Quality Reduction + 10% Price Increase =

[WillyB]

For all you potential customers of a new Escape.

Please help me understand this equation.

[Ops]

Originally Posted by WillyB

For all you potential customers of a new Escape. Please help me understand this equation.

Please help me understand your caption to this thread.

What reduction in quality? Cite your source please.
What 10% increase in price?

Depending on; the options selected, the exchange rate, pricing for appliances, pricing for materials, pricing for delivery, fuel prices, etc. - what prices have stayed static?

Where are you living that hasn't been impacted by supply chain disruptions, various pandemic directives from authorities, and tax loads that are starting to filter into the cost of doing business?

Regular unleaded went from CDN$1.59 to CDN$1.71 per litre overnight in my neck of the woods. That was after a jump from CDN$1.49 per litre about a month ago.

Food prices have gone up, and they're going to go up even further due to drought in various food belts throughout the continent.

Enough businesses have gone belly up over this last year+ due to the impact of a range of things, some mentioned above. Wait until mortgage rates start going up due to inflationary pressures.

I quote another from another thread, perhaps you should "buy another trailer, one that hasn't raised its prices".

[diannelgraham]

Originally Posted by WillyB

For all you potential customers of a new Escape.

Please help me understand this equation.

So just out of idle curiosity do you work for BigFoot or Oliver…..by your rally of posts today sounds fishy.

[JeffreyG]

Originally Posted by WillyB

For all you potential customers of a new Escape.

Please help me understand this equation.

10% cost increase from a company that has rising material costs and a wait list two years long? That's not especially surprising.



My build date is in 2021 so it doesn't affect me in any case, but this is really not a huge surprise. Right now the costs of many things are up.


As for quality, the assertion that Escape is making a significantly worse product today is merely speculation on this forum. Most of the complaints I have heard are either in regards to the standard RV components, or are for build processes that I'd be able to tackle myself.


I'd love to believe Escape trailers were assembled much better than what I've seen in stick build trailers, but I would not be shocked to find that they are not especially better (this is in terms of things like wire routing, clipping, plumbing detail etc). To me, the draw of the ETI product is largely the fiberglass hull and the design.


Small issues on an ETI trailer means something I have to fix. Small issues on a stick built has meant (for me) the loss of the trailer.

[C&G in FL]

Originally Posted by WillyB

For all you potential customers of a new Escape.

Please help me understand this equation.

Have you checked the price of new motor vehicles lately, and read any articles about recalls?

In response to your request, please help me or all current owners or all potential customers to understand why, if you believe there is a quality reduction, you either plan to have or have such an increasingly high priced, lower quality trailer on order. It just doesn’t make sense to me that anyone seemingly disgruntled would bother to move forward with plans to own an Escape. Perhaps you are basing your quality complaints on a handful of posts you have read from people who complain every time something doesn’t work properly. I can assure you they also complain when the water pump on their high mileage vehicle starts leaking or their 7-year old battery goes dead, or their washing machine at home goes on the fritz.

[escape artist]

Originally Posted by WillyB

For all you potential customers of a new Escape.

Please help me understand this equation.

Hi: WillyB... Seems like this hole forum has gone down the "Black tank"!!! Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

[WillyB]

Originally Posted by Ops

Please help me understand your caption to this thread.

What reduction in quality? Cite your source please.
What 10% increase in price?

Depending on; the options selected, the exchange rate, pricing for appliances, pricing for materials, pricing for delivery, fuel prices, etc. - what prices have stayed static?

Where are you living that hasn't been impacted by supply chain disruptions, various pandemic directives from authorities, and tax loads that are starting to filter into the cost of doing business?

Regular unleaded went from CDN$1.59 to CDN$1.71 per litre overnight in my neck of the woods. That was after a jump from CDN$1.49 per litre about a month ago.

Food prices have gone up, and they're going to go up even further due to drought in various food belts throughout the continent.

Enough businesses have gone belly up over this last year+ due to the impact of a range of things, some mentioned above. Wait until mortgage rates start going up due to inflationary pressures.

I quote another from another thread, perhaps you should "buy another trailer, one that hasn't raised its prices".

My post is for those who read this forum and ARE NOT CURRENT ESCAPE OWNERS!

