like enough time to thoroughly inspect the trailer for issues. I'd like to examine every drawer, test every water connection, test every light and switch, examine any fabric seams, thoroughly water test the entire unit, etc.

So, the questions in my mind are:
1. Does ETI already perform a thorough test and inspection? If the answer is "yes", then how do you explain that people still find issues? Why do people feel compelled to stick around a few days if the ETI quality inspection is sufficient?

2. Could I stick around at the factory, use water, use drains, use electricity, do my own inspection/testing process for, say, 6 hours? Does ETI have a place for that? How does that affect my taking delivery in Sumas? I have pretty good RV/trailer experience. I know typical RV systems, so I am not a noob. But I also realize if I try to do this inspection during the orientation, I will be shortchanging the purpose of the orientation. Plus, I don't want to hold up the orientation staff, I realize they have other customers.

3. I am trying to avoid having a problem that I have to have fixed under warranty at my local RV shop when I could have the factory fix it. We all know that the local RV shop repair process is terrible. They are overwhelmed, backed up and usually do poor work. Especially if you didn't buy from them.

I look forward to a discussion on this, any ideas on how to accomplish, etc.

[Ruthe]

You really need to call the company to find out what is possible at their end. Even though I'm sure they do a final inspection, stuff happens, just like with any new vehicle or appliance. Our trailer had a window that didn't close right and it meant that the next day we had to take it back for an adjustment. As for systems in the trailer, there are things that might not become apparent until you've used the trailer for a couple of days.

Do you not have any leeway with your pickup time? It would be nice if you didn't have to rush it.

[Rapha]

Originally Posted by jking1224

My completion date is Nov 22, the day before US Thanksgiving. Weather permitting, I would like to pick up on that day. I see on this forum that many people camp out for a few days at a nearby campground as a shakedown period. That way, they can simply return to the ETI factory should an issue be discovered.

I don't have the option of staying around for a few days and I am wondering how this will affect my ability to thoroughly inspect my trailer. I plan to depart that day to northern California for Thanksgiving family time.

So, assuming I get an orientation appointment of Wed Nov 22, I understand that appointment is approx. 2 to 3 hours. ETI thoroughly reviews all the systems and features, answers any questions. Dennis gets your hitch all set up, etc. Then you take actual delivery in Sumas.

But that doesn't seem like enough time to thoroughly inspect the trailer for issues. I'd like to examine every drawer, test every water connection, test every light and switch, examine any fabric seams, thoroughly water test the entire unit, etc.

So, the questions in my mind are:
1. Does ETI already perform a thorough test and inspection? If the answer is "yes", then how do you explain that people still find issues? Why do people feel compelled to stick around a few days if the ETI quality inspection is sufficient?

2. Could I stick around at the factory, use water, use drains, use electricity, do my own inspection/testing process for, say, 6 hours? Does ETI have a place for that? How does that affect my taking delivery in Sumas? I have pretty good RV/trailer experience. I know typical RV systems, so I am not a noob. But I also realize if I try to do this inspection during the orientation, I will be shortchanging the purpose of the orientation. Plus, I don't want to hold up the orientation staff, I realize they have other customers.

3. I am trying to avoid having a problem that I have to have fixed under warranty at my local RV shop when I could have the factory fix it. We all know that the local RV shop repair process is terrible. They are overwhelmed, backed up and usually do poor work. Especially if you didn't buy from them.

I look forward to a discussion on this, any ideas on how to accomplish, etc.

I would see no problem with scheduling however much time you need AFTER orientation to thoroughly inspect your new trailer. I'm sure they can schedule the delivery into Sumas to allow for the extra time you desire. I wouldn't mind doing this myself.

[Ron in BC]

I have to say that I find that level of concern unusual. "test every water connection"? I'm a little puzzled why you've chosen an Escape if you're that suspicious of the quality.

I'd say if you really feel the need to do what you say you want to do you should do the orientation, see as much as you can and then have the trailer delivered to Sumas. If you still feel the need to do a super inspection then spend the next six hours or however long you need to conduct it. If you find anything that you feel is a defect that needs fixing then you're very close to ETI. If not, you're on your way.

