Tiny Trailers

[float5]

Actually, there are many owners of large units who sit at campgrounds for the season or year and they own a second small trailer. Their campgrounds have storage yards to keep the second one. Then they do short trips with those. There are even some Escape owners who have such an arrangement.

Yes, we had someone look at ours who, of course, thought it was too small and said that it would be fine for one person. Then he corrected himself to say "or two people" when he realized that there are two of us!

There are some who downsize and that is, in fact, a market that Escape can get. They have a few in that category and are getting more all of the time. With this expansion, they may be able to eventually have a good percentage of such owners.

[Patandlinda]

Originally Posted by MyronL

We actually started small (13 footer to 16 footer to 19 footer).

Another big thing.... them slide-outs. Ditto, bigger means much to go wrong. My neighbor recently got his rolling home back from the dealer repairs shop, after waiting 2+ months for the right hydraulic parts to arrive so they could do the slide-out fix. That trip it seems is a repetitious party ride that goes around in circles. However, I do envy him his 8 foot ceilings.

Myron witnessed many new RV's with slideouts needing work at campgrounds . They had to call RV repairs to come to them . I also think you have to worry about leaks and the seals . That is one item we would never want to add to the list of worries . The space is nice but at what cost ? Pat

[float5]

Originally Posted by Santiago

Glad to see we are not the only ones that bought too big. Having said that, we like our 21 A LOT . It is comfortable, spacious and easy tow with our Ram truck. Still we are minimalist by nature and wish we had stuck to original plan. An Escape 17. Meantime will travel all over and enjoy all the pleasures our big trailer has to offer.

I would say that you could get all of your money back for the 21' and just get a 17' but you have spent so much trouble on changes on the 21' to do that.

Of course, the difference between a 17' and a 21' is slight compared to the difference with a much bigger unit.

[Santiago]

Originally Posted by float5

I would say that you could get all of your money back for the 21' and just get a 17' but you have spent so much trouble on changes on the 21' to do that.

Of course, the difference between a 17' and a 21' is slight compared to the difference with a much bigger unit.

Yes am sure we would not get hurt financially. We love the space and floor plan of course and will use it as planned. Will learn more over the following year or two more about balancing energy while on the road and that will help with next design.

If we liked to park it in a campground for a week or two, it's a perfect size. There is too much to see in north America to spend a week on same spot unless it's a national park or equivalent.

[padlin]

Originally Posted by Santiago

If we liked to park it in a campground for a week or two, it's a perfect size. There is too much to see in north America to spend a week on same spot unless it's a national park or equivalent.

We're starting to do just the opposite. After years of staying in one spot for a few days and moving on we want to slow it down and see more of each spot we stop. Headed to AZ again this winter, 2 weeks in each of 5 state and county parks so far. So many trails, so little time. We're also slowing down our travel, 2 weeks to get from MA to AZ may even be too fast.

Ones needs in a trailer evolve as do ones reasons for owning one.

[Santiago]

O

Originally Posted by padlin

We're starting to do just the opposite. After years of staying in one spot for a few days and moving on we want to slow it down and see more of each spot we stop. Headed to AZ again this winter, 2 weeks in each of 5 state and county parks so far. So many trails, so little time. We're also slowing down our travel, 2 weeks to get from MA to AZ may even be too fast.

Ones needs in a trailer evolve as do ones reasons for owning one.

Bob may we be as fortunate as you.

Slowing down to thoroughly enjoy a great spot will come to us in time. You are doing it right, cover a lot for as long as it's enjoyable then slow down to enjoy what each part of the country has to offer. That is our plan as well but first must see as much as we can. We just retired, I am 68, so we are getting a late start. Work has a way of interfering with fun and travelling is our numero uno fun.

[float5]

Don't wear yourself out trying to see everything in a hurry. Fulltimers say that the people who remain on the road are the ones who slowed down and did not treat it as a vacation that went on for a year.

I love seeing the people who go on the road after planning for a long time to do it. They are so glad to get out there. We are unlikely to do that because we have always been travellers and have seen much, however, there is still so much more out there. Always room for some good big trips to new places. Can't begin to see it all.

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by padlin

Ones needs in a trailer evolve as do ones reasons for owning one.

You mean like getting an oven and TV, along with solar and a large inverter, when you once said you just did not need them?

I am like you and the others who love to spend a bunch of time in one spot. I have always preferred to this even when going for short two week stints. Maybe two main sites, but travel like crazy to get there. Some day the travel will be slower too.

