Escape 19 Do you travel with the table up or down?

[markvt]

So do you travel with your table in the up position or in the down position? I have always traveled with our table in the down position. But it would be nice just to leave the table in the up position when traveling. With only my wife and I for the most part there will never be a need to make the table into a bed.
I have already modified the table that it can be lock in place so it will not slide back and forth. So do you think it safe to travel with the table in the position?

[FMLNM]

With our classic 5.0 we had been traveling with the table up, but after encountering a long washboarded road which knocked the table off and around the trailer we think carefully about our route and then decide.

[hotfishtacos]

We also have a 19' with the table lock mod. and boondock most of the time. Sometimes we go offroad across the desert in the sand and washboard roads and have always left the table up with no problems. In fact, nothing has ever been out of place and we've been camping in it almost 30 times. One important tip is to secure the bathroom door with something. If it ever came loose on the roads I'm talking about it there would be some serious damage to the hinges. I have a small bungie to hold it closed. We also make sure to remove the glass microwave plate and close all cabinets and lock sliding drawer mods we made. I think the trailer would have to literally jump off the ground before the table would come loose on the 19.

Steve

[Ron in BC]

Ditto the above comment. We've put several thousand miles on our not new any more 19, including washboard, and never put the table down. One of the reasons that we bought the 19 is because it had a "full time" table that we didn't have to put up and down.

We've really noticed the difference in ride quality for the contents between our old Scamp 13 and the 19. On the Scamp it was as though the contents of the trailer had gone through a washing machine. Everything got rearranged and not in a good way. On the Escape we've been pleasantly surprised the contents seem to get a much more gentle ride.

Ron

[markvt]

Well Guys you talked me into it I am going to try traveling with the table in the up position. But I am also going to try to come up with some kind of cable safety locking system that will hold or tie the table post and floor mount together for traveling . That way if you hit a hard bump the table ,post floor should not separate.

[CADreamin]

So far, the table is always up and we haven't encountered any problems.

[Ron in BC]

Originally Posted by markvt

But I am also going to try to come up with some kind of cable safety locking system that will hold or tie the table post and floor mount together for traveling . That way if you hit a hard bump the table ,post floor should not separate.

Why not just drill a 1/4" hole and put a 1/4" bolt in it or use a pin with a detent ball, push to release. A 1/4" bolt, say 1 1/2" or so long would work though. The part with threads would tilt down inside the base and with the threads it would be very unlikely to work itself out.

Ron

[markvt]

Originally Posted by Ron in BC

Why not just drill a 1/4" hole and put a 1/4" bolt in it or use a pin with a detent ball, push to release. A 1/4" bolt, say 1 1/2" or so long would work though. The part with threads would tilt down inside the base and with the threads it would be very unlikely to work itself out.

Ron

Hi Ron ,
Yes, That would work but with the taper ends of the table columns it may not work out as clean as I would like to see. At this point I still don't really have a game plan on how I going to securing the table . I have just starting to looking around a good ideals.

[cpaharley2008]

All it takes is one bad trip, my table went down, broke off the emergency battery switch and did some damage to table. I then took it down every time.

[escape artist]

Hi: markvt... Not a 19'er but we travel with the table up!!! If the leg tubes are secure it's always a struggle to get them out. Tried to tow with the table down as a bed once but it crept forward under the cushions. In 6 yrs. of towing never had it fall. Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

[markvt]

Originally Posted by escape artist

Hi: markvt... Not a 19'er but we travel with the table up!!! If the leg tubes are secure it's always a struggle to get them out. Tried to tow with the table down as a bed once but it crept forward under the cushions. In 6 yrs. of towing never had it fall. Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

This is what I did to keep my table from moving around on are Escape 19. It might work for you.

[markvt]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

All it takes is one bad trip, my table went down, broke off the emergency battery switch and did some damage to table. I then took it down every time.

That's why I am looking for a way to secure the table in the up position. Like the old saying an Ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

[Cypherian]

Originally Posted by markvt

That's why I am looking for a way to secure the table in the up position. Like the old saying an Ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Might try this ,



I was warned by CPAHarley the table might bounce free from it 's mounting. A small mod I did was to put small stainless tie down cleats as shown use two flat tie down bungee's that are long enough to just put a bit of pressure down on the table. I did not want to risk deforming the table over time. I did find those trim boards the table sets on when down are soft pine and will be changing them out to oak, so be careful when screwing into them.

Cypher

[markvt]

Hi Cypher,
I think your on the right track with the way you secured your table. It doesn't take much of a force to keep the table in place most of the work is being done by just the weight of the table. I can't tell by the picture but did you kind of A frame your bungee cords what I mean is one cord running from the table down to left side and anther cord running down to the right?

[jamie beers]

For those of you who have had the table crash down, did the uprights remain in place and the wooden table just separate, or did the uprights separate from the floor?

[FMLNM]

Originally Posted by jamie beers

For those of you who have had the table crash down, did the uprights remain in place and the wooden table just separate, or did the uprights separate from the floor?

For us everything came apart and bounced around...table and supports...it was a VERY rough road and 7 miles long...

[cpaharley2008]

Just the table top, supports did not crash.

[gbaglo]

I've not lost my table ( set up at the front ) on the roughest of roads, but my buddy fired his table off the tracks by taking a corner like a rally driver.
I've used a small sledge hammer and a block of wood to "secure" the post in the base.

[Cypherian]

Originally Posted by markvt

Hi Cypher,
I think your on the right track with the way you secured your table. It doesn't take much of a force to keep the table in place most of the work is being done by just the weight of the table. I can't tell by the picture but did you kind of A frame your bungee cords what I mean is one cord running from the table down to left side and anther cord running down to the right?

I got long flat bungees so yeah a framed but using one bungee per set of cleats. I do throw a Wal-Mart special sheet over the top so no chance of rubbing of bungees on the edges nor the rubbing of the forward wall. I am heading out to the trailer to do some more work on electrical mods I will put the bungees and sheet on and snap a picture. When I change out the pine trim board I plan on adding more cleats there as it is nice to be able to secure light weight padded stuff under the table folding table, zero gravity chairs :} You know the IMPORTANT stuff for relaxing lol

Cypher

[markvt]

Hi Cypher,
Sounds great I am very much looking forward to seeing your picture. You know what they say a picture is worth 1000 words.