But, hey, this is the viewpoint of a guy that picked up his trailer, took it home and loaded it up and headed for Moab.

Ron

[Ruthe]

Ron I think you'd agree that if a repair needs to be done it would be a lot better to have it done at the Escape Factory than going to a random RV place. We probably need a new water pump (after four seasons of use) and I wish we lived close enough to go to Escape where I would trust that they wouldn't wreck our bed.

[Losangeles]

Originally Posted by Ron in BC

I have to say that I find that level of concern unusual. "test every water connection"? I'm a little puzzled why you've chosen an Escape if you're that suspicious of the quality.

I'd say if you really feel the need to do what you say you want to do you should do the orientation, see as much as you can and then have the trailer delivered to Sumas. If you still feel the need to do a super inspection then spend the next six hours or however long you need to conduct it. If you find anything that you feel is a defect that needs fixing then you're very close to ETI. If not, you're on your way.

But, hey, this is the viewpoint of a guy that picked up his trailer, took it home and loaded it up and headed for Moab.

Ron

I would agree with Ron.... also Ruthe above

I myself am VERY detail oriented... and Escapes QC is very, very good.
Yes there can be the occasional issue... but they are rare i believe

However - you are clearly very very concerned - and that is fine.....

I would strongly encourage you to call ETI to see if they could somehow move your pickup day - one day earlier. at least .... Does not hurt to try....

and stay a day (or more) in Sumas.

from our experience at pickup - yes you want to pay attention to the orientation.

and

i found one tiny red pencil mark on a counter , in a corner, and it was perfectly fixed in literally 3 minutes. Otherwise no issues at all.

don't make your life harder or more stressful by trying to jam too much in.....

oh and as they schedule 2 pickups a day, including crossing the border.... yuo can't linger in the pickup area for 6 hours. Not an option. you HAVE to have them deliver it across the border, and you have to be across by 4.30 pm i believe - or some such border crossing rule (not ETI's rule) - so there is a "hard out" for time to cross the border. Government rule.

just my 2c

good luck, breathe, and enjoy it, and "don't sweat the small stuff" (as they say)



John

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by Ron in BC

I have to say that I find that level of concern unusual. "test every water connection"? I'm a little puzzled why you've chosen an Escape if you're that suspicious of the quality.

I kinda wondered the same thing. There is very little that can go wrong, and if it should it would likely not be while you "hung around town".

With my 19 in 2009 I pretty my passed on the orientation, as I was busy helping finish up my trailer and I wanted to go camping. Reace and Tammy came out the next day to the same rally, but there was no issue, and just one question I had that could have been handled from anywhere.

With my 2017 5.0TA I went through no more than an hour of orientation, basically going over things installed that was new to me, picked up a few parts, then hit the road. No regrets.

If you in the end still have concerns, you really should make the time to camp nearby, maybe arrange orientation at a bit later date. Just a thought.

I would bet that the percentage of people who stick around a few days is rather small.

[Losangeles]

Originally Posted by Rapha

I would see no problem with scheduling however much time you need AFTER orientation to thoroughly inspect your new trailer. I'm sure they can schedule the delivery into Sumas to allow for the extra time you desire. I wouldn't mind doing this myself.

see my post above.... don't make this assumption.... call ETI.

[jking1224]

Originally Posted by Ruthe

...stuff happens, just like with any new vehicle or appliance. ... there are things that might not become apparent until you've used the trailer for a couple of days.

Do you not have any leeway with your pickup time? It would be nice if you didn't have to rush it.

I can't move Thanksgiving. I sure would like to move my completion date up several days. But I would expect that if ETI could move it up, they would have already.

