Choices, Choices

Parker · 03-25-2013, 01:16 PM

My wife and I are getting down to the last few choices of options for our new 19', which if all goes well, will be tagging along behind our Highlander some time in June. The biggies left for us are the twin 6V batteries and the front storage box. So here goes....On the battery issue, we've stayed off the grid in national parks a few times for up to a week. We carried a generator just for the occasional recharge, but mostly got by with a small solar panel. We are ordering the solar panel option with the Escape. We have very modest power needs, having already converted to LEDs. It's mostly the water pump, furnace blower, and Fantastic roof fan drawing from the battery in our 16' Casita. So I'm thinking about going with the 12V battery and only switching to the two 6V batteries if we decide the 12V doesn't have the capacity for our needs after a couple of years of camping.

On the front box, we're leaning toward getting one for things like chocks, bag chairs, extra shoes, and other miscellaneous stuff that we don't really want inside with us. We're really tired of living out of the back of our Highlander, where we keep our food supplies, cook gear, extra clothes, and so forth....so hopefully all that's coming inside with us. We're in agreement that the box doesn't seem to add to the lines of the Escape, but it's not bad I guess. And then tying this back to the battery question, I can install two 6V batteries up there someday if we think it's worth it. Or put them under the bench, which I guess can be done.

I welcome comments on both these things. Is anyone sorry they got the box? We try not to bring a lot of extra stuff with us, but we also carry bikes (will be on the back of the Escape) and an inflatable kayak (inside the car), so a little extra space would probably be helpful.

Don't know what more to add, so I'll stop!

Thanks,
Parker

Vermilye · 03-25-2013, 01:31 PM

With LED lighting, the solar option & a pair of 6V batteries, I have no problem living off the grid while running the furnace 45 minutes per day, a power hungry laptop an hour or so, various battery chargers, a cell phone amplifier & router that draw 2 amps for a couple of hours per day & making a pot of coffee each morning using an inverter & a 4 cup drip coffee maker. Managed 13 days in partial shade with the batteries back up to full each day, usually by noon. The only time I continuously lost ground was a 4 day stay at Apgar campground in Glacier - very heavy shade. I don't carry a generator.

I love the front box. I keep my power cord, water hoses, camp chairs, a small folding table for campgrounds that don't have picnic tables, my propane grill/stove & spare bottles, and a couple of plastic boxes for messy stuff like ant spray, charcoal lighter, liquid wax, etc.

Jim Bennett · 03-25-2013, 01:35 PM

Parker, I think the combination of options is as many as there are Escape owners, and what works some would not work for others.

I am not set up with solar, so the twin 6V has been a great option. We have never come near close to lacking power for up to 5 days off grid. I think with the solar option, and your minimal needs for power storage, that the single 12V should work just fine. Like you say, not too tough to convert later if really needed.

The storage box was not available when we got our trailer, nor do we have any need for one at this point of our lives. Maybe when we retire and go for extended trips, beyond the couple weeks we get at a time now. But we find we have lots of left over storage as it is, with little that goes into the tow vehicle. I think the 19 seems to have a lot more storage than the 17 or 15 though. I also agree with you that I much prefer the lines of the trailer without one. We do pack way more minimally than many do though, and really don't want to be hauling around a lot of unnecessary weight. Again, this is another option that can be added later.

For us, air conditioning was the same thing. We decided to wait until we knew we would need it before we got it, and we are glad that we did. There have only been a few times in 4 years where it would have been used, and even then we were just fine.

The one thing I know for certain on these two options, is that there will be lots of opposing options.

dave macrae · 03-25-2013, 02:00 PM

The solar set up that Escape offers is nice, the only issue I could see for you with only 1 12v is that if there are a few cloudy rainy days or a camping spot with limited sun for the panel your single 12 v may struggle.

