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Old 08-30-2017, 07:08 PM   #1
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Location: cornwall, Ontario
Trailer: want 21 escape
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New to forum. Interested in Escape!

I've seen the Bigfoot trailers and liked the build. I haven't seen the escape in person, but on line I really love the look. I am hoping to find a dealer and display at the Toronto RV show in March. I want something to retire with my wife in under two years.
We have two dogs to travel with as well. Have the V8 Ford F-150 so towing is not a problem.

Here are the questions I have:

1) How insulated are they?
2) when it's time to build does someone walk you through the options.
3) Are the solar panels flexible? Have seen the flexible ones glue to the roof, less maintenance as there are no screws needed.
4) Csn you go though an order form and determine the cost before ordering? On the site they have the escape and an option page. Just not sure what is necessary. For example there is a axle lift. What does that give you and can they send pictures of before and after?

That's about it. We are in no hurry and like to research before buying. I really like the site.
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Old 08-30-2017, 07:16 PM   #2
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Forgot to mention I'm from eastern Ontario.

Would like to see the three sizes. ��
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Old 08-30-2017, 07:30 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Waywardcanuck View Post
I am hoping to find a dealer and display at the Toronto RV show in March.
Escape trailers are only sold through the manufacturer located in Chilliwack. If you click on the Owners Map at the top of the page, you might find an owner near you who will be more than happy to show you their trailer.

Welcome to the forum!
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Old 08-30-2017, 07:55 PM   #4
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Forgot to mention I'm from eastern Ontario.

Would like to see the three sizes. ��
I'd be happy to show you a 21, but I won't be back in Upstate NY (about 85 miles south of Alexandria Bay) until May, 2018.

You might want to check out the Niagara Wine Escape Rally in Niagara Falls, Ontario in mid September. There will probably be at least one of every size Escapes.
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Old 08-30-2017, 10:11 PM   #5
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Originally Posted by Waywardcanuck View Post

Here are the questions I have:

1) How insulated are they?
2) when it's time to build does someone walk you through the options.
3) Are the solar panels flexible? Have seen the flexible ones glue to the roof, less maintenance as there are no screws needed.
4) Csn you go though an order form and determine the cost before ordering? On the site they have the escape and an option page. Just not sure what is necessary. For example there is a axle lift. What does that give you and can they send pictures of before and after?

That's about it. We are in no hurry and like to research before buying. I really like the site.
1) Escapes make a good three season trailer if you get the extra insulation option. We've been quite comfortable in ours camping at around 3-5 degrees C.

2) Escape staff are pretty helpful, but what you really want to do is spend lots of hours on this forum. There are lots of threads on topics like "What would you do differently", "What are your top three options", etc. You will find that pretty much every available option has been discussed in detail with pros and cons from many different viewpoints.

3) Escape solar panels are the rigid variety. They seem to me to be adequately attached. But again, lots of threads here about solar options.

4) It's not real easy to play what if games re options and cost with the documents provided by ETI. I have a spreadsheet I made up before we ordered our 21 that solves this problem, which I'm happy to share if you're interested. You would need to update it with current prices, but that's pretty easy. Send me a PM if interested.

If you ask Escape, they will provide contact information for owners in your area who are willing to show their trailers. My experience is, that is nearly all owners. A factory visit is a really good idea as well, assuming that a trans-continental trip is in your schedule and budget. We visited the factory twice before we finalized our build sheet. And again, I can't emphasize enough, spend time searching this forum. Every question you have has been asked and answered here multiple times and from multiple viewpoints.

Good luck, and welcome aboard. You're just where we were two years ago.
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Old 08-30-2017, 10:14 PM   #6
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1) How insulated are they?
There is an optional insulation package which adds to the standard insulation; however, even with that it has less than half the insulation value of a current Bigfoot, because the Escape body shape doesn't accommodate the thick flat panels of foam which the more boxy Bigfoot uses.