As for expecting problems, this is an RV industry thing. I have bought many appliances in my life and several vehicles. I rarely, that is _rarely_, have a problem. I do not recall ever returning a TV or appliance for warranty repair. My most recent new car went 4 years with zero warranty issues. So, no, NOT just like any vehicle or appliance. Yet in the RV world, the expectation is that you will exercise your warranty. Stories of knobs coming off on the first pull, lights failing the first week, water leaking the first time it rains, etc. are just so numerous its now expected, albeit less with ETI. Your response is confirmation that I have a valid concern.

[gbaglo]

Something might go wrong after eight hours ( not six ) or in two days, or a week. That's a lot of stress.

[Losangeles]

Originally Posted by jking1224

I can't move Thanksgiving. I sure would like to move my completion date up several days. But I would expect that if ETI could move it up, they would have already.

As for expecting problems, this is an RV industry thing. I have bought many appliances in my life and several vehicles. I rarely, that is _rarely_, have a problem. I do not recall ever returning a TV or appliance for warranty repair. My most recent new car went 4 years with zero warranty issues. So, no, NOT just like any vehicle or appliance. Yet in the RV world, the expectation is that you will exercise your warranty. Stories of knobs coming off on the first pull, lights failing the first week, water leaking the first time it rains, etc. are just so numerous its now expected, albeit less with ETI. Your response is confirmation that I have a valid concern.

Trust me - just call ETI to ask about an earlier pickup date.

they are very very helpful, and very direct and honest.

I cant say they will be able to move up your date... but try!

they helped us out big time with a schedule issue we had.

[jking1224]

Originally Posted by Ron in BC

I have to say that I find that level of concern unusual. "test every water connection"? I'm a little puzzled why you've chosen an Escape if you're that suspicious of the quality.

I'd say if you really feel the need to do what you say you want to do you should do the orientation, see as much as you can and then have the trailer delivered to Sumas. If you still feel the need to do a super inspection then spend the next six hours or however long you need to conduct it. If you find anything that you feel is a defect that needs fixing then you're very close to ETI. If not, you're on your way.

So, your vote of confidence in ETI is encouraging, Ron. And it is one of the reason I have chosen an Escape. I am hoping my trailer choice is validated since now my pick up circumstances will be forcing me to rely on an expectation of lack of problems.

As an example of a problem, my prior trailer had a "black tank flush" feature. An outside hose fitting that sprayed water inside the black tank. Well, you would only use such a feature when you go to dump the black tank. I bought this trailer used. The prior owner never used the toilet, therefore never used the black tank flush. Well, it turns out the manufacturer used the wrong size plumbing fittings. 3/8 inch fittings on 1/2 inch hose. So, the first time I used it, it gushed, that is gushed, gallons of water inside the walls. It took me weeks, several attempts and opening up wall spaces to figure out what the cause was. Plus, now the flooring system is likely ruined, saturated with water. If the manufacturer has actually tested each and every feature: hooked of the water and flushed the black tank, they would have found this. So, yeah, I'm concerned.

[Rapha]

Originally Posted by Losangeles

see my post above.... don't make this assumption.... call ETI.

Oh, I thought it went without saying to call ETI a few weeks in advance to arrange a bigger window of time between orientation and delivery to Sumas. My bad for not making that clear. It would be crazy to do otherwise. I try to plan for every eventuality. It drives my wife nuts.

[Losangeles]

Originally Posted by Rapha

Oh, I thought it went without saying to call ETI a few weeks in advance to arrange a bigger window of time between orientation and delivery to Sumas. My bad for not making that clear. It would be crazy to do otherwise. I try to plan for every eventuality. It drives my wife nuts.

Did you read my post?

From what they told me - you can NOT get more time between orientation and border crossing

For a variety of reasons.

John

[PGDriver]

Jeff I think you'll find with orientation time constrains and the fact that the trailer is exported right after I'm not sure they would have some available to wait an extra 6 hrs to export it to Sumas.
If your concerned I think it would be prudent to alter your plans and stay in Sumas or somewhere close to the border for an extra day and throughly check things out, for peace of mind. Also remember that in the off chance something needs to be fixed it might take a day or 2 depending on what it is.



