The very last 5.0 classic SOLD!

[Seef]

Hi Guys,

Donna already mentioned it in her report about her trip to Chilliwack.

The very last 5.0 Classic-Single Axle is SOLD, well maybe not tha last VIN number but at least as the actual last 5.0 Classic to leave the factory grounds. and this baby goes to The Netherlands!
So that map on the wall in Chilliwack needs to be extended with a little piece.

This is the start of a journey with lots of hurdles.

1st hurdle to take is the shipping, we found Reace willing to put the 5.0 in a container and make sure it get´s secured in the proper way.
2nd hurdle to take will be to get i legalized overhere, 5th wheels are not to common overhere and we need to get a legal brake controller, replace the kingpin with a legalized type, adapt/change the lights to the legal standards and then some things.
3rd hurdle will be to get a Tow Vehicle with a 5th wheel hitch, again a road with some bumps overhere. But we have our eyes on a beautifull Toyota HiLux.

Last but not least we will need to do something in order to make sure the fridge doesn't blow up when we hook the trailer up to our mains, beeing 230V instead of 110V.

Anyway, we look forward to our new 5.0 and the adventures with it to come. 8)

We will keep you posted in the process of getting the trailer overhere etc.

Have fun!

Severinus and Yvonne

[Donna D.]

ooooh So it's you Severinus and Yvonne, that get that wonderful 5.0 classic. I got to peek inside, it's as fabulous as you can imagine.

I can't comment on your future challenges, but as long as it meets gov't requirements and is safe to go down the road... just USE it! No one says you have to hookup, until you get the issues resolved. It would be the classiest hard-sided tent EVER. I know that's not your intent, but I don't believe in delaying if at all possible.

[jamman]

Originally Posted by Seef

...
Last but not least we will need to do something in order to make sure the fridge doesn't blow up when we hook the trailer up to our mains, beeing 230V instead of 110V.
....

I suggest you get a small - 150-500 watt 240/120 transformer for the fridge - you can put it behind the lower fridge exterior access panel.

And replace the converter/charger with a 240v unit. Then replace the outlets with the appropriate plugs and the circuit breakers with 240V ones at half the current.

[Seef]

Originally Posted by jamman

I suggest you get a small - 150-500 watt 240/120 transformer for the fridge - you can put it behind the lower fridge exterior access panel.

And replace the converter/charger with a 240v unit. Then replace the outlets with the appropriate plugs and the circuit breakers with 240V ones at half the current.

Hi Jamman,

Yep, thought also about the transformer, first i will check just make sure the fridge isn't (coincidental) a 110-230V model. That can be possible since we can get the exact same model (dometic) fridge overhere in 230V. If that turns out not to be true, it's time for a tranformer.

Thanks for the tip on the circuit breakers, you're right about them needing to be only half the current, almost forgit about that.

Time to start searching for a converter/charger too.

Have fun!

Severinus and Yvonne

[gabeck]

That is amazing !!!! Congratulations you will undoubtedly have wonderful time with it , and a gizillion visitors camping through Europe !!!

[escape artist]

Hi: Seef... Get used to not being alone... as every where you go people will want to look inside. Congrats. on the new trailer. What is the shipping time to Holland?
We camped with a couple that shipped their Volvo diesel wagon and Biod trailer over here for a six month tour of Canada and the US. Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

[Donna D.]

Lex and Rita! I was lucky enough to meet them and camp with them too at the Oregon Gathering. Nice, nice folks and totally cool BIOD.

[Sandra L]

You sure will have a great time! Congratulations.

[reetired]

Where there is a will...there is a way!

Congrats...Netherlands wow Escape is truly global! Now if you tell me you did this all sight unseen....I have no excuse NOT to order one!

Speaking of the Netherlands we are headed there this time next year for a riverboat cruise on the Rhine! Can't wait to see your country!

[Not so Big Al]

Hi Seef and congratulations! We just picked up our 5.0 last week, the last Vin. number, and towed it home. It towed beautifully behind our Frontier and as Alf says you can't park it without drawing on lookers. One thing Reace and Tammy don't supply with the vehicle is a nylon lube plate for the hitch, it quiets down the ride and is less messy than using grease.

Al & Donna

[jamman]

It *looks* like the fridge is 110/12V for the US/Canada. BUT there is clearly an international 230/12V version. You MIGHT be able to swap out the (I think) circuit board and maybe the heater element. The large fridge is the RML8555 and I think the small one is the RM8555. Good luck.

Some of the convert/inverter replacements are available in 230V:
I have the: Truecharge Battery Charger | Truecharge2 20A, 40A, 60A | Xantrex
Or you could replace the entire distribution panel for less (with IMHO a poorer converter section) Power CentersWF-8955E, WF-8955E 240V 55 Amp Power Center

[vmull]

Severinus and Yvonne, we met you at the Oregon Rally several years ago. We have a 5.0 and love it. Congratulations and enjoy your camping adventures in your new "Classic."

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Seef

2nd hurdle to take will be to get i legalized overhere, 5th wheels are not to common overhere and we need to get a legal brake controller, replace the kingpin with a legalized type, adapt/change the lights to the legal standards and then some things.

I'm looking forward to the updates.

