I ordered my 350 SRWSWB Limited May 12th 2021, I checked every box and figured, what the hell, I'll wait it out.. I'm now looking at a window sticker online that says they may actually start building it next week and I may even get everything I paid for.. The dealer is saying trucks are coming in with random things like no rear seat vents and no rear heated seats, amongst other odd things, but he says its highly unpredictable but there's usually a notation on the window sticker to indicate what needs fixing and a small credit

Suffering from a little disbelief, not really sure I'll actually get a truck by june/july but I'm really hoping, trying to tow my gooseneck trailer with my mercedes roadster isnt going as well as I'd hoped.

For reference: John Deere 4052 Tractor 6 months, Mower attachment for tractor, 9 months, garage doors for the house, 12 months

 

My Viking range was ordered April 2021. Latest eta is “no longer giving eta’s past 6 months out”. That means no earlier than November 2022 at this point. I’ll remain optimistic and hope something changes for the better before then. Viking, made in USA, losing.

 

No doubt... no excuse for them.... But it all started with politicians who gave china most favored trade status. Then the corporate JOs... shipping the jobs away for cheap labor.... Then we have to blame our fellow consumers who willfully chose the garbage quality work boots over the beautifully crafted USA made ones because they cost $75 in stead of $150.... lasted 1/10th as long and hurt your feet every day... But hey, what a deal....
Then you cant let the politicians off the hook for flooding the southern border with low skilled migrants... Just in case theres any good jobs left that pay more than minimum wage.... Ohh wait..... theres good skilled labor and engineering jobs... Better pass some H1B visas out.... not enough truck drivers.... because the hours are too long and the pays too low.. dont worry we can just lower the interstate driving age to 18...
I can go on but Ill just get banned...

 

Yea but... stolen intellectual property for decades. Literal industrial espionage... Trade deals made by previous administrations that could only be described as treason.
If you believe allowing china to become the defacto world leader so you can temporarily pay a few bucks less for sub par garbage then I see your point.
But I believe china is a malevolent competitor at best and a dangerous self declared enemy of the US more likely.
The true global threat posed by the global economy is about to be exposed as food costs skrocket to the point that true famine results in the poorer more dependent countries.
Not because of US trade tariffs but because US weakness has encouraged bad actors to do incredibly stupid things.
As the reality of global interdependence becomes clear... as the food crops from Ukraine disappear. The fertilizers, neon, steel, fuels, minerals....all disappear from a global market layering new shortages on top of existing shortages...
Sorry, but Ill take some 2019 back thank you very much.

 

Made in USA, of globally sourced parts. No longer even an option for something as complex as a gas range to be made of US parts. All the complexity. reliance on computerized controls.
With whats going on globally its miraculous that were getting anything made.
Definitely going to get worse.

 

Not true. The Covid vaccine got made IN SPITE OF all the people involved. There was a united mission because there was a big enemy. Without that, nothing gets done whether it is your town, your state, your country, etc. That is the exact reason why communism failed. Everyone looks out for their interests regardless of how many times we say "we're in this together".

 

Go try to be a politician. Run on "We will make it here and we will pay more for everything.". See how well that works out for you. Already, getting rid of illegals has been impossible because to do the job, your prices go up and they have to do unpalatable things. Things we all support until it hits home. Otherwise known as NIMBY. Cut the pork. Everywhere but where I am affected.

 

Actually, while I share a lot of your perspective... In my own experience... in my own life... I disagree.
I read every label on everything I buy. Unless I absolutely need something I absolutely will not ever buy from a country I believe is our enemy. I absolutely will pay more and I have been for decades.
Generally... the public are blind sheep. They would never even understand the debate were having right here. Yes, they will buy the cheaper piece of crap without further thought.
I work lifting heavy objects using clevises and hooks... chains and cables... with my men close by. I absolutely will never buy a chinese piece of lifting equipment. I will pay $60 for a clevis that I could buy for $10 before I put my men at risk with garbage made of questionable materials and questionable manufacturing techniques.
And I was a politician for 16 years. The Mayor of my town. And I got elected by telling people I was an anarchist....followed by my interpretation of our founding fathers as anarchists.

