The Classic- Not many left to Hatch!

[Jim Bennett]

Worth reading:
http://www.escapeforum.org/forums/misc.php?do=sknetwork&page=rules

From the above, Section "Be Courteous", Bullet 9
Public discussion about moderation or moderator decisions is not allowed. If a moderator deletes or edits one of your posts and you disagree with the action, contact the moderator concerned. Do not repost deleted material.

Great reminder!

I really don't understand why some people insist on trying to decide for others what is best for them. I say let them decide for themselves and live with the consequences.

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[rbryan4]

I would add some "wisdom" here, at the risk of being misunderstood. My only two cents, for what it's worth: waiting for a trailer, for a long time, can be very stressful for some. We didn't mind the wait, but others handle it differently. Sometimes people vent their frustrations. Let them. If you disagree, ignore it. Not every post requires a reply.

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[Jim Bennett]

I would add some "wisdom" here, at the risk of being misunderstood. My only two cents, for what it's worth: waiting for a trailer, for a long time, can be very stressful for some. We didn't mind the wait, but others handle it differently. Sometimes people vent their frustrations. Let them. If you disagree, ignore it. Not every post requires a reply.

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Robert, your points are all good. The only thing I think /see different is that a public forum is not the place to vent, it should be done amongst friends.

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[rbryan4]

Robert, your points are all good. The only thing I think /see different is that a public forum is not the place to vent, it should be done amongst friends.

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Yeah, we did a little "venting" recently as I recall Jim...[emoji23]

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[Jim Bennett]

Yeah, we did a little "venting" recently as I recall Jim...[emoji23]

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Truth!

*back to trailer mods and choices I go*
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[freespirit]

The big issue for a potential buyer is that there is no reasonable way to know which information on the Escape Trailer Industries website is correct, and which is outdated. Sadly, I would suggest to buyers that they do not believe anything (specs, features, options, photos) without individually confirming each bit of information which matters to them.

Managing online information has certainly been difficult for Escape staff, and I do sympathize with the challenge of publishing complete and correct information in a changing environment.

one can only imagine how many times the same questions are asked by potential customers and how much time the ETI staff spends answering the same questions. At some point ETI may realize it may be worth the effort to maintain an accurate website with useful and accurate information versus hiring more staff to answer the same old questions if the business grows.
This forum also provides a wealth of info, but perhaps if the ETI website was better some of the questions that tend to repeat here would not be asked by many new potential trailer buyer's.
This camper is thankful for this forum and especially for a few technical contributors....despite the occasional forum difference of opinion spat... as the ETI site was so lacking IMHO with enough information to make an informed purchase decision. Frankly ETI would not have a deposit from this newbie trailer camper without the info gleaned from this forum.

 

[float5]

one can only imagine how many times the same questions are asked by potential customers and how much time the ETI staff spends answering the same questions. At some point ETI may realize it may be worth the effort to maintain an accurate website with useful and accurate information versus hiring more staff to answer the same old questions if the business grows.
This forum also provides a wealth of info, but perhaps if the ETI website was better some of the questions that tend to repeat here would not be asked by many new potential trailer customer's.
This camper is thankful for this forum and especially for a few technical contributors....despite the occasional forum critter spat... as the ETI site was so lacking IMHO with enough information to make an informed purchase decision. Frankly ETI would not have a deposit from this newbie trailer camper without the info gleaned from this forum.

Many of us have thought the same. The problem is that the trailers constantly change due to a number of factors. Suppliers no longer supply items. Prices on items change so that they may switch to somewhere else. Parts or appliances do not work so that they are changed. And on and on.

I have always thought that Escape should maintain a list of changes to each trailer model. If such lists exist, we do not know about them. Change, however, is literally an every day thing.

Think of a company that is around for a dozen years, starting with one trailer, and in that time they have seven models of trailers. Then shortly after that they have a new generation with every model changing. In addition, there are the many other changes going on with parts. It sounds easy but not so easy.

Many of the changes are responses to customer feedback and problems discovered in using their fairly new products.

We had a 2011 19' Escape and I looked at someone's 2013. There were a bunch of differences. The 21's people are picking up now have differences from ours of last year. And of course, next year's 21's, and all of the rest, will be the new generation.

In short, they are trying as best they can to keep up with their own success.

 

[gbaglo]

I had a dental appointment for a root canal this afternoon. Didn't happen. Tooth was pulled instead. They took X-rays that suggested this was the better option.
I also learned that the new X-ray machines are digital and that lead apron that used to be employed is no longer necessary, but they still use it because clients expect it.
My dentist doesn't have a website. I think all of this stuff that I don't know about dentistry should be on their website. And, I expect my dentist to come to my rescue when I can't be bothered to read the manual.
I'm going to be getting a bill. No warranty. What's with that?