I'm particularly interested in what might be different in the hitch. I've noticed that small Euro fifth-wheels tend to have very little vertical clearance between the truck and the trailer on each side of the hitch, so I suspect that their hitches do not pivot side-to-side as has become normal for RV hitches in North America; however, it appears from at least some web sites that at least in the UK some people use the same style (and even brand) of hitches as used here.

Some of the changes for the lights are obvious - you need separate amber turn signals, and a Euro-style connector. It will be interesting to see what else.

Since Euro light trailer brakes are normally of the overrun type, and that presumably doesn't apply to a fifth-wheel, the braking control will be interesting, too... is this just a matter of buying the same design as here, but with a Euro certification?

[Buddy]

Congratulations, what a great story!
You must keep us appraised of all of the major events related to this trailer, its shipping, arrival, unpacking, modifications, certification, etc.

[Seef]

Originally Posted by escape artist

Hi: Seef... Get used to not being alone... as every where you go people will want to look inside. Congrats. on the new trailer. What is the shipping time to Holland?
We camped with a couple that shipped their Volvo diesel wagon and Biod trailer over here for a six month tour of Canada and the US. Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

Hi Alf,

Thanks! The shipping time to Holland will be about 36 days starting in the Harbour of Vancouver till it get's to Rotterdam.
Before that and after that we need a few days to get the trailer from Chilliwack to Vancouver and from Rotterdam to Leeuwarden.

Bringing your own car and trailer to Canada for a 6 month tour makes sense since renting a car and trailer for that long will be vervy, very, very expensive.

Very nice Biod trailer BTW, never seen such a trailer before.

As for getting used to visitors. We did some camping with this nas shown on the pictures, that draws some attention too.

But a 5th wheel overhere will attract even more curious people.

The car is a 1964 Ford Taunus (European Ford) with a 1700CC 4 cylinder engine and the trailer is a 1964 Mostard type Yvonne, a dutch made trailer part fiberglass (front to back) and part stick (both sides).
Just sold those 2 to make room for the 5.0.

Have fun!

Severinus and Yvonne

[Seef]

Originally Posted by reetired

Where there is a will...there is a way!

Congrats...Netherlands wow Escape is truly global! Now if you tell me you did this all sight unseen....I have no excuse NOT to order one!

Speaking of the Netherlands we are headed there this time next year for a riverboat cruise on the Rhine! Can't wait to see your country!

We did buy this sight unseen, just on the info everybody posted in the forum and some e-mail going back and forth to Escape Industries.

Fantastic trip that will be, cruisin on the Rhine. If you have time to get of the cruise make sure to visit some places in our small country.

The Afsluitdijk would be great and some of the lakes in Friesland are very nice too. if you look up Leeuwarden in Google you know why i like Friesland (the province in which leeuwarden is) and leeuwarden it self.
The afsluitdijk is a man made dike between the sea and the land, where the land is a few meters below sealevel....

Have fun!

Severinus and Yvonne

[Seef]

Originally Posted by Not so Big Al

Hi Seef and congratulations! We just picked up our 5.0 last week, the last Vin. number, and towed it home. It towed beautifully behind our Frontier and as Alf says you can't park it without drawing on lookers. One thing Reace and Tammy don't supply with the vehicle is a nylon lube plate for the hitch, it quiets down the ride and is less messy than using grease.

Al & Donna

Hi All,

thanks! Never heard of nylon lube plates but then again, never had a 5th wheel either.

Any change you can place a picture/link of that lubeplate?

Kind regards,

Severinus and Yvonne

[Seef]

Originally Posted by vmull

Severinus and Yvonne, we met you at the Oregon Rally several years ago. We have a 5.0 and love it. Congratulations and enjoy your camping adventures in your new "Classic."

Hi Vicki,

I'm sorry to say that you're mistaken us for somebody elase. Unfortinally we've never made it to the Oregon rally.

That beeing said, we do hope to meet you guys and lots of others here on the forum sometime in real life.

Have Fun.

Severinus and Yvonne

[Seef]

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

I'm looking forward to the updates.

I'm particularly interested in what might be different in the hitch. r, it appears from at least some web sites that at least in the UK some people use the same style (and even brand) of hitches as used here.

Some of the changes for the lights are obvious - you need separate amber turn signals, and a Euro-style connector. It will be interesting to see what else.

Since Euro light trailer brakes are normally of the overrun type, and that presumably doesn't apply to a fifth-wheel, the braking control will be interesting, too... is this just a matter of buying the same design as here, but with a Euro certification?

Hi Brian,

The hitch itself does not differ that much from the hitches in Canada and the USA. The big difference is the EU/EG sticker on it. We seem to think we have to re-check everything we want to use on the road.

Strangly enough, amber turning signals are not mandatory on USA vehicles, not sure about trailers though.

Since a few years it is allowed to use electrical brakes overhere but...... you have to use a setup that has a EU/EG approval on it which makes it very costly.

I will keep you guys posted on that journey.

Kind regards,

Severinus and Yvonne

[jamman]

We had one similar to this with our big 5th wheel - it worked very well.

Lube Plate for Reese 5th Wheel Trailer Hitches - 10" Diameter Reese Accessories and Parts RP83002