Quote:
If so,
Did you have a good experience? Why or why not?
If you could do it over, would you do it again the same way? If not, what would you do differently?
How far in advance were you able to pin down the delivery date?
Did you meet the delivery truck, or have it dropped at an intermediate facility (e.g. a storage facility or RV dealer)?
Any other advice?
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It has been five years now, but three of us had our Escape trailers delivered to a central location, in our case, Saulte Ste Marie, Ont. We were all still working and it was not feasible to be gone for the length of time necessary to pick up at the factory. In estimating cost, it was less expensive to have it shipped, especially since it was shared.
Escape arranged for the shipping after we found a local carrier, a carrier they used for the first time with our shipment and who they are using to this day. We knew the day it was loaded onto the tractor/trailer and the carrier kept us informed as to the drivers progress across Canada. It took seven days and he was delayed one day due to weather, snow in May. The departure day was determined by someone other that us, but it was within a week each side of our preference. Our trailer sat on the lot at Escape for two months awaiting the completion dates of the remainder of the load.
I would think they would not and I would not recommend that the trailer be delivered to anyone but you, or some one who knows Escape trailers and can act as your agent. Now it could be anywhere but someone should be present to inspect and accept delivery. Remember it is not actually yours until signed for. We had some damage to the load. Minor things like a propane cover missing and a jack bent.
The trucking company who delivers your trailer likes to go to Elkhart Indiana after dropping off your load. This is where they will likely get a back haul. I would plan a delivery location in some proximity to there, if possible.
As someone who also picked up a trailer at the factory, I can say that is the best experience. However, to do it right and make it worth while it will cost twice what shipping is and really needs three weeks of time.
We selected a KOA campground as the delivery location. If doing it today I would have selected a USA location because the roads are better for the driver. Unfortunately, there were some expensive broker fees at that time to the tune of $1,500 so Ontario made more sense.