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10-17-2017, 11:11 PM
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#61
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Loserpeg, Manitoba
Trailer: 2021 Escape 19, 2010 Palomino Y series prior
Posts: 143
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim Bennett
The tongue weight dry on a 19 is not very high, one of the things that prompted Reace to move the batteries forward. Of course, if you get a storage box, you could load that with heavy stuff too.
Like you and many others here, I too had a tent trailer for many years as my first trailer. For us it was basically a good quality tent on wheel, something that gave us a few conveniences and lots of bed space. We boondock a lot, and suffered terribly from one battery quite often, especially if it was real cold and we wanted a bit of heat.
If you don't plan to boondock that much then a single battery will do. The thing to remember is, again as many here have discovered, your camping style evolves over the years, and if you plan to use your trailer a lot, most tend to move towards a few more niceties, often involving electricity. For example, my wife has a heavy head of hair, and once she realized she could use a hair dryer a bit on batteries recharged with solar, an inverter was desired. And on, and on......
Adding a second battery would not be a terribly tough mod to do later either.
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Tongue weight isnt very high, relatively speaking. Keep in mind the back of a light duty half ton gets full fast, and subtracts from what you can have on the tongue. Plus yeah, front storage box is going to end up heavy without batteries. Two full propane tanks as well.
While the wife enjoys glamping far more than me, so far she thankfully still likes the "amping" part, and if it was not for the constant falling apart of the pop up, we would not be entertaining the idea of a new trailer for several more years.
Water leaks and framing thats stapled together falling apart, sliding bed frames having screws rip out of the OSB walls they are mounted to. It gets old fast.
We like exploring, and noticed it was hard to find a power site in BC that wasn't in a sardine can like section of a camp ground with each trailer 5 feet from the next. With all LED lights (converted all lights in pop up) and propane use for fridge, if I find we are getting too cold ill go buy a catalytic propane heater.
At this stage its about $38k after taxes for a 19 with critical options checked (ie ones that make the most sense doing at factory)
Thats about 16k out of the budget at this time.
__________________
14 F150 SCAB 4x4 3.7v6 Bunch of mods. 2021 Escape 19.
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10-18-2017, 12:11 AM
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#62
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Anchorage, Alaska
Trailer: 2018 5.0 T/A "Escaper"
Posts: 209
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Don't have our escape yet but I am going with the dual 6 volt batteries and I'm not getting the inverter as I have never needed it in my prior RV's (other than a small wattage cigarette lighter type). The dual batteries provide the extra capacity I like to run the heat in early/late summer here.
I always wanted to try a convection heater with no fan to help save my battery life but thats another subject.
Pretty mixed on a roof mount solar as we have a lot of cloudy days here but also lots of daylight....leaning towards portable panel and a charging port somewhere. I have no experience with solar so I may be convinced to go with the roof mount before my build sheet is due.
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10-18-2017, 12:31 AM
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#63
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: North Vancouver, British Columbia
Trailer: 2009 Escape 17B 2020 Toyota Highlander XLE
Posts: 17,136
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My buddy recently had the rooftop solar installed on his 2009 19'. He is now a happy camper.
I was overwhelmed by all the technical posts about solar on the forums, so I didn't have solar installed at build.
I bought a Honda generator. So did he. Then I bought a couple 40 watt portable solar panels. We both leave the generators at home now, but I have to drag the solar panels along and his is conveniently mounted on his roof.
Starting over, I'd go with solar on the roof, and a port for a portable, should you find you need it in the late fall and early spring.
__________________
What happens to the hole when the cheese is gone?
- Bertolt Brecht
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10-18-2017, 12:45 AM
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#64
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Anchorage, Alaska
Trailer: 2018 5.0 T/A "Escaper"
Posts: 209
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Surely it will happen one day but it would be nice to have the awning canvas also be the solar panels. It seems so obvious there must be a significant technological hurdle that has not been overcome.
Maybe Elon Musk peruses this forum...
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10-18-2017, 12:55 AM
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#65
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: North Vancouver, British Columbia
Trailer: 2009 Escape 17B 2020 Toyota Highlander XLE
Posts: 17,136
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Heard a discussion about electric vehicles and new technology the other day. Apparently the cost of solar is down by 85% from what it was a few short years ago. It's coming, and soon.
__________________
What happens to the hole when the cheese is gone?
- Bertolt Brecht
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10-18-2017, 06:18 AM
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#66
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia
Trailer: 2014 5TA/ *012 17B (previous)
Posts: 442
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In our 17b we had the 12v being careful with the lights we could get 3 days with no power.
When we got our 5TA we put in two 6 volts, even not being careful we could probably have lights for 5 days. We don't use a whole lot of other things in these examples that would require power. Use stove to boil water / make toast etc. works for us.
__________________
Min D
Chapi II
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'Have No Regrets'
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10-19-2017, 11:05 PM
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#67
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Member
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Arroyo Grande, California
Trailer: 2018 Escape 5 TA
Posts: 63
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Trailer envy. I want that.
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10-20-2017, 01:31 AM
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#68
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Juneau, Alaska
Trailer: 2016 Escape 19
Posts: 555
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Quote:
Originally Posted by akmacs
Don't have our escape yet but I am going with the dual 6 volt batteries and I'm not getting the inverter as I have never needed it in my prior RV's (other than a small wattage cigarette lighter type). The dual batteries provide the extra capacity I like to run the heat in early/late summer here.
I always wanted to try a convection heater with no fan to help save my battery life but thats another subject.
Pretty mixed on a roof mount solar as we have a lot of cloudy days here but also lots of daylight....leaning towards portable panel and a charging port somewhere. I have no experience with solar so I may be convinced to go with the roof mount before my build sheet is due.
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If you are not sure about solar you should at least have it prewired for solar. I would also make sure you have a controller mounted as close to the batteries as possible if you do get solar. It's too bad Escape doesn't have tilting panels. AM Solar could do a tilting panel install, but they mount their panels with VHB Tape and that is a whole different thread. I use a portable panel (renogy folding 100 watt) with the controller in the storage box although that may not be kosher. I would get some wire that is sold in Anchorage for a portable panel. Polar wire products, Inc. in Anchorage sells the stuff. I used 6 gauge duplex wire (very flexible)and can place my panel 40 feet from the trailer with minimal voltage drop. Fifty feet of 6 gauge duplex wire is about $100. I am considering mounting two 160 watt tiltable panels on my truck canopy. Lots of ideas and different ways to make solar work.
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10-20-2017, 05:22 AM
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#69
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia
Trailer: 2014 5TA/ *012 17B (previous)
Posts: 442
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Yes we got the two 6volts and prewired for solar in case we need it someday.
__________________
Min D
Chapi II
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'Have No Regrets'
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10-22-2017, 11:04 AM
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#70
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Member
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Boulder, Colorado
Trailer: 2017 19 Escape
Posts: 200
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I got the larger 12 volt battery (group 29) that and with my portable 120 watt Go Power solar panel and Honda handi 3000 generator I can keep my batteries easily charged rain or shine. And I use the gen to run the microwave to cook one of those delicious frozen dinners when I'm too tired or lazy to cook something else on the stove....
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