It's Official!! Take 2....

[nathanj04011]

Well, Titanizer got his call in a little before I did, but we too put a down payment on an Escape. We will get ours the 22nd of June 2016. Now just gotta get the Casita sold, and start packing for the trip. June 22 will be here before...oh, who am I kidding?! It's gonna feel like forever!!

[Slickheadhunter]

Originally Posted by nathanj04011

Well, Titanizer got his call in a little before I did, but we too put a down payment on an Escape. We will get ours the 22nd of June 2016. Now just gotta get the Casita sold, and start packing for the trip. June 22 will be here before...oh, who am I kidding?! It's gonna feel like forever!!

Hello Nathan,
Congrats on your escape!!

Not sure how many casitas there are in Maine but last year while I was heading north on 95 on my way to the Newport area I passed a vehicle towing a casita! It was October 5th 2014 on a Sunday. Could it have been you? I was telling my cousin that we had just ordered our escape and we came up onto that casita. Was kinda strange, so I explained to my cousin that it's similar in construction as the casita.

[titanizer]

Hey Nathan,
Went to Rice, TX to pick up my 1st molded fiberglass camper back in '04. Just too small for my 5'10" frame and no bath. Next was Scamp 5th wheel w/bath, but again not enough room for me. So, retired now, and looking for ultimate retirement camper, which I have found in the 21'. So excited 'bout all the mods and adventures to be had. Much luck to you and your new adventures.

[nathanj04011]

If it was being pulled by a yellow Toyota FJ Cruiser, it probably was...if not...then no.

We have done a good chunk of our camping in NH the past 8 years, mostly in the White Mountain Area. Some nice parks there for sure! It'll be fun to see if a larger trailer makes it more enjoyable!

[nathanj04011]

Titanizer, I guess this is where all Casita owners end up. It's inevitable. Course, back in 04 or even 07 when we got ours, Escapes were no larger than Casita. That's the reason we all end up at Escapes doorstep, check in hand...

[titanizer]

Nailed it Nathan; ultimate camper and adventures to be had.

[Dave Walter]

Originally Posted by nathanj04011

Well, Titanizer got his call in a little before I did, but we too put a down payment on an Escape. We will get ours the 22nd of June 2016. Now just gotta get the Casita sold, and start packing for the trip. June 22 will be here before...oh, who am I kidding?! It's gonna feel like forever!!

Good news Nathan. Which model did you settle on?

[nathanj04011]

Well, we said the 21'...we saw one this past week and really liked the size. However, Erin at Escape said we could change our mind and go with the 19' at any time before May 1. Course, we'd lose our place in line. Part of the decision was having the 4 of us and our two dogs. Plus the other reasons everyone else talks about.

As to the FJ Cruiser, I think I will add either bumpers or air bags to the rear suspension, have Escape add the Anderson WDH, get the ScanGuage II to monitor the tranmission temp, will most likely add a transmission cooler and tow it back to Maine. As to whether we keep the FJ Cruiser as it's tow vehicle, time will tell... As I see it, the only items that would not be transferable to another vehicle would be the transmission cooler and bumper/air bags. But they would be nice insurance for the trip back at least...

[cpaharley2008]

Sounds like good plan........

[gbaglo]

I'd skip the airbags and get a weight distribution hitch ( Andersen or Pro Series ). Easy to move the WDH to a new tug.

[nathanj04011]

The airbags or bumpers would be just added insurance to go along with the Andersen WDH to make sure the FJ doesn't squat in back. We are going to be light on the way back with the trailer, to keep the weight at a minimum. Not too many pots and pans, not much (5 gallons or less) water in the tank, and no stoves, heavy awning mats etc. I don't want to have to leave items on the side of the road with a "for free" sign next to them!

[gbaglo]

I use Pro Series WDH on my RAV4 17B combination. No air bags or such.
Over on that other site, Derek first tried air bags on his RAV4 ParkLiner combo. Then he added a WDH. Then he bought a truck...
See pix. First without WDH. Then with.

[nathanj04011]

So are you saying the Pro Series is a better option to the Andersen? Without having the airbags or bumpers being part of the discussion...

[gbaglo]

Nope. Pro Series is a couple hundred dollars less than Andersen. I wouldn't spend the money myself, but many others have.

[nathanj04011]

Ahhh...ok, I see. I have a similar WDH to the Pro Series that I got when we got our Casita, but I gotta say, I like the simplicity of the Andersen hitch...

[gbaglo]

I think you should try the Andersen before deciding it is simpler. I expect it gets better, but I watched one member here hopping from one side to the other with his ratchet to hook up. Others are replacing parts that wear.
I will admit that it is lighter than the Pro Series, and for some ( including me ) that could be the critical factor.

[kands]

Ah, the hopping! There is no hopping if two people put it on! We've had our 21 since March, hooked up about 30 times with the Anderson, always with one on each side. I'm sure either one of us could now do it handily, in short order, without any hopping.

[rbryan4]

Originally Posted by gbaglo

I think you should try the Andersen before deciding it is simpler. I expect it gets better, but I watched one member here hopping from one side to the other with his ratchet to hook up. Others are replacing parts that wear.
I will admit that it is lighter than the Pro Series, and for some ( including me ) that could be the critical factor.

I "hopped" a few times until I figured it out. Now I can do it all from the same side. Figured out that once the chains are adjusted (just count the number of exposed threads) they will stay that way.

The only thing to remember is to hook up, jack it up high, triangle plate, then lower. When unhooking, just reverse it. Just a personal opinion but for me it's way easier than the conventional bars.