**My Source on quality and price increase? This Escape forum.

**Conspiracy theory is I'm a competitor?

**If 10% is no big deal then any member should have no issue selling their Used Escapes at a 10% reduction right? It's only 10%.

**I have spent the past 38 years as a professional businessman and know all of the details that impact cost/profit/pricing.

**How about letting United States customers pay in Canadian Dollars? Canadian prices only went up 5%. Source? This forum.

Again, this post is directed to the NON ESCAPE OWNERS considering placing a deposit on this brand, not those already wearing rose colored Escape glasses.

On a personal note.
**I do not appreciate being scolded for placing a post on this site.
**I might not be an Escape Owner at the moment but I am a member of this site just trying to learn more about this brand, its quality, the real value of its warranty in the USA, its direction of the new ownership and its changing reputation.

[kavm]

Bill -

You definitely have a valid point in that the price increase is only of academic interest to those who don’t have to pay it. Its sting is only felt by those who are subject to it. You and 2022 buyers are.

I tried to give you a rational analysis of the price increase but that does not lessen its effect. In the end, the item is under priced or over priced based upon what the market will bear, and if Escape (or another company) overshoots it, the dip in sales will provide the feedback to ETI. Cost plus is not the only pricing model, and price elasticity is a big part of pricing. None of this lessens the sting but that’s what it is, and you either have to suck it up or walk.

That said, the tendency of some forum members to jump to personally attack other forum members is most unfortunate. I have seen it recently on other threads as well. It is perfectly fine to disagree and hopefully provide the rationale for doing so, it is quite another to attack someone’s integrity and credibility. All I’d say to them is do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

All the best to you!

PS: Market pricing is not a new concept and I know of multiple clients that price US and Canada markets differently, with Canadian prices being on the lower side. For most of them, the product prices were in a different range and the price visibility is low. Escape has shifted from the path of having one CDN$ price and having the customer bear the currency risk to bringing that risk in-house and offering separate but visible US and CDN prices. I would not have advised them to go this route. For a high priced product with high price visibility, this strategy has a potential to create dissatisfaction as evidenced by this thread.

[C&G in FL]

Originally Posted by WillyB

My post is for those who read this forum and ARE NOT CURRENT ESCAPE OWNERS!

News Flash! And since you used capital letters, YOU DO NOT GET TO DESIGNATE WHO CAN AND WHO CANNOT RESPOND TO YOUR POST. Forum rules. If you don’t like them, complain to a site team member or exercise your option to go elsewhere. And if you are going to post something that is controversial, with all your “business experience,” you should expect that you will get critical responses.

And last I knew, Escape customers do pay in Canadian dollars, or at least US dollars adjusted to the current exchange rate.

If you are upset with the demographics of those who responded to your post, perhaps you should start your own forum where you can restrict membership. Or perhaps you should ask ETI management why trailer prices are rising just like food, gas, vehicles and everything else I purchase, and why the quality of their product is going down. And I am not attacking your integrity, but I question the validity of your question.

[Bobbie54]

How would those who don't currently own an Escape know what the quality of one is?

I agree that it is always possible build quality is going down over time, but I didn't see that in my fall 2020 Escape 17b compared to my 2011 Escape 15A. I was the third owner of the 2011, but it had a major recall- the frame reinforcement- before I got it.

I'm sure prices have gone up since that time (I know they have) but that's no surprise. My ice cream container got smaller, too. Resale value has soared (especially since I sold my 2011). (I can't resell the ice cream.)

The main worry for someone buying now would probably be what's going to happen if they have a late 2023 pickup date and quality does go down, but they can back out up until the build sheet is signed and lose very little. By then hopefully they can visit the factory (or someone will have) and see how things are going and observe the build quality directly, and make an EDUCATED decision.

Oh, and I just spent my 37th night in the trailer and completed a 1737 mile trip.

[cpaharley2008]

What I find interesting is a non Escape owner posting about Escape quality? Seems to me the best way to determine quality is to use the product and then post your results.......
after owning 4 Escapes I am ordering another one, does that say anything?