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2) when it's time to build does someone walk you through the options.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Waywardcanuck View Post
4) Csn you go though an order form and determine the cost before ordering? On the site they have the escape and an option page. Just not sure what is necessary. For example there is a axle lift. What does that give you and can they send pictures of before and after?
Yes, you are sent a "build sheet" which lists all available options well ahead of your build date, and before finalizing the purchase, then you can consult Escape staff (and this forum) as you make your choices. You can change the choices and get updated resulting pricing from Escape as much as you need to before committing to your choices; however, this is process of submitting a new version and getting a response, rather than using an online tool.

In some cases this forum will be a valuable source of descriptions of options. For instance, people have posted photos of trailers with and without the optional axle lift to show the difference; Escape doesn't have a lot of this sort of photos.

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3) Are the solar panels flexible?
No, they are rigid panels in aluminum frames.
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Old 09-19-2017, 03:52 PM   #7
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Escape trailers are only sold through the manufacturer located in Chilliwack. If you click on the Owners Map at the top of the page, you might find an owner near you who will be more than happy to show you their trailer.

Welcome to the forum!
Holy smokes! that map is great. And it looks like there's a 21 IN ARCATA!
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Old 09-24-2017, 07:40 PM   #8
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Me too ... Looking to buy 21' Escape NOW

I really like what I've heard about the Escape trailers. I like their looks also!!!

I wish they'd insulate with closed cell foam. That would make them like a styrofoam cooler, and protect EVERYTHING from the HEAT & the COLD.

A great floor-plan would be a queen walk-around bed in the front; a dry bathroom (separate shower with a shower door) in the center; galley opposite the bathroom; and dining booth on the tail end. (Dining booth would be practically surrounded by vista-vision windows ... for a spectacular view of the lake, ocean, or mountains that I'd driven so far to see.)

When it rains for two or three days in a row, it'd be nice to sit in the booth and have beautiful scenery to look at, rather than looking at my tow vehicle! LOL

Anyone knowing of a 21' model for sale, please let me know. Thank you!
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Old 09-24-2017, 07:56 PM   #9
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I wish they'd insulate with closed cell foam. That would make them like a styrofoam cooler, and protect EVERYTHING from the HEAT & the COLD.
Rigid foam insulation would probably require an inner shell to cover it, similar to an Armadillo or an Oliver. That adds weight - and expense - lots of expense.
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A great floor-plan would be a queen walk-around bed in the front; a dry bathroom (separate shower with a shower door) in the center; galley opposite the bathroom; and dining booth on the tail end.
A queen bed is 60" x 80". I don't see how you could fit it as a "walkaround" unless you ran the bed front to rear, as with the Escape 5th wheel. If you did so, 80" of the useable interior length would be taken up by the bed, and you'd need additional space at the foot of it to accomodate walking around it. A dry bath with a separate shower would take up twice as much space as the current wet bath insert, and you'd lose a ton of storage space as well.

There's a reason you see walkaround beds and dry baths on larger stick built trailers: because they have the size to accomodate them. A small fiberglass trailer is quite different, and every foot of interior space is precious. They're more about efficiency and less about room.
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Old 09-24-2017, 09:34 PM   #10
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21' or 25'

True!!! Everything added increased weight. However, sprayed in, closed cell foam is an excellent insulator; bug resistant; and weighs practically nothing. I had my home walls sprayed and when collecting shavings, large trash sacks weighed nothing. The foam is so light that it blows away with a slight breeze. (Ever open a package packed with foam peanuts or foam BB's? They float in the air and static electricity caused them to stick to the hair on our arms.)

Closed cell foam is used in boat floatations because of it's light weight. ��

There's a huge amount of storage space under a queen bed. The bed is not crossways but lengthwise. Some manufacturers do have a floor plan similar to what I was talking about. Mostly in 21' or 25' models. Bigfoot is one example.
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Old 09-24-2017, 10:01 PM   #11
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Bigfoots are wider and plenty of gas is needed to tow them, even the smaller ones.
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Old 09-24-2017, 10:42 PM   #12
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Understood. My tow is a 2017 Ford Super Duty F250 4x4 DIESEL. It tows 17,500 pounds so a little trailer is no problem. ��
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Old 09-25-2017, 12:22 AM   #13
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I wish they'd insulate with closed cell foam.
The extra wall and ceiling insulation in an Escape (an optional feature) is closed-cell foam; however, it is a flexible sheet, and not polystyrene.

