Service Department

[Iowa Dave]

There’s a guy who could make some serious money as a mobile RV Tech in my opinion. He shepherded several jobs for us and they were all very well done. And a good person to explain what you were looking at. He could answer questions before you asked them. On the solar controller he told me “now listen 90% is a hundred percent and you’ll only occasionally be present to see 100 percent once in a while. I took him at his word and sure enough have only seen 100% a few times by 90% most every day. When a sleeve of solo cups bounced around and flipped.a d I p switch in the cupboard and I had to call the controller folks I told him about it the next spring. “Beer cups got you eh?”
Iowa Dave

[pkgman51]

Originally Posted by kathytony1985

We're going to make a trip next year to the Midwest. We have a daughter and grandkids in New Ulm, MN. Always wanted to check out the SPAM museum. Seen some You Tube videos. Looks like fun!

I've been to the Spam Museum, Austin, MN, several times and usually stop in when traveling in that direction. But, for me, Austin, MN is even more famous for a place called "Piggy Blues", on the main street through "downtown". Great pulled pork and something called "Deep Fried Creamed Corn". Great stuff!

[Iowa Dave]

In the heyday of Midwestern meat packing, there were a number of canned meat products. They advertised regularly on our local stations. SPAM. BIF, TREET, MOR. to name a few without research.
Armour, Swift, Cudahy, Hormel, John Morrell, and of course my home town’s biggest processing plant in the world at one time Wilson’s. While “The Jungle” was not required reading when I went to school. many of my classmates parents and grandkids parents lived it.
Iowa Dave

[Jim Bennett]

Nigel, also known as Mini Reace. At least in the past.

[scubarx]

Originally Posted by oldwave

Oliver also has a service department, but the price is high

As compared to.....

[oldwave]

Originally Posted by scubarx

As compared to.....

Escapes naturally.

[emers382]

Originally Posted by Iowa Dave

There’s a guy who could make some serious money as a mobile RV Tech in my opinion. He shepherded several jobs for us and they were all very well done. And a good person to explain what you were looking at. He could answer questions before you asked them. On the solar controller he told me “now listen 90% is a hundred percent and you’ll only occasionally be present to see 100 percent once in a while. I took him at his word and sure enough have only seen 100% a few times by 90% most every day. When a sleeve of solo cups bounced around and flipped.a d I p switch in the cupboard and I had to call the controller folks I told him about it the next spring. “Beer cups got you eh?”
Iowa Dave

Nigel was great for us when we took our old single axle 5.0 in for a few things in 2017 he went through all he'd done on pickup including putting a fuse on the battery, something they didn't do in 2007, and at no charge!

[algonquin50]

I've been to Escape several times since my 5.0 purchase in 2017....mainly just stopped by to say hi to the folks I knew there.......they were happy to fix a couple lights and some minor stuff....out of warranty however, they looked pretty busy with new stuff......I am guessing that if they did do work
It would get pretty expensive fast....just my .02 worth.

[captmath]

Originally Posted by Doug2000

I doubt the Winnebago factory is doing post build mods, they leave that up to the dealers.

I agree with everything you said. I only note that Escape is the dealer.

[algonquin50]

He is right about solar.....most dealerships install a PWM type controller the MPPT controller will give you 30% more power.....the PWM controller is cheaper though.....so I'll take a wild guess that's why they're used by dealers. Anyway.....

[scubarx]

Originally Posted by oldwave

Escapes naturally.

What was your process to make the comparison?

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by scubarx

What was your process to make the comparison?

Thinking, I would imagine. [emoji6]

[oldwave]

Originally Posted by scubarx

What was your process to make the comparison?

The comment was about the costs of the trailers. Which is published information.

[Perry Butler]

Originally Posted by algonquin50

He is right about solar.....most dealerships install a PWM type controller the MPPT controller will give you 30% more power.....the PWM controller is cheaper though.....so I'll take a wild guess that's why they're used by dealers. Anyway.....

MPPT work slightly better in cold weather (<30F, for perhaps 5%) and can handle higher voltage panels, but 30%, no way. I saw no difference when I switched to a Victron MPPT controller, but the Victron gives history to better monitor the system. The GoPower is just a cheap controller, but for charging is every bit as fast as our Victron.

Enjoy,

Perry

[Jim Bennett]

If panel voltage is 18V and the charge voltage is at 14V, the excess voltage is wasted with the PWM controller, and an MPPT controller effectively uses the full input voltage, the added benefit is 18/14, or 1.286, thus an approximate 29% improvement. Of course, this number would decrease with higher charge voltages.

To be fair if we looked at the reduction in effectiveness, rather that the increase, it would be 14/18, or 0.778, or 22% reduction. Again, this number would improve at a higher charge voltage.

All this said in the majority of circumstances the PWM will still charge the batteries full, and that is what really matters. Plus, absolute accuracy of course is not in my calculations.

I know, I know, my knowledge of stuff is under question these days, but I am okay with that. My wife sometimes has the same question. [emoji16]

[algonquin50]

I think many of these solar questions depend on how you camp...I often camp for 6 weeks in remote areas...so solar efficiency is very important to me...I even soldered all my connections and got a little more pwr.....if you do three day trips, remember your batteries ate already fully charged when you arrive...so your few amps from solar is fine.

[escape artist]

Originally Posted by Iowa Dave

There’s a guy who could make some serious money as a mobile RV Tech in my opinion. He shepherded several jobs for us and they were all very well done. And a good person to explain what you were looking at. He could answer questions before you asked them. On the solar controller he told me “now listen 90% is a hundred percent and you’ll only occasionally be present to see 100 percent once in a while. I took him at his word and sure enough have only seen 100% a few times by 90% most every day. When a sleeve of solo cups bounced around and flipped.a d I p switch in the cupboard and I had to call the controller folks I told him about it the next spring. “Beer cups got you eh?”
Iowa Dave

Hi: Iowa Dave... Our local "Tims" used to have an anual contest called Roll up the wim to rin!!! Some cups were printed with "Win a bagel". I always wanted to go in and ask for my "Winnabago" but I only got cups that said "Please try again"!!! Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

[citabria90]

Originally Posted by RangerMan

I've seen this expression several times and now I just gotta ask. What is meant by 'The Escape Kool Aid'?

I believe the "Escape Kool-Aid" is a take on "The Electric Kool-Aid Test," by Tom Wolfe, 1968.

[Bobbie54]

No, I think it is the Jim Jones Kool-Aid. h
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drinking_the_Kool-Aid

[Farmgirl]

Originally Posted by Iowa Dave

My not so steel trap fast mind had to flip through a few months back to Fourth of July weekend in 2019 when I had conversation with a nice lady in the parking lot of the HyVee grocery store. She was towing a new Scamp. She told me she was headed to Minnesota to camp and then to the Scamp factory to have an awning and an air conditioner installed. She told me she bought without and tried the camper without and decided she’d like these things added. Scamp does aftermarket work on their trailers.
In addition On the Casita website there is a protocol for owners bringing their trailers in for service that includes removing personal gear, scheduling etc.
So while Winnebago depends on dealers one of which is located a mile from the factory and has a long standing relationship with the factory, cursory investigation reveals that Scamp and Casita both offer Service after the Sale. And Escape used to in the Reace and Tammy days.
Iowa Dave
https://www.scamptrailers.com/
https://casitatraveltrailers.com/

One of the reasons I bought Escape and not Scamp was the nearby after purchase service. (I live in the Puget Sound area, about two hours from Chilliwack.) I had no idea that control was about to transfer to a private equity fund. I would still have bought my Escape, but at least I could have anticipated the end of the excellent consumer service provided by Reece and Tammy!