Newbie intro (long)

[heavyD]

Hello everyone. Guess it’s time for my “official” newbie post. Few posts here and there, but no intro (shame on me).

Many years of tent camping and occasional backpacking. The back and hips got tired of sleeping on the ground so I started looking into tiny/teardrop trailers. Could not believe how crazy expensive those little things are, so I built one myself (Tiny Tim) and modeled it after a 1970’s grasshopper profile. The tiny trailer works great, but still just a bed on wheels with a galley, and no bathroom. Still have to climb in/out through small door. Better yes, ideal nope. So on to the next step in the ever evolving camping journey.

Began looking at travel trailers and the stick built are immediately off the list. No way I want to deal with constant sealing, leaks and wood rot. The Livin Lite aluminum frame trailers were front runner for a while. Decent layout, no wood rot to deal with. Still have the Adzel panels to deal with, but no rot. Did not like that the original company was bought out and the aluminum frame line eventually ended. Would have been strictly used with questionable support. So begin the process of searching for a decent used Livin Lite.

In the process of my searching quest, I stumbled across Escape Trailers. Now this is very interesting. I’d been in a Casita before, but did not really care for the layout, everything fiberglass interior and carpet everywhere. Nice rig, but not for me, to each their own. The Escape fiberglass really caught my attention so long hours spent on the Escape site and owner’s forum checking out pros/cons, mods, custom options, the company, etc. After much research, I’m sold but now I have to get Angela onboard.

Fast forward a couple months and I get hooked up with Dick (@Telescopist) through the Escape Ambassador program. Lovely people and they were willing to show us their rig in February. February! Dick & his wife actually cleared snow and warmed up the trailer to show us. Who does that? All in all a great little tour of the trailer and all the mods. Angela is definitely now sold. Thank you again Dick!!!

So off to the waiting list (used units sell in a matter of minutes). Get a deposit in and build date of Nov 2022. Not excited about that, but hey, good things come to those who wait, right? Continue lurking on the forum for mod ideas, getting a list of things I’ll need, etc.

Fast forward a few months and what pops up on the forum? 2019 Escape 21C only 45 miles from our house. Not just any Escape, but the infamous @cpaharley2008’s E21C. I can’t believe it, must be a work conference call induced coma!?!??! So I PM & call Jim and make arrangements to see the rig the very next morning.

What can I say, seeing Deja View was not really needed but gave us the opportunity to meet Jim and give him a check. Great camper, well taken care of and love all the mods. We’re getting everything I had scoped out for my build list AND the mods are already done!!! Will be taking Jim the balance this week and it will be a done deal. All I can say is that we are very, very, very, very lucky!!

Jim, it was truly a pleasure meeting you and having you go through your Escape and all the mods with us. We both love it and are very excited to be able to have this gem. Given that this is quite a step up from our tiny bed-on-wheels, I’m sure I will have a ton of follow up “how to” type questions for you. But hey, that’s what the forum is for, right? And good luck with your upcoming treatments. Hang tough, Ang & I are praying for you.

Thanks also to everyone on the forum, especially @Telescopist, @cpaharley2008, for all the wonderful ideas, comments, mods, suggestions, tips, etc. We look forward to meeting other Escape owners on the road (part time now, more trips after retirement in few years).

Darrell

PS
Added bonus, the propane tanks are full. Ha ha ha ha!!

[cpaharley2008]

You got that right............

[C&G in FL]

Jim, do you have another Escape on order or have you “hung up your cleats?”

Darrell, you probably need to get the propane tanks filled!

[heavyD]

Originally Posted by C&G in FL

Darrell, you probably need to get the propane tanks filled!

Ha, ha ha!! Nope, tanks are full Thanks Jim

[rubicon327]

Darrell: Congrats! Best of luck with this beautiful trailer. It’s amazing how things work out sometimes. I know it already has a lot of what you want but if you find yourself in need of a tinkering fix myself and others always seem to have some mods in progress that might give you some ideas!

[cpaharley2008]

Originally Posted by C&G in FL

Jim, do you have another Escape on order or have you “hung up your cleats?”

Darrell, you probably need to get the propane tanks filled!

I'm hoping to pick up a E19 next May on way to Osoyoos....... Still trying to configure the interior.

[Shiny]

Congrats!

Our story matches yours almost identically.. like a parallel universe thing.. thanks for posting the saga. We like happy endings.

[kavm]

Congratulations, HeavyD! What a nice story!

Jim - All the best with your next Escape! Already looking forward to seeing your build. It’ll be interesting to see what someone who really knows what’s what would order….

