High Lift Axle (or not)? - Page 2 - Escape Trailer Owners Community
Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×

Go Back   Escape Trailer Owners Community > Escape Me | General Topics > Shopping Escape
Click Here to Login
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 06-30-2018, 05:35 PM   #21
Senior Member
 
gbaglo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: North Vancouver, British Columbia
Trailer: 2009 Escape 17B 2020 Toyota Highlander XLE
Posts: 17,136
I have high-lift on my classic 17B.
Steps are at about 10 and 20". Hasn't been an issue for me.
Attached Thumbnails
step.jpg  
__________________
What happens to the hole when the cheese is gone?
- Bertolt Brecht
gbaglo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-30-2018, 09:20 PM   #22
Senior Member
 
sumac.rhus's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Troy, Idaho
Trailer: August 2017 17b
Posts: 226
Thank you for the further description!
I think I know the adjustable step stool/platform you mean.
Thanks Again! - Susan
sumac.rhus is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-01-2018, 04:53 PM   #23
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Milam, Texas
Trailer: 2016 ESCAPE 21
Posts: 158
We have the high lift on our 21 and I like it and would get it again. It gives a lot of peace of mind if you straddle road debris, you are turning [or backing] and the wheels on one side go into a dip or ditch, or you are on a dirt road that has wear and the center of the road is higher than the tracks your tires are in [my driveway].
My wife are both rather short and have not had any issues with the height of the step.
thumper-tx is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-03-2018, 01:16 PM   #24
Senior Member
 
Chotch's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: Naugatuck, Connecticut
Trailer: 2017 50 TA, 2016 F150, 2.7 Ecoboost
Posts: 1,056
Quote:
Originally Posted by thumper-tx View Post
We have the high lift on our 21 and I like it and would get it again. It gives a lot of peace of mind if you straddle road debris, you are turning [or backing] and the wheels on one side go into a dip or ditch, or you are on a dirt road that has wear and the center of the road is higher than the tracks your tires are in [my driveway].
My wife are both rather short and have not had any issues with the height of the step.
Your axle is the same height, high center will hit that first, no matter how many spacers you put between it and trailer.
Chotch is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-03-2018, 01:29 PM   #25
Site Team
 
Donna D.'s Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Portland, Oregon
Trailer: 2014 Escape 5.0 TA
Posts: 11,023
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chotch View Post
Your axle is the same height, high center will hit that first, no matter how many spacers you put between it and trailer.
Few people realize this. I've seen trailers from the back where the body is up HIGH and think... but the axle tube is in the same place What does help with the hi-lift is the plumbing is also raised.

IF someone truly is looking to go the back roads and the worry of the axle tube is a concern, they should look into Timbren Axle-Less Trailer Suspension - Timbren Industries Inc. Suspension Products
__________________
Donna D.
Ten Forward
2014 Escape 5.0TA
Donna D. is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-03-2018, 01:31 PM   #26
Senior Member
 
Hilola's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: Tehachapi, California
Trailer: none
Posts: 515
So what is the advantage of the high lift, then?
Hilola is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-03-2018, 01:32 PM   #27
Senior Member
 
gbaglo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: North Vancouver, British Columbia
Trailer: 2009 Escape 17B 2020 Toyota Highlander XLE
Posts: 17,136
Driving a forest service road in my RAV4 with the weight distribution hitch installed, but no trailer, we came across trenches across the road. They were for rain water ( I'm guessing ) and were maybe a foot deep and a couple feet wide. Each time the rear wheels hit the bottom of the trench, the WDH hit the edge of the trench.

Since the trenches were inconsistent, I turned around. No way of knowing how deep the next one might be.
My trailer wasn't tested at all, but it has more clearance than the RAV anyway.
Attached Thumbnails
Chataway roads.jpg  
__________________
What happens to the hole when the cheese is gone?
- Bertolt Brecht
gbaglo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-03-2018, 01:39 PM   #28
Site Team
 
rbryan4's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Canyon Lake, Texas
Trailer: 2015 19 "Past Tents", 2021 F150 Lariat 2.7L EB
Posts: 10,222
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hilola View Post
So what is the advantage of the high lift, then?
Better frame and shell clearance, and it raises the plumbing a bit higher as well. Glenn points out a possible benefit as well with front or rear clearance in a dip.

