About to be 5.0TA owners!

[Tom and Sharon]

First trailer in many years -- last one was a small tent trailer behind a mini-van. This will probably be a little different, eh?

Home is Kirkland, WA (Seattle suburb), summer is a cabin on Pend Oreille Lake, near Sandpoint, ID. At the lake, the trailer will provide much-needed guest housing. Rest of the year, travels up/down the West...

Thanks to everyone for being here! Lurking on these forums has been incredibly useful in configuring the trailer, and in planning for equipping and setting it up.

[paulw]

Welcome neighbor! Congratulation's.
Will you be attending the rally in May?

[cpaharley2008]

Welcome Tom and Sharon,
Hopefully you will have your new unit for the rally in Osoyoos.

[Marry]

Very good timing! Enjoy your "little different" home away from home!!!

[Tom and Sharon]

Sorry -- didn't answer folks' questions about the rally. No, we can't make it -- previous family commitments. We will definitely keep an eye on future gatherings.

Orientation and pickup in Sumas on May 3rd! Obsessively haunting the forums to try to get as ready as we can....

[Freebird]

What made you purchase the escape??

[Tom and Sharon]

We were looking for:
-- easiest to tow (definitely a trailer, having owned a small self-contained RV that we hated having to drive everywhere) - so 5th wheel
-- comfortable - esp queen-ish bed with easy access
-- good as extra guest accommodations at our small lake cabin

Looked at the Scamp, but the Escape was a better layout, esp. the bed, and seemed overall a better package. Bigger, but not too much.

[Freebird]

Hi

Do you think the light fifth wheel is the best choice
For long distance travel??

[Tom and Sharon]

(most) everyone seems to agree that 5th wheel is best for 'towing behavior', assuming you're willing to tow with a truck and give up most of the bed space. Total length of the 5.0TA rig is the shortest while still having the big bed and dinette space available at all times -- compared to towing a trailer with similar interior space behind a truck of the same size.

[Loren & Cathy]

I won't argue about how well a fifth wheel tows and yes, towing our 21 is a little longer than I wish it was, but the main reason we didn't consider the 5.OTA was that we hated to give up the room in the pickup box. I don't know how, but it seems to get filled up pretty good with chairs, grill, tools, etc. I have a real good tonneau cover for the truck manufactured by ARE. I kind of thought out and planned this rig over a several year period and couldn't be happier. For some trips, I have a 50 gal. water tank in the box also. Loren

[Greg A]

Just me personally I prefer a Ranch over a Two Story.
I'm restoring a Scamp 19 right now and first fifth wheel I've ever owned, but it just isn't making me a convert towards 5th wheels.
I do love the 5.0 TA when I tour someone's and I certainly get the allure, but it feels like putting on a good pair of jeans when I get back to the 19 Escape.

[AK snowbiker]

Actually the only bed space you give up is the area occupied by the hitch. We pack items in front of, on the sides and behind the hitch. We still have lots of room, even when carrying firewood for a long weekend. Scott

Scott and Lori
I like bikes!

[Tom and Sharon]

Certainly gives up space, both in the trailer and in the truck bed. We're just hoping that we'll feel like we have lots of space, compared to our other camping experiences, in tents and in:
- small tent trailer w/ mini-van
- old Ford pickup with *heavy* Alaskan camper ("It Raises, It Lowers"!)
- Winnebago van conversion

And the killer feature: the full queen bed, with access from both sides.

-- Tom (aka 'the bed hog')

[Greg A]

You'll have lots of storage in the TA and I'm with you totally on the queen.

[AK snowbiker]

Originally Posted by tsherrard

Certainly gives up space, both in the trailer and in the truck bed. We're just hoping that we'll feel like we have lots of space, compared to our other camping experiences, in tents and in:
- small tent trailer w/ mini-van
- old Ford pickup with *heavy* Alaskan camper ("It Raises, It Lowers"!)
- Winnebago van conversion

And the killer feature: the full queen bed, with access from both sides.

-- Tom (aka 'the bed hog')

I'm 6'2", my feet hung off the end of the bed on our previous Northern Lite, you will like the full size queen in your 5.0 TA. Enjoy. Scott

Scott and Lori
I like bikes!

[tom and susan]

Hi, we have just purchased a 5.0ta much for the same reasons as Tom and Sharon. I knew my 6'3"" hubby would need to be comfortable for him to embrace my crazy idea to spend our retirement Rving. The Queen bed was a must. And I would have to be willing to assist with the driving so ease of towing was critical. The big hurdle we faced was the need to also purchase the truck! aAm now learning to drive the truck.

[Marry]

You will learn in no time. Not much different from a car or suv. Congratulations on your purchase! Enjoy camping (and bed)!

[Freebird]

Does the 5.0ta pull easier and more efficient than the travel trailers?? Don't want to feel the drag,
Especially doing some serious traveling

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by Freebird

Does the 5.0ta pull easier and more efficient than the travel trailers?? Don't want to feel the drag,
Especially doing some serious traveling

With an adequate tow vehicle, all the Escape trailers tow like a charm. There are a few more inherent benefits to towing a 5th wheel, mostly due to the pin weight right over the axle, but with a WDH, all the bumper pulls will do just fine.

Towability would not be much of a factor I would consider or worry about.

[PGDriver]

As Jim mentioned above the other bumper pull trailers tow very well. Having towed a Escape 19 for close to 5 years and a 5.0TA for 1 year I can say they tow excellent.

Cheers
Doug