We report results relating to the trinification scenario in some explicit string constructions that contain SU (3)3 as a gauge symmetry. These models are obtained from symmetric Z3 orbifolds of the SO (32) heterotic string with one discrete Wilson line. We highlight the obstacles that were encountered: the absence of the usual Higgs sector that would break SU (3)3→ SU (3)c× SU (2)L× U (1)Y; the presence of exotics that would generically befoul gauge coupling unification and lead to fractionally-charged states in the low energy spectrum.