There are disadvantages however with a higher step, higher profile meaning a bit more wind resistance, and perhaps aesthetics. I like the lower profile, and have no need to raise it.
__________________
"You can't buy happiness, but you can buy an RV. And that is pretty close."
rbryan4 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-03-2018, 02:08 PM   #29
Senior Member
 
tdf-texas's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: Baytown, Texas
Trailer: 2017 21' Escape - upgraded version
Posts: 2,697
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chotch View Post
Your axle is the same height, high center will hit that first, no matter how many spacers you put between it and trailer.
I wouldn't be too worried about the axle - it's fairly tough and can handle hitting a little dirt. The grey / fresh water tanks and plumbing - not so much!

I also don't like that grinding sound that you get going down an inclined driveway. The high lift helps a little.
__________________
Normal people believe that if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Engineers believe in fixing it so that it never breaks.
tdf-texas is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-03-2018, 02:55 PM   #30
Senior Member
 
Hilola's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: Tehachapi, California
Trailer: none
Posts: 515
Quote:
Originally Posted by rbryan4 View Post
Better frame and shell clearance, and it raises the plumbing a bit higher as well. Glenn points out a possible benefit as well with front or rear clearance in a dip.

There are disadvantages however with a higher step, higher profile meaning a bit more wind resistance, and perhaps aesthetics. I like the lower profile, and have no need to raise it.

Thank you for the explanation! Sounds like most people do fine without the high-lift but I'm wondering how hard it would be to accomplish if one decided it was needed later on?
Hilola is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-03-2018, 03:16 PM   #31
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Front Range, Colorado
Trailer: 2017 5.0 TA picked up in July 2017.
Posts: 523
I have the high lift on a 2017 5.0TA and am happy I got it. The additional 2 2/3" height on the step doesn't bother me or my wife, we both hike. I like the less bending aspect for hooking up the plumbing, getting the slinky into and out of the tube and lowering the stabilizer bars. I use the Anderson Jack Blocks under the front jacks. I don't think the mpg penalty is noticeable with the fifth wheel.
SFDavis50 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-03-2018, 03:49 PM   #32
Senior Member
 
sclifrickson's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Port Townsend, Washington
Trailer: 2010 17B “MATT”, then 2017 19 “Lilly”
Posts: 1,584
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hilola View Post
I'm wondering how hard it would be to accomplish if one decided it was needed later on?
The high lift option is one of those items that is super easy to add later. ETI will do it for a couple hundred bucks, or I’m sure any good mechanic could do it too.
__________________
💩-p+☕️+n
sclifrickson is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-03-2018, 05:45 PM   #33
Senior Member
 
Bobbito's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Surrey, British Columbia
Trailer: 2015 Escape 21
Posts: 699
ETI did our Escape 21 high lift installation POST production for about $500 Canadian. At the time of manufacturing it is a lot cheaper (? $300). In our case they had to cut away some of the foam insulation on the bottom of the trailer to do the upgrade and then reapply foam.

We just used our Escape a week ago on some pretty rough road and I was glad to have the extra clearance to make up for the clearance lost with foam insulation. There were some very deep holes and I went extremely slow to avoid damage to the trailer and contents.

Bob K
Bobbito is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-03-2018, 06:06 PM   #34
Member
 
jrb1947's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: Sherwood, Oregon
Trailer: Escape 21 replaced Casita
Posts: 30
High Lift is not about clearing obstacles. It is about approach and departure angles. Consider your trailer a teeter totter with the wheels as the pivot. If you raise the teeter totter, it will pivot to a steeper angle before one end hits the ground. This will improve your ability to cross arroyos. The longer your trailer, the more important it is to have high lift.
__________________
The journey is the goal.
jrb1947 is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off




» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Escape Trailer Industries or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 02:07 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Copyright 2023 Social Knowledge, LLC All Rights Reserved.