RickM · 03-25-2013, 02:05 PM

Parker, we also have the Highlander/19 Escape setup with the front storage box.plus bikes in the rear. The box is very handy for us. Before Escape offer the storage box, we had one of those pickup truck "T" boxes,

http://www.escapeforum.org/forums/f1...ghts-1104.html

When Escape came out with their storage box, well, the rest is history.

SeldomSeen · 03-25-2013, 02:31 PM

We will be towing our new 19 back to the Buckeye State in July. For the record, we opted against the box, but with a 6-1/2 ft box on the F-150 I think we can get by without it. I decided to go with the dual 6V, and solar ready. Its just hard to know for sure, but I can add on latter. This is a luxury suite after our pop-up, so we need some run time before we add anything else!

Make sure you fill us in on your trip, especially any interesting places you find to camp along the way home. West of Montana is new ground for us.

Glenn

JohnB · 03-25-2013, 05:34 PM

Another advantage of the box is that it has the protective rock guard paint covering which serves to protect the trailer itself from damage due to rocks being thrown up by the tow vehicle. We have the 15' which has far less storage space than a 19' and find the box to be a big asset for holding stuff that gets wet or dirty like the chocks, hoses, power chord etc that you mentioned, as well as a ground mat that we put outside the entry door.

We have the 2 6V, in the box, plus solar. The 2 batteries take up a lot of the box space. If there is an option to get the battery(s) inside under the front seat then it would free up a good portion of the usable space in the box. My understanding is that some have the battery under the front bench seat on the 19', like Jim Bennett. My understanding is there is a venting issue if inside and the batteries need to be in a sealed and vented space if inside?

I have no comment on 1 12V vs 2 6V. We went first with the 2 6V, all LED, and after a short time added the solar so as not to have to be concerned about the batteries running down. Never got a good test of how the 2 6V supply worked before we added the solar. Others comments are best to go on for that option.

cpaharley2008 · 03-25-2013, 07:05 PM

I have the solar and one battery, I had Reace put in a group 29 battery, the biggest he could find with 120 amp hours available. My daily needs are around 30 a/h so I'm well below my capacity. The good thing with 12v, you can add another if need be and you have a spare 12v for your tow vehicle if necessary. Go read "12v side of life" to calculate your daily needs here The 12volt Side of Life (Part 1)
that will help you determine your needs and explain how. By noon the next day your solar has your battery 100% charged. Saves you room and weight from dual 6 volts if you do not need them!!

Parker · 03-25-2013, 07:45 PM

All,

This has been really helpful. It sounds like my ideas for getting the box and sticking with the 12V battery (maybe a group 29) will likely suit our needs. I thought about maybe starting off like Jim B without the box and then adding it later if we think we need it, but shipping it from BC to Ohio would surely be very costly, and then I have to move propane tanks with likely cutting and welding in the tongue area to do all this. And I like the idea of the protection it affords the body of the camper, as a trip to Alaska remains on our bucket list. Thank you all very much, kind people!

Parker

hotfishtacos · 03-25-2013, 09:44 PM

We just love the box on the front of our 19'! Inside we've the following:

4 six volt batteries
4 Lynx Pads
Hose Nozzle Bar
Hitch Security Pin
2 7/8" Wrenches
Water Filler
Plug Converter
Locking Hitch Ball
Water Thief
Hose Couplings
Hitch Pry Bar
Camp Light Pole
Camp Light Clamps
50' White Hose
Trailer Power Cord
2 Orange Levelers
2 Wood Boards
4 Chocks
1 X-Chock
Black Hose
Flushing Valve
Hose Holder
Jack Crank

Love it!

LeonardS · 03-25-2013, 10:15 PM

to those that have this awesome looking box:

Has using it significantly increased your tongue weight?

ddevin · 03-25-2013, 11:21 PM

After two summers we returned to the factory to have the box added, and what a great addition! We travel very light, but it's great to have a place to carry your matt, axe, chocks, hoses, tackle box etc. We have solar with two 6V batteries, and never have to even think about power, camping in the winter with the furnace running, or for two weeks at a time in the shade. We only used our AC once in Sacramento, but our 11 yr. old German Shepherd Dog may have died without it! We now want to add the raised lights since we carry bikes, and convert our cupboard to drawers.

