New and making decisions!!

[lostpond]

Hi,
We are Gary and Nancy residing in Monterey TN.
Have owned a Scamp and currently a 2014 Casita.
We are now exploring an upgrade!
Escape 17'B or 19'.
Look'n at all the options and pros & cons.

[dusty]

There is a ton of info to glean from the forum - how do you like to camp? (now and "down the road"..... Mark and I are used to roughing it, but you may be different - we just finished 2 weeks trying out our 17A - with 100w portable solar. And it snowed one morning! In June!

[lostpond]

Thanks for the fast response. We lean toward more minimal camping. But do want a bathroom. What do you pull your 17A with?

[Mike G]

The 19 will be a little wider (so it will feel bigger inside) and will have more storage space than the 17. Beyond that it's mostly a matter of which floor plan you prefer.

[sprinkledavid@gmail.com]

We had a 19ft Escape for 8 years and lived in it for 4 months each of those years...great storage and towed flawlessly with a Tacoma and no WDH...most of our camping was boondocking...few issues with the trailer and after 7 years the water pump finally did fail...but we had a spare.

[caddoster]

we initially wanted a 17 but end up with a 19 because it has a real bed..

[sclifrickson]

Escape will build you a 17 with a permanent bed for a fee. Sort of a mini 19 with smaller bed and table. No oven option though (unlike the 19).

[dusty]

Originally Posted by lostpond

Thanks for the fast response. We lean toward more minimal camping. But do want a bathroom. What do you pull your 17A with?

We have a 2017 Toyota Tacoma 4x4 - I think that is why we went with a 17 - call me cautious, I want the truck to last. (Our first new one, ever!)

[Marry]

Hi Gary and Nancy. Maybe give ETI a call to see if there are 17s and 19s in your area for you to view.

[h2owmn]

Doesn’t 17A come with a permanent bed in the front?

[StarvingHyena]

Originally Posted by sclifrickson

Escape will build you a 17 with a permanent bed for a fee. Sort of a mini 19 with smaller bed and table. No oven option though (unlike the 19).

Sorry Scott,

There is no extra fee for the 17A …. It has no bathroom but does have a permanent front berth that measures between a queen size and a full size mattress … 54 inches wide my memory states and a removable / permanent table in the rear that can be made into another berth. I had the options of an exterior shower and a gray water tank added. I think the table is the same size as the 19 (I better check ETI web site to be sure). I do wish that I had an oven as I like to cook. With that said …. I'm proud to say that I haven't given very many of my really good friends food poisoning.

I find my 17A, without a bathroom, has nearly as much interior space as the 19 with a bathroom. I haven't missed not having a bath / shower inside ….. many have differing opinions and I respect them. Much depends on how and where you like to camp and what you are used to.

The 17B ….. has a bathroom and costs more than a 17A as a result. It also weighs more. Pounds add up as one travels steeper roads.

I tow mine with a '09 Tacoma, 4WD, V6 4 liter at about 235 hp …. 250 to 275 hp would make me a bit happier but all seems to work pretty well as is, auto trans, ARE canopy, no WDH, added Toyota recall springs and that made a HUGE difference (free) and Firestone air bags (if I had to this all over think I'd look harder at the Sumo bags).

I'm very happy with my trailer... so far no problems with any of my appliances - refer fine, heater great, inverter has done its job, water pump delivers …. trailer just keeps on following me. Sometimes I even forget its there and surprise myself when I look in the rear view mirror!

Im a happy camper …. now if I could only figure out how to 'get away' more often,

Tom

[GregandTeresa]

Good morning Gary and Nancy, we have a 19 classic, and only live a couple of hours from you. If you don't find anyone closer, and want to take a short road trip one weekend, we'd be glad to show it to you.

[steve dunham]

Your needs will change as you get older so plan accordingly
IE : Not having a bathroom may be fine in your 30’s or 40’s but may be a real problem in your 60’s or 70’s
Also remember that your Escape will be around a lot longer than your tow vehicle
Your Escape should match your needs , not just match your present TV

[escape artist]

Originally Posted by lostpond

Thanks for the fast response. We lean toward more minimal camping. But do want a bathroom. What do you pull your 17A with?

Hi: lostpond... There are some mornings, after 2 cups of coffee, I'm relieved to know I'm towing a bathroom!!! Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

[Vermilye]

I towed a 17B with a RAV4 for 85,000 miles, then switched to a Tacoma Off Road truck. While there were lots of things I liked about the RAV4, the small gas tank & low ground clearance (as well as 135,000 miles on the clock) encouraged the switch. Loved the Tacoma for towing the 17. No WDH, and 14-15MPG.

Then I decided I wanted an oven, 4 person dinette full time, a built in microwave & the large refrigerator. Looked at all that in a 19, and there wasn't enough storage space left for me (I travel 8 - 10 month trips). Ended up with a 21, and have a bigger truck on order...

[sclifrickson]

Originally Posted by StarvingHyena

Sorry Scott,

There is no extra fee for the 17A ….

The 17B ….. has a bathroom and costs more than a 17A as a result. It also weighs more. Pounds add up as one travels steeper roads.

No need to be sorry, Tom. I should have been more clear: Escape will build a 17B with a permanent bed for a small fee. My neighbor is considering that configuration and quite recently confirmed that it is still on the off-the-menu menu.

[NCBill]

"I find my 17A, without a bathroom, has nearly as much interior space as the 19 with a bathroom. I haven't missed not having a bath / shower inside ….. many have differing opinions and I respect them. Much depends on how and where you like to camp and what you are used to.

The 17B ….. has a bathroom and costs more than a 17A as a result. It also weighs more. Pounds add up as one travels steeper roads."

I agree!

To me, the best choice is between a 17A and a 19. Both have close to the same room inside (the lack of bathroom in the 17A frees up space for other stuff!)

17B would be too tight for us.

17A gives you lighter weight so more TV choices. 19 gives you the bath, a large bed and a large dinette.

We went from a 17 Casita to the 19 Escape to have a place to sit in foul weather, being able to pass each other in the aisle way, and a lot more storage. We had a Casita Liberty, works for some, didn't work for us. Lesson learned!

Had we been willing to forgo a bathroom, the 17A would have been a fine choice, and IMO, much roomier than the Casita as well. Casita storage is very limited, the lower area under the benches is mostly utilities: water tank, water pump, electrical panel, battery, hot water heater, etc. That leaves the storage in the kitchen area (which a portion is lost to the furnace). The front box (optional) on the Escape is terrific, along with under bed storage on the 19, plus under the front dinette.

[SHolderfield]

Does anybody have any experience with this setup? Thanks.

[emers382]

Originally Posted by SHolderfield

Does anybody have any experience with this setup? Thanks.

There's plenty of threads on towing in the towing section. Check it out. Here's one.
http://www.escapeforum.org/forums/f1...ine-12551.html