Cheers
Doug

[Dave & Penny Smith]

JKing:
For what its worth, my wife and I camped for a couple of days (just over the border in the US) in case we needed to return to Escape due to any quality issues when we picked up our trailer. Two friends had to return to the factory with their new Casitas, and their experience probably influenced our decision to stay near Escape for a couple of days. We had no issues with our new 17B in 2015. Based on our experience, you may be worrying about potential issues that our unlikely to materialize. Enjoy your new trailer!

Dave

[caddoster]

Escape does QC before you show up for orientation.. I think whatever they missed on the spot is usually something that creeps up much later and likely the time you were able to spend around to use the trailer you will not be able to find much.. That said it doesn't hurt to ask... they have a deadline for border crossing, but if you can get the 8am orientation, you should be done by 10-10:30am, and you can ask if they can schedule the driver later to give you some time.. if 4:30 is the deadline you might get very close to the 6 hours you want...

Some people prefer to camp nearby so they can go back to get issues fixed.. We thought that way too, but in retrospect it's more like after a day of excitement you might as well camp nearby and enjoy the trailer We found a minor issue with our trailer the first night, was an easy fix so we fixed it on the spot. We spoke to someone who is also doing the shake down test at the same campground and he has some sort of issue with the pump but he isn't going back to Canada for the fix either, instead, they were shipping the pump to a repair shop further down south so he can stop by when he's on the way..

I think the bottom line is all the game stopping issues should not be around when you pick up.. everything else can be fixed somewhere down the road.. there's really no need to go back..

If you are going to make it to NorCal for thanksgiving, you probably should plan to head south as early as you could since Seattle traffic will be really bad, and if the weather is not cooperating, it might be a super long and nasty drive thru the Siskiyous .. We do the reverse drive every year for the last 10 years or so, some years are good some are really bad..

[jking1224]

So, in the early responses here (less than an hour from original post), I am seeing:

2. There is not likely an ability to spend any time at ETI after orientation. Either they have no space for customers to hang out and use facilities, but more important is that exporting to the US demands it be done right away.
That means, if I do wish to spend some time doing my own inspection, I have to do this elsewhere. Whether that is behind Bob's Burgers and Brews or somewhere else, on the US side. Then cross back to Canada only if an issue is discovered.

There is mixed message here about how likely there is to be a problem. While some comments are they took off immediately and had no problems (one of the reasons we all choose Escape is for their quality reputation), there are also several comments that people _did_ stick around a couple days just in case, or that it would be "prudent", etc.

Obviously, a solution is to move up the completion date. And I will ask ETI for exactly that. But wouldn't ETI already have offered that to me if they could?

[gbaglo]

Originally Posted by caddoster

If you are going to make it to NorCal for thanksgiving, you probably should plan to head south as early as you could since Seattle traffic will be really bad, and if the weather is not cooperating, it might be a super long and nasty drive thru the Siskiyous .. We do the reverse drive every year for the last 10 years or so, some years are good some are really bad..

Now, there is something to worry about.

[Losangeles]

Originally Posted by jking1224

So, in the early responses here (less than an hour from original post), I am seeing:

2. There is not likely an ability to spend any time at ETI after orientation. Either they have no space for customers to hang out and use facilities, but more important is that exporting to the US demands it be done right away.
That means, if I do wish to spend some time doing my own inspection, I have to do this elsewhere. Whether that is behind Bob's Burgers and Brews or somewhere else, on the US side. Then cross back to Canada only if an issue is discovered.

There is mixed message here about how likely there is to be a problem. While some comments are they took off immediately and had no problems (one of the reasons we all choose Escape is for their quality reputation), there are also several comments that people _did_ stick around a couple days just in case, or that it would be "prudent", etc.

Obviously, a solution is to move up the completion date. And I will ask ETI for exactly that. But wouldn't ETI already have offered that to me if they could?

(you) But wouldn't ETI already have offered that to me if they could?

No.

Why would they want to start shuffling things around with no obvious need?

That would be a "make work project"

I repeat myself - just call them!