19' Escape

[Bob120]

Hello everyone,

Our 19’ is scheduled for completion on April 30th 2010. Weather permitting; we plan to drive from Southern Ontario to Chilliwack the last week of April to take delivery. We are downsizing from a 34’ 5th wheel and plan to use the trailer in retirement, as an escape to warmer climates. In fact, if it’s not already in use, we might consider naming the trailer Winter as in “Winter Escape”. Retirement, unfortunately, is a couple of years away.

This past fall, Alf the escape artist from the N.S. of Lake Erie, was kind enough to give us a tour of his 5.0. We were very impressed with the fit and finish and particularly liked the idea of small light weight trailer that would be towable by more fuel efficient vehicles. For now we will use our existing tow vehicle a 2009 Silverado 2500 HD Duramax diesel. A little over kill and not very fuel efficient.

The forum has been very helpful to us as we have worked through the list of options. We have selected most of the standard items but one thing I think we will change is the cushion color. We are also undecided about the mattress. Should we upgrade to a thicker one?

The locking tool box on the tongue to house the batteries and hold stuff sounds like a good idea. I read that the Cabela’s slim line seems to be the box of choice. Has anyone found a Canadian made alternative? Are there downsides to installing this box? Will it look out of place? Does it put too much additional weight on the tongue when loaded? Reace did indicate that it could impair the turning radius a little. Would it eliminate the need for stone guards?

Bob and Irene

[Hokie Escape]

congrats to you both, and good questions, that will be answered "post haste" by some of our "19' parents". I'm sure when the 1st 19 with box comes off the lot, there will be some great pictures.

[escape artist]

Hi: Bob& Irene...Thanks for the nod...the pleasure was all mine. We have an 8" thick 60X80 full queen size "memory foam mattress" instead of the stock 60X76 RV queen one. IMHO, "there are no other KINDZ". The mattress really does refresh your memory!!!
I believe the first owners swapped it out at the factory as well as having the dual fuel elect./propane water heater installed.
The 19'ers have a full 60X80 queen size bed platform so you can install any mattress thickness you want. Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

[Bruce Wray]

Hi Bob-

We ordered our Escape with the dual 6v batteries, and are glad we did; we've spent as many as 4 nights on the batteries alone and still had a very good charge. I figure they'd easily be good for 1 or 2 more nights with good power management. We also went with all LED lighting, that helps. The dual 6v's are housed in the trailer under the right front bench, I don't know if single 12v's are mounted there or not, but suspect they are. That location doesn't detract from the ample storage space in the 19. Further, we chose the dual propane tanks, and that takes most of the available tongue space. As far as a box goes, I know of a couple of manufacturers here in the States who will make custom sized aluminum boxes of whatever size you specify. Their principle use is in whitewater multiday rafting trips. They are light, sturdy, and of course, water tight. They are not cheap, however -- maybe $400 (?) American, or more . If you're interested, I can give you the websites.

My wife and I (and the dog, when she can get away with it) are very satisfied with the stock 60x80 mattress, and we're particular about what we sleep on (crummy backs). We figured if we weren't happy with it we could add a 2" memory foam topper. We have a couple of weeks worth of nights on the mattress, and see no need for the topper.

I know you'll enjoy your Escape, it's a superior product.

Bruce

[Hokie Escape]

We added the 2" topper the second night, and have found it to sleep just like our Tempur-pedic at home. With the 19' you don't have any height limitations, as we do in the 5.0. So, like Bruce, try it, you may like it! If not, there's a Wally-World just down the road, and they'll be glad to sell you a topper.

Bob, we will be picking up our 17B net Tuesday, and we are bringing the Cabela's box with us for Reace to install. I'll be taking pictures of the installation, and also looking at the 19 footer in production that will also be using this box. If I can, I'll post them here so you can see what they look like. I can't tell you how well it will work until we use it a while, but should be able to report back before you have to make your decision.

Jerry

[Jim Bennett]

Bob, congrats to you and Irene on your purchase. You will be very happy with it. Your story sounds like ours, downsizing for a bigger stick-built ourselves, with the intention of longer trips upon retirement, which is a few years out for us yet.

I am curious to see what the setup of the tanks and box looks like. I plan to do something similar in time myself.

