New Escape 19 in Pennsylvania

[wolfnjan]

We've been lurking on this and the Fiberglassrv forums for quite some time and are now near final commitment on our Escape 19 purchase (Finish date Jan 5, 2016). I've found lots of good information from other builds and discussions on the pro/cons of various options. Here's our current build list:

2 way hot water tank
Stainless steel stove (2-burner), sink, etc.
6.7 CF Refrigerator
Additional 12V/USB outlet by bed
150W solar panel
Removable power cord
Opening window over sink
Opening window in bathroom
Extra insulation/thermal windows
Vertical LED Brake lights
LED Awning strip (new feature, seems like fun)
Air conditioner with digital thermostat
Maxxfan with remote 7500K (Smoke) Upgrade
Cabinet door at end of bench
2 drawers under closet
2 shelves in wardrobe closet
Exterior shower
Exterior propane quick connect
Spray foam under trailer
Storage box

Sticking to the stock fabric and flooring options because it's just too much work to pick out custom ones. Keeping exterior graphics toned down (medium gray and eliminating "Escape 19" on front rock guard). I figure I can always add custom graphics to the tire cover and/or rock guard later.

Like others on the forum, we're moving up from tent camping and still want to live mostly outdoors, using the trailer as a safe secure place for the night and in bad weather. Since we live on the east coast, we'll probably need to use the AC more than a heater and expect to stay in both full hook-up campgrounds or no-hookup state/national parks.

Retirement for us starts at the end of 2015 and we'll be making the long trek out to Chiliwac to pick the trailer in early January. We'll take the long way home along the West Coast, Arizona, NM, Texas, visiting friends and family along the way, and arriving back home in New Freedom, PA, at the end of March.

We do hope to attend some of the upcoming rallies, including the fiberglass trailer rally in Quartzsite in Feb 2016. Hope to meet some of you along the way.

Wolf and Jan Michalke
Tow Vehicle: 2015 Toyota Highlander

[Greg A]

Excited to meet you at the Quartzsite gathering in Feb. we'll have our new 19 there and will be the Host trailer or the Wagonmaster as the Quartzsite hosts have always been called. Your build list looks very similar to ours. Did you consider the dual 6v batteries to maximize your solar setup?
Congrats on ur soon to be hatched trailer and we'll see you soon.

[cpaharley2008]

Welcome to the neighborhood, I'm up the road about 20 miles.....

[jxoco]

I don't know about your models layout but...
(We will probably take our 17B back to ETI to have them install one, because we are so close to Chilliwack.)

A 12 volt receptacle just under the sink (above the cabinet door) just inches below the counter top.
I think for the 19 I would locate it between the stove and sink.

During the time In between cooking meals it is the best place for charging phones, ipods and ipads, placing a small fan to blow directly on us while sitting at the dinette or a small fan to blow across us when the dinette is a bed, charging my razor, charging our OTT light and you get the picture...
The thing being charged is sitting on the top of the sink/cutting board thing.

We find the 12 volt plug installed in the face of the cabinet under the seat to be in a 'kick zone' and too hard to see or line up the plug with and we need a 10 foot extension to use it with a fan. The fans are little 6 inch things that are USB charger powered.

[wolfnjan]

Greg, See you at Quartzite. We did consider the 2 battery option, but with all led lights, we believe we'll only use battery power occasionally for minimum uses like charging all of our apple devices. The powerful solar collector should be able to keep up for most of our purposes. And, of course, that's something that could be added later if we find we need it.

Jim, I've been noticing another Escape owner in York I'm sure we'll be seeing each other.

jxoco, thanks for the tip on the 12V location. The one in the bed area was my latest addition and I picture using that charge things that I would lay on the kitchen counter, but I'll have to think a bit more about it's placement. Appreciate that.

Wolf

[float5]

We just found that the exterior shower is so good to have for filling buckets for washing things on the trailer. Much better than getting water from the fresh tank or sink.

You have a great list. Good that you are going on a big trip down the coast and can take your time going home.

Originally Posted by wolfnjan

We've been lurking on this and the Fiberglassrv forums for quite some time and are now near final commitment on our Escape 19 purchase (Finish date Jan 5, 2016). I've found lots of good information from other builds and discussions on the pro/cons of various options. Here's our current build list:

2 way hot water tank
Stainless steel stove (2-burner), sink, etc.
6.7 CF Refrigerator
Additional 12V/USB outlet by bed
150W solar panel
Removable power cord
Opening window over sink
Opening window in bathroom
Extra insulation/thermal windows
Vertical LED Brake lights
LED Awning strip (new feature, seems like fun)
Air conditioner with digital thermostat
Maxxfan with remote 7500K (Smoke) Upgrade
Cabinet door at end of bench
2 drawers under closet
2 shelves in wardrobe closet
Exterior shower
Exterior propane quick connect
Spray foam under trailer
Storage box

Sticking to the stock fabric and flooring options because it's just too much work to pick out custom ones. Keeping exterior graphics toned down (medium gray and eliminating "Escape 19" on front rock guard). I figure I can always add custom graphics to the tire cover and/or rock guard later.

