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Old 11-09-2013, 11:00 PM   #1
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TV Tailgate Removal & Wardrobe Drawers

Question to all 5.0 owners... How many remove the tailgate from their TV when towing Comments would be appreciated.
Second question to all... I believe I saw a picture in one of the posts of pull out drawers (not shelves) in the wardrobe closet. It showed the closet door opened and the drawers inside. Poster’s comment was that Escape had built these for them as an additional option. I have not been able to find it since... even after a massive search. Can anyone help or am I suffering from “mega posting review” fatigue

Thanks,
Larry
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Old 11-09-2013, 11:20 PM   #2
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Originally Posted by Stargeezer View Post
Question to all 5.0 owners... How many remove the tailgate from their TV when towing Comments would be appreciated.
Second question to all... I believe I saw a picture in one of the posts of pull out drawers (not shelves) in the wardrobe closet. It showed the closet door opened and the drawers inside. Poster’s comment was that Escape had built these for them as an additional option. I have not been able to find it since... even after a massive search. Can anyone help or am I suffering from “mega posting review” fatigue

Thanks,
Larry
Hi: Stargeezer... I have not removed our tailgate while towing. Further I leave the three/fold tonneau cover on the truck too. They can both be closed up when touring around after we're set up for camping.
I know that Hokie Escape built a set of drawers in his 5.0 pantry cupboard... but I can't recall anyone having the wardrobe closet with drawers inside of the door. Sorry!!! Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie
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Old 11-10-2013, 12:07 AM   #3
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Thanks e-a... I take it you don't experience any "drag" with the tailgate in place. Has this ever been an issue for any other owners in the past? A point of discussion?

WRT the drawers, yes I did see Hokie Escape's drawer mod... Great job, but the others had a curved face to them (I believe). My wife thinks I have been spending too much time reviewing all the posts, although I think there is a ton of useful info on this forum.
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Old 11-10-2013, 12:33 AM   #4
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Originally Posted by Stargeezer View Post
Thanks e-a... I take it you don't experience any "drag" with the tailgate in place. Has this ever been an issue for any other owners in the past? A point of discussion?

WRT the drawers, yes I did see Hokie Escape's drawer mod... Great job, but the others had a curved face to them (I believe). My wife thinks I have been spending too much time reviewing all the posts, although I think there is a ton of useful info on this forum.
Hi: Stargeezer... When I'm getting the mpg in the 19.25 range I don't concern myself. I'm sure I could squeak out some more mpg's by leaving the gate at home, but then the truck is of less use touring.
The fellow with the curved front drawers, I believe, did his own cabinets. After all that was his trade!!!
My problem is that so much has happened since '08 when we bought our 5.0 it's hard for me to keep up to the developments. Check out Modifications and alterations pg.13 thread "New inside Mods,Escape17. Guys name Chris R. Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie
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Old 11-10-2013, 03:32 AM   #5
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Smile Tailgate drag is a myth

Mythbusters evaluated that idea:

Driving With Tailgate Up Is Fuel Efficient : Discovery Channel

and decided that the myth is busted.
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Old 11-10-2013, 05:38 AM   #6
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Check out Modifications and alterations pg.13 thread "New inside Mods,Escape17. Guys name Chris R. Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie
Direct link: http://www.escapeforum.org/forums/f8...-17-a-311.html
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Old 11-10-2013, 08:25 AM   #7
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Larry,
I wanted a tailgate on my truck to secure my carry-along stuff. I like the Stromberg RV tailgate I installed on my pickup. Never needing to drop it down to hitch up and worrying about it hitting the trailer while backing. Made of lightweight ABS, paintable, and lockable. As for the installed drawers, I had Reace install ours in the pantry and leaving the closet for hanging clothes and long stuff. Worth the extra $.
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Old 11-10-2013, 11:11 AM   #8
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Even if a tailgate were a bigger aerodynamic problem on a pickup without a trailer, one with a fifth-wheel trailer is quite a different situation - I doubt it makes much difference. I doubt you want to encourage airflow between the truck and trailer at all.

I think the bigger reason for removing the tailgate with a fifth-wheel is the hitching/unhitching hassle that Dave and Sandy mentioned, and tailgates with a cutout section such as their Stromberg Carlson are a common solution. These are traditionally louvered, presumably for aerodynamics, but I wouldn't be surprised if there is no aero benefit. Most that I have seen are metal (could be steel or aluminum), but that Stromberg Carlson is composite... strangely emulating the straight-slat design of the metal ones, I supposed for familiarity in the market.