[GoCougsKev]

Bob,

As far as the added weight, the box itself is really light for its size, maybe 25-30 pounds at the most. Someone mentioned about the location of the batteries under the front seat and that there was no space left on the tongue with the duel propane tanks. The 19' is no longer being built to this configuration. The two propane bottles are being mounted perpendicular to the frame vs. inline with the frame which creates about 16-18" of space between the propane bottles and body of the trailer. Reace is now installing the batteries in this location, but in my case the box will be installed in this location with the batteries in the box. Reace is mounting the box about 6" above the frame for clearance in case my parents decide they want a weight distribution hitch installed. The box will act as a rock guard to some degree in this configuration, however I will most likely get a sheet of diamond plate and cut it up and bend / mold it into shape to extend the boxes perimeter (weld it into place) to act as a full rock guard and to make the box fit the trailer like a glove.

Because the box will extend the front corners of the trailer, it might be possible if you were turning really sharp that the tow vehicles rear corners may come into contact with the box. Again, this would only occur during an extreme turn, in which you could weld on a stop near the hitch that would act as a bumper or just extend the hitch…but I will just wait and see how it turns out and go from there.

BTW, I looked into custom boxes; it will cost you BIG BUCKS! I will take pictures of the trailer when it is completed and give a full report on the box and how well it works, probably in the next 2-3 weeks.

[escape artist]

Hi: Bob& Irene... and congrats. on your new 19" Escape!!! I was just curious about the level of your tow Did you talk to Reace about it? I don't know what the tongue height of the 19'er is, or how low of a hitch/stinger you can install on your truck. Escape can put on the axle lift and you can use a drop stinger and then if you change tugs in the future it could be readjusted. I know some members here tow with 4X4 Toyota Highlanders and have the axle lift on their trailer. Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

[GoCougsKev]

Originally Posted by escape artist

Hi: Bob& Irene... and congrats. on your new 19" Escape!!! I was just curious about the level of your tow Did you talk to Reace about it? I don't know what the tongue height of the 19'er is, or how low of a hitch/stinger you can install on your truck. Escape can put on the axle lift and you can use a drop stinger and then if you change tugs in the future it could be readjusted. I know some members here tow with 4X4 Toyota Highlanders and have the axle lift on their trailer. Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

Why would someone tailor the height of the trailer to the tow vehicle? Why not just get an adjustable hitch? If you change tow vehicles, just spend the 5 minutes adjusting the height of the hitch. Unless someone has a vehicle that is jacked up several feet, the adjustable hitch will work for any factory vehicle.

[escape artist]

Hi: GoCougsKev... A fullsize 3/4 ton 4X4 diesel pickup will stand fairly Tall!!! I know there are stingers that will drop dn. to some * but will it be enough for a level tow That was the crux of my question!!! Some smaller SUV 4X4 owners here have the axle lift on their trailers for the same reason.
I know Bob& Irene are coming down from a bigger stick built 5th. to a lightweight straight fiberglass trailer and will need a regular hitch. I'm just not sure of the required heights. Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

[Jim Bennett]

Alf, you can get a dropped hitch up to 6" in 1" increments if you look for them. The ball on my '02 Ford F250 with a Powerstroke engine, is about 24" to center of the ball on a straight hitch. Only 3" higher then my Pilot, but the Pilot is built in, in the factory setting it up into the bumper a bit.

[GoCougsKev]

Here is an 8" drop hitch (adjustable in 1" increments) that will accept a weight distribution hitch and anti sway bar. This particular hitch is a class III hitch, 1000 pounds tongue and has a 10,000 pound tow capacity, plenty for the Escape. You can also purchase these in a 10" and 12" total drop. This drop should be plenty, even for a stock super duty truck. They make these even with a greater drop, but the weight capacities of the hitch will also decrease, but again, this shouldnt be much of a issue if your only using it for an Escape trailer.

Twelve inches of travel will sure beat the heck out of a 3" axle lift, not to mention it is cheaper and a lot more flexible. You can go with the axle lift, but then you have to step into a taller trailer, have less clearance and so forth. But your right, a 3" axle lift alone will not cut it for a super duty truck, you will still have to get a hitch similar to this, so really no need for the axle lift if this is the only consideration.

