15' Escape Update

[gbaglo]

Originally Posted by KarenH

I figure that since these little guys are going extinct, my son won't have any trouble whatsoever selling it from my estate. Maybe it'll be worth $100k by then.

By that time, what with global warming, people will all be buying houseboats.

[LeonardS]

Those would have to be ocean going houseboats...what with the drought and all.

[gabeck]

We had planned on the 15B , however when we viewed a 15 A locally changed our minds because of the space . The little dinet is great for two on those cold morning of shoulder season ....... breakfast in . It is quite spacious - the portable toilet works fine for us, really only use it if needed over night and easy to clean . We are so very pleased with our "li'l Gem " Would not change a thing ...

[KarenH]

Originally Posted by LeonardS

Karen, or other 15a owners: if you had to do it all over again, would you consider the 15b?

Did you order the little portable Thetford and have the under seat storage door put in ( ETI's $200 option for this)?

No and no.

Edited: I did have the door put in for (I think) $60 but have no portable anything.

[dfandrews]

Originally Posted by LeonardS

Karen, or other 15a owners: if you had to do it all over again, would you consider the 15b?

Did you order the little portable Thetford and have the under seat storage door put in ( ETI's $200 option for this)?

Leonard,
We are soon-to-be 17A owners, and we have a porta-potty, so ETI will just be installing the door with the under bed storage spot (it's to the right of the door as you face the trailer from outside.).
It all depends on lifestyle and use.

[LeonardS]

Thanks for the answers concerning the "porta-potty vs. giving up the space" aspect of life in a smaller Escape.

One of the chief reasons my wife was interested in a little camping trailer was that she attends music camps, often tenting, and the supplied "johnny-on-the-spot" (s) simply get...gross...especially if the folks are drinking and playing all night long. So, the camper would have to shield her from the noise of such goings on (after she has finally left such goings on herself, of course!) and would also have to be able to provide her with a cleaner bathroom experience.
Maybe we should just go buy a porta-potty and see if that works for her...as a test, it might help us make up our minds quicker.

[rbryan4]

Originally Posted by LeonardS

Thanks for the answers concerning the "porta-potty vs. giving up the space" aspect of life in a smaller Escape.

One of the chief reasons my wife was interested in a little camping trailer was that she attends music camps, often tenting, and the supplied "johnny-on-the-spot" (s) simply get...gross...especially if the folks are drinking and playing all night long. So, the camper would have to shield her from the noise of such goings on (after she has finally left such goings on herself, of course!) and would also have to be able to provide her with a cleaner bathroom experience.
Maybe we should just go buy a porta-potty and see if that works for her...as a test, it might help us make up our minds quicker.

If a bathroom isn't a priority for you I think the 17a is a wonderful unit. You get a permanent bed AND a 4 person dinette, a good size kitchen and wardrobe. Large amount of interior space for such a small trailer.

[Dave&Jane]

Originally Posted by FMLNM

Does anyone know how many of each model have been manufactured?

It would be great if the Owners Map would provide this information, but it's obviously incomplete. Only thirteen Escape 15 trailers are identified.

-Dave

[techfan]

Allow me to recommend one of the easiest, most comfortable potties we found for our previous trailers. Not easy to find and not cheap but one of the best (and we tried several) units. Fiamma ( like the awnings) Bi-pot. Sometimes we wish we kept this and gotten an A either the 15 or the 17.

Fiamma Inc. - Products

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Dave&Jane

It would be great if the Owners Map would provide this information, but it's obviously incomplete. Only thirteen Escape 15 trailers are identified.

Since many Escape owners will not join this forum, and many of those who join will choose not to list themselves on the map, the map listing will always be incomplete. With 199 of over 1000 trailers represented, I'm impressed by how many are in the list, but it still won't give a reliable indication of proportions of production.

Given that the map list twice as many 19' (in production since 2009) as 17' (in production since the start in 2003), I suspect that it is biased to trailers which were purchased more recently, by people who have joined the forum since the map was established (and I don't know when that was).

At least we know at least 16 of the 15' model were built! (13 in the list, 3 more available from ETI).

[float5]

I would guess there are 55 of them. Do we get a new 21' if we're closest?

[LeonardS]

Looks like the 15B is gone from the ETI website. 2 15a's left. I guess one thing the announcement did was to get someone to commit!

[Cozy Rosie]

We have the porta potty for nighttime use and find it quite handy. Our priorities were for maximum space and a permanent bed (with lots of underbed storage) rather than a tiny bathroom so we didn't even consider the B model. Living in close quarters in a 15 is good for weight control! Can't get too large or won't fit!!

[Not so Big Al]

Originally Posted by LeonardS

Thanks for the answers concerning the "porta-potty vs. giving up the space" aspect of life in a smaller Escape.

One of the chief reasons my wife was interested in a little camping trailer was that she attends music camps, often tenting, and the supplied "johnny-on-the-spot" (s) simply get...gross...especially if the folks are drinking and playing all night long. So, the camper would have to shield her from the noise of such goings on (after she has finally left such goings on herself, of course!) and would also have to be able to provide her with a cleaner bathroom experience.
Maybe we should just go buy a porta-potty and see if that works for her...as a test, it might help us make up our minds quicker.

We used to use a porta-potty but when we were planning on our trailer purchase we got to thinking about lugging the full container to the outhouse or where ever to dump it I could tell you horror stories.
I would really consider going for the bathroom, it's much more convenient. Be aware the 15 and 17 foot trailer bathroom ceilings are very low, for me anyway.

[J Mac]

I also would advise considering a wet bath over the porta-potty. The wet bath has a door, and that could come in very handy during a stormy evenings card game with the campers down the way.

[Washingtonia]

What?!? What a revoltin' development this is!

Yeah, you can't argue with the market, etc. etc. But the 15' is so sweet to tow. We have more than enough room. You can get into/out of pretty much any campground RV spot. And everytime we wax it, we're very grateful it isn't any longer.

Arrgh.

Well. At least our resale value just jumped. And I can start saying to everybody I meet on the road, "Ya know, you can't get these any more." So there's that.

[rbryan4]

Originally Posted by Washingtonia

And I can start saying to everybody I meet on the road, "Ya know, you can't get these any more." So there's that.

Your Escape just got exponentially more special! I never got to see a 13 in person (just photos) but I did spend some time in the 15 during my visit to ETI a few months ago. What a special and wonderful trailer. If it were just me, the 15 would have been my only choice.

[E&E]

Originally Posted by LeonardS

Karen, or other 15a owners: if you had to do it all over again, would you consider the 15b?

Did you order the little portable Thetford and have the under seat storage door put in ( ETI's $200 option for this)?

We love the simplicity of our 15A. Just one year old but we have camped at least 6 weeks in 2014. Never found the lack of toilet an issue as we use provincial and state parks with facilities. We do have the storage door for the future if needed but right now that spot is a perfect shoe storage place.

[Dave&Jane]

I'm sorry to see the end of the 15-footers. Last year we nearly decided on a 15A. It had plenty of room for us, especially since we were accustomed to a small space (our VW Westfalia camper). We like the idea of the front dinette and the outside shower option, and the smaller trailer size should be easier to maneuver and tow. We eventually got a 17B because of the bathroom, but even after several weeks of camping we have yet to use the "facility".

-Dave

[J Mac]

Be patient Dave