We went from avid car campers...towing a cargo trailer for all our stuff...to Escape 21 owners this year...
We do seem to spend a lot more time in the trailer relative to when we were car camping we would hang out outside much more....my theory is you hang out where the food and dining table is.
Sounds about right, transitions: from cargo trailer to 21 and from a minivan to 17
My thinking (wishful?) is to go inside only when it's absolutely necessary: sleeping, cooking if it's too windy to do it outside, changing clothes, and just grabbing stuff. Also, having everything nicely organized (compared to car camping) should free up a lot of time for fun activities outside like biking, hiking, etc.
Quote:
Originally Posted by daniel108
Outdoor shower is a must and I'd get it on the passenger side....we run out of gray water capacity very quickly so the more you can move it outside the better.
Isn't passenger side always facing a larger area where you set up table, chairs, etc.? I don't want that area to flood with gray water or get wet at all. Rinsing shoes/feet before entering a trailer is a good idea but washing dishes or showering should be done on another side, no?
Quote:
Originally Posted by daniel108
I'd think twice about skipping on the solar...most of the parks around here (PNW) don't have electric and you don't want to be constantly fighting the kids to turn off lights.
For now, I am planning on just living on batteries for the first few trips. Then, depending on whether we end up camping mostly in the shade, and the distance to sunny spots, I might get either a lithium battery or some small generator or portable solar.
So far, our tent camping has been mostly in the shade. We have not camped in March/April, though, but I doubt we would be camping for more than 3 days except in the Summer.
Overall, the plan is to minimize set up/prep time and be able to hit the road quickly for 2-3 day trips to greater variety of places than we do now.
So far, we have limited ourselves to only campgrounds with hot showers and nice bathrooms, and went there for at least 3-4 days each time just because of that prep/set up time for each trip.
If not too late - do the 19 at least; the kids will grow. I travel alone in a 2011 17B and can't imagine a family of 4 in it. I know a couple who felt crowded in their 17, so a year later got a 19. 2 couples owned my 17B before me and the sellers were crowded but made it work. They have a video of their 17B on YouTube - shows them in it, too. Would give you a great idea on how small it really is - 14' by 7 or 8'. Here's link: https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#la...rs?projector=1
Storage box is a must! Lots of maintenance items - wood blocks, hoses, black tank stuff , etc.
I'm in Olympia and had a toilet valve freeze requiring a $180. fix. However, all I'd done to winterize that year was drain the water out.
Happy travels ahead
Isn't passenger side always facing a larger area where you set up table, chairs, etc.? I don't want that area to flood with gray water or get wet at all. Rinsing shoes/feet before entering a trailer is a good idea but washing dishes or showering should be done on another side, no?
Exactly. We have the stock (older style) shower on the driver’s side - perfect for rinsing off and keeping the driver’s side area under the awning nice and dry. I installed a spray port with hot/cold under the awning just like Escape installs for other (less messy) misc water needs. Best of both worlds.
Actually not sure you can get outside showers on both sides in a 17 but it is worth asking. The default is likely the driver’s side because that is where all the plumbing is for the kitchen/bath. If I had to pick one side that is where I would want it.
Allright, 10 days to the build sheet deadline for our 17B! With the delivery in late January 2021, so glad I put a deposit early, on the day they opened up 2021 slots (Aug 17).
First of all, thanks to this forum I learned a lot, read a lot, and I think I researched every possible option now
Some change of circumstances is that I will be working remotely beyond next Summer, so I want to plan for more extended trips as well, and not necessarily with the whole family but surely some part of it That includes working from the trailer, occasionally. Even if the circumstances change later on, I would make good use of the extra options during the next year alone.
Also, having the trailer set up for longer term camping improves resale value down the road.
First of all, my electrical stuff got ~100 lbs lighter now but way more expensive. One thing I learned from reading about electrical stuff is that I don't want to mess with it myself ordering and installing things and drilling holes, and ETI now provides a great lithium solution.