[Bob120]

Thanks for all the help and comments. This forum is invaluable!

I think we will stick with the standard mattress. Sounds like it should be fine.

Bruce, I would be interested looking at the web site for the custom boxes.

Gerry and GoCougsKev I will be looking forward to pictures especially if you can get any of the brackets that are added to accommodate the box. Should we decide to have the trailer shipped back here, then the box would need to be added after delivery.

Alf, I did order the axle lift but mainly because our driveway slopes up and I would like to be able to back the unit in. I thought the axle lift might keep the back bumper from digging into the asphalt. That would have been impossible for my last trailer, but given the short distance from the wheels to the bumper on the Escape, that might not be a problem.
The throat of my truck hitch is about 21” from the ground. I would guess that would put the top of the ball at about 23”. The weight of the trailer should push that down by 1”, I have Timbrens installed so it really wouldn’t be able to lower the hitch more than that. If the trailer is not level at that point I will use the adjustable drop hitch as suggested.
We are going to try the trailer without a weight distribution hitch or sway bar and see how it goes.

[Geo]

congrats on your trailer
Ours well be ready in August 5,
What options did you get.
What are your thoughts on trailer covers?
We live an hour from the escape manf.
Did a tour and liked what I saw.
George
gvandongen@yahoo.com

[jlgray]

Hello All Escapees,

Last week we took delivery of our Escape 19 from the factory and after reading this thread, we thought to use this opportunity to introduce ourselves. We live in Marysville, WA about 10 minutes from I-5 and two hours from the factory. We are fairly new to trailering, having had a tent trailer, but are experienced boaters who cruise in a 25 foot Ranger Tug so working with small spaces is well within our comfort zone. We are new to some of the systems and will continue to look for tips and wisdom on this forum.

We have spent the last three days getting the trailer set up. We do our own modifications and drilling holes is no longer an emotional experience. We have added 12 volt fans, stereo system that plays the iPod and the movies from the laptop. We also ordered the trailer with twin 6-volt batteries that are mounted between the cabin and the dual propane tanks.

We pull it with a 1/2 ton Dodge quad-cab with 4 wheel drive and the trailer is hardly noticed. Our usual 16 MPG dropped to 12 MPG but we are quite used to 9 MPG when pulling the 8,200 pound tug down the highway. The truck is the mobile storage unit that carries the folding bikes, the scuba dive gear, and the generator (should it be needed).

In mid-March we are heading on a two-week trip to Southern California, Tucson and friends in Phoenix.

Love the product and look forward to hearing from you.

John & Laurie Gray
19' Escape

Originally Posted by Bob120

Gerry and GoCougsKev I will be looking forward to pictures especially if you can get any of the brackets that are added to accommodate the box. Should we decide to have the trailer shipped back here, then the box would need to be added after delivery.

I am attempting to attach a picture of the "trailer" portion of the 19' Escape that is modified to accept a box on the tongue. You can see the raised framing just behind the propane tank mount. Hope this helps.

[Bob120]

Congratulations George. We did not have the benefit of a factory visit before we committed, so it’s good to hear your comments about the visit helping you to make up your mind. We tried to ordered options that we thought we might like, but that would be difficult to add in the future, such as the high lift axle, solar, extra insulation and thermal windows. Changes to cushion colour, cabinet shelving/storage are things we felt could be altered in the future without too much difficulty if needed.

We did order the custom fit cover, but we have no experience with them. I just hope it doesn’t end up stored in our basement along with a few of our other great ideas. Our winter storage area has probably over 200 trailers and while many have their wheels covered, I see none with a custom cover. Perhaps they are just too difficult to put on the bigger units. We don’t have indoor storage like Alf does, so I thought it would at least help to keep the ice and snow off. Many have suggested it is more for keeping the sun off the fibreglass. I expect to keep this trailer for a long time so if the cover keeps it looking good for a few extra years, then it will have been a worthwhile purchase.

Bob

[Jim Bennett]

John and Laurie, congratulations on your purchase. We have really enjoyed the benefits of our 19.

[Bob120]

Thanks Mike M for the picture of the raised frame. Can I assume this is done to allow space for the equalizer hitch? Probably a good idea to have this added during the frame construction if I have any intention of adding some type of box down the road.
Bob