Current Tear Drop Owner

[MoreQuestionsThanAnswers]

My wife and I love our tear drop trailer. 42 nights so far in 2023. So many positives, easy to store, clean, tow, sleep great….but you are outside except for sleeping.

We are 90% convinced that a larger trailer is in our future, and if that’s the case why not do it now while in our early 60s and newly retired. Oh, and we’ve already eliminated all but Escape from what we’d purchase.

Joined the site to hear all of your experiences.

[Mike G]

The closest I've ever come to that was camping in the back of a Windstar minivan for a few days one summer. Yuck, what a pain. Yeah, I love being able to stand up for dressing & undressing, to find stored items without scrounging through bins, to cook food & wash dishes indoors when the weather is disadvantageous, having an actual bathroom and a shower, etc.

[HABBERDABBER]

It's not for me to shed a teardrop over your teardrop, but I'd advise, do move on and forward.

I've experienced the gamat of camping, from sleeping as a Boy Scout, in a winter campout, in a discarded refrigerator corrugated shipping box (warm & comfy, by the way) to many years of tenting, and then a 16' Casita with a 105 lb Golden Retriever who took up all the floor space and then on to my Escape.
The clock is ticking down for all of us, and coffins don't have pockets, so move quick, move definitively, and experience & enjoy all you can.
You are wise to go with a fiberglass trailer choice, whatever brand it may be. Some are better than others. All hold up and serve pretty well.

YMMV

[MoreQuestionsThanAnswers]

Originally Posted by HABBERDABBER

It's not for me to shed a teardrop over your teardrop, but I'd advise, do move on and forward.

I've experienced the gamat of camping, from sleeping as a Boy Scout, in a winter campout, in a discarded refrigerator corrugated shipping box (warm & comfy, by the way) to many years of tenting, and then a 16' Casita with a 105 lb Golden Retriever who took up all the floor space and then on to my Escape.
The clock is ticking down for all of us, and coffins don't have pockets, so move quick, move definitively, and experience & enjoy all you can.
You are wise to go with a fiberglass trailer choice, whatever brand it may be. Some are better than others. All hold up and serve pretty well.

YMMV

The teardrop has been such a huge improvement over camping, I’m imagining the same leap with a larger trailer. It’s exciting.

[MoreQuestionsThanAnswers]

Originally Posted by Mike G

The closest I've ever come to that was camping in the back of a Windstar minivan for a few days one summer. Yuck, what a pain. Yeah, I love being able to stand up for dressing & undressing, to find stored items without scrounging through bins, to cook food & wash dishes indoors when the weather is disadvantageous, having an actual bathroom and a shower, etc.

We have absolutely loved or teardrop, and it got me into doing yoga so I could continue to change inside. With that said my wife would love an inside bathroom and being able to be dry all the time.

[Eggscape]

Originally Posted by MoreQuestionsThanAnswers

We have absolutely loved or teardrop, and it got me into doing yoga so I could continue to change inside. With that said my wife would love an inside bathroom and being able to be dry all the time.

I camped this year a few times in our daughters Trolley Top Square Drop I made her a year ago. With the higher top and sunken rear floor you can almost stand up in the rear to dress. There is plenty of shoe storage inside and of course a portable toilet for no outside night trips.

[HABBERDABBER]

Comrade,
Do you have additional photos of the finished rig? Interior, other details? I'm just curious, but interested.

And with the completion of the Trolley, what's next?

[John in Santa Cruz]

being in our late 60s, having a flush toilet in the trailer is a must. and having our own clean hot shower inside is nearly as important. We liked our little Casita 16, but the bed was too small for both of us, the Escape 21C's almost queen bed is perfect. Everything else, like a fridge/freezer that actually works (the Casita fridge was ridiculously too small), and the gas oven are just icing. There has only been a few times we've had hookup power for the air conditioning when we really needed it, but boy were we glad to have it.

[MoreQuestionsThanAnswers]

Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz

being in our late 60s, having a flush toilet in the trailer is a must. and having our own clean hot shower inside is nearly as important. We liked our little Casita 16, but the bed was too small for both of us, the Escape 21C's almost queen bed is perfect. Everything else, like a fridge/freezer that actually works (the Casita fridge was ridiculously too small), and the gas oven are just icing. There has only been a few times we've had hookup power for the air conditioning when we really needed it, but boy were we glad to have it.

Is it true that the person who uses the toilet the most is responsible to empty it?

I honestly worry that a bigger trailer will get used less. Our teardrop is just so easy in all aspects that it gets used.

[HABBERDABBER]

Originally Posted by MoreQuestionsThanAnswers

I

I honestly worry that a bigger trailer will get used less. Our teardrop is just so easy in all aspects that it gets used.

Boaters have a saying...."the bigger the boat, the less it is used". That saying really depends on the owner, their desires and motivation, their plans and travelling grounds. Keep the teardrop for spur of the moment short trips in stable weather. Use an Escape for longer trips, long distance travel and the like.

Having a trailer, and having fun, is simply a lot of effort (work). As I aged, the convenience and comfort of trailering is worth the effort and work.

[Steven M]

Hello and welcome to the community. Find a seat and enjoy the information, the conversation and the people here.


The questions that you have to ask are; what will my tow vehicle pull? What do I want in and from my Escape? Answer those and you will be very happy with what you get.


We went with the 21C as we didn't want to buy a new tow vehicle and we wanted this, our first trailer, to be our last. No two foot-itis for us.