$1,150, Lithium Ion Battery (100Ah, NEW FOR 2021) - comes with a different 120V charger/converter, plus DC-2-DC converter. Incremental ETI battery cost is only $800, but I think I would be able to easily upgrade to 200Ah later if needed.
- GoPower battery LiPh 100Ah, 36 lbs, almost the same real capacity as dual 6V, 3500 cycles at 90% discharge (10 year warranty). Sun Cycle lithium battery, charge range 0-50C, discharge –20-50C
- 120V Converter with lithium charging option, same old WFCO https://wfcoelectronics.com/product/wf-8955lis/ Has reverse polarity, overAmp, overV protection (for the battery)
- Viktron Orion Smart DC to DC charger, works with smart alternators, senses when vehicle runs/not runs, can charge battery (30A via 7-pin) - https://www.victronenergy.com/upload...60-400W-EN.pdf
$710, 190W rooftop solar panel, ~25lbs. Can charge while driving and make 12V fridge work (almost?), panels work even in the shade, harder to add later.
- Charging controller, 600W, 30A: https://gpelectric.com/products/30-a...ler-bluetooth/
$110, Zamp Solar Port, in case extended Ah usage exceeds what 190W provides
$890, Inverter 1500W, with transfer switch and all outlets, consumes ~1.5A parasitic load when turned on, makes sense for 150W+ appliances.
My other options are:
$320, Gaucho Bunk, weight (extra ~100 lbs at front). Dome light is not on center on the wardrobe side, so no head bumping there. I thought of removing the wardrobe cabinet to increase bench space but it's not an option with the bunk b/c this gaucho is supported by the cabinet.
$48, Foot Flush Toilet, much better for kids than reaching for hand lever
$24, Toilet Shut Off Valve (for winterizing)
$140, Exterior Access Hatch (Rear Passenger Side), a must to store external stuff, easily reachable w/t going inside. 16" x 7" small opening but can fill the whole space (51”l x 24”w x 19”h ?) under the bench through it. Not for the stinky/wet stuff b/c the space is not isolated, but can potentially attach some sort of enclosure or at least a dripping pan for wet things.
$170, Two-Way Hot Water Tank (adds 120V to Propane, great for full hookups for instant hot water but is much slower than propane and also burns out and breaks). My understanding it burns when it either gets switched on without water or someone drains water while it is on Surely saves propane when washing dishes outside or spontaneous showers.
$140, Exterior Shower (1 on Driver Side, they won't install on awning side) - a panel with hot/cold water faucets, thin hose, a garden sprayer-type head. Should be good for cleaning kids, their boots, toys, etc. As well as washing dishes outside.
$0, manual awning better in our rainy/windy weather, more kid proof, can hang stuff for drying, too.
$350, Surge protector and some advanced electric (must have if camping in questionable places with electric hookups). Progressive Industries EMS-HW30C. I was gonna skip first and buy a 10% voltage booster instead but that booster does not provide surge protection. To me, disconnecting from low V seems like a half-option without V boosting, but with a good battery I can skip that for now. I don't have an A/C and not planning on it.
$120, Additional Set Rear Upper LED Brake/Signal Lights; because of the bikes in the rear, they will obscure the lower lights
$60x2, Additional Exterior LED Lights, both front and rear, centered above belly band. Helps with front box access at night and bikes/box access in the back
$255, Window in Kitchen (opening, framed), more light/air during lunch prep, can probably throw out some organic garbage into the outside bin.
$215, window in bathroom – looks nice, small enough but can let some air in to save on ventilation fan and lighting, also helps with claustrofobia
Standard 3 cu. ft. Fridge. 4 cu ft is going to make the aisle 4" narrower and add 10 lbs to the weight as well as consume more energy. This is a trade-off for sure. If push comes to shove, there are portable cooler-style 2 cu ft 120V/12V compressor fridges at ~$300. Or just plain coolers. Both are useful for day trips.
