Escape 23 News, July 2023

[MrLynn]

What's with the 'Draw'(ing)? Not for a free E23, but just to be one of the first three owners? For $100 entry fee?

No thanks.

[bborzell]

As far as I am aware, they have always required a deposit. The $100 is refundable.

[oldwave]

Not to poke the bear, but on the Escape Facebook page, there is a new 2500 fee to pickup a new Escape any where in the US including Sumas.

[Chamberman]

Originally Posted by oldwave

Not to poke the bear, but on the Escape Facebook page, there is a new 2500 fee to pickup a new Escape any where in the US including Sumas.

The build & price sheets on ETI's website now show pick up in Chilliwack, BC is free and anything else is $2500. They show a new "flat rate" pricing on their delivery page.

So the prior info I've seen on picking up in Chilliwack was that US customers would have to pay Canadian taxes and that's why ETI had to export the trailer to Sumas. If that's still the case it seems that ETI is now forcing a delivery charge on US customers.

[Perry Butler]

Originally Posted by YakRV

Price for First Edition is right at $65K. Specs are very interesting. Looks like the overall exterior length is only about 7 inches shorter than Bigfoot’s 25-footer. Interesting.

Originally Posted by MrLynn

At 24'11", this is not a 23' trailer. And it's now 8' wide? They should now call it the Escape 25!

Did they make the tongue longer to get it to 25'?

In some pictures there is no storage box, and in another the storage box is in place. That storage box is the reason for the extra two feet in length, but apparently no one has caught this discrepancy until now.

The interior length is 19’ 4” whereas our Bigfoot 25RQ front hitch/lp tank area is 38” and the rear bumper out.6” for 44”. Total BF length is 25’ 6’ so the exterior of the camper is 22’ 4”, with 3” walls would be 21’10” interior length. So the Bigfoot is 2’ 6” longer and has ducted heat and heated underbelly for $25,000 extra (with lithium/Multiplus/400 watts solar). And that $25,000 extra to get what we wanted is why we couldn’t afford a new BF.

I have yet to see the tongue weight. Our BF’s tongue is 950 - 975#s loaded (according to our Sherline tongue weight scale), and we don’t have the front box. The axles are further back on the Escape 23, so I would expect it to be over 600#’s loaded.

I do like the complete package at $65,000 though and feel that is a very reasonable price. This is the area I was expecting a fully outfitted Escape to be priced. However, the small dinette/entry, the lack of a bedroom wall, and the extra length for the storage box would nix us, but for others it will be a great trailer. Perhaps they’ll make a version with a different layout, shorter frame, and no front storage, a that would fit our needs better.

There are still times I miss our 5.0 though. That extra 4’ has cost us quite a few great camping spots.

Enjoy,

Perry

[bouterse]

I noticed they only quote the price in US dollars.

[davidmurphy02]

It sounds like the $65K price is for a limited number of "first edition" trailers and includes many items that are options on the other trailers - lithium batteries, 2 solar panels, Houghton AC/heat pump, electric awning, aluminum rims to name a few, plus it will have the new plexiglass awning windows. So this price may not be representative of how things will work going forward - they probably want to produce the first few trailers without a ton of customization other than fabric/flooring/formica choices.

It will be interesting to see, when the 23 gets into regular production, if they switch to a base price with the items above as optional extras, or if they figure that almost everyone getting a trailer in this price range would want all those things and intend to build them into the standard cost with a smaller number of optional items.

[rubicon327]

Originally Posted by davidmurphy02

It sounds like the $65K price is for a limited number of "first edition" trailers and includes many items that are options on the other trailers - lithium batteries, 2 solar panels, Houghton AC/heat pump

Glad to see the Houghton being offered and that Escape is still listening to their customers!

[bborzell]

Well, I just happened to have an extra $100 laying around.

[Eggscape]

Originally Posted by bouterse

I noticed they only quote the price in US dollars.

The $65,000 US in BC with sales tax would be close to $97,000 Canadian.

If anybody wants to pick up in Sumas US, I am sure in this slow market you can make that free as part of the deal for any Escape.

[EscapingDan]

Originally Posted by MrLynn

At 24'11", this is not a 23' trailer. And it's now 8' wide? They should now call it the Escape 25!

Did they make the tongue longer to get it to 25'?

I think normally the headline length - 23’ in this case, as in the Escape 23 - is the body length, and it’s understood that the bumper to bumper adds another couple feet. This is a 23’ foot camper. In the specs you’ll usually find both specified.

It looks fine, but for $65k the fit and finish isn’t the best for only 23’. That bathroom sink is just the usual screwed in affair for example (with a big line of visible screws). Not sure what the value proposition is? Escape is known for configuration and price, with 23’ you’re losing out on the price now. For that I could get an Airstream Bambi 22’ (list $69k, street should come in around there) for example.

Originally Posted by Perry

the small dinette/entry, the lack of a bedroom wall, and the extra length for the storage box would nix us

Yeah this too, it’s a little plain Jane.

Well that’s just me, I’m sure many will love it, but as I’ve said at 60k+ I’m looking elsewhere, now Escape has entered another market segment.

[Mike G]

I like the way they did the exterior with that black stripe. Other than that, I think it makes my 19' look really good to me. Happy with what I have!

