Warranty Service

[jumboscott]

How does one get in touch with warranty service when they don't call you back? Anyone have Karl's email? Gray water tank pipe came loose and leaks (photo attached). Didn't hit anything but poor design of how the pipe is held in place. Trailer less than year old ('21).

[cpaharley2008]

They are only open during weekdays and maybe 1/2 day on Saturday. Remember the time difference try karl@escapetrailer.com or try for Dave in parts and service on phone

[Upfisk]

Unfortunately, it is now Dustin in customer service who you have to talk with. Dave is still there, but Dustin appears to be the main contact person.

We have a problem with a cabinet door hinge. More specifically the screws that hold a door hinge in place, keep loosening. They are stripped. We returned our 8 month old trailer to Chilliwack just before the Osoyoos Ralley in 2019 and the factory "fixed" the problem. Turned out we opened the door twice more and the screws again loosened. Our guess is at construction no wood blocking was placed behind where these 2 screws go. We think the factory might have put glue in the holes for the repair? We have since then put in epoxy, and larger screws. Nothing keeps these screws from loosening.

I attempted to schedule another service visit but the border is closed. Dustin in a conversation about a future factory visit informed me that they did repair these striped screws and any further loosening of the screws is because we drive in Mexico. It is our fault. When I told him we had driven from Chiliwack to Arlington, WA only before the screws were loose again he said I had not informed Escape, so it did not count. Actually, I spoke with Reace at the Ralley about this problem.

This fairly rude, aggressive blame surprises us. Escape has been very accommodating in the past. We are upset as we are trying to fix a very minor problem before our warranty runs out. We are trying to get our warranty extended until May next year for this 1 item only. There is quite a lot of resistance from Dustin even for this.

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by jumboscott

How does one get in touch with warranty service when they don't call you back? Anyone have Karl's email? Gray water tank pipe came loose and leaks (photo attached). Didn't hit anything but poor design of how the pipe is held in place. Trailer less than year old ('21).

I had a similar issue with my black tank ( pipe fitting leak at tank )
I sent Escape an E-mail and they did promptly respond ( E-Mail— Phone)
Escape sent me all the necessary parts / supplies , instructions to make the repairs at N/C
Took me about 4 to 6 hours to remove , replace , repair the leak
The local RV shops in our area did not want to attempt the repair under warranty since we bought the trailer elsewhere so we were on our own .


Note ; This issue occurred back in the Reace / Tammy Era
We find that just doing our own warranty work is the best path and far less frustrating for us !!

[Oldtimer]

Sad to hear that Dave is no longer the go to person for warranty issues. He was super helpful. I’ve dealt with Dustin also once and to me he has a don’t care don’t bother me attitude.

[Ron in BC]

Originally Posted by Upfisk

Unfortunately, it is now Dustin in customer service who you have to talk with. Dave is still there, but Dustin appears to be the main contact person.

We have a problem with a cabinet door hinge. More specifically the screws that hold a door hinge in place, keep loosening. They are stripped. .

Yes, Dustin is now the guy. He is currently working from home. When you phone ETI they will take your message and pass it on to him. There is no direct way to phone him. A little persistence may be required.

I have had loose door hinge screw problems. Sometimes the fix is a longer screw into a wood block. Sometimes a machine screw and nut. Filling the screw hole never seems to be a permanent solution.

Ron

[cpaharley2008]

Originally Posted by Upfisk

Unfortunately, it is now Dustin in customer service who you have to talk with. Dave is still there, but Dustin appears to be the main contact person.

We have a problem with a cabinet door hinge. More specifically the screws that hold a door hinge in place, keep loosening. They are stripped. We returned our 8 month old trailer to Chilliwack just before the Osoyoos Ralley in 2019 and the factory "fixed" the problem. Turned out we opened the door twice more and the screws again loosened. Our guess is at construction no wood blocking was placed behind where these 2 screws go. We think the factory might have put glue in the holes for the repair? We have since then put in epoxy, and larger screws. Nothing keeps these screws from loosening.