[Santiago]

Originally Posted by float5

Don't wear yourself out trying to see everything in a hurry. Fulltimers say that the people who remain on the road are the ones who slowed down and did not treat it as a vacation that went on for a year.

Hi Cathy. In a hurry was when we worked and had two week vacation. A trip to Yellowstone, Jackson Hole and northern Utah was not fun. Then the Southern California Sunday traffic on way home just so we can be at the office Monday morning. I don't miss those days.

Glad you have been a traveler, on the continent by land or overseas as well ?

Now, we travel slowly and during off peak times of the year, leave home in the evening so as to miss the traffic and spend first night at truck stop for an early morning start minus the commuter traffic. Retirement makes land travel a lot nicer. Never in a hurry, drive 60 mph, stop anywhere that looks interesting, including cities and townships, and just go with the flow. We have not been able to take our planned multi month trips yet but we will.

So yes, retirement changed the nature of our land and overseas travel big time. If I have one regret is that I did not retire on day two after birth. My first words as a baby were "I want to retire" in Spanish of course, other babies said Mama or Papa, not me.

[float5]

Well, there is certainly no hint of Spanish in what you write except for the name! Sounds as if you have slowed down nicely already and can enjoy yourself while out now.

We tended to visit big city areas by plane and rental car much of the time although some travel on the road. When younger, people like to see those big famous places. After pretty well covering those in this country and abroad, we can now appreciate some of the smaller and more far out spots. Eventually, one finds that smaller places have much to offer, but of course, it is easy to say that when having covered the well-known high population areas.

Yes, been abroad also and lived abroad. Went to many countries and only as tourists, so we saw what we wanted. I rarely wanted to ever go to a place twice --- you know, so much to see --- but I am at the point where I do not mind revisiting a favorite place.

You mention the Sunday traffic and we make it a point to miss that. Now it is often missing the dump station line! Once I was in Sunday Thanksgiving traffic in MN. It was so bad that I simply stopped where I was at an Indian casino and stayed there instead of going on. We have only had the trailers the last several years so most of our travel was pre-trailer.

Yes, you will be able to have a much better time of it proceeding at your own pace with no awful schedule.

Originally Posted by Santiago

Hi Cathy. In a hurry was when we worked and had two week vacation. A trip to Yellowstone, Jackson Hole and northern Utah was not fun. Then the Southern California Sunday traffic on way home just so we can be at the office Monday morning. I don't miss those days.

Glad you have been a traveler, on the continent by land or overseas as well?

Now, we travel slowly and during off peak times of the year, leave home in the evening so as to miss the traffic and spend first night at truck stop for an early morning start minus the commuter traffic. Retirement makes land travel a lot nicer. Never in a hurry, drive 60 mph, stop anywhere that looks interesting, including cities and townships, and just go with the flow. We have not been able to take our planned multi month trips yet but we will.

So yes, retirement changed the nature of our land and overseas travel big time. If I have one regret is that I did not retire on day two after birth. My first words as a baby were "I want to retire" in Spanish of course, other babies said Mama or Papa, not me.

[rjbny]

Originally Posted by escape artist

Hi: Loren & Cathy... Exactly!!! Do you want a travel trailer, or a mobile home? Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

At our first rest stop just south of Lake Erie - we definitely felt "tiny", but also very happy.

[Santiago]

Originally Posted by float5

We tended to visit big city areas by plane and rental car much of the time although some travel on the road. When younger, people like to see those big famous places. After pretty well covering those in this country and abroad, we can now appreciate some of the smaller and more far out spots. Eventually, one finds that smaller places have much to offer, but of course, it is easy to say that when having covered the well-known high population areas.

Your travel philosophy seems similar to ours.

I like your style and travel history.

We love blue roads and the towns and people that inhabit them. That is the real America and we need to see more of them.

We too have flown across country with backpacking gear in duffel, rented car and covered the Northeast (and other parts of the US too time consuming to drive). We took 2 liters of our own blood to the Northeast to self administer after the Yankee mosquitos tried to finish us off. Why fly there? limited vacation time (job you know) to drive across the country. Now we will take our 21ft Escape all over the eastern seaboard followed by another multi-month trip to Florida and the Southern states. Am dying to spend time with the Southerners, definitively a multi month trip. Like you, return to the places that impressed us most as I plan on RVing till my late eighties and longer but closer to home.

When I write there is no hint of Spanish because I am writing in English. I started learning English in 1956.

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by Santiago

I started learning English in 1956.

I started later the following year, but never got a grasp until later the next year.