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Old 05-28-2018, 11:30 AM   #1
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5 Person in 21 Escape

We love Escape trailers but are wondering if they are right for our family of 5. We know we can get a 19 with a gaucho bunk, however the 21 seems to have more kitchen space which I know would come in handy as we are all moving around the trailer. Our three kids are young now, but we want this to last until they are in their early teens at least. Has anyone traveled with 5 in a 21 foot trailer, and if so what sleeping configuration worked for you?
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Old 05-28-2018, 12:01 PM   #2
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Originally Posted by atarabochia View Post
We love Escape trailers but are wondering if they are right for our family of 5. We know we can get a 19 with a gaucho bunk, however the 21 seems to have more kitchen space which I know would come in handy as we are all moving around the trailer. Our three kids are young now, but we want this to last until they are in their early teens at least. Has anyone traveled with 5 in a 21 foot trailer, and if so what sleeping configuration worked for you?
The interior space is important, but largely depends on how much time you spend inside vs outside. The 21 sleeps 4. That's just what it is. If having a some of the kids sleep in a tent outside is not an option, I personally don't see a 21 as a good fit.
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Old 05-28-2018, 12:36 PM   #3
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The floor plans are totally different. Yes, the counter space in a 19 is less, but does it's job. The advantage of the 19 is that the dinette is in the front, which keeps kids traffic away from kitchen area. In the 21 they have to pass kitchen area in order to get to the dinette.
Your best bet is to see both trailers, and it's layout, in person. You might be surprised with what you find out.
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Old 05-28-2018, 01:37 PM   #4
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Good question! I've wondered the same thing too. I've met other Escape owners, and also prospective owners, who all love the size of the 21, but shy away due to limited sleeping spaces. A 21 could do 2 adults and 2 small children only. As kids get into their teens, I'm not sure if they would want to share a bed, or if it would even be a good idea....

I wonder if Escape has ever considered making a 21 without a bathroom? I sketched it out once, and if you deleted the bathroom there would probably be room to rotate the bed of a 21' 90º, delete the drawer stack, and put a 2 person dinette on the driver's side. I'll try to attach my rough drawing. What do those of you on the forum think? Personally, I have never camped with my own bathroom, and wouldn't miss it.... we always camp in campgrounds with good bathroom facilities. And if you needed, a good quality portable/cassette toilet and outdoor shower could make up for a deleted permanent bathroom in a pinch. Thoughts?

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My wife and I just got a 2006 17', this spring and we absolutely love it! First trip will be a weekend to the mountains in a couple of weeks
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Old 05-28-2018, 01:51 PM   #5
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As kids get into their teens, I'm not sure if they would want to share a bed, or if it would even be a good idea....

As kids get into their teens, they don't want to sleep in the same trailer as you. Most move outside to a tent. A room of their own.
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Old 05-28-2018, 01:53 PM   #6
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Now that I've owned two all-molded towables and both had full bathrooms, I'll never be without.
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Old 05-28-2018, 01:54 PM   #7
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As kids get into their teens, they don't want to sleep in the same trailer as you. Most move outside to a tent. A room of their own.
Yes, this is totally true. (unless you're in bear country, which we sometimes camp in)

I'm 32 and my wife is 30 and we don't have kids yet. We will have lots to learn one day If I order a new 21' one day I would only hope to future-proof it as much as possible with my custom layout idea. Even without kids, my layout would allow a permanent dinette for 2, permanent lounge in the rear, and bed up front.....
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Old 05-28-2018, 02:01 PM   #8
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Originally Posted by patchy_22 View Post
I wonder if Escape has ever considered making a 21 without a bathroom? I sketched it out once, and if you deleted the bathroom there would probably be room to rotate the bed of a 21' 90º, delete the drawer stack, and put a 2 person dinette on the driver's side. I'll try to attach my rough drawing. What do those of you on the forum think? Personally, I have never camped with my own bathroom, and wouldn't miss it.... we always camp in campgrounds with good bathroom facilities. And if you needed, a good quality portable/cassette toilet and outdoor shower could make up for a deleted permanent bathroom in a pinch. Thoughts?
I like it Chris. The idea of a "21A" has been discussed before. One of the difficulties would be that the factory would have to come up with all the modified components and build process, and justify the cost and time in doing so because there's a demand. There's only one "A" model on the site, the 17A, mainly because they sell them.

You could make a case for "if you build it they will come" I suppose.
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Old 05-28-2018, 02:10 PM   #9
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I like it Chris. The idea of a "21A" has been discussed before. One of the difficulties would be that the factory would have to come up with all the modified components and build process, and justify the cost and time in doing so because there's a demand. There's only one "A" model on the site, the 17A, mainly because they sell them.

You could make a case for "if you build it they will come" I suppose.
Yes, for sure. Playing around in MS Paint is the easy part. It would be quite labour intensive for Escape to re-engineer everything, although with my design I tried to leave as much of the existing cabinetry and layout intact as possible. I also think that there would be reasonable demand for something like this, as many people don't want to deal with emptying a black water tank. My design would also make the trailer seem roomier and brighter with an extra window, and no walls blocking off a dedicated bathroom area.....
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Old 05-28-2018, 02:20 PM   #10
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Yes, for sure. Playing around in MS Paint is the easy part. It would be quite labour intensive for Escape to re-engineer everything, although with my design I tried to leave as much of the existing cabinetry and layout intact as possible. I also think that there would be reasonable demand for something like this, as many people don't want to deal with emptying a black water tank. My design would also make the trailer seem roomier and brighter with an extra window, and no walls blocking off a dedicated bathroom area.....
Since we're just speculating, if it were me, I'd probably nix or narrow the microwave cabinet, move the side dinette toward the rear more, and have a full queen permanent bed up front that's at least 60 inches wide.
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Old 05-28-2018, 02:40 PM   #11
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many people don't want to deal with emptying a black water tank.

