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Old 09-07-2016, 01:38 AM   #1
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Dual Gaucho Bunk option??

Hey all. I'm super excited about the prospect of owning an Escape trailer. I would like to get as small a trailer as possible yet still accommodate our family of five. We have maybe a handful of years while our kids will still want to camp with us so we don't want anything big. On the one hand we could go with the 17A and get the single gaucho bunk option and be fine, as our two boys could take up the double underneath it and our daughter sleep in the bunk. On the other hand, I always get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom, so a bathroom is important to me.

This brings me to the 17B, but with the single gaucho bed, it would only sleep four. Does anyone know if a second gaucho bunk could be installed above the queen bed? This would be perfect for us, as once the kids are a bit older and either want to tent or not camp with us at all (sob) we won't need the extra space provided by the Escape 19. And we also want to have plenty of wiggle room for our SUV to tow it.

As a side note, we currently have a tent trailer without a washroom/shower. Do people use the shower very often or is it mostly just the toilet that people use? Anyhoo, I've got a lot more questions, but I'll keep on reading and post when necessary. Cheers,

James
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Old 09-07-2016, 06:04 AM   #2
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Dual Gaucho Bunk option??

James, I'm waiting for my dream trailer, my starter is an '87 Bigfoot. I use my shower regularly. It's a bit bigger than my 5.0's will be, but I plan to use that shower too.

Having said that, the luxury of not having to head across a campground to the bathroom in the middle of the night cannot be overstated. For me, having a full bathroom is one of the main reasons to have a trailer.

With a bathroom, boondocking is easy. I guess you could do that with just a port-a-potty, but a full bathroom makes your living accommodations as good as your view.

Lastly, as I age, I also very much like having the ability to pull over and "go" anytime I feel the need. No need to find a gas station with a "less than fastidious" bathroom. For my nephew, with three little kids, this can be a disadvantage. He stops about every five miles because he doesn't expect his kids to "go together".

But that's me... there seem to be many in this forum that don't user their shower. YMMV
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Old 09-07-2016, 08:11 AM   #3
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You could get the 17B with the gaucho bunks and maybe put your 2 older kids (or all 3 kids) in a tent which would free up room in the trailer for you and your wife. If it rains really hard, move them inside. One can always sleep on an air mattress on the floor if need be.
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Old 09-07-2016, 08:48 AM   #4
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I don't think dual goucho bunks would work well as the bunk folds down to essentially form a couch back but the 19 footer does have a $300 cot option that should work over the rear bed of a 17A or 17B model. Maybe someone with a cot could let you know about the pros and cons of the cot.
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Old 09-07-2016, 10:00 AM   #5
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Thanks for everyone's replies. I am pretty sure I'm settled on the bathroom idea. WRT the bunks, I think I misunderstood that the gaucho bunk and cot were different things as I'd seen a picture on here of the gaucho bunk which was actually the cot. Also if I recall correctly the weight rating for the cot is 200 lbs, whereas the gaucho bunk is less (120?). This leads me back to my first pondering - is it possible to get two cots installed in the 17b - one above the single bed and one above the queen? This wouldn't be used all the time, just on rainy days.

Does anyone have a picture of the gaucho bunk (the fold down one?).
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Old 09-07-2016, 10:12 AM   #6
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On the one hand we could go with the 17A and get the single gaucho bunk option and be fine, as our two boys could take up the double underneath it and our daughter sleep in the bunk. On the other hand, I always get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom, so a bathroom is important to me.
If you're sold on the 17, the A model might still be your best option, despite the fact there's no bath. A portable toilet is a viable solution.

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..we currently have a tent trailer without a washroom/shower. Do people use the shower very often or is it mostly just the toilet that people use?
We don't use the shower that often, but it's very nice to have when we've been boondocking for a couple of days, or the full service campground has public showers that work poorly or are dirty.
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Old 09-07-2016, 10:35 AM   #7
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How about a 17a with the Dual Gaucho Bunk, a porta potty, and the hot water option for an exterior shower?
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Old 09-07-2016, 10:56 AM   #8
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I don't think you'll be comfortable using a porta potti in front of the audience you will have with you.
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Old 09-07-2016, 11:51 AM   #9
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I don't think you'll be comfortable using a porta potti in front of the audience you will have with you.
Haha definitely not during the day, but when they're asleep it's fine as long as they don't wake up to my tinkling...