[MoreQuestionsThanAnswers]

Originally Posted by Steven M

Hello and welcome to the community. Find a seat and enjoy the information, the conversation and the people here.


The questions that you have to ask are; what will my tow vehicle pull? What do I want in and from my Escape? Answer those and you will be very happy with what you get.


We went with the 21C as we didn't want to buy a new tow vehicle and we wanted this, our first trailer, to be our last. No two foot-itis for us.

We replaced our 4Runner with a 2023 Tundra, so no issue towing.

What I expect we will get from an Escape 19 is the ability for longer trips, and a chance to bring our granddaughter camping. Both hugely beneficial.

[BigOz]

Hello, like you, we are in our 60's and newly retired. We have been looking at getting a smaller travel trailer with two axles and came across the Escape trailers. About a year ago, we ended up buying a 2010 Escape 19 that was listed for sale in this forum, and are more than happy with the purchase. The 19 model has dual axles, a true queen bed, large fridge, very usable washroom, and a very large dinette that converts to a twin sized 2nd sleeping area. You won't find that in a tear drop sized trailer, as we are very familiar with the T@B 400, Little Guy Max, etc.. We love our 19, and will never consider purchasing another trailer that isn't molded fiberglass.

[Bobbie54]

I had a Trailswest Campster before my first Escape. It had a popup section in the middle where one could stand up straight (if over 5 feet tall) an the rest was shorter. Very light. So a step ahead of a teardrop unless you have the larger one you can stand up in. Going to an Escape 15 was a huge step up. Much more comfortable, more room, better built and insulated. Since you already know you like camping, just figure out what you are missing from the teardrop and decide how best to get it in an Escape. I have a 17b now which still fits in the garage (after I raised the door to 9 feet) and tows easily, but has lots of the comforts of home. But it isn't as spacious inside as a 19 or 21.

[Rossue]

Trust your instincts! A neighbor recently sold their teardrop and brought home a new 21 NE (F2).

[MoreQuestionsThanAnswers]

Originally Posted by Rossue

Trust your instincts! A neighbor recently sold their teardrop and brought home a new 21 NE (F2).

My instincts? No way, my instincts say hunker down, don’t spend a dollar, you are retired, you have no income, arrrrrgh, worry, panic.

[rubicon327]

Originally Posted by MoreQuestionsThanAnswers

The teardrop has been such a huge improvement over camping, I’m imagining the same leap with a larger trailer. It’s exciting.

Originally Posted by MoreQuestionsThanAnswers

I honestly worry that a bigger trailer will get used less. Our teardrop is just so easy in all aspects that it gets used.

Originally Posted by MoreQuestionsThanAnswers

What I expect we will get from an Escape 19 is the ability for longer trips, and a chance to bring our granddaughter camping. Both hugely beneficial.

Go for it! You never know what tomorrow will bring. Escape no doubt has a perfect size trailer for you. If cost is a concern you can always look used. When my father bought his used Scamp 16 after retirement his only regret was that he didn't do it sooner. You'll never look back. We took a recent steelheading trip out to Erie PA where we had three generations out there fishing. My father used the Escape for a month as his basecamp. The memories for you and your granddaughter will be priceless.

[MoreQuestionsThanAnswers]

Originally Posted by rubicon327

Go for it! You never know what tomorrow will bring. Escape no doubt has a perfect size trailer for you. If cost is a concern you can always look used. When my father bought his used Scamp 16 after retirement his only regret was that he didn't do it sooner. You'll never look back. We took a recent steelheading trip out to Erie PA where we had three generations out there fishing. My father used the Escape for a month as his basecamp. The memories for you and your granddaughter will be priceless.

Yup, some things really aren’t measured in dollars and cents, as long as you have the ability to afford it, and we are fortunate.

[DanandDaphne]

Originally Posted by MoreQuestionsThanAnswers

My instincts? No way, my instincts say hunker down, don’t spend a dollar, you are retired, you have no income, arrrrrgh, worry, panic.

Well then you have definitely come to the right decision to buy an escape!

As I'm sure you already know, Escapes and other fiberglass trailers hold their value better than any other RVs. You might also consider looking for a used one since they really don't change much from year to year. The options change but the basic trailer is the same from 2017 onward. Most people take good care of them since they are an significant investment. The money you save can go to upgrades like additional solar panels, lithium ion batteries, new upholstery for cushions etc.

Our 2018 would easily sell for the $32K we paid for it even though the market has dropped recently. As long as you take good care of it I think even with the increased new prices you should at least be able to sell it for as much as you paid. Sure 32K isn't worth as much today as 32K was in 2018 but it's better than you do with any other toys, and you get to enjoy it all the time that you own it.

[MoreQuestionsThanAnswers]

Originally Posted by DanandDaphne

Well then you have definitely come to the right decision to buy an escape!

As I'm sure you already know, Escapes and other fiberglass trailers hold their value better than any other RVs. You might also consider looking for a used one since they really don't change much from year to year. The options change but the basic trailer is the same from 2017 onward. Most people take good care of them since they are an significant investment. The money you save can go to upgrades like additional solar panels, lithium ion batteries, new upholstery for cushions etc.

Our 2018 would easily sell for the $32K we paid for it even though the market has dropped recently. As long as you take good care of it I think even with the increased new prices you should at least be able to sell it for as much as you paid. Sure 32K isn't worth as much today as 32K was in 2018 but it's better than you do with any other toys, and you get to enjoy it all the time that you own it.

Thanks, I had no idea they held their value that well. Good to know.