Escape 5.0 TA vs Arctic Fox 22G - Page 4 - Escape Trailer Owners Community
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Old 03-25-2016, 03:45 PM   #61
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Originally Posted by Rosalyn View Post
Currently own an Artic Fox 29 -5T fifthwheel. Purchased it brand new in 2014. Would I buy another one?......... Not sure. Found lots of errors that could have been avoided with better quality control during manufacturing. And running into a few AF owners while on the road who also have been disappointed. Sad for us because they are a local business up in the PNW that we wanted to believe in. Just my point of view. But take note,...... I am not spending my future time on their website or forum , am I? Hoping to believe again in a company rated for their great customer service,...... ETI.
Thanks, could you elaborate a little more on what problems you encountered?
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Old 03-25-2016, 03:50 PM   #62
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Okay, well I was fortunate enough to see an Escape 5.0 TA on Sunday. I’d like to thank Carl and his wife Gale for showing me their trailer. It’s really maintained well, and is in mint condition. Carl also spent a lot of time really sharing his experience with the trailer and ETI. They are great ambassadors for the company and community.

I’m going to list a few thoughts here. I hope no one takes offense to my bluntness in any criticism of the trailer. I think ETI makes a great product with lots of strong points. And from the loyal following, it appears their customer service is outstanding. It’s definitely still in the running.

First off, the exterior was much better looking in person than in the photo’s. I’d rank it better than the Arctic Fox. But I don’t think it’s fair to compare the fiberglass of an Escape to a fiberglass boat. The fiberglass hull of the boats I’m familiar with are rock solid. The Escape fiberglass seems thinner and gives to the touch.

There is more room in the bunk area than I thought. I actually don’t think it would be that much trouble for me to change the sheets once a week or so. And getting in and out of the bunk area was very easy.

The quality of the interior isn’t as nice as the Arctic Fox. For example, the upper cabinet doors openings/closing don’t feel or sound as smooth; the exterior of the bathroom door felt thin and fragile. The cabinetry just isn’t as attractive as it could be.

Also, it feels less roomy than I expected.

There was a little more interior storage than I expected, but less exterior storage.

So I’d add the following to my original pros and cons

22G Pro
—————————
Better interior quality
Better interior looks (instead of better overall looks)
Better feeling of spaciousness (I think …based on 25r with closed slide-out)
(less of a pro regarding bed making and access. But still a pro for 22g)

22G Con
———————
Less attractive exterior

I think what it’s going to boil down to in the end is if the 5.0 TA’s better water-resistance, towability and customer support is worth the extra cost and the sacrifice in livability. I’ll know more after seeing the 22g in person in early April, and seeing the final interior and exterior changes made for 2017.

Again, sorry if this post comes across as negative. I’m just being honest with my evaluation and am open to corrections from owners. Feel free to disagree with my assessment.
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Old 03-25-2016, 03:59 PM   #63
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Originally Posted by yogiyoda View Post
But I don’t think it’s fair to compare the fiberglass of an Escape to a fiberglass boat. The fiberglass hull of the boats I’m familiar with are rock solid. The Escape fiberglass seems thinner and gives to the touch.
That makes sense. A boat hull is thick enough to be strong enough to withstand water pressure - it is the supporting structure of the boat. A travel trailer body does not need to withstand water pressure and will generally be thinner and lighter - the steel frame supports the trailer.
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Old 03-25-2016, 04:22 PM   #64
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Originally Posted by yogiyoda View Post
I think what it’s going to boil down to in the end is if the 5.0 TA’s better water-resistance, towability and customer support is worth the extra cost and the sacrifice in livability. I’ll know more after seeing the 22g in person in early April, and seeing the final interior and exterior changes made for 2017.
I can't remember if it's been addressed already, as I haven't kept a close eye on this thread. Have you considered the resale value between the two? Although we hope to own our trailer for a very long time, things happen. We have full confidence that our Escape trailer has a high resale value - look at how quickly many of the ones listed on this forum sell. Is that also happening on the Arctic Fox forum? Heck if I know, as I'm not on there. But, it is something to consider.
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Old 03-25-2016, 04:58 PM   #65
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I can't remember if it's been addressed already, as I haven't kept a close eye on this thread. Have you considered the resale value between the two? Although we hope to own our trailer for a very long time, things happen. We have full confidence that our Escape trailer has a high resale value - look at how quickly many of the ones listed on this forum sell. Is that also happening on the Arctic Fox forum? Heck if I know, as I'm not on there. But, it is something to consider.
Well, I put that as an advantage in the first post. And it is an important factor for me.