I haven't towed a fifth-wheel, but I imagine that access to stuff in the back of the box is a pain with the trailer attached: the tailgate would be in the way of moving the stuff if up, and if down it would be in the way of the person trying to reach in. The real solution would be a body designed for towing, rather than a pickup box, but I realize that almost nobody does that on regular pickups, and especially not on the smaller pickups used by Escape owners.
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Old 11-10-2013, 11:35 AM   #9
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Mythbusters evaluated that idea:

Driving With Tailgate Up Is Fuel Efficient : Discovery Channel

and decided that the myth is busted.
Thanks for the link. I'm glad you phrased that as "decided", rather than "determined" or "proved". Mythbusters is entertainment with a science-inspired approach, but few if any of their investigations are sufficiently thorough or rigorous to be of much value. This one is no exception.

Mythbusters is science the way CSI is a documentary about forensics.

The myth, of course is "Driving With Tailgate Down Is More Fuel Efficient", not the opposite which is used as a title.
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Old 11-10-2013, 04:03 PM   #10
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I haven't towed a fifth-wheel, but I imagine that access to stuff in the back of the box is a pain with the trailer attached: the tailgate would be in the way of moving the stuff if up, and if down it would be in the way of the person trying to reach in.
I have to disagree with you on this one Brian. This is my first fifth wheel RV and I like the dynamics so much that I will never own another bumper pull. Use the well designed, self contained 5.0 as is and leave a lot of the extra crap at home. I turn at a 45 degree angle and lower the tailgate for easy access.
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Old 11-10-2013, 07:35 PM   #11
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I have to disagree with you on this one Brian.
...
I turn at a 45 degree angle and lower the tailgate for easy access.
We're not really disagreeing - I'm just speculating based on what I would expect to do; it's good to know that it isn't a problem in your experience. Of course, it isn't always convenient to turn the rig to the desired angle, but that one thing to keep in mind when stopping along the road (such as in a pullout) - whether or not rear box access is desired.

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Use the well designed, self contained 5.0 as is and leave a lot of the extra crap at home.
I agree, but - for instance - in another topic Jude mentioned carrying bikes in the back of the box; it's nice to be able to keep those out of the trailer, and they're hardly "extra crap".

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This is my first fifth wheel RV and I like the dynamics so much that I will never own another bumper pull.
There's no question that locating the hitch near the axle makes for good towing!
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Old 11-10-2013, 07:41 PM   #12
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One thing all of us that are 5er owners (or wannabees) is the bed boxes on trucks are getting taller and that means the depth of a tailgate is getting longer. That may be a concern when the tailgate is in the down position, if you're planning on reaching in and grabbing something out of the box. The bed box height issue is the reason the new 5er is going to be on springs rather than the torsion axle (according to Reace).
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Old 11-10-2013, 08:04 PM   #13
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For my 2011 F150, I found a section of an old cane fishing pole and attached a hook on one end. Just reach in and pull, works like a charm! I tied a string and a cheap carabiner on the other end,to attach to the back tie down in the bed so it doesn't get out of reach. I'm just over 5', so reaching even past the tail gate was almost impossible for me before.
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Old 11-10-2013, 10:48 PM   #14
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I hear your thoughts and concerns. I mouthed off in defense of 5.0's. Fifth wheel RV's are not for everyone. They do reduce your bed space. We learn to manage that. If you want to carry bikes, have the 2" receiver installed. Most 5.0's do including me. I like the fact that a $450 Yeti cooler is relative safe under the trailer nose area of my bed. Yes... you can't get it out with the tailgate locked and the trailer set straight behind the truck.
I think I understand higher bed heights and how that effects the setup. I took a different approach by lowering the truck instead of raising the trailer. Otherwise the step and stabilizers end up too high and that leads to a double step and much more cribbing for the front and rear jacks.
I haven't talked to Reace lately but I suspect he's also thinking that a full size truck is a better match for the new, bigger 5.0. I think it is human nature to load more weight into a larger trailer and or tow.
I think this tread was about tailgates and closet drawers. Sorry I drifted off subject Larry.
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Old 11-10-2013, 11:12 PM   #15
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I haven't talked to Reace lately but I suspect he's also thinking that a full size truck is a better match for the new, bigger 5.0. I think it is human nature to load more weight into a larger trailer and or tow.
I believe that the logic was the other way around (a taller and wider trailer to match the increasing height of trucks and near-demise of compacts), but compact truck owners are finding that even the original 5.0 can push their payload capacity, and the logic works both ways.

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I think this tread was about tailgates and closet drawers. Sorry I drifted off subject
The access issues are on-topic for tailgates, although the original question was about aero drag and tailgates. I took the discussion off that question, too!

