Getting Ready

[Ruthe]

I have posted in a few different threads, but haven't really introduced myself. My husband and I were tent campers for a long time -- once took a 3 1/2 month trip with two small children across the country and back -- slept in a large tent, drove a Ford LTD, with three bikes and a trike on top. It was great, but hard with kids in the rain. So as we added two more kids we got a 31' Airstream and took some great trips. Then we added #5 kid and I said no more traveling, so we planted the airstream on some land and visited it in the summers. It was good in a different way but sometimes I wonder if that was a mistake.

Now the kids are grown and we are ready to travel again in something much smaller. I really wanted a 15', but we want a large bed, so it's either a 19' or a 5.0. It takes us awhile to make up our minds but eventually we will. I loved camping in the National Parks -- didn't bother me not to have hookups -- in fact I prefer it -- because then I do everything outside.

Happy New Year to All,
Ruth

[KarenH]

JohnB bought a 15A and had the larger dinette converted to a permanent queen-size bed (thus cutting down the counter space a bit), using the smaller front dinette as their eating area. I don't know how to re-post pictures of his from the forum but maybe he will pipe in here as to how it is working for them and re-post his pics. Welcome to the forum!

[KarenH]

Maybe this works

http://www.escapeforum.org/forums/at...1&d=1354470024

[JohnB]

Not sure how to reference back to a previous post so will re-post the queen bed modification photos to our 2012 15A. The 'A' floor plan, having the front dinette, meant that we did not have to give up interior table seating.

We now have one season of use with the trailer and we love having the queen fixed bed. We do not feel that we had to give up much losing the 6 inches to the galley and closet. We did not want a microwave so the narrower closet was not an issue. We lost the drawers on the galley but gained them back by eliminating the micro shelf, raising up the closet and installing 2 drawers below using the space that is normally accounted for with the micro shelf. That mod is shown in the photos.

If you were looking at the 15B then this mod may not be as suited to that layout. You would have to think about it and discuss with Rease and Tammy. No longer have a dinette.

Like you Ruthe, we came from a background of being long time tent campers. You do have the trailer camping experience which we did not so you will be better prepared to rationalize the bathroom or no bathroom debate in the 15' and inside dinette.

[Dave Walter]

Looks very inviting.

[gabeck]

Hi .... Happy New Year to all,
There is ( to us ) a huge difference between a 15 A/B to the 19 ' or 5.0 - what a tough decision . We have the 15 A but we wanted to stay "light and easy " . We've had a few different travel trailers over many years and the only thing we ended up having to make a decision about was dinette or flush toilet ( never considered a shower ) . In most older trailers ( by that meaning the ones that didn't yet have free standing queen beds ) they were not often even 50" wide . So we really find that the 15 A or B with the 54" full double bed size is wonderfully comfortable . Looking at the photos of counter space and closet width (JohnB pics above ) it is really hard to distinguish any size difference to ours . Just that ours has the standard "micro ready " above and no drawers under - doesn't look to be missing anything for having that queen bed size ( which would be 60" of coarse ) . Think it looks great . Only size adjustments made for us was reducing the depth of the closet ( still deep enough for a hanger) and the depth of the counter . That gives us 6" more floor space ( in width ) , which we love . As a consequence we do have a smaller fridge , a size we are used to -so no problem . From past experience the p/p verses the flush toilet..... it's less work/trouble to empty the p/p than tanks . But for sure a lot of Escapees will have a different take on that . We rarely boondock and as said above we like it light and easy . That dinette is just so nice to have when one is travelling for longer periods and those cold mornings .

[Ruthe]

The 15 with the full size bed is tempting, and thanks so much for posting pictures, but at this point in life i have to admit that we want the shower and toilet option. A weekend or even a couple of weeks would be fine, but we're thinking about trips that will last a couple of months. I could easier live without the dinette, but I think for the long haul we'll want it. The truth is there were many times when we camped without hookups and used the campground facilities. And for an entire summer the five kids, two cats and my husband and I lived in the trailer on our land and used outhouses -- I absolutely cannot remember how we showered. Maybe we went swimming a lot.

But I think those days are over.

[float5]

You will appreciate having that bathroom.
We use showers at the campgrounds but definitely want that option in the trailer for those times it is needed.
The bath with shower is a resale consideration also. Many of us came from tenting and bought specifically to have such a set-up, along with the hard shell to deter the wildlife.

[escape artist]

Originally Posted by Ruthe

The 15 with the full size bed is tempting, and thanks so much for posting pictures, but at this point in life i have to admit that we want the shower and toilet option. A weekend or even a couple of weeks would be fine, but we're thinking about trips that will last a couple of months. I could easier live without the dinette, but I think for the long haul we'll want it. The truth is there were many times when we camped without hookups and used the campground facilities. And for an entire summer the five kids, two cats and my husband and I lived in the trailer on our land and used outhouses -- I absolutely cannot remember how we showered. Maybe we went swimming a lot.

But I think those days are over.

Hi: Ruthe... There are times when towing a bathroom behind you is worth every drop in gas mileage. You can pull over safely and jump in the trailer in an emergency or stop and fix lunch in a Wall o Mart parking lot. I love the 5.0 for the ease of hooking up and the positive tow. The separate bed loft with the queen memory foam mattress is also very nice. Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

[LeonW]

Admittedly we are on the smaller side--I am 5'8" and weigh about 150 lbs. Lindy is 5' even. We have found that we are quite happy in a 49" wide bed in our 17b, to the point we are considering changing our queen size bed to a full size bed at home. We snuggle a bit more, just because we are closer. Initially, we found the cushions too firm, but a 2 inch foam topper fixed that.

Lindy says she doesn't even mind it when I crawl over her when I get up. :-).

But we wouldn't give up the flush toilet.

[Ruthe]

Yeah, I want the bathroom. There was one time when we were towing the airstream that we actually stopped along the way to give a small child a bath. I don't remember why he needed it but there must have been a serious reason. The smaller bed isn't going to work for us. I'm not that large, but I'm tall, and Terry is large. That's why I thought we'd like the 5.0, but after seeing it I'm thinking that I might get claustrophobic up there. We're actually thinking of renting something with a similar bed set-up to see what it is really like to sleep in the loft. So we're going back and forth.

[escape artist]

Hi: Ruthe... I can't imagine cause for claustrophobia. We find there's plenty of room to sit and read etc. Lots of space to stretch out or snuggle in. Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie