New 19ft. in Washington

[robinwstebbins]

I went and picked up our new 19 foot on Friday. The Escape team is outstanding. It is about two and a half hours from Chilliwack to our home. I could hardly notice it behind our Ford Expedition. I posted photos in the Gallery (be sure to log in to get to the user photo galleries) of it's arrival on a snowy weekend. After we ordered the trailer, I headed up to the factory to figure out options. Reace was genuinely helpful in explaining the options and challenged me on whether we really needed some of them. I can tell he is proud that base set up is an excellent trailer and wants to make sure everyone gets a trailer that meets their needs and they will be happy with for a long time. Here's a list of options we selected. We'll have to get some trips in during the next few months in order to provide feedback on what we find most useful.

1. Air Conditioner, 2. Bike rack ready, 3. Cot, 4. Duel 6V batteries, 5. Exterior Shower, 6. Extra Insulation and thermal windows., 7. LED lights inside and out, 8. Storage Box, 9. Oven and 3 burners, 10. Stainless steel sink, 11. Removable power chord, 12. Door in seat bench, 13. two way hot water tank, 14. 2-12V outlets and a 12V wire to front shelf

My wife and kids did not get an chance to see an Escape live until I got it home. Luckily they love it.

[escape artist]

Hi: Robin...WoW!!! Well guarded too. Enjoy!!! Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

[gbaglo]

Jeepers. Which options didn't you get? And why?

I am envious.

baglo

[Hokie Escape]

And I see, you got the new box on the front! That's destined to be a standard for sure.
I know you can't wait to get out there with the wife and kids....may you have many happy campfires

[wcf]

Robin: I liked the pictures, The problem i have is the more i read on this site the more options i keep wanting. Our 19 is to be built April 20. I can see the benefit of the removable power cord and it is going on the list for the next call to tammy. You know it may be easier to list the options that we dont want.!!!
If you have more pictures could you send them to me as we have only seen one 17 and living on PEI canada east coast it is not an option to go to the factory.


wendell expecting traveler

[Hokie Escape]

What is the benefit of the removable power cord? Eliminates one portal for creature invasion when hooked up....but also brings in the possibility of losing it somewhere (maybe that's just me that forgets things). Just asking, since I've seen more and more choose it.

[escape artist]

Hi: HokieEscape...Dan, even with the power cord attached, I still managed to pull away on our second morning, with the plug jumping in the grass!!! Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

[shanngord]

Originally Posted by Robin

I went and picked up our new 19 foot on Friday. After we ordered the trailer, I headed up to the factory to figure out options...

11. Removable power chord, 12. Door in seat bench, 13. two way hot water tank, ...

More "hidden" options that don't get listed in the website If it wasn't so much fun lurking around the forum, one would become frustrated by the options available on Escape trailers but never mentioned any where else.

Our 17B is just about due for finalizing the option sheet and I would hate to miss anything useful.

G

[Jim Bennett]

I plan to change my power cord to a removable one. The prongs that are on the slide in one are broken now due to using in a bunch in sub-zero temps. Also, you have to stow the 30A adapter because it doesn't fit stowed on the cord, so might as well store it all. I have had a few times where the cord got tangled with other stuff when pushed in under the bed too, and that is a real pain to untangle, the hardest part being to convince the missus that she has to crawl in there.

[gharms]

Another beauty, congratulations!! I bet you cannot wait for camping season to start! That is where we are right now; getting homesick for Cafe Egg...

[hippo]

Robin,
Your new 19ft looks like my 19ft we just picked up in November.

[Donna D.]

The secret to not losing anything is once you've got it in your hand is to not put it down until it's stowed in it's proper place. That starts with leaving the regulator on the hose (permanently) and unscrewing the regulatory from the hose bib. Moving on to removing the powercord from the current bush and unplugging from the trailer... put it in its box... now!

Now, where did I put my keys

[Sandra L]

Another Escape beauty! Welcome and enjoy! I really like the new front storage box. If that had been available I would not have gotten the two front exterior hatches. However, it would not have saved me much, because I would have put them inside instead of out. My son bought me one of those aluminum racks to fit on the back, and I am looking for a suitable container to fit, and hopefully I won't mangle it going over curbs.

[robinwstebbins]

Which options didn't we get? No TV connections or stand - we head out to enjoy nature. No microwave - we prefer using an oven, although we'll still probably end up bringing a dutch oven for cobbler. No drawer to replace the ones lost to the oven - there's plenty of plastic bins we can figure out how to accomidate the utinsils. No solar - with 2 batteries and LED lights we'll be on the move before draining the power.

I think the front box will be very handy. Easy to get into when setting up camp and the batteries are well protected but accessable loosening two wing nuts. Also the weigh in reports from Oregon on another forum site seem to show that it is tempting to load up the storage under the bed and be light on the hitch, so I like the added storage up front.

The disconnecting power chord will go in the front box too. I have too many childhood memories of trying to stuff a power chord back into a camper in the cold and rain. I saw the removable option when touring the factory in January. It looks like there would be plenty of room under the bed to easily stuff the chord and Rease showed how the normal chord opening is bug resistant, so I am probably over reacting. Rease tried to make the case that it isn't worth the extra money, dismissing the bug worry and seeing that it would never be compensated in time savings. I just like the reduced hassle.

WCF - let me know if there are features you want photos of. Tammy said that they are working on the Escape web site trying to figure out the best way to re-incorporate photos of the different options for each model, which will be very helpful I'm sure.

[gbaglo]

The removable power cord is the feature I question.

When I set up camp, I only pull out as much cord as required. The rest stays inside the trailer, out of the dirt ( or mud, if it rains ). Drawing on my experience with water hoses, they can get really gritty and be a pain to clean, coil and store. I do carry a heavy duty extension cord, should I need it, but I'd rather not have to use it, getting it dirty.

I guess you can try shoving the unused length of power cord under the trailer to keep it from getting dirty or come up with some other remedy.

Reminds me of the indoor / outdoor carpet that my buddy gave me. I accidentally left it at home last time we went camping together. It would be great to have a 6' x 8' green carpet outside the door, but it was even better to sit back with my coffee and watch him fold his soaking wet mass of imitation grass and try to stuff it into a garbage bag.

baglo

[paulw]

Hey neighbor,
Nice rig!
Did you tow home in the snow or was Friday the day we thought it was over??
Are you going to the Spring NOG in April?

[wcf]

Robin:
were still working on our option list. thanks for the photo offer. We went for a small drawer below the wardrobe for the cutlery, as like you we wanted the oven. The other option that we are going for is the solar panel, I have to use a cpap breathing machine when i sleep which is a considerable drain on bateries (8 HR / night). I have a honda 2000 but still like using the sun if i can. My wife likes to read at night so a second light over head will fix that. I also had to add a foldable shelf by the bed for the machine. We have ordered most of the rest of the options that you got. Because of the cpap machine i have to get 120V out of the batteries so i have to get heavy wires run from the batteries to the area where the converter is, this is where i will add the inverter (12v to 120v) so i am getting reace to put a couple of vents in that ares. These electronic things create heat and i know from experience that it needs a way to breath.
My wife asks me if their wants or needs. I said needs of course. I figured it is easier to get them now, and from many years of camping i have a bit of sense as to what will make us comfortable.
I printed the pictures from the gallery and now i know what some of the options will look like, thanks again.

wendell

[Geo]

We went with LED lights on the inside and I am glad that I did..
We only have the propane hot water tank.
But I think now that I should have got the dual hot wat tank,
propane and or 110 volt hot water tank.
Great unit Escape 19
Geo

[memobug]

There are some aftermarket options, Hot Rodd and such. The downside is they'd technically void your warranty, so you might wait a few years!

Regards,

Matt

[fudge_brownie]

Wendell

My son uses a CPAP machine and power was a concern on our trips. In doing some research I found that our model, a REM Star Pro M Series, has a 12 volt adapter option. For some $70 dollars they sold me the cord with fused cigarette lighter adapter and its a plug and go. The best part was the electical draw with 12 volt was substantially lower than 110 and saves on battery. Eliminates an inverter and all those issues associated with them.

If your CPAP machine has an AC adapter in the power line, or a brick as we call them, chances it is already a 12 volt device and should have a 12 volt power cord option.