New (Used) Escape

[ahom]

Hi everyone, from Las Cruces, NM.

I've wanted to own an escape for years, and I finally found one I could swing. It was a slightly damaged 2010 19' that came up on the pre-owned escape site. It needs some minor repair work to the outside driver side, but shouldn't be a big deal.

I drove from NM to northwest WA to get it. When someone says molded fiberglass RVs are rugged, that isn't a joke. This one was turned on its side on an icy road, but aside from some minor road rash, it came home with me to NM just fine. We love it.

Has anyone purchased gel coat from Escape? If so could you let me know your experience with it?

I'm also looking to replace my Maxx fan motor. I've read alot of hit and miss on replacement motors, and at over $100 for a replacment, it's worth an experiment with an alternative motor. If it works, I'll share the results here.

I've been reading this forum for years, expecting I'd get an escape. Thank you all for the info sharing here! Cheers!

[HABBERDABBER]

I have no recommendations to either of your issues. All I know, from what little I know, is that gel coat can be a finicky material to work with. You've got your restoration project now. The best I can offer is do your research.

Gel coat is a thin, brittle curing & runny material. If you have deep road rash scratches they may need to be built up to very near the surface. Fiberglass gurus can do wonders in repair. Check them out.

[Rockhead]

Contact ETI and they will sell you the gel coat they use and ship it to you. If you don’t feel comfortable doing the repairs yourself, contact the boat repair shops around you. They should be able to do the job for you .

[Camp@Home]

Ahom, get the Model Number & other specs off the motor itself and try to find replacement that way maybe? Fit, speed, sound, etc. could vary so want to maintain specs....Good luck!

[Ron in BC]

Welcome to the forum and who says patience doesn't pay off.

There are folks on the forum with a lot of f.g. repair experience and if you post close detail pictures of the damage you'll likely receive some repair process recommendations.

In general there are two levels of repair. One, only the surface gelcoat is damaged. This is a straight forward cosmetic repair. Two, the underlying f.g. is fractured and broken. This is a higher level repair.

Ron

[Rockhead]

Etrailer carry’s the direct replacement motor for the maxifans . I had to replace mine a month ago .

[Thruxton]

Any reputable body shop with Corvette car experience should be able to make a damaged Escape look like new. Get some estimates. You might be surprised.

[Ian G]

Be aware that the colour of the 2010 gel coat is different than what Escape is currently using.
When the updated model was introduced Escape changed to a "whiter white" to match the flat RV door, earlier versions were a creamy white.

[Kevin Dawson]

Why just repair the gel coat and look like all the other trailers? We bought a rare Escape 15a, that the previous owner had painted with aircraft quality paint. It washes easy and doesn’t need wax. Also, it stands out. Everywhere we go, people compliment us. People take video and photos. They ask if it is vintage or when did we restore it.
It’s a good thing the windows are tinted for privacy because of all the attention it attracts. If anyone every stole it, it would stand out for police looking for it.
We’ve had it 4 years now and the paint is as good as when we got it. We still have our previous fiberglass trailer, that has it’s original gel coat. It looks old, dull, yellowed and tried by comparison. I know if rub it out and wax it, it would look better, but it would never look as good.

[Kevin Dawson]

Here’s a photo of our painted 15a

[Viajante]

Originally Posted by Kevin Dawson

Here’s a photo of our painted 15a

Kevin, the first time I saw a picture of your trailer I wasn’t sure it looked good. Now I really like it. Congratulations!

Many fiberglass boats get painted over the years with products like Imron 2-part. They also look good.

[annieo497]

Originally Posted by Kevin Dawson

Here’s a photo of our painted 15a

love it!

[Kevin Dawson]

Originally Posted by Viajante

Kevin, the first time I saw a picture of your trailer I wasn’t sure it looked good. Now I really like it. Congratulations!

Many fiberglass boats get painted over the years with products like Imron 2-part. They also look good.

Thanks. The blue would not have been my first choice. It had high quality vinyl sea themed stickers on it when we bought it. They pealed off cleanly. We got the trailer for a great price and have used it many times. It tows and sets up easy. Dual pane glass windows helps keep it quiet too. We lucked out on the purchase. Very happy.

If I was to paint a trailer, I think I’d use the colors from a Pendleton National Parks blanket. Maybe the Zion blanket. It would compliment our red tow vehicle and we could carry the color theme into the interior.