I attempted to schedule another service visit but the border is closed. Dustin in a conversation about a future factory visit informed me that they did repair these striped screws and any further loosening of the screws is because we drive in Mexico. It is our fault. When I told him we had driven from Chiliwack to Arlington, WA only before the screws were loose again he said I had not informed Escape, so it did not count. Actually, I spoke with Reace at the Ralley about this problem.

This fairly rude, aggressive blame surprises us. Escape has been very accommodating in the past. We are upset as we are trying to fix a very minor problem before our warranty runs out. We are trying to get our warranty extended until May next year for this 1 item only. There is quite a lot of resistance from Dustin even for this.

Very simple to attach a scrap piece of wood behind the screws, I'd not let it ruin your travels....

[steve dunham]

I think sometimes WE overlook the point of a post either intentionally or unintentionally !

[Bakes99]

Originally Posted by Upfisk

We are upset as we are trying to fix a very minor problem before our warranty runs out. We are trying to get our warranty extended until May next year for this 1 item only. There is quite a lot of resistance from Dustin even for this.

Why would you pay all that money to extend the warranty just to fix this one issue if they can't or won't help you with it, now.

[Calicia]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

Very simple to attach a scrap piece of wood behind the screws, I'd not let it ruin your travels....

Yes, but a loose gray tank pipe would certainly ruin my travels.

[tdf-texas]

Originally Posted by jumboscott

How does one get in touch with warranty service when they don't call you back? Anyone have Karl's email? Gray water tank pipe came loose and leaks (photo attached). Didn't hit anything but poor design of how the pipe is held in place. Trailer less than year old ('21).

Uh, what is that glop on the grey tank connection? That's not how it should be attached - should be a spin weld threaded socket.
https://www.icondirect.com/spin-weld-fittings/

Since you are going to have a new spin weld connection done to fix this, you might want to consider having it increased to a 2" socket. It would make the grey drain a lot better.
https://www.escapeforum.org/forums/f...tml#post275426

[noblets]

To fasten to a thin panel, you might try a molly bolt, that expands behind the panel. Hopefully this link works:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkcQr1lFU5M

Our fire extinguisher mount pulled out, and there was no way to get behind the panel to reinforce. The molly seems to be working so far

[cpaharley2008]

I sometimes wonder if the foam spray option may have helped eliminate these issues by sealing those connections and making them seem as one?

[Upfisk]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

Very simple to attach a scrap piece of wood behind the screws, I'd not let it ruin your travels....

Except that little new backer board would be enclosed in fairly nice cabinetry. Sure, we could make a big frigging hole inside the cabinet, install a block of wood and through bolt it or use a long screw. But now we would have a fairly unsightly hole.

Molly bolts, I do not think they are available as small as these screws. Size 8 about? We have certainly considered this, these screws only are attached to a very thin piece of "wood" paneling.

[dattoll2]

We are still waiting to buy an Escape. Covid has slowed our buying becauseI want to visit the factory and, we are waiting to see the 23. I have to admit that after reading through this thread and several others, I am concerned about the quality of the customer service now as well as the quality of the build. I hope that you get some answers in a timely fashion. Maybe covid-19 has something to do with what's going on. It does make me rethink about buying. Maybe Karl will be reading this thread.

[davidmurphy02]

Originally Posted by dattoll2

We are still waiting to buy an Escape. Covid has slowed our buying becauseI want to visit the factory and, we are waiting to see the 23. I have to admit that after reading through this thread and several others, I am concerned about the quality of the customer service now as well as the quality of the build. I hope that you get some answers in a timely fashion. Maybe covid-19 has something to do with what's going on. It does make me rethink about buying. Maybe Karl will be reading this thread.