[Ooshkaboo]

Originally Posted by EscapingDan

I think normally the headline length - 23’ in this case, as in the Escape 23 - is the body length, and it’s understood that the bumper to bumper adds another couple feet. This is a 23’ foot camper. In the specs you’ll usually find both specified.

It looks fine, but for $65k the fit and finish isn’t the best for only 23’. That bathroom sink is just the usual screwed in affair for example (with a big line of visible screws). Not sure what the value proposition is? Escape is known for configuration and price, with 23’ you’re losing out on the price now. For that I could get an Airstream Bambi 22’ (list $69k, street should come in around there) for example.



Yeah this too, it’s a little plain Jane.

Well that’s just me, I’m sure many will love it, but as I’ve said at 60k+ I’m looking elsewhere, now Escape has entered another market segment.

Please do get back on here when you actually pull the trigger on your camper of choice.

Might be fun…

[MrLynn]

Originally Posted by EscapingDan

I think normally the headline length - 23’ in this case, as in the Escape 23 - is the body length, and it’s understood that the bumper to bumper adds another couple feet. This is a 23’ foot camper. In the specs you’ll usually find both specified. . .

.

That's how trailer/camper length in the sticky world is quoted. In the molded-fiberglass world (and, BTW, the Airstream world), length is from rear bumper to coupler, and that's how it's been for Escapes (+/- a few inches). So if the total length of the 'Escape 23' is 24'11", it should be called a '25'.

[EscapingDan]

Originally Posted by Ooshkaboo

Please do get back on here when you actually pull the trigger on your camper of choice.

FWIW originally wanted an Airstream but came to feel the cost was higher than I was comfortable with, and the practicalities of the design was lower than I was comfortable with, if that makes sense. It was born of the necessities of the time (post WWII Al surplus) and looks beautiful, but popping rivets and a skin that is trivial to dent or tear isn’t what I’m looking for. Not interested in stick built so decided on a plastic egg.

Started with Oliver but found it has design issues IMO - being a retiring engineer I’m picky about these things. They say it’s of some kind of marine standard but its’ not - boats properly do the vapor barrier solution by having one barrier like a house - the hull, which inside is layered with breathable materials (wood, headliner, etc). Oliver did double fiberglass hull which is an inflexible design, doubly heavy and the cardinal sin of double vapor barriers. Which means you get condensation between them - which they have to try and fix by putting in drain holes along that inner part (they say this shows their attention to detail but I know a hack fix to a design problem when I see it). The final straw was the sales guy was pushy with his religion - I’m looking for a trailer here guys, not a religion.

Escape is really high on the list, great people and company, but we’re two big people and really need twin bunks. Could get away with dinette bed and main, but that’s clumsy. Anyhow the ‘23 was the answer, but for 60k+ I’ve talked about that, they priced me out - I’d rather put in a few more bucks and get a higher spec trailer. But depending on how serious we are one of the smaller ones, 19’ or 21’ is still an option.

So finally that leaves Bigfoot, which is what I’ll likely get unless I keep it simple and get a 21 Escape. I love the four season practicality, dry bath, fit and finish, and especially the bedroom-main separation which is good as I get up early and my wife can still sleep in. Downsides is the design palette - too busy, not fond of the choices but that’s easy to work with. Also they’ll work with you apparently so it has much of the flexibility of Escape.

My 2 cents.

[Mike G]

Originally Posted by EscapingDan

Escape is really high on the list, great people and company, but we’re two big people and really need twin bunks. .

FWIW, the Snoozy is available with twin beds, last I knew. All electric though, and sold factory direct in South Carolina which is a long way from you. Just thought I'd mention it.

[MrLynn]

Originally Posted by EscapingDan

Escape is really high on the list, great people and company, but we’re two big people and really need twin bunks. Could get away with dinette bed and main, but that’s clumsy. . .

Well, it's not really hard to make up the Escape 19 and 21 dinettes into beds. My wife claims the bed in our 21C, so I get the dinette. Grandson grew out of a 2" foam topper, which I inherited and unroll onto the dinette bed. Takes a couple of minutes, but it's pretty comfortable.

Enables me to keep using table after her bedtime. Not hard to make up; the Springfield Marine table mount helps—just squeeze it down.

[rubicon327]

Originally Posted by Iowa Dave

There’s a lot of disposable cash out there in a segment of the population where I don’t know anyone.

Tell me about it. I look at waterfront real estate at a popular lake I really like in VA and $1M+ homes are pending usually within days of going on the market. Also my buddy just showed me a $500,000 Pavati wake boat the other night. Aluminum hull, highly customizable. Seems crazy to me but apparently there are enough buyers or they wouldn’t make them. Not in my circles.

[Ron in BC]

Pretty much peanuts for around here. A place at Whistler just sold for 40 million. Big place but apparently not large enough for house guests as they also bought a vacant lot next door for 6 million so they could build a guest house.

Ah, like in the fast lane.

Ron

[rubicon327]

Originally Posted by Ron in BC

Pretty much peanuts for around here. A place at Whistler just sold for 40 million. Big place but apparently not large enough for house guests as they also bought a vacant lot next door for 6 million so they could build a guest house.

They go much higher too. I just can’t believe the volume of multi-million dollar homes selling like candy. I guess destination/vacation type areas are always a hot market. Crazy that these are usually second or third homes for these buyers.