[Bea]

What a wonderful story to wake up to! Thank you for your intro, Darrell....and welcome to the Escape family! You got a great trailer - Jim's mods have been an inspiration to us, and how kind of Dick to pull out all the stops for you to win Angela over. Wishing you many glorious camping days ahead and Jim, keep us posted on #5!! Amazing!!! -Bea

[MicheleNCali]

Serendipity!!! Enjoy your new Escape (new to you and your wife that is)

[heavyD]

Thanks everyone for the warm welcome.

Here's the real kicker. We have camp sites reserved in DE for July & Oct. That's great, chance for close shakedown cruise with the new rig right. If things could only be that easy. Sites are limited to 15 ft because we were not expecting to have an Escape yet. Campground is full, so looks like we'll be taking the tiny trailer while our new-to-us Deja View sits in the driveway....... Du-oh!!!

Keeping our fingers crossed that there will be cancellations so we can change to a bigger site. Ain't life grand Ha ha ha ha!

[uthorns]

You got a great trailer I'm sure. Campsites are hard to come by here in Texas also. You sure have to plan months ahead for the better locations.

[Doug2000]

Originally Posted by heavyD

Thanks everyone for the warm welcome.

Here's the real kicker. We have camp sites reserved in DE for July & Oct. That's great, chance for close shakedown cruise with the new rig right. If things could only be that easy. Sites are limited to 15 ft because we were not expecting to have an Escape yet. Campground is full, so looks like we'll be taking the tiny trailer while our new-to-us Deja View sits in the driveway....... Du-oh!!!

Keeping our fingers crossed that there will be cancellations so we can change to a bigger site. Ain't life grand Ha ha ha ha!

Here in Ontario, bookings are up something like 130% which is a lot because we don't have that many sites within 3 hours of Toronto. I have been lucky enough to get all the sites I wanted. Some people were not able to get anything. I think it must be my strong internet connection. When it comes down to it, people plan way ahead and change plans last minute. Often if we want to go last minute, we pick a direction and pick one night here, 2 nights there and another somewhere else. The nice thing with the Escape is we can pack and go in 10 minutes and head for the next site.

Welcome to the Forum.

[escape artist]

Originally Posted by heavyD

Thanks everyone for the warm welcome.

Here's the real kicker. We have camp sites reserved in DE for July & Oct. That's great, chance for close shakedown cruise with the new rig right. If things could only be that easy. Sites are limited to 15 ft because we were not expecting to have an Escape yet. Campground is full, so looks like we'll be taking the tiny trailer while our new-to-us Deja View sits in the driveway....... Du-oh!!!

Keeping our fingers crossed that there will be cancellations so we can change to a bigger site. Ain't life grand Ha ha ha ha!

Hi: heavyD... You'll be surprised where you can stuff an Escape trailer that leaves the bigger folks scratching their heads!!! Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

[buellfire]

Originally Posted by heavyD

Thanks everyone for the warm welcome.

Here's the real kicker. We have camp sites reserved in DE for July & Oct. That's great, chance for close shakedown cruise with the new rig right. If things could only be that easy. Sites are limited to 15 ft because we were not expecting to have an Escape yet. Campground is full, so looks like we'll be taking the tiny trailer while our new-to-us Deja View sits in the driveway....... Du-oh!!!

Keeping our fingers crossed that there will be cancellations so we can change to a bigger site. Ain't life grand Ha ha ha ha!

Remember most RV call themselves as a 21ft but are really 24ft with bumper and hitch, I place our Escape 21 on 20ft sites all the time. I would guess you could fit a 21 on a 15ft site with a bit of creativity. Good luck with your 21!

[FlowerandFrog]

Hi HeavyD! We are newbies also, just purchased and received our E 17B. We love it. Had a 2007, 16 ft. Scamp prior to this, which we sold in order top purchase a NEW 2020 Escape. We have family in Central PA, and are planning to visit them in early August. Let us know if you will be around and we can chat about our trailers. We have a small one, but the systems are basically the same, I think? Anyway, good luck on receiving your trailer, maybe ETI will advance the date! �� & ��

[heavyD]

Originally Posted by FlowerandFrog

Hi HeavyD! We are newbies also, just purchased and received our E 17B. We love it. Had a 2007, 16 ft. Scamp prior to this, which we sold in order top purchase a NEW 2020 Escape. We have family in Central PA, and are planning to visit them in early August. Let us know if you will be around and we can chat about our trailers. We have a small one, but the systems are basically the same, I think? Anyway, good luck on receiving your trailer, maybe ETI will advance the date! �� & ��

Hey Flower&Frog, would love to sit about and chat about the Escape. Always interested in other perspectives. We're about 5 mi from Hershey Park and pretty sure we are around in August.

Our build date was super-accelerated. We ended up lucking out and purchasing a 21C from one of the forum moderators about 45 mins from us. Huge stroke of luck!!! Picking it up next week. Wooo hoooo!!!!