The issue with insulation thickness in designing these trailers is not weight - it's thickness, and in the case of the Escape body, it's forming the insulation to the shape of the shell.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Hisminister7 View Post
A great floor-plan would be a queen walk-around bed in the front; a dry bathroom (separate shower with a shower door) in the center; galley opposite the bathroom; and dining booth on the tail end.
That's a description of a plan for a larger trailer. For instance, in a trailer the width of the largest Escapes, a double bed (60" or 152 cm wide) does not leave a usable walking space on both sides, even with no storage units along that length... and the bed length (80" or 2 m) plus walking space around the foot takes too much of the length. Another example is the bathroom: with a separate shower, it is much bigger than a wet bath.

The closest to this that you can get in an Escape is the 5.0TA, with a crawl-around queen-sized front bed (in the loft), rear dinette, and mid-bath (but wet).

I wouldn't want to discourage anyone from buying an Escape if it is right for them, but these comments suggest that a 25-foot Bigfoot (Rear Queen or Front Bedroom layout) would be a better fit. They're also made of moulded fiberglass, but they're much longer and wider (and heavier) than the biggest Escape, and the very square design makes their thick rigid foam insulation practical. They don't have a plan with both a walk-around bed and a rear dinette, but life is always a compromise.
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Old 09-25-2017, 12:45 AM   #14
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They don't have a plan with both a walk-around bed and a rear dinette, but life is always a compromise.
There are many houses around here for sale, and they have dry bath and walk-around bed. Some have an in-ground pool.
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Old 09-25-2017, 01:07 AM   #15
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There are many houses around here for sale, and they have dry bath and walk-around bed. Some have an in-ground pool.
Can we watch you hook up to one and take it out for a test drive?
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Old 09-25-2017, 01:09 AM   #16
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Can we watch you hook up to one and take it out for a test drive?
Nope. Had to compromise.
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Old 09-25-2017, 08:03 AM   #17
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Can we watch you hook up to one and take it out for a test drive?
Most houses won't fit under interstate overpasses. I witnessed the consequence of someone trying once. It wasn't a pretty outcome. Although I think the home owners had a better view of the stars from bed afterward.
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Old 09-25-2017, 08:13 AM   #18
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... I wouldn't want to discourage anyone from buying an Escape if it is right for them, but these comments suggest that a 25-foot Bigfoot (Rear Queen or Front Bedroom layout) would be a better fit.
Look closely at the dimensions of Bigfoot's "queen size" rear bed. Their website shows it as 60" wide (queen width) but only 74" long (not the full queen 80" length) - so it's a "short queen" (actually 1" shorter than a standard-size bed's 75" length). I once visited with a 6" 4" (76") tall guy who expressly wanted the Bigfoot model 25B25RQ for the queen bed in the rear but was disappointed to find out that, at a short 74" length, his feet would hang out the bottom.
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Old 09-25-2017, 08:21 AM   #19
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Understood. My tow is a 2017 Ford Super Duty F250 4x4 DIESEL. It tows 17,500 pounds so a little trailer is no problem. ��
After having big diesel pickups for over 25 years, needing them for work trailers, it felt great to sell my F350 this spring, as an F150 will easily tow any Escape trailer, costs less to buy and maintain, and is nicer to drive around in.

I agree with the assessment that a 25' Bigfoot is probably what you need given your desires, though like Brian pointed out you would not get the rear dinette.

I actually much prefer a wet bath and the space saving it provides. The toilet is still very accessible and the shower, though not huge, works fine.

I have lots of good friends that we camp with for which an Escape does not fit the bill in one way or another, they are not for everyone, but we are happy with ours.
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Old 09-25-2017, 09:02 AM   #20
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Or: the mini version of what you suggest is what we have, a 17A, with full time (almost) queen bed in front, and the dining area in the rear with 3 windows, so as to enjoy the great view. We have been doing just that , through 3 days of rain (while we wait for our tow to be repaired after a deer strike ).
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