I'm sure that even at Escape things fall through the cracks once in a while, especially in these challenging times. I found them very responsive on the couple of very minor issues I contacted them about when we first picked up our trailer last year. And while there are certainly challenges and concerns about obtaining warranty service if you are 2,000 miles from Chilliwack, what is more important to me is the very high build quality. Our previous stick and tin trailer was not built nearly as well, and ultimately succumbed to problems related to its poor construction. Most problems you are likely to have are going to be related to individual components - fridge, water heater, etc. - which are warranted by the component manufacturer and so should be serviceable at most RV dealers throughout the country. I plan to have my Escape for many years - after the first two years you're on your own anyway, and what will make the difference is the build quality. Everyone uses the same hot water heaters and refrigerators, but not all trailer manufacturers have the same build quality - to me, this is where Escape stands out.

You can go to the forum for any truck, car or RV brand and you will find it filled with people who had problems which did not get resolved to their satisfaction. Escape is not immune to this, but most of the problems you will read about are relatively minor, and I doubt you will find a more supportive and enthusiastic owner group anywhere else.

[dattoll2]

Originally Posted by davidmurphy02

I'm sure that even at Escape things fall through the cracks once in a while, especially in these challenging times. I found them very responsive on the couple of very minor issues I contacted them about when we first picked up our trailer last year. And while there are certainly challenges and concerns about obtaining warranty service if you are 2,000 miles from Chilliwack, what is more important to me is the very high build quality. Our previous stick and tin trailer was not built nearly as well, and ultimately succumbed to problems related to its poor construction. Most problems you are likely to have are going to be related to individual components - fridge, water heater, etc. - which are warranted by the component manufacturer and so should be serviceable at most RV dealers throughout the country. I plan to have my Escape for many years - after the first two years you're on your own anyway, and what will make the difference is the build quality. Everyone uses the same hot water heaters and refrigerators, but not all trailer manufacturers have the same build quality - to me, this is where Escape stands out.

You can go to the forum for any truck, car or RV brand and you will find it filled with people who had problems which did not get resolved to their satisfaction. Escape is not immune to this, but most of the problems you will read about are relatively minor, and I doubt you will find a more supportive and enthusiastic owner group anywhere else.

Thanks for your prompt response. And I agree that most of the problems have nothing to do with Escape. However there are some issues that were stated here that make me pause for a moment and see how they're handled. Yes most items have nothing to do with how the unit is made.

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by dattoll2

We are still waiting to buy an Escape. Covid has slowed our buying becauseI want to visit the factory and, we are waiting to see the 23. I have to admit that after reading through this thread and several others, I am concerned about the quality of the customer service now as well as the quality of the build. I hope that you get some answers in a timely fashion. Maybe covid-19 has something to do with what's going on. It does make me rethink about buying. Maybe Karl will be reading this thread.

Remember too that the many customers very much satisfied with Escapes good dealings with service issue do not bother to post their satisfaction here. I have talked to way more people who are satisfied than those who weren't.

I am not at all saying that there are never any issues, there most certainly are, but this can be said about just about every manufacturer of things out there. Try going to many of the other trailer manufacture forums and you will find many worse situations than you ever will here.

Myself, if I see something needing to be addressed and under warranty, if it is something big I contact Escape (something done twice in 11 years), and if something that is a fairly easy fix I save myself lots of time and trouble and just fix it myself. Escape will often supply what is needed free of charge.

[Vermilye]

Originally Posted by Upfisk

Except that little new backer board would be enclosed in fairly nice cabinetry. Sure, we could make a big frigging hole inside the cabinet, install a block of wood and through bolt it or use a long screw. But now we would have a fairly unsightly hole.

Molly bolts, I do not think they are available as small as these screws. Size 8 about? We have certainly considered this, these screws only are attached to a very thin piece of "wood" paneling.

I've tried the expansion bolts with the 1/8" paneling, and there are a couple of problems. First, finding one designed for 1/8" material - most are designed for thicker panels. The second problem is they tend to spin, tearing the paneling before the back piece bends to tighten against the back of the paneling. Some versions come with a pin wrench the fits holes in the face of the bolt, but most don't have the holes or include the "wrench".

[cpaharley2008]

I have used this tool for plugs behind hollow paneling with success https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0711S75N9...xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==