[sofmerc]

I think the materials costs involved in these trailers has jumped a lot more than 10%. Fiberglass and resin are both petroleum based, and increasingly hard to source. Steel and wood have gone up quite a bit more than 10%... At the end of the day ,these costs get passed on to end buyers. I don't follow other trailer manufacturers prices, but I'm sure ETI isn't the only one.

[tdf-texas]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

What I find interesting is a non Escape owner posting about Escape quality? Seems to me the best way to determine quality is to use the product and then post your results.......
after owning 4 Escapes I am ordering another one, does that say anything?

Another Escape on order? I would have thought you had figured out how to refill those pesky propane tanks by now.

But back to the OP's question. I have evaluated for defects every part of my Escape and worked on numerous other Escapes. Escape quality issues are by far because of third party manufacturers like Maxxfan, Dometic, etc. with few issues because of build quality by Escape.

I had a hard look at how Oliver and Airstreams are built and wouldn't buy one on a bet. Have you ever seen what an Airstream looks like that has been through a hail storm? Or tried to repair the plumbing / electrical that runs through the unaccessible channels in an Oliver?

All travel trailer manufacturers have some issue that owners complain about but they still love their trailers. If you are looking for travel trailer that is perfect, then the only way that happens is you make it perfect yourself.

And my sig says it all. I am running out of things on my trailer to make perfect. Maybe I should take cpaharley2008's lead and start over with a new Escape.

[escape artist]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

What I find interesting is a non Escape owner posting about Escape quality? Seems to me the best way to determine quality is to use the product and then post your results.......
after owning 4 Escapes I am ordering another one, does that say anything?

Hi: cpaharley2008... You should be more like azjack. He saved buying the best one for last!!! Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

[Bobbie54]

Originally Posted by escape artist

Hi: cpaharley2008... You should be more like azjack. He saved buying the best one for last!!! Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

How do you know he isn't buying the best?

[GoCampBC]

With buyers lining up for a 2 year wait, there is an argument they are priced too low. Why do we buy Escapes? Because they rival Oliver and Bigfoot in quality for a reduced price. With such high demand, increasing prices should be expected!

[davidmurphy02]

Don't know what Casita's old prices were, they have 2022 pricing on their website now. Looks like a 17 Deluxe, somewhat comparable to an Escape 17B, has a base price of $25,694 vs. $26,495 for the Escape. Apples and oranges, I know, but I had the impression that the Casita was less expensive...perhaps that has changed.

[WillyB]

Originally Posted by davidmurphy02

Don't know what Casita's old prices were, they have 2022 pricing on their website now. Looks like a 17 Deluxe, somewhat comparable to an Escape 17B, has a base price of $25,694 vs. $26,495 for the Escape. Apples and oranges, I know, but I had the impression that the Casita was less expensive...perhaps that has changed.

David,

Thank you for your response. You always have a positive way with your words.

I am looking at the Casitas as well. My only negative is you can't get tandem axles.

[Phlip]

Just in case you didn't read this on the other thread regarding pricing,

I believe you'll find that...

In 2020 (2021 builds) ETI increased prices on Canadian customer units (CAD) but not on US (USD) customer units. In 2021 (2022 builds) they are raising prices more on the US units & less on the Canadian units to reflect a variety of changed market conditions & the fact that US units did not incur a price increase in 2020.

Correct me if that is not the case.

Regarding quality, most buyers migrate towards Escape because:

1. Fiberglass Shell
2. Retain & represent great value
3. Provide wide range of "customer centric" customization options
4. Overall design & build out looks good, tried & tested
5. Proud of ownership

On our recent 2021 build, we found the Escape process to be more than satisfactory with regular pictures sent to us of the build...who does that?

If you can find a better trailer or a better trailer company to deal with, please go ahead.

"Wise people often say nothing"

[Iowa Dave]

All of this BS impresses me. Not . Don’t like the price, Have problems with how you perceive the quality, Don’t like the lack of middleman dealers. Could be a lot of two word phases to sum this all up. I’ll stay without expletives: Walk Away.

The world turns, things change, the adaptable do, the un- adaptable are composted by sun, wind, water and flesh eating insects.

Have a great weekend. There are trails to be taken, food to be harvested and eaten and fires to be built to warm you.
Iowa Dave
Oh Deer