But in reality that’s kind of cloudy area. There may be an initial price difference of up to $10,000 US for the Escape. So that’s money that won’t be invested etc. Then even if there is a higher percent depreciation for the 22g, because of its lower initial price, the overall difference might not be that much. And used Escapes are selling well now, but there are lots of unusual factors that might affect an Escape's depreciation at a future point of sale. Including:

* Wait time for new unit at ETI at the time of the sale (dependent on currency, economy, competition etc)

* Has ETI made a newer version that makes the old version less desirable. (The old 5.0’s seem to sit on market a lot longer than current models.)

* What is the status of ETI at the time of sale. They are thriving now but many fiberglass trailer companies are no longer in business.

* Are 4-seasons trailer in fashion and considered a must have. (When slides became popular, non-slide models went down in value.)

* Etc.

So anyway, I think there will be a lower TCO for the Escape, but don't think it's a certainty.
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Old 03-25-2016, 05:23 PM   #66
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Doesn't read negatively to me, looks pretty objective. They've fixed a couple things that bothered me when I checked them out, the flat roof is gone which is a big plus, and redone the lamination process, another biggie.

My main shopping points at the time were low chance of leaks, high quality, comfortable seating, enough storage, and an 80" bed.

I seem to recall that if I put in a full queen mattress it would either hit the counter or the doors wouldn't close, something like that.

I really liked the AF, other then what I mentioned.

The AF is certainly bigger, meaning more spacious, hence a plus on it's side. The smaller size of the Escape can also be considered a plus on it's side of the scale. depends on your point of view I guess.
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Old 03-25-2016, 06:18 PM   #67
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I'm totally confused here and don't understand why an Escape fifth wheel is being compared side-by-side with an Arctic Fox trailer when they're vastly different animals. I see the comparisons given as objective but don't get it as they are of different construction, different weight, different size, and the list goes on. While each has its pros and cons, it seems to me that each would appeal to a completely different segment of the population depending on camping style.
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Old 03-26-2016, 08:24 PM   #68
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I'm totally confused here and don't understand why an Escape fifth wheel is being compared side-by-side with an Arctic Fox trailer when they're vastly different animals. I see the comparisons given as objective but don't get it as they are of different construction, different weight, different size, and the list goes on. While each has its pros and cons, it seems to me that each would appeal to a completely different segment of the population depending on camping style.
Hi Karen,

Sorry for any confusion about the purpose of this thread. I wish I had been more clear in my first post. These two trailers are just the finalist in my personal search. This is not supposed to be some hypothetical comparison between stick built and fiberglass trailers.

I’d really prefer a molded fiberglass trailer, but because of my height there aren’t many choices. I’m tall and need a listed 78” (6’6”) interior height to feel comfortable. I also won’t compromise on a decent size fridge or 78”+ mattress. So the 5.0 TA is pretty much my only choice if I go glass. But it’s missing some of the features I really want in a trailer.

If the 17 foot Bigfoot trailer had a couple more inches of interior height and a few more inches on the mattress, that model would be close to perfect. Or if the 22g was molded fiberglass it would win out over the 5.0 TA too.

So anyway, I just started this thread to find holes in my comparison and to help tip the scales one way or the other. But I’m going to stay on the fence at least until I see the full changes to the 2017 5.0 TA , and see the 22g in person in a couple of weeks.
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Old 03-26-2016, 08:41 PM   #69
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Doesn't read negatively to me, looks pretty objective. They've fixed a couple things that bothered me when I checked them out, the flat roof is gone which is a big plus, and redone the lamination process, another biggie.

My main shopping points at the time were low chance of leaks, high quality, comfortable seating, enough storage, and an 80" bed.

I seem to recall that if I put in a full queen mattress it would either hit the counter or the doors wouldn't close, something like that.

I really liked the AF, other then what I mentioned.

The AF is certainly bigger, meaning more spacious, hence a plus on it's side. The smaller size of the Escape can also be considered a plus on it's side of the scale. depends on your point of view I guess.
Thanks for the feedback. I'll make sure to checkout the mattress's "extendability" when I check over the trailer.
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Old 03-26-2016, 08:53 PM   #70
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Quote:
Originally Posted by yogiyoda View Post
Hi Karen,

Sorry for any confusion about the purpose of this thread. I wish I had been more clear in my first post. These two trailers are just the finalist in my personal search. This is not supposed to be some hypothetical comparison between stick built and fiberglass trailers...

...So anyway, I just started this thread to find holes in my comparison and to help tip the scales one way or the other. But I’m going to stay on the fence at least until I see the full changes to the 2017 5.0 TA , and see the 22g in person in a couple of weeks.
Now I understand better.
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Old 04-02-2016, 12:05 PM   #71
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Hard to compare as they are totally different. I wouldn't even think about towing a 22' trailer....that's why I'm gong to the 5th wheel 5.0TA.
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