Mountain Mike · 03-25-2013, 11:48 PM

The storage box on the front is a great option. We put all our set up gear in it, hose, levellers, power cord, etc. When we leave on a trip we know that gear is already on board the trailer. The two 6V batteries work well as we don't have the solar option. If I was to do it allover again, I'd go with solar, and one 12V battery unless I had an inverter, then I would go with two 6V batteries

hotfishtacos · 03-26-2013, 12:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LeonardS

to those that have this awesome looking box:

Has using it significantly increased your tongue weight?

Mine's pretty heavy at around 500 lbs but I have 4 six volt batteries in there, about 13% tongue weight (which is fine), + one solar panel...soon 2... and a 2500 watt inverter, 3900 loaded total.

Steve

Parker · 03-26-2013, 07:30 AM

Hotfishtacos, that's a lot of stuff!

I'm pretty well convinced on the box by now, and still planning to start off with a 12V battery. When I read about all the high wattage appliances and inverters that folks run, I think we'll be fine with our LED lights, fan, and furnace operation off the single battery.

This thread is opening up more questions! Raised lights? We'll be carrying bikes as well, and I didn't know about an option to raise the tail lights. Are these additional lights, or are the originals re-positioned? Luckily we heard about the option to get a slightly smaller AC unit, the Polar Cub, which seems to be more compatible with a 2000 watt generator. Is there a compilation of all these things somewhere? I'm really glad I got into the forum this far in advance of our delivery date.

cpaharley2008 · 03-26-2013, 08:37 AM

Escape will install a second set of tail lights vertically up higher so that the original tail lights are not obstructed by bikes or anything you may carry. I'd recommend the exterior LED package for all your lights and the second set. Also the led interior package.
If you wish to post what options you are thing about then I'm sure you will get opinions on them. Also there are pictures under several owner's posts of these options, it takes some time to go thru them, but it is a nice learning process as to what Escape will do for you. Also there are some "hidden" changes that may help also.

dave macrae · 03-26-2013, 09:35 AM

I wish I had known about the table option that hooks to the front wall instead of the pedestal, it would have worked better for us. Just a example of some of the hidden options

Parker · 03-26-2013, 10:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dave macrae

I wish I had known about the table option that hooks to the front wall instead of the pedestal, it would have worked better for us. Just a example of some of the hidden options

What would have been the advantage for you? Do you make the table into a bed on occasion? Otherwise, I think the pedestal with the sliding table top will work for us.

Parker · 03-26-2013, 10:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

Escape will install a second set of tail lights vertically up higher so that the original tail lights are not obstructed by bikes or anything you may carry. I'd recommend the exterior LED package for all your lights and the second set. Also the led interior package.
If you wish to post what options you are thing about then I'm sure you will get opinions on them. Also there are pictures under several owner's posts of these options, it takes some time to go thru them, but it is a nice learning process as to what Escape will do for you. Also there are some "hidden" changes that may help also.

I've converted our Casita to LEDs inside, plus the porch light, and assumed I'd move those over to the Escape since the next owner of the Casita may not be that interested in them. I also have LED taillights on the Casita and will definitely go with those on the Escape.

I'll put together a list of what we're settling in on and see what folks think. Great idea.

santacruzer · 03-26-2013, 10:21 AM

I would opine that it would be just as easy to let Escape put in the LEDs, rather than you doing a swap. You won't have to worry about the the bulbs matching the fixtures, or having the correct number of bulbs for the number of light fixtures. And, wouldn't having the LEDs already installed in the Casita be a selling point you could use with a potential buyer? If you like the color temperature of your present LEDs, Escape would probably match that at no extra charge.

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