I note, by the way, that the louvered tailgates from Stromberg Carlson are available only for full-sized pickup trucks, not for the Ranger, Colorado, Tacoma, and Frontier popular with owners of Escape-sized trailers. That's just one manufacturer, but I wouldn't be surprised if a compact truck owner only has the choice of keeping the stock tailgate, removing it entirely and running with none, or custom-building. I had a quick look online, and couldn't find anything (other than possibly nets) for less-than-fullsize - the cut-down fifth-wheel version is really unlikely.
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Old 11-11-2013, 12:33 AM   #16
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I note, by the way, that the louvered tailgates from Stromberg Carlson are available only for full-sized pickup trucks, not for the Ranger, Colorado, Tacoma, and Frontier popular with owners of Escape-sized trailers.
The reason that OEM's like S-C have not made 5th wheel tailgates for the trucks that you referred to is because the manufacturers of these vehicles did not intend them to be used as 5th wheel TVs. But then in fairness, they never heard of Escape Trailers either!!! Escape simply designed a 5th to match the mid-size truck. Now here is something interesting that I heard from a Nissan dealer. Because of the popularity of Ford's Eco-Boost engine, Ford is considering going back into the mid-size truck market, closely followed by Dodge & Chevy. In the mean time Nissan & Toyota have probably torn apart a hundred or so Eco- Boost engines and are planing to bring out their versions as early as 2014. Wouldn't it be great if one had the choice of five mid-size trucks from five different manufactures, all providing regular efficiency and then, when required, that extra jump in hp & torque!!!

Dave & Sandy, no apology needed as one can see from my drifting off topic. However, I have found that quite often, following "drifting" dialogue has lead to points that I didn't even consider. In the end, it was extremely helpful in arriving at an objective and well thought out conclusion.

I say, please continue... it's GREAT!!!

Thank again to all for sharing your experiences & thoughts!!!

Larry
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Old 11-11-2013, 01:19 AM   #17
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If members stayed strictly on-topic, there would be very little of interest on the forum.
Think of it as a conversation.
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Old 11-11-2013, 05:28 AM   #18
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Hi: Stargeezer... You should have seen the looks I got when I towed our Frontier/Escape 5.0 combo up in front of our local Nissan Dealership. Near emptied the showroom!!! Like you state "They never heard of Escape trailers either".
IMHO Ford dropped the ball deleting the Ranger from the N/A. market. It's just that they make to much money on F150's!!!
BTW...did you find your "Drawers"? Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie
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Old 11-11-2013, 05:48 PM   #19
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Because of the popularity of Ford's Eco-Boost engine, Ford is considering going back into the mid-size truck market, closely followed by Dodge & Chevy
In all reports I've seen, Ford hasn't seriously reconsidered its decision to skip their compact (the worldwide Ranger) for North America. The order for a couple of years has been Chevy is leading the game (worldwide Colorado due here next year), Ford is sitting on the sidelines for now, and Ram is playing a different game (focusing on their 1500, without even a plan for anything smaller).

If that has changed and a Ranger is coming, great. I assume that it still won't be accepted in the aftermarket as a fifth-wheel tug.

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In the mean time Nissan & Toyota have probably torn apart a hundred or so Eco- Boost engines and are planing to bring out their versions as early as 2014.
I doubt there's anything Ford can teach Toyota about engines; Toyota has done advanced turbodiesels and direct injection gasoline engines for years. When (and if) the market and economics are right, I assume they'll release a direct-injection gas engine in the same market segments as the EcoBoost. That will likely be a good thing for people towing Escape-sized trailers.

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Originally Posted by Stargeezer View Post
Wouldn't it be great if one had the choice of five mid-size trucks from five different manufactures, all providing regular efficiency and then, when required, that extra jump in hp & torque!!!
I agree
... but don't hold your breath waiting. I understand why Escape may be assuming that the bulk of future customers will be using a full-size truck.
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Old 11-12-2013, 10:25 PM   #20
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Hi Alf,
I can just imagine what you experienced at the dealership by having an actual trailer to show. I only had a B&W picture of the TA mock-up c/w SA spec sheet and I got nearly the same!!! Reaction... Wow, where did you find that When I told them they were made some 100 miles down the road (oh... one has to cross the Salish Sea), they just stared at me as well. I promised to bring the TA over for a "lookie see" when we pick it up at the end of April.

Regarding the drawers, no I still haven't found them. I'm beginning to believe my wife who says I have probably been dreamin' em!!! But then again, I turned 65 in July!!!

HAVE A GREAT DAY!!!
Thanks,
Larry
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