I think at this point it's trying to decide if we want to cram into a 17b or just get the 19 which may be a stretch for our Honda Pilot if we want to bring extra goodies. Thanks everyone for all the helpful input.
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Old 09-07-2016, 11:58 AM   #10
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Hey all. I'm super excited about the prospect of owning an Escape trailer. I would like to get as small a trailer as possible yet still accommodate our family of five. We have maybe a handful of years while our kids will still want to camp with us so we don't want anything big. On the one hand we could go with the 17A and get the single gaucho bunk option and be fine, as our two boys could take up the double underneath it and our daughter sleep in the bunk. On the other hand, I always get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom, so a bathroom is important to me.

This brings me to the 17B, but with the single gaucho bed, it would only sleep four. Does anyone know if a second gaucho bunk could be installed above the queen bed? This would be perfect for us, as once the kids are a bit older and either want to tent or not camp with us at all (sob) we won't need the extra space provided by the Escape 19. And we also want to have plenty of wiggle room for our SUV to tow it.

As a side note, we currently have a tent trailer without a washroom/shower. Do people use the shower very often or is it mostly just the toilet that people use? Anyhoo, I've got a lot more questions, but I'll keep on reading and post when necessary. Cheers,

James
We just picked up a used 17B with the bunks up front for our family of four (kids 6 and 3). It is tight with the four of us but we came from tenting in an Subaru Outback or borrowing a VW vanagon so it is a huge increase in space and convenience. As the kids get bigger they will get to sleep in their own tent outside.

Like you, I also wanted a smaller lighter trailer so that the tow vehicle wasn't maxed out when going through the numerous mountain passes around our house. I have done the Coquihalla Hwy a few times in a VW van going 50 km/h up the major climbs and that is not fun!

The bathroom gets used by the kids and wife all the time. We have yet to use the shower yet though.
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Old 09-07-2016, 12:16 PM   #11
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We just picked up a used 17B with the bunks up front for our family of four (kids 6 and 3). It is tight with the four of us but we came from tenting in an Subaru Outback or borrowing a VW vanagon so it is a huge increase in space and convenience. As the kids get bigger they will get to sleep in their own tent outside.

Like you, I also wanted a smaller lighter trailer so that the tow vehicle wasn't maxed out when going through the numerous mountain passes around our house. I have done the Coquihalla Hwy a few times in a VW van going 50 km/h up the major climbs and that is not fun!

The bathroom gets used by the kids and wife all the time. We have yet to use the shower yet though.
Wow, you won the lottery being able to buy a used Escape trailer. Grats! Now, you mentioned bunk(s) in the front. Does that mean there are two sleeping spaces above the two person dinette? Or is it one bed above the dinette? If it's the former, that could accommodate all of us. Thanks.

PS - I hate driving the Coquihalla. It's a car killer!
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Old 09-07-2016, 12:35 PM   #12
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Wow, you won the lottery being able to buy a used Escape trailer. Grats! Now, you mentioned bunk(s) in the front. Does that mean there are two sleeping spaces above the two person dinette? Or is it one bed above the dinette? If it's the former, that could accommodate all of us. Thanks.

PS - I hate driving the Coquihalla. It's a car killer!
We were pretty happy to buy used... I did have to drive from Vancouver to Olds, AB and back in a weekend to pick it up though!

Our 17B has a 4-person dinette in the rear that makes into a double bed and a 2-person dinette in the front that makes into a single bed. We have the bunk bed option above front dinette which gives us the forth sleeping position.

In all my research and forum reading I have yet to see a trailer with a bunk above the rear dinette for the fifth sleeping position. I would call Tammy at the ETI office and ask if they could do it as a custom option for a new build. They would need to add wall reinforcing in to carry the weight of the bunk as part of the build. I had a ton of questions before we purchased our used trailer and she gladly answered all of them.
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Old 09-07-2016, 01:06 PM   #13
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I agree that it's worth a call to ETI to see what's possible, but my guess is that putting a cot or other bunk over the rear dinette would be more challenging than the front because of the larger windows in the rear (one of which is the emergency exit window) and slightly raised floor. In other words, there is less open wall space to use for anchoring a cot or bunk, assuming the standard configuration.