Simple solution. Don't poop.
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Old 05-28-2018, 02:50 PM   #12
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With the bath walls reinforced, perhaps a drop down bunk bed, weight limited to perhaps 100 lbs , attached, could do it....
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Old 05-28-2018, 02:57 PM   #13
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When we are camped , like all other Escape owners I have ever talked to, it is common for folks to stop by and ask to see the camper. One common comment I hear is that the Escape can’t ___________. Fill in the blank here. Haul toys, sleep 5, fit a 6’6” person without hitting the AC, fit in my garage, and a litany of other comments. It is what it is and it do what it do. Many times in life I’ve wished that something I was considering buying had just a couple more features. I’ve always known in my own heart that I’m not going to be happy if something bothers me from the start. And that’s what I tell Escape lookers. Maybe this rig is not for you. Often people have bought an Escape that they find is a little to small and they sell it and buy a bigger one. Fortunately the resale on their lightly used unit is excellent and they don’t take too bad a bath. You’ll get pretty good advice on this forum but you have to be happy with what you buy. That’s the way I see it.
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Old 05-28-2018, 03:00 PM   #14
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You’ll get pretty good advice on this forum but you have to be happy with what you buy. That’s the way I see it.
Iowa Dave
That's it exactly. Escapes (as well as a number of other smaller molded fiberglass rigs) aren't for everyone.
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Old 05-28-2018, 04:01 PM   #15
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When we are camped , like all other Escape owners I have ever talked to, it is common for folks to stop by and ask to see the camper. One common comment I hear is that the Escape can’t ___________. Fill in the blank here. Haul toys, sleep 5, fit a 6’6” person without hitting the AC, fit in my garage, and a litany of other comments. It is what it is and it do what it do. Many times in life I’ve wished that something I was considering buying had just a couple more features. I’ve always known in my own heart that I’m not going to be happy if something bothers me from the start. And that’s what I tell Escape lookers. Maybe this rig is not for you. Often people have bought an Escape that they find is a little to small and they sell it and buy a bigger one. Fortunately the resale on their lightly used unit is excellent and they don’t take too bad a bath. You’ll get pretty good advice on this forum but you have to be happy with what you buy. That’s the way I see it.
Iowa Dave

Of course - I totally agree with you. Unless someone designs and builds their own, it will never be 100.00% exactly what they want. Escape is certainly the closest to perfect in my opinion, for my wife and I (since we already have a 17'), but it's fun to dream, too. I certainly don't want to seem like I'm nit-picking what Escape makes, because they're excellent units. Just fun to daydream too....

Who knows what ideas Reace and co. have up their sleeves for the future....
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Old 05-28-2018, 04:38 PM   #16
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Since we're just speculating, if it were me, I'd probably nix or narrow the microwave cabinet, move the side dinette toward the rear more, and have a full queen permanent bed up front that's at least 60 inches wide.
Remember to leave room for the wheels...
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Old 05-28-2018, 04:39 PM   #17
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Originally Posted by atarabochia View Post
We love Escape trailers but are wondering if they are right for our family of 5. We know we can get a 19 with a gaucho bunk, however the 21 seems to have more kitchen space which I know would come in handy as we are all moving around the trailer. Our three kids are young now, but we want this to last until they are in their early teens at least. Has anyone traveled with 5 in a 21 foot trailer, and if so what sleeping configuration worked for you?
Two points to add: 1) The center aisle of the 21' is noticeably wider (~4"?) than that of the 19', making it much easier for multiple people to pass by each other, and 2) while I totally agree that kids will want to have their own "space" in a tent, in inclement weather (or bear country!), you can rotate one kid sleeping on the floor just fine. It's camping, after all!
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Old 05-28-2018, 05:07 PM   #18
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Unless someone designs and builds their own, it will never be 100.00% exactly what they want.
Oh, how I wish that was the situation for me. I've designed and built a few things for myself like house, boats and car. Usually the mods start sometime after the project does and I've never managed to achieve the 100% feeling.

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Old 05-28-2018, 07:52 PM   #19
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My very first camper was a 1958 Chevy panel truck (no side windows) that I lived in for a few months near Chicago. Heater was a coleman catalytic dome unit. Put in a ceiling vent, added a very used couch, placed a carpet remnant on the floor, took a pic and managed to get it licensed as a camper in Illinois. Those were the poor college student days, and with half a turn of slop in the steering, the king pins were in such bad shape it wouldn't pass the truck inspection required in Illinois, so I got it for $40. Just had to stay under 40 mph to stay in my lane.

Fit my needs perfectly at that time!


Also, it was a paint contractors truck, so the insides were sort of paisley......
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Old 05-28-2018, 09:06 PM   #20
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We love Escape trailers but are wondering if they are right for our family of 5. We know we can get a 19 with a gaucho bunk, however the 21 seems to have more kitchen space which I know would come in handy as we are all moving around the trailer. Our three kids are young now, but we want this to last until they are in their early teens at least. Has anyone traveled with 5 in a 21 foot trailer, and if so what sleeping configuration worked for you?
My guess is very few members here with 21’s (or any Escape model for that matter) are traveling as a family of five. My impression from posts is most are retired or close and the kids are grown. Personally I’ve had 5 in the 19 with the cot, but the kids are pretty young. I think five in any Escape would be considered a bit tight for most. Regarding layout options what I don’t quite understand is why a cot can’t be furnished across the rear dinette in the 21. It is only 4” wider than a 19. The only thing I can think of is because the floor is raised it creates a space issue for the bed relative to the cot as the brackets need to stay under the windows.
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