Buying from Escape Inventory?

[breeves2245]

Settled on the 5.0. Wayne from escape was telling me the incentives to buy from inventory.

1) Free delivery to your house, avoid a $2,500 flat rate. I live 33 hrs away from the factory, that is not a drive I will make.

2) Some modifications can be made to existing inventory and price cuts on the add ons or in some case added free. Specifically I mentioned the Houghton AC, that may be added free. I guess it's all negotiable.

One downside is not being able to inspect all the appliances/systems before taking delivery. I don't much care about aesthetics, so only being able to get whatever interior/fabric/graphic colors that are available is fine.

Anyone have any other concerns or experience to share buying direct from inventory?

I still have used in mind, on the fence about buying new.

 

[GinoandLinda]

We got one of the last if not the last lottery Escape 5.0s in Nov 2022. We did inspect the trailer in Chilliwack and took delivery in Sumas. The walk through was nice, but not necessary. We didn't have any concerns about picking up a pre-built inventory model. Aside from a poorly installed shower valve set and a faulty sail switch in the furnace, the trailer has exceeded our expectations.

 

[brroberts]

Many, maybe most of us, buy our Escapes unseen other than photos or video. Most of us have no problems that a walk through would show.

 

[Centex]

^This^

I'm among the countless who had my trailer delivered far from the factory with no possibility of a 'pre-delivery inspection'. No regrets whatsoever, for me like many the benefits far outweighed the 'risks'.

 

[penwia]

Settled on the 5.0. Wayne from escape was telling me the incentives to buy from inventory.

1) Free delivery to your house, avoid a $2,500 flat rate. I live 33 hrs away from the factory, that is not a drive I will make.

2) Some modifications can be made to existing inventory and price cuts on the add ons or in some case added free. Specifically I mentioned the Houghton AC, that may be added free. I guess it's all negotiable.

One downside is not being able to inspect all the appliances/systems before taking delivery. I don't much care about aesthetics, so only being able to get whatever interior/fabric/graphic colors that are available is fine.

Anyone have any other concerns or experience to share buying direct from inventory?

I still have used in mind, on the fence about buying new.

I am doing the same. Really thinking about it. The one good thing is they will let you change the fabric to whatever you want, but not the formica or floor. Curious if you ever did purchase it and what was the experience like.

 

[RambleOn]

I am doing the same. Really thinking about it. The one good thing is they will let you change the fabric to whatever you want, but not the formica or floor. Curious if you ever did purchase it and what was the experience like.

I believe there are only a limited number of modifications you can make - maybe fabric is one of them but it was a pretty short list when we ordered ours.

 

[penwia]

I believe there are only a limited number of modifications you can make - maybe fabric is one of them but it was a pretty short list when we ordered ours.

Did you get custom or did you end up with an inventory one? There is one that I am thinking about. It has most of the things I want but not all. The savings is really good, so may just pull the trigger.

 

[RambleOn]

We went with inventory because it was almost everything we wanted and, like you said, really good savings.

 

[penwia]

How was the experience? I am a bit nervous about buying something unseen and having it delivered with out an orientation or anything. This is my first ever camper, and I have never towed anything. I have seen two trailers and was very impressed.

 

[RambleOn]

The sales and configuration process was very smooth and I found the Escape folks helpful and friendly. We haven't taken delivery yet but I don't expect any surprises and I expect ETI will take care of them if there are any.
I can understand being nervous, but we all buy our first camper at some point. Just take it slow, read the manuals, use this forum and if you have any friends with campers invite them over to help you get acquainted with your new home on wheels. With patience and a willingness to ask, you'll be at least as well supported as having bought a camper at most any dealership.

 

[J1973s]

Somewhat related….I visited the Escape website for the first time in awhile to look at the inventory trailers…did they stop having the list of used trailers for sale?

 

[RambleOn]

Somewhat related….I visited the Escape website for the first time in awhile to look at the inventory trailers…did they stop having the list of used trailers for sale?

They had a “certified pre-owned” one listed recently on the same page as the new inventory. They seem to have removed the separate page for used.

 

[penwia]

Somewhat related….I visited the Escape website for the first time in awhile to look at the inventory trailers…did they stop having the list of used trailers for sale?

It is under a tab called "private Sale" There are 3 21' listed at the moment.

 

[BizCrate]

I bought an Inventory 19 last December and had it delivered. No pre-inspection, just dropped off.
I asked for a few changes, some they could do, some not. I didn't want the awning (couldn't change it), wanted a Houghton AC (not in stock at the time) and I did not want the lithium batteries that came with the solar package, among a few other things. My reasoning for the batteries was that I could buy the lithium batteries I wanted at a much cheaper price and install myself. The trailer had to have some sort of battery so I accepted the standard flooded that is included in the base price. This meant that they had to cut a vent in the side of the camper for the flooded batteries. Also, no problem because I've modified that as an access point for StarLink. Works just great!
I watched every video Escape offered for systems several times over but still had some rough spots getting started up. Notably, the sail switch for the furnace. But, Escape was pretty responsive when I had questions so, overall, I am very happy with the price I got, the service and the trailer itself.
I'm an experienced camper but if I were brand new to camper trailers I might suggest at least having some immediate lifelines (phone a friend, ask social media/forum, etc) accessible when you take delivery. Start up can be a bit nerve wracking.

 

[RambleOn]

My reasoning for the batteries was that I could buy the lithium batteries I wanted at a much cheaper price and install myself. The trailer had to have some sort of battery so I accepted the standard flooded that is included in the base price. This meant that they had to cut a vent in the side of the camper for the flooded batteries. .

We took the same approach on the batteries, but they assured me they no longer need to cut the vent hole. We’ll see in about a month!

 

[Crutch]

We took the same approach on the batteries, but they assured me they no longer need to cut the vent hole. We’ll see in about a month!

We were at the showroom about 10 days ago and walked through a number of the 5.0s they had in inventory. What was the inventory number of the trailer you bought? If it’s one we saw I may be able to fill you in with what I saw.

 

[RambleOn]

We purchased a 21NE. Did you look at those too? If for some reason they did add a vent, we'll be OK with that too - maybe add a cooling fan...

 

[Crutch]

We purchased a 21NE. Did you look at those too? If for some reason they did add a vent, we'll be OK with that too - maybe add a cooling fan...

No just the 5.0s. There were some “wonky” builds there and a gluttony of trailers with compressor fridges. But probably what I would consider wonky others may think “delightful” haha.

 

[RambleOn]

What makes for a wonky build? Ours looks very normal on paper so I'm assuming it is.

 

[Crutch]

Trailers with compressor fridges with inadequate battery power to run them. The one 5.0 had a composting toilet mounted. Because it sits up on the black water tank you would need a step stool in order to just get up on it to do your business. Otherwise you would have to literally jump on and off. Silly. And to me if you are foaming a trailer why wouldn’t you put tank heaters on first? They are super cheap even if you don’t plan to use your trailer in cold weather. But a big negative if you want them installed after the fact or look at resale. And a number of trailers with older style sliding glass windows. Trust me when you see the ones with acrylic you’re going to want it. Way nicer blind/screens, open all the way, stay dry, and they are much larger to let in more natural light and air. I won’t even go into how thermally superior they are to glass. They make the trailer I tell you.