What about just going for the 19? As a lifelong tent camper I get the desire for the smaller size and lighter weight of the 17, but five people plus gear and food in a 17 seems pretty tight (although at 6'4" perhaps I'm biased against the 17 on height alone). The standard layout in the 19 with the cot option would be perfect for five, assuming your Pilot is one with a 5,000 lb towing capacity. And you would also only have to take down/set up one dinette instead of two. If you haven't been inside both a 17 and 19 I would definitely do so before ordering.

We have a 19 for our family of four and it has been great. Lots of storage space but otherwise it doesn't feel too huge. We also have the cot but don't usually use it, as the dinette bed fits both my kids well. The cot is a bit of a pain to set up/take down and store in the trailer. On the one trip when we used it, I just stored it in the roof box on our SUV.
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Old 09-07-2016, 02:31 PM   #14
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I don't think you'll be comfortable using a porta potti in front of the audience you will have with you.
You might be right if it was getting used during an indoor family card game.
We camp only during the summer months and so do many with kids, and so we spend very little time indoors during daylight hours. At night, the audience is asleep.
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Old 09-07-2016, 02:40 PM   #15
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At night, the audience is asleep.
Actually, they were asleep until you pulled out the porta potti.
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Old 09-07-2016, 02:45 PM   #16
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Actually, they were asleep until you pulled out the porta potti.
you're probably right !!!
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Old 09-07-2016, 03:54 PM   #17
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It seems based on the responses that I'd probably be better off with the 19. I haven't stepped in one yet but on paper it seems the best choice save for the weight. Sure on paper my pilot can tow 5000 lbs, but reading further into the manual that's only if you're towing a boat. For a trailer it's 3500. Apparently the new 19 is heavier than the '16, adding 300+lbs. That takes it close to 3000 dry. I suppose as long as I fill up and drain the water tanks as I go it should be fine, but I don't know if I'd have much room to pack bikes/ kayaks, etc. Norhing''s ever easy, is it? FWIW, I would be keeping the extra options pretty slim (no extra insulation, microwave or AC) so it shouldn't be too bad.
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Old 09-07-2016, 04:48 PM   #18
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It seems based on the responses that I'd probably be better off with the 19. I haven't stepped in one yet but on paper it seems the best choice save for the weight. Sure on paper my pilot can tow 5000 lbs, but reading further into the manual that's only if you're towing a boat. For a trailer it's 3500. Apparently the new 19 is heavier than the '16, adding 300+lbs. That takes it close to 3000 dry. I suppose as long as I fill up and drain the water tanks as I go it should be fine, but I don't know if I'd have much room to pack bikes/ kayaks, etc. Norhing''s ever easy, is it? FWIW, I would be keeping the extra options pretty slim (no extra insulation, microwave or AC) so it shouldn't be too bad.
You should be fine. I towed an '09 19 with an '09 Pilot with no troubles. My brother is going to give it a go with his '10 Pilot when he picks his '17 19 up soon, and it only has a 4,500 lb towing capacity.

A trailer is a trailer, and I really see no difference for towing. Maybe the frontal area being larger on a travel trailer is all.
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Old 09-07-2016, 04:48 PM   #19
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Sure on paper my pilot can tow 5000 lbs, but reading further into the manual that's only if you're towing a boat. For a trailer it's 3500. Apparently the new 19 is heavier than the '16, adding 300+lbs. .
3500 capacity would be cutting it too close for my comfort, especially assuming five people in the Pilot and any kind of mountainous driving. Interesting that Honda provides a higher limit for a boat, though.
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Old 09-07-2016, 04:52 PM   #20
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It seems based on the responses that I'd probably be better off with the 19. I haven't stepped in one yet but on paper it seems the best choice save for the weight. Sure on paper my pilot can tow 5000 lbs, but reading further into the manual that's only if you're towing a boat. For a trailer it's 3500. Apparently the new 19 is heavier than the '16, adding 300+lbs. That takes it close to 3000 dry. I suppose as long as I fill up and drain the water tanks as I go it should be fine, but I don't know if I'd have much room to pack bikes/ kayaks, etc. Norhing''s ever easy, is it? FWIW, I would be keeping the extra options pretty slim (no extra insulation, microwave or AC) so it shouldn't be too bad.
Sounds like a plan. One thing though to consider - the extra insulation package is WELL worth the money, and it doesn't add substantial weight to the rig. Just a thought.
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