 

[Klem]

ETI has their website as the primary source of accurate information regarding their trailers. And then there is this Forum, the 'sales floor'. As many have said the 'sales floor' is as good as the sales people...

To me, in this case, many of us find the sales floor providing conflicting information. So we go to the company web site and see conflicting information.

It's quite simple and inexpensive to hire a web design and maintenance service company. "The cost of doing business".

 

[gbaglo]

Can't argue with that, Klem.
Except that I don't see the forum as sales reps. Lots of conflicting info though.
I'm not in the market so I don't mind a price increase to hire web people.

 

[skyfree-ESC]

Seems like ETI has their hands full just fulfilling current orders, with a backlog over a year. I'm guessing that's why keeping the website updated is not a priority. They don't really have to do anything to sell more than they can make. Once that changes I bet the website becomes a more important part of their business!

 

[float5]

ETI has their website as the primary source of accurate information regarding their trailers. And then there is this Forum, the 'sales floor'. As many have said the 'sales floor' is as good as the sales people...

To me, in this case, many of us find the sales floor providing conflicting information. So we go to the company web site and see conflicting information.

It's quite simple and inexpensive to hire a web design and maintenance service company. "The cost of doing business".

The members of this forum are not a sales floor (as in paid staff or connection to ETI) and Escape has no official connection to the forum. We do not owe anyone any answers, and as I have said before, we certainly do not owe anyone any correct answers. People try to help with questions if they can and they most likely usually do help. No doubt many trailers have been sold due to this forum but no one should expect to get correct information here. On any important issues, the information needs to be checked elsewhere, including with Escape.

I do not know that they do not have a web site company. When a trailer is ordered, many items are not specified and may be changed by the time the trailer is built. That is the way it has always been out of necessity due to the nature of the business.

 

[float5]

Seems like ETI has their hands full just fulfilling current orders, with a backlog over a year. I'm guessing that's why keeping the website updated is not a priority. They don't really have to do anything to sell more than they can make. Once that changes I bet the website becomes a more important part of their business!

Exactly. They are too busy pouring concrete. When the dollar situation changes and orders decrease, the website will become more of a priority.

 

[gbaglo]

Was it two weeks ago that they were negotiating with U.S. government agencies to enable imports so their customers could pick up their trailers?
Oh yah. And they are building a huge new facility to build trailers faster.
No problem.

 

[Brian B-P]

Just to get a little reality back in the discussion, Tammy has mentioned - in this forum - that Escape uses the services of what she calls their "web guy", and that changes are tested on a separate server (so, they have a staging environment). Changes for the new ("2017") trailers have been released to the website in at least three stages over the last few months... with no indication of what information is new and which is outdated, which is a source of confusion. There will presumably be more releases, as specs are still not correct, and there are no photos (interior or exterior) of the new 5.0TA (understandably, as it does not yet exist even as a prototype). Just so people have an idea of what to expect...

And Escape doesn't do dentistry, and isn't primarily a service provider at all - it manufactures a semi-custom product, which would suggest different expectations for a website than that of a dentistry service.

 

[gbaglo]

I took a Tylenol. :-[

 

[lorrie-ESC]

I had a dental appointment for a root canal this afternoon. Didn't happen. Tooth was pulled instead. They took X-rays that suggested this was the better option.
I also learned that the new X-ray machines are digital and that lead apron that used to be employed is no longer necessary, but they still use it because clients expect it.
My dentist doesn't have a website. I think all of this stuff that I don't know about dentistry should be on their website. And, I expect my dentist to come to my rescue when I can't be bothered to read the manual.
I'm going to be getting a bill. No warranty. What's with that?

You're comparing dentistry with a $30,000 trailer purchase??? No wonder you have banging head emoticons - it must be frustrating trying to understand the viewpoint of other people who don't quite see it that way :0

 

[gbaglo]

When's the last time you priced a dental procedure?
I'm just tired of irrational complaints. Tired of this forum now.

 

[jennykatz]

web sites

When I was up at ETI in July they seemed very busy with building 8 kinds of semi custom trailers
1-17A ,17B ,new 17
2-19 new 19
3-21 new 21
4-5.0TA the new one has not been built yet
Then in Aug . the US Govt sends them in Emergency mode by not being able to export 80% of their trailers to US customers .

Now it's almost Sep. they are still not finished with their massive building and now to remodel their existing facilities .
ETI has a lot on their plate I think once the 2017 5.0TA is finished and all the other trailers are finished with the new products (furnace ,fridge,awning ,plus all the other details are worked out . Then I think Tammy will work out the new brochures and the website .Why would any business try to redo their website now when in a month or two it will be ready just my 2 american cents .Jim

 

[cpaharley2008]

otherwise known as a state of flux.....