Five-month trip in an Escape 21 -- summary

[Mike Lewis]

Originally Posted by Mike Lewis

I filled propane bottles eleven times, for a total cost of $131.59.

Oops, I missed the cost of my last refill, so my total cost for propane was $146.58. Same number of refills -- eleven.

[cpaharley2008]

That is a lot of gas there, Mike. You may want to change your eating habits...... BTW, I do not think it is recommended you travel with your water heater on, you mentioned leaving it on all the time. This may explain your inordinate amount of propane use. Also get your self an electric heater for those hook up times.

[MyronL]

Mike I have never been to NOLA, so wondering as to why on your trip you made it The Big Easy Pass-up. Is it because you live so nearby and have been many times...or... no propane there? Just curious.

[Mike Lewis]

Originally Posted by MyronL

Mike I have never been to NOLA, so wondering as to why on your trip you made it The Big Easy Pass-up. Is it because you live so nearby and have been many times...or... no propane there? Just curious.

I made a dash for home from New Mexico and didn't really do any sightseeing in my home region. I had a problem with my house (nothing serious) that I wanted to check out, so I just decided to drive on through. Otherwise I might have stayed in NM (at a high altitude) for a few more weeks until things cooled off here.

[Mike Lewis]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

That is a lot of gas there, Mike. You may want to change your eating habits...... BTW, I do not think it is recommended you travel with your water heater on, you mentioned leaving it on all the time. This may explain your inordinate amount of propane use. Also get your self an electric heater for those hook up times.

I guess I could turn the WH off when traveling. I wish I had a switch with an indicator light to tell when it is on, to remind me. Ditto for the "porch" light; I can't tell from the inside when it is on. I think someone (Jon V.?) has done this with his water heater.

[cpaharley2008]

Very easy mod, both Jim B, Jon, and myself have done it and posted instructions. I'd be glad to walk you thru it if you can not find the threads. Better yet, come up north and I'd do it for a beer or 2, free, I even have the little red led's in stock here in my Amazon annex, called home.

[Mike Lewis]

Yeah, I remember seeing a description of the mod. I'll try it.

What I'd really like is a replacement for that "porch" light rocker switch, one that lights up when it's on. Has anyone found such a thing?

[Mike Lewis]

I just killed my first snake after getting home. Welcome to Florida.

[escape artist]

Originally Posted by Mike Lewis

I just killed my first snake after getting home. Welcome to Florida.

Hi: Mike Lewis... Did you feed it some of cpa's "Hot sauce"? Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

[MyronL]

Mike, ....it's all there, Hoss.

[Mike Lewis]

Originally Posted by MyronL

Mike, ....it's all there, Hoss.

Thanks, Myron.

[Vermilye]

Originally Posted by Mike Lewis

I guess I could turn the WH off when traveling. I wish I had a switch with an indicator light to tell when it is on, to remind me. Ditto for the "porch" light; I can't tell from the inside when it is on. I think someone (Jon V.?) has done this with his water heater.

I did both the water heater modification, and changed the porch light to a 3 way switch (like the ones used in houses to turn off & on lights from 2 locations).

It required adding some wiring, changing the switch to a 2 pole switch, and, of course, adding an inside double pole switch, but now I can turn on or off the porch light from inside or at the fixture.

I also added a pilot light to remind me when it was on. I describe the process, some sources, and a couple of photos on the 2013 Modifications page.

[GusGill]

Hello Mike,

Glad to hear you think highly of your Tacoma as a tow vehicle for your 5.0. I have a 2013 Tacoma Sport with tow package that I recently bought with the intent of towing my soon to be built 5.0TA.
I'll be towing it home and plan to visit some of the places listed on your pdf. Thanks for the suggestions. Do you have anything else to add about your real world experience with the Tacoma? Did you track your mpg on the trip? BTW, I'm over in Tallahassee, Neighbor. Gus

[GusGill]

What fifth wheel hitch did you buy? and brake controller? I have a short bed Tacoma. Thanks, Gus

[Mike Lewis]

I have an Escape 21, which uses a conventional hitch, not a fifth-wheel. I think I saw a discussion thread on the forum about towing a 5.0 TA with a Tacoma.

[Mike Lewis]

Oh, and I have a Curt Discovery brake controller. It works okay, but it is a bit tricky to calibrate. A local Camping World felt sorry for me and adjusted it correctly when I had the trailer in for other service.

I did track my mileage but I haven't analyzed it yet. I certainly have plenty of data. On previous trips I got at least 13 mpg while towing; without towing my Tacoma gets 20 mpg. When I look things over I'll post the results.

[Mike Lewis]

3/15/15 - 7/30/15: 14.7 mpg

Had additional solar panel installed on 7/30/15

7/30/15 - 8/25/15: 13.8 mpg

The additional panel was added in front of the MaxxFan, closer to the front of the trailer. However, there are so many variables involved that I don't really know if it affects mileage. But there you go.

[Mike Lewis]

I finally edited some photos from my long trip. Here are a few, all from Washington state. Steptoe is in the Palouse region of eastern Washington. Winthrop is in the North Cascade foothills; I stayed in that area for a week. Newhalem is further west along WA 20 in the North Cascades.

[Mike Lewis]

Here are a few more. The lavender field is on San Juan Island in the Puget Sound (I guess that's still considered part of the Puget Sound). Christine Falls is in Mt. Rainier National Park.

[Mike Lewis]

Finally, here are some photos from Great Basin National Park in Nevada. This area is very remote, the sky is very dark, and I still managed to see hardly any meteors during the Perseid meteor shower when I was there in August. Wheeler Peak is in the park, and it has a glacier covered by rocks and rubble. A glacier in Nevada, imagine.

That's it for the landscape photos.