Why Escape -- and not Casita, or Scamp, or something else? - Page 2 - Escape Trailer Owners Community
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Old 09-25-2012, 08:22 PM   #21
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Re: Why Escape -- and not Casita, or Scamp, or something else?

I can appreciate no rivets. They are also on Airstreams.

I like Scamp 5.0s though because they look like camels.
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Old 09-26-2012, 04:51 PM   #22
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Re: Why Escape -- and not Casita, or Scamp, or something else?

I bought a 17' Escape last year and have gone camping with friends who bought a 17' Casita at about the same time. Both are nice trailers and have good and bad points. When I show out trailer to others I also bring up the Casita and its strengths and weakness. I like my Escape better, but the Casita is a nice trailer.
Some of the pros and cons of each trailer that I see are:

Escape pros:
• More customizable- ‘You want to change something, sure…’
• More ‘standard’ options – ‘Help me pick my options…’
• More open- Windows at both ends make the trailer feel big and roomie.
• Better assembly- The 2 halves and cabinet mounts are attached using fiberglass vs. rivets; more secure and less maintenance.
• More 'niceities' like tank level indicators, awning doesn't drip down door...
Escape cons:
• Harder to flush blackwater tank (no window in bathroom to bring in hose)
• Can't tilt the awning much to stop the water from pooling.
• A side window does not open very wide with awning up.

Casita pros:
• Freshwater tank inside trailer- less concern with freezing.
• Larger grey water tank.
• Larger standard refrigerator.
• Bigger bed and bathroom.
• Selection of different layouts (dinette vs. captain chairs).
• Large back window opens- more ventilation within trailer.
• Cost- definitely cheaper than an Escape.
• You can open door with awning at an angle (to drain water) and my Escape's door drags along the awning
Casita cons:
• Too many rivets.
• A feeling of claustrophobic- due to the bathroom at the front, you lose the openness of the Escape.
• Poor heater placement (noisy intake)
• Frame is not as strong, cannot handle any weight at bumper and recommend reinforcing if you attach a bike rack.
• Web site sucks (can’t get much of a perspective of the trailer from the limited number of pictures)

Ben
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Old 02-18-2013, 07:22 PM   #23
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I'm a long time Casita owner who's also buying a 19 Escape for the elbow room on long road trips. Yes, the Casita gets a little confining but it's a wonderful trailer with many more pluses than minuses. Carpet on the walls? We like it. No smells, discolorations, or staining. Great insulation and adds to a "cozy" feel. We expect to keep the Casita at least for awhile to see how the Escape handles on the road and manages at the primitive campsites that the Casita loves. Heck, the Casita's paid for and it occupies it's own little corner of my hangar.

As for the unwillingness of the company to make changes, yes that's a problem, but they're selling them as fast as they make them. I've enjoyed modifying mine and think that's some of the reason people buy Casitas. I'm now looking forward to modifying my new Escape.
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Old 02-19-2013, 09:01 AM   #24
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Donna D. View Post
I didn't mean to shut down this conversation with my post. I just wanted to clear up some of the suppositions folks have about Scamps. I've found it usually revolves around the floor....
I do not mean to rant about new Scamp trailers, but I think that people who come here looking to make decisions on purchases of a new trailer deserve to hear all they can about their potential purchase.

Donna, for me, as a purchaser of a new Scamp, it was much more than just the floor. (But then there are many stories on Scamp discussion groups about replacing floors.) My entire experience with the people now running Scamp made me quite angry, and I am a pretty slow to anger old retired guy!

I agree that it comes down to cost, but some things are just not worth saving money on. I used to be a shop foreman at a small manufacturing plant and understand cost tradeoff, but I also know that a goal should always be product improvement. I made all the following suggestions to Scamp and was met with total disinterest. As you say, they can sell every one they make. Unfortunately that seems to have led to no interest in improvement.