Like others on the forum, we're moving up from tent camping and still want to live mostly outdoors, using the trailer as a safe secure place for the night and in bad weather. Since we live on the east coast, we'll probably need to use the AC more than a heater and expect to stay in both full hook-up campgrounds or no-hookup state/national parks.

Retirement for us starts at the end of 2015 and we'll be making the long trek out to Chiliwac to pick the trailer in early January. We'll take the long way home along the West Coast, Arizona, NM, Texas, visiting friends and family along the way, and arriving back home in New Freedom, PA, at the end of March.

We do hope to attend some of the upcoming rallies, including the fiberglass trailer rally in Quartzsite in Feb 2016. Hope to meet some of you along the way.

Wolf and Jan Michalke
Tow Vehicle: 2015 Toyota Highlander

[wolfnjan]

Cathy, Thanks for the tip on the outside shower. I've read a number of posts where people say they never use it, but I think I will. For things like you mentioned, but also doing dishes (I plan to do as much cooking as possible outdoors), or washing off the sand from the beach.

Greg A. Well, I bit the bullet and ordered the dual 6 volt batteries after all. Seems like with those, you can pretty much boondocks forever. And I think I'm going to be doing quite a bit of it. In fact, the state parks in the Northeast usually don't seem to have water or electric (and we don't have hardly any national parks). So, unless I'm in an RV park, I'll be dry camping.

Thanks again for all the help and encouragement. I think by now I've read every single thread on this forum. Guess I need to come up with a really great saying to put into my signature block. Love your, Cathy.

[Greg A]

Wolf,
You will not regret the dual 6V choice. We also got the outside shower. Only had one once and used the heck out of it, especially when beach camping. Can't wait to see both of our new 19's at Q.

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by wolfnjan

Cathy, Thanks for the tip on the outside shower. I've read a number of posts where people say they never use it, but I think I will. For things like you mentioned, but also doing dishes (I plan to do as much cooking as possible outdoors), or washing off the sand from the beach.

Greg A. Well, I bit the bullet and ordered the dual 6 volt batteries after all.

We never used ours, but sure would have liked to. Not for showering, but for the reasons you state. The problems I had with the shower were firstly that it was too high, and we had to lift our feet/dog/whatever up a few feet for it to be effective. As far as using for dishes, it is on the wrong side of the trailer, and easier to go inside. One thing that made it not very usable for us, is that the backside of the trailer was often tight against something, usually trees.

What I plan to do on my 5.0 after I get it, is do something on the front (door) side, and nothing like a shower head, more of a kitchen tap. In my searches I have found a few different solutions out there, all that would work better than the stock exterior shower. And just in case, I am going to make sure that there is water lines plumbed in to where an external shower would go on the back side, just in case later on I change my mind and want to add one there too.

As far as the dual 6V, for me that is a must. I had that for over 6 years in my 19, and it proved to be very useful.

[float5]

The stock shower now is a big improvement over what it used to be. You might want to look at the new one. Or maybe you have.

[cpaharley2008]

Yes,
i like the new unit without the hole to the interior, less holes, less cold weather.

[Jim Bennett]

I haven't seen the new one. I hadn't even realized it had changed. I will take a look.

[Jim Bennett]

I did just look. Most definitely different, and mounted way lower in this photo. I assume the hose stores inside until needed.

[cpaharley2008]

Yes, the new ones have a quick connect, similar to your air hose, thus you remove the hose when not in use, where as the older model you shoved the hose inside the trailer via a hole in the rear.

[gbaglo]

Originally Posted by wolfnjan

Guess I need to come up with a really great saying to put into my signature block. Love your, Cathy.

"Live Free - And Camp"

[float5]

This is what we are told --- that the new shower is a definite improvement.. The old one is something like the bath showers, I think? The new one has a different way of hooking up that is supposed to be much better and the shower hose itself is a coiled thing. I like it and forgot we had it coming home, as we had no exterior shower on the 19'. Would have used it sooner.

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

Yes, the new ones have a quick connect, similar to your air hose, thus you remove the hose when not in use, where as the older model you shoved the hose inside the trailer via a hole in the rear.

On mine, you just coiled the hose up, and it stuffed inside the hatch. Sounds like they are on at least their third model.

This one is a similar idea, but with a much smaller access hatch. The mixer is part of the hose, but I don't think there is a volume control.

[float5]

Originally Posted by Jim Bennett

I did just look. Most definitely different, and mounted way lower in this photo. I assume the hose stores inside until needed.

Maybe someone has a photo of the coil. Yes, stores inside. We just left the trailer.

[float5]

Originally Posted by gbaglo

"Live Free - And Camp"

Camp Free --- And Live!

[gbaglo]

Either is better than New Hampshire.
Or Hope, BC. "Live in Hope, die in Despair".