$130, Exterior Propane Quick Connect with 12' Propane Hose and Adapter. Looks like regulators can be removed on almost any grill/stove so the selection is not limited. There are various cheap adapters, too. This avoid carrying an extra tank and refilling it or dealing with stock 20 lbs tank connections.
$560, Storage Box [74”w -> 42”w] x 12"l x 19”h, adds ~70lbs + items weight <100lbs to the very front of the trailer, looks neat, can add a small overhang lock.
This, 100 lbs of gaucho, and the absence of dual 6v in the back can result in a heavy tongue, and I am not sure the 100-150 lbs of bicycles can completely offset it, so I am also thinking of building some light cage in the back where the 6v used to be to keep some heavy stuff not worth stealing (like camping chairs?). That box could be bolted to the frame.
Will also be buying tongue weight scale for sure - https://www.escapeforum.org/forums/f...17b-18990.html
$60, Exterior 12V/USB outlet on passenger/awning side. Should be useful for charging iPhone/iPad/etc. outside under the awning or provide some extra lighting
$60, 12v outlet near the driver side wheels to power a portable air compressor. This is not listed as an option on ETI but I would ask.
$32x2, couple of LED Captains Reading Lamps here and there
Sorry, I can't help with all these items, I have s very basic 2011 17B. You'll be glad to have the front storage box.
Have you and your family been in a 17B, yet? Or watch the YouTube video tour I sent? Gives you a good idea of how tight it is for just 2 people. Still concerned that your excitement will be dampened by lack of space.
However, you seem to have done lots of research, so I won't mention again.
Enjoy your travels! and explore HipCamp.com, like AirBnB for property owners with acreage.
Trailer: 2015 Escape 17B "L'Escaboose" with 2021 Ford F150 XLT
Posts: 394
Excellent choices. Glad you went with the storage box and exterior access hatch. You will use them. The windows in the bathroom and kitchen are great too for extra light and the view. This should all work very well for you and your family.
Have you considered a hatch on front driver’s side? Is there an interior door to access the passenger side front bench?
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Have you considered a hatch on front driver’s side? Is there an interior door to access the passenger side front bench?
ETI does not offer one. There must be some sort of storage according to this picture but it’s not huge. In any case, front bench is near the door and not as deep as the main one in the back, so I don’t see much benefit accessing it externally even if ETI provided that option
6 days to the build sheet due date and I realized I have not thought about color/fabric/etc. interior choices at all.
Will all that be important after a trip or two, or a year or two?
Having done remodeling in our house, I can surely say the more standard the choices are, the better
Escapes are rare enough to not want to stand out by doing something custom.
So, in light of the above, I am thinking of:
Champagne fabric - the pattern should hide any potential accidents (we have 5 and 3 y.o kids), it also has a home/diner look compared to monotone grays (think office?)
Oak cabinets - I heard they come with a free backsplash, and also I don't like panels that come with maple option (which look a bit more bland than oak, anyway)
Portico marble counters - I want to go as close to white as possible for cleaner and spacier look. White trim, too. My understanding is that those counters are nearly indestructible and hard to stain, so lighter colors are ok.
Flax gauze has even simpler pattern (or lack of thereof) and got some slight yellowing hue which can go better with Oak, no?
New Castle Knights Armor - good pattern for hiding accidental dirt/dust, looks completely neutral, goes well with oak, not too light. Honest linoleum look/feel without looking cheap?
Havana Tobacco - the hue could blend in with oak a little bit? Planks look too wide, too, same with Shadow grey. Both remind me of modern cafeterias flooring.