What is the cost difference between using OSB board (a material not appropriate for wet) vs marine grade plywood on the floor? Not a significant amount on a product that costs as much as a trailer. Why not at least offer it as an option? Our Scamp had the fresh water mounted inside on top of that OSB and in humid weather the tank would sweat so much that water pooled under our sink - soaking everything under there. Why not at least put an inexpensive plastic pan under the tank with a drain pipe thru the floor? Whoever mounted the wood cabinets in ours used screws that were about 3/4" too long and the sharp ends of all of them protruded into the cabinets. I called and asked Scamp and the only reply I got was that I should just cut the ends of the screws off. When I climbed under the Scamp to check out everything, I found the the hole cut into the OSB board for the toilet drain pipe was far larger than the pipe and was just raw OSB edges with no caulk or sealant of any type.

The buying experience with Tammy and Reace was almost surreal in how much they care about customer satisfaction. I asked Tammy so many questions and changes to what options we wanted as I learned more and more - and she was ALWAYS wonderfully accommodating. She helped with paying in US dollars and made great recommendations about options. Unknown to us, the day we could arrive to pick up our trailer was a Canadian holiday - but Tammy and Reace came in to get us into our trailer that day. With the few minor problems we have had with the Escape, Reace has gone to extremes to make sure that they are solved for us. I could not ask for better customer service than I have received on every aspect of pre and post sales with our Escape.

For us, the difference in our experiences with the Scamp vs Escape are like night and day. A couple in a campground who had recently purchased a new Scamp said that they shared too many similarities with our poor experience. The day they were leaving they came over and said that they were starting an Escape purchase saving plan as soon as they got home.

Eric
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Old 02-19-2013, 12:29 PM   #25
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Eric,
I agree with everything you said about Escapes and working with Tammi and Reece. When I bought my 15' I had it costomized from the start. it was the first one off the assembly line and is still the only one out there with all the customization I did. It is also now up for sale becasue althogh I love it, I need a trailer with 2 beds if I am to continue to take my grandson camping with me. As soon as I can sell my 15' I can add that money to the money I have saved and get a 19' Escape.
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Old 11-17-2013, 05:44 AM   #26
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Is your highlander a 4+4?
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Old 11-17-2013, 11:38 AM   #27
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Update

Quote:
Originally Posted by Greggo View Post
I'm a long time Casita owner who's also buying a 19 Escape for the elbow room on long road trips. Yes, the Casita gets a little confining but it's a wonderful trailer with many more pluses than minuses. Carpet on the walls? We like it. No smells, discolorations, or staining. Great insulation and adds to a "cozy" feel. We expect to keep the Casita at least for awhile to see how the Escape handles on the road and manages at the primitive campsites that the Casita loves. Heck, the Casita's paid for and it occupies it's own little corner of my hangar.

As for the unwillingness of the company to make changes, yes that's a problem, but they're selling them as fast as they make them. I've enjoyed modifying mine and think that's some of the reason people buy Casitas. I'm now looking forward to modifying my new Escape.
Casita's long gone. Totally contented with our 19' Escape. It's been out in the boonies and handles very well on the road. It was definitely time to upgrade. Casita was fun but that was then, this is now. (PS-re: we visited the Casita factory a couple months ago and were surprised to see about 40 mostly 17's sitting on the lot). Yes, my Highlander is a 4x4.

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Old 11-17-2013, 11:58 AM   #28
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I am glad you moved on. So have we. I wonder how many they have built? I live in the middle of Casitaville. There's a large, loyal group waiting for a bigger trailer that may never come about.
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Old 11-17-2013, 12:05 PM   #29
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I have attended several "Casita" rallies and feel they see non-casita owners as not being on par with them? That is why I'd be anxious to attend an Escape rally, to determine if it was my mouthwash or perhaps deodorant that may have put them off?
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Old 11-17-2013, 12:26 PM   #30
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Originally Posted by cpaharley2008 View Post
I have attended several "Casita" rallies and feel they see non-casita owners as not being on par with them?
I think this is to be expected with any owner/enthusiast group; after all, the only thing such a group has in common is agreement on the best choice of whatever product they are enthusiastic about. Casitas certainly do seem to be chosen by some as "a Scamp, but better" and that's fine with me.

