Build sheet question

[reetired]

Are build sheets specific to the model you choose?

After seeing the photo of the trailers being delivered...ones choice of options are endless!
It seems like folks ...post their build list and then ask if they left anything out or or should remove from it.

Will ETI send you a build list to browse so you can be "ready" once you pull the trigger?

I'm thinking 17B with some of the works but I have no idea....what works I have to choose from.

 

[lefttee]

With our 19, we went down the option list first. After that we just "gleaned" ideas by reading the forum and added and deleted a few items based on that. That incubation process was really fun as ideas and questions were shared and answered. Never having seen an Escape made it even more interesting. Watch Donna D plan for her 5.0 TA if you really want to see how it's done. If all else fails...the folks at ETI know all the answers.

 

[tractors1]

Filled out my build sheet and noted which items to ask about, called Escape and had immediate answers. They're also pretty good about emailing back answers when they need to do some research.

 

[LarryandLiz]

Hi reetierd

We have decided on a new 17b are in the process of finalizing our build sheet. For us we are about an hour or so away from the factory (depending on traffic). I think if we would want to see examples of real life Escapes if at all possible before finalizing if we lived far, far away.

The Escape staff are proving to be patient with us as we grind through the options list.
And the Forum has been a great help.

 

[J Mac]

I think if I was filling out a build sheet one request I'd have would be to use screws instead of rivets on outside fans, vents, antennas etc.
UV rays hit these items hard and they need replacing. Screws would make this easier. Often, using a drill to remove rivets result in the rivet spinning instead of drilling.

 

[J Mac]

Hang on, I just saw this on youtube.com

5/16" Cold Chisel | SpringTools

 

[cpaharley2008]

Retired,
If you go here to options The 19 Foot Escape the build sheep will look like this,
for a 19, for example you can imagine a spreadsheet with options that you check off, plus add some of your own.

 

[tractors1]

Hang on, I just saw this on youtube.com

5/16" Cold ChiselÂ*| SpringTools

Those are ugly chatter marks on the aluminum sheet in one of the additional photos. Fiberglass would be far worse. Use a sharp/new drill bit when drilling out rivets.

Charlie Y

 

[Brian B-P]

I would like machine screws into insert nuts - which would be much more installation work than rivets even though the insert nuts work similarly - but I wouldn't want self-tapping screws trying to grip the thin fiberglass shell. I hate rivets, but they work to fasten thin material and don't loosen much.

I do have some self-tapping screws into the shell of my current trailer, but as few as possible.

 

[Donna D.]

Hang on, I just saw this on youtube.com

5/16" Cold ChiselÂ*| SpringTools

My Scamp has a gazillion rivets. There are a couple of items I need to replace before I put it up for sale. The only thing I'm missing is the energy to do the work.

On FiberglassRV, there was a recommendation to use a 1/2 countersink to drill out the rivets. I bought one at Home Depot. Previously I tried the drill method with less than stellar results. When I finally get to this, I'll let you know how it goes!

 

[J Mac]

Those are ugly chatter marks on the aluminum sheet in one of the additional photos. Fiberglass would be far worse. Use a sharp/new drill bit when drilling out rivets.

Charlie Y

I don't know tractors it looks like minimal damage to me. Once a stainless screw head goes in the hole and it gets covered with caulk I think your good to go! When I tried using a sharp drill bit the damn rivet just starting spinning.

 

[J Mac]

I would like machine screws into insert nuts - which would be much more installation work than rivets even though the insert nuts work similarly - but I wouldn't want self-tapping screws trying to grip the thin fiberglass shell. I hate rivets, but they work to fasten thin material and don't loosen much.

I do have some self-tapping screws into the shell of my current trailer, but as few as possible.

In my particular case I was replacing the bathroom vent. Between the bathroom enclosure and the fiberglass shell is a space where a slat of wood can fit. The replacement screws went through the vent frame, through the butyl tape and into the wooden slat. Caulk around the perimeter and the screw heads I was good to go.

 

[cpaharley2008]

Please, no caulk on fiberglass. If Donna finds out, you will hear it from her, caulk and fiberglass do not mix.

 

[Donna D.]

Please, no caulk on fiberglass. If Donna finds out, you will hear it from her, caulk and fiberglass do not mix.

There's nothing wrong with using the proper caulk with professional looking results on the exterior of an all molded towable. However, never around the perimeter of a window, it's not needed.

IT'S THAT BLASTED SILICONE YOU NEED TO STAY COMPLETELY AWAY FROM!

Some call it Silly-Cone for a reason. Although I prefer Devil's Bane, a temporary solution that can cause a permanent problem.

 

[J Mac]

Please, no caulk on fiberglass. If Donna finds out, you will hear it from her, caulk and fiberglass do not mix.

I think you'll see caulk rounding every perimeter of every add on that's on your roof!

 

[Parker-ESC]

Back to reetired on the build sheet question....we learned that it's critical that everything you expect to see on or in your Escape be listed clearly on the build sheet. That's your contract. Email agreements about things being done a certain way do not guarantee that things will be done that way during your build. This sounds so obvious to me as I write this, but we put a little too much faith in emails. It caused us a some consternation when we picked up our 19. Nothing more than a slight disappointment, but still a lesson to us.

 

[tractors1]

Back to reetired on the build sheet question....we learned that it's critical that everything you expect to see on or in your Escape be listed clearly on the build sheet. That's your contract. Email agreements about things being done a certain way do not guarantee that things will be done that way during your build. This sounds so obvious to me as I write this, but we put a little too much faith in emails. It caused us a some consternation when we picked up our 19. Nothing more than a slight disappointment, but still a lesson to us.

Absolutely concur. Each email add/delete/change order gets filed away in a folder that will wind up as a binding order on the build sheet when we finalize it.

 

[cpaharley2008]

Reading this reminds me of the exercise where one person on one side of the room says something to their right and by the time it gets to the other side of the room, something entirely different is quoted. Yes, any and all emails and phone calls re:changes/options should be documented on the build sheet. Mine was 2 complete pages full when completed, and had "DO NOT CHANGE WITHOUT REACE"S KNOWLEDGE" written on the top. This is important where someone else is building your vision of what you want. Clear, concise communication is needed and I have found the addition of Ms. Kim in the front office to be a great help in explaining your wants.

 

[Brian B-P]

In my particular case I was replacing the bathroom vent. Between the bathroom enclosure and the fiberglass shell is a space where a slat of wood can fit. The replacement screws went through the vent frame, through the butyl tape and into the wooden slat.

Thanks - that's an excellent example of where screws (self-tapping threads or in this case wood threads) do make sense.

 

[Marlene-ESC]

Re: using screws instead of rivets. I used to do aircraft maintenance and they use both screws and rivets. The rivets were frequently easier to remove because the screws had so much corrosion on them that the heads either stripped or broke off and then had to be drilled out anyway. I know aircraft are in a much harsher environment but I'm sure the main difference would be how frequently the screws are removed.