 

But how many people will be willing to pay more? Not many, I believe. As I said, many talk the talk but won't walk the walk when they see the price. Then the "Just this time" or "Someone else will pick up the slack" comes into play.

 

The tariffs were working. China hit back with a bio weapon called covid. They were and are being aided by many traitors in our country.

 

As much as I'd rather not disrupt a good conversation going here, George C's original post at the beginning of this thread is requoted immediately above for guidance on the thread topic.

The key observation to make is within this post, George C makes no reference to any political cause for the reality check he reported when he visited his dealer yesterday to discuss trading in his 2015.

The thread, however, has strayed beyond George C's original talking points, into a political relm that has traditionally been discouraged on the tech forums of FTE.

And this is naturally understandable.

Most of us cannot avoid feeling the effects of recent events over the past couple of years, and it is really hard not to talk about these effects in isolation from speculation on the causes... which inevitably leads to a discussion that somehow involves or evolves to politics.

So this is just as good of time as any to share with you a recent adjustment that was made by Internet Brands and FTE Administration to the FTE Site Guidelines.

Two words were added last week. You can probably guess what the two words are...



From time to time over the years, several astute members who actually read the Guidelines observed that while there existed a written prohibition of politics in signatures, there was no such specific language in the Guidelines concerning politics in the discussion forums.

Now there is.

Please keep that in mind as you steer the topic back toward the OP's original talking points... about the availability, or lack thereof, of new trucks, of any brand, getting worse before it gets better.

Thank you for your understanding, and thank you also for such a great discussion, where great is defined as discussing the situation, not other members.

But we do need to keep the directives of the FTE administration in mind, and rather than close this interesting thread, it seemed more useful to take advantage of how naturally the topic drifted towards what is on a lot of our minds right now, to provide you with this update of the more clearly worded FTE Site Guidelines that we all agree to abide by when we joined FTE.

Please carry on within this guidance.

Thanks!

 

I'm sure there are a lot of global parts in the "made in USA" ranges, just like our trucks. But the range we selected has all manual dials, no digital displays or timers, just the bare bones style from years ago. But there are no doubt many hidden electronic features for control, again just like our trucks. "Unable to obtain raw materials" is becoming a common reason for shortages. I started the research phase planning on a new truck last year or this year. I've given up on that plan now and really wonder if we'll be in the same place mid 2023 or now thinking it will be worse than it is now with a growing number of buyers like me, pushing the purchase down the road.

 

look at the bottom of the pictures. NOT in stock - in transit or currently on order. They do have vins.

 

I think the trick is going to be more than tariffs.

The free trade stuff we learned in college over the last 50 years is akin to someone saying leave your front door unlocked regardless.

Western countries need to subsidize its industries that other countries rely on in their supply chain. Play a little hard ball if other’s dont want to play nice. That takes honest media and out sider politicians that aren’t DC swamp creatures.


That way George C can get his truck and appliances.

Which reminds me I have a project 9 months out from completion and I need to order appliances now.

 

Let me share some experience, and I’m sure others in business will relate.
I own a retail business, dealing in full service perishable foods. Meats, seafood, produce, bakery products etc. Locally sourced foods when available
I can tell you that if Walmart has a comparable product, grown in “god knows where” at a cheaper price, most customers will gladly send their money to Benton Arkansas, which then is sent to China…rather than keep their dollars circulating in their own home town.
I am just a guilty with products I buy..

We can all say we would love to move all production back to America and pay more..BS. …Instead of improving our bottom line production cost, naturalizing those willing to actually produce instead of complaining, we build a wall to keep cheaper labor from entering our workforce, while labor costs and minimum wage increase without mitigation.. It seems every business is suffering staffing shortages..by all means, let’s keep those who want to become American on the other side of a wall.

At the end of the day, money rules our choices. We know who sells the cheapest gas, we know how much milk costs, and we go to those places religiously..
Those personal economic choices is exactly how China entered our economy as a Trojan horse, entering into key components of our former American made products.
As much as we complain, we will continue because we will not pay more for an American made TV, over a cheaper Samsung/Sony/LG...Amazon rules, and Sears is gone.

Our world is changing fast.