Ever talked about Chevy's at a Ford get-together?
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Old 11-17-2013, 12:30 PM   #31
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Love the one you're with! Every brand of all molded towable has characteristics in common. I think it's more about layout, budget, tug, bed needs, etc. than brand. At least I like to think it is... If I was looking for another bumper pull, I could be very content with a 17' Casita FD. But, I'm not...
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Old 11-17-2013, 12:31 PM   #32
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I posted a week ago about my experience at a fiberglass rv (once restricted to Casitas) rally. Still 80% were Casitas. We had nearly all of the Casita people want to see inside our 19' over the 3 days. Even had people who did a "drive by" because they heard of the rally seek us out for a tour. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a Casita basher but know a great trailer when I see one!

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Old 11-17-2013, 01:19 PM   #33
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I'd like to think differently than that. I met some great people thru Casita ownership. I consider myself part of the bigger molded fiberglass family. Casita being a bigger branch than the Escape branch on the tree. There are enough cookie cutter Casitas out that most everyone have seen one. Some of those who have learned how great molded fiberglass trailer are to own and use, just want something a bit bigger or more specialized to their needs or wants. Bring a two axle 19' or 21' Casita to the Escape rally and watch people line up. If I bring my 5.0 and park it next to the new 21' 5.0, folks will likely walk through my campsite to get to the new one.
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Old 11-17-2013, 06:06 PM   #34
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Don't get me wrong, I'm not a Casita basher but know a great trailer when I see one!
Like I said...
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Old 11-17-2013, 08:13 PM   #35
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I have friends who were very happy with a Casita 17ft and would never think about another trailer. It's funny what happened next. They just purchased a 2007 Bigfoot 25RQ with all the options including solar power system. And they drove 2100 miles one way to get it. I asked them how they like it, the answer was great. They soon will have a Casita for sale.
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Old 11-17-2013, 09:22 PM   #36
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We had a 17' Casita for 6 years and loved it and had a blast camping in it. Yes it was a little tight inside and I had to change 2 rivets but served us fine for many years. We are still in touch with the new owners and it is now thier love. We moved up to the Escape because we are getting older and wanted more room and comfort. Our Escape is not even in the same class as the Casita. It's like driving a Lexus compared to a Honda. Both are fiberglass trailers just one gets you there a lot more comfortably, looks better, and is a better quality trailer.

I have been the host of one of the larger fiberglass rallies in this area for 6 years. We have all types of fiberglass trailers and usually have about 70 trailers attend. I have made life long friends of people owning Casita, Scamps, and almost every other brand of fiberglass trailer. This is where we saw a Escape 19' 3 years ago. After walking inside I knew I would own one someday when the time was right. This coming April there will be at least 6 Escapes attending and possibly more. We already have been the brunt of some jokes about our new Escape. Things like having to put the camera on panorama to get it in the picture and taking up all the parking area. It's all in good fun and we take it and give it right back.

By the way we upgraded from a Honda to a Lexus last year and we still liked that Honda. Just the Lexus gets us there a lot more comfortably, looks better and is a better quality car but we still have friends that drive Honda's. Not everyone wants a Lexus.
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Old 11-17-2013, 09:27 PM   #37
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I'm just glad we knew about Escapes almost right off. I was looking at Casitas and then I saw someone's review of several molded fiberglass trailers. He said that he knew it would be an Escape for them when they saw their first one. He compared the features of all of them in a chart and thought the Escape won easily. Of course, it depends on where you are budget-wise and camping-style-wise as to your needs and wants.

Do you need certain customizations? Do you need good insulation? What bed size and layout do you need? How much weight do you want to tow? Do you want a dual axle? These trailers are not all built the same.
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Old 11-17-2013, 10:26 PM   #38
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I was at Matagorda Madness '09 when I toured the first ever Escape 5.0 to arrive in Texas. As I remember, Dayna had just picked it up. I rode the fence another 3 years before I saw another couple of 5.0s that had came down. We were hooked and place an order before breaking camp.
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Old 11-18-2013, 03:47 PM   #39
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Check this out http://www.escapeforum.org/forums/f7...html#post37589
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Old 04-06-2014, 12:28 AM   #40
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This has been a fascinating read from page 1 to page 4. I want to buy the right trailer and this discussion has convinced me. It might cost me a bit more to get an Escape and I might have to wait a while but I think it will be worth it in the end.
And maybe this post will get the conversation going again!
Cheers!
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