A few other things I was able to clarify today while working on my build sheet:
- no exterior shower on P/S, since all the pipes are on D/S they would not be able to run anything water related to the P/S The "options sections" on the website lists both sides as optional but it's not true
- no decision on lithium battery placement yet, they would most likely put it under the bench with thick wires running between the benches (where the majority of DYI folks already put it, anyway). There is not much space on the right side (hot water tank, pipes, electrical panel already there)
- spare mount is in the same place regardless of single or dual 6v batteries (I was under the impression it was off-center only for the single standard battery but on center in case of duals)
- 2 2.4A USB outlets provided with every optional 12V (15A) outlet, so the combo makes sense
- they cannot prewire captain reading lights, they can only drop-in 12v inside the cabinet for a fee, but I am guessing I can already tap into the ceiling dome light in the cabinets and run the wires to the captain light corners if we decide we need them. There are so many options for rechargeable reading lights now including headlamps, that is why I decided to skip. Another option is to have ETI install captain reading lights and I later remove them but that would leave holes in cabinets. I guess, time will tell whether we would need them or not, and where exactly. At least there is an option for a DYI work later
We have the 17B and haven’t found a need for the extra reading lights. The standard lights are very good.
Right, from what I read some people like to read while other people are sleeping, and the standard overheads are too bright. Another use is just to have a warmer, less disturbing light at night.
My main concern, though, is that with 8 (!) optional locations, it's hard to tell which ones would be used and which won't. And they do stick out, and are very unsophisticated, too. Could have had build-in USB ports, e. g.
I think, once we figure out the best sleeping positions/configurations, I could install some lights, perhaps some smaller low-profile rechargeables.
Got our Escape this morning, picked it up in Sumas.
Finally got to see the inside of an Escape trailer, looks cool!
Will be doing a more thorough walk thru tonight, with the kids
After parking it in our weird driveway, I am glad we ordered the smallest Escape.
Thanks everyone who helped make build sheet choices, our first few campings should confirm those now.
Got our Escape this morning, picked it up in Sumas.
Finally got to see the inside of an Escape trailer, looks cool!
Will be doing a more thorough walk thru tonight, with the kids
After parking it in our weird driveway, I am glad we ordered the smallest Escape.
Thanks everyone who helped make build sheet choices, our first few campings should confirm those now.
Hope you make lots of memories and have great times!
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What a long strange trip it’s been!
Trailer: 2020 Esacpe 19'(Hillbilly Heaven) ETI best named trailer of the year
Posts: 1,204
Quote:
Originally Posted by dosby
Got our Escape this morning, picked it up in Sumas.
Finally got to see the inside of an Escape trailer, looks cool!
Will be doing a more thorough walk thru tonight, with the kids
After parking it in our weird driveway, I am glad we ordered the smallest Escape.
Thanks everyone who helped make build sheet choices, our first few campings should confirm those now.
I've been following this thread because We are a family of four planning to purchase a 17 B with a gaucho bunk as well. Our completion date is not until January 2022 though. I was hoping at some point we would get some pictures of your new trailer. Especially of the gaucho bunk and how it functions maybe. Are you satisfied that you bought a big enough trailer? If not, maybe you want to sell it to me. ��
I've been following this thread because We are a family of four planning to purchase a 17 B with a gaucho bunk as well. Our completion date is not until January 2022 though. I was hoping at some point we would get some pictures of your new trailer. Especially of the gaucho bunk and how it functions maybe. Are you satisfied that you bought a big enough trailer? If not, maybe you want to sell it to me. ��
Well, Jan 2022 is just around the corner, and you will most likely get the trailer sooner.
I ordered mine on the first day (morning) when they just opened 2021 orders. My production date was late January but it got delayed by a month, and then I was only able to pick it up myself two weeks ago but that was my scheduling issue, not theirs.
So, all in all, the wait would be the same between two of us, I think Just a few months.
The gaucho beds are surprisingly wide, same as crib size beds width. I think our 6 and 3.5 y.o. could both sleep in just one of them with some sort of a diagonal divider. This is not to say that the upper bunk is useless It means we could take one more person, at least this year.
Another option is my wife sleeping with both kids on the large bed, with feet on some sort of supporting chair in the corridor.
The main bed width is crib size length, 52”, so both kids should fit just fine crosswise.
I will try to find some stock pics for the gauchos, too lazy to assemble and disassemble for now
The "options sections" on the website lists both sides as optional but it's not true
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