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Old 10-05-2018, 03:56 PM   #1
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Possible future Escapee

Hello All. As we continue to downsize (26' Jayco to current 21' Springdale) we are looking at the Escape 19. If anything will be our barrier it will be the price. I know, it is worth it, but only if you can afford it.

Convince me I should stretch the bank to buy an Escape rather than something like a Jayco Hummingbird.
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Old 10-05-2018, 04:10 PM   #2
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Because in 5 years your Jayco will be worth about 25% of what you paid and will have leaks. Your Escape however will be worth probably about 75% of what you paid and leak free. You do the math.
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Old 10-06-2018, 05:48 AM   #3
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If you read the forum for any length of time, you’ll see that Escape has “raving fans” instead of just “satisfied customers.” I can’t count the number of times that they have gone well above expectations to take care of their customers.
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Old 10-06-2018, 05:57 AM   #4
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Besides what Jim mentions, which are the biggies.

Less maintenance
May be cheaper to tow, although I've not tried towing a Hummingbird.
Will last 30 years if you take care of it
Factory customization
Pretty much rot free
Quality, you'd need to be your own judge
Go see an Escape if you are thinking about it, call the factory and ask for someone local that will show one to you.

The Hummingbird is wider, has bigger holding tanks, and is cheaper.

If you trade trailers every couple years a lot of this may not matter all that much, other then the resale values. losing 10% of the price of $40k isn't that much different from losing 35% of $12k.
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Old 10-07-2018, 05:14 AM   #5
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Don’t know anything about the trailer you are looking at but I once heard that the “stickie “ construction makes for a towing experience described as “dragging a cardboard box through the rain”. If quality matters go Escape.
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Old 10-07-2018, 06:35 PM   #6
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Was at campsite a few weeks ago when some other camper from Alaska wondered if she could see our Escape. She was thinking of getting one and had never seen one. I was extolling the virtues and asked what made her consider an Escape. She said she read an article about a defect the manufacturer had made in a few of the models and how the owner had personally travelled around the continent to remedy the problem. She was quite impressed.
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Old 10-07-2018, 07:39 PM   #7
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note that most stickies, like that Jayco hummingbird use a different length measurement. a Escape 19 is 19 from hitch to bumper. a Jayco 16 is 19'9" from hitch to bumper. and yes, its 8' wide, while the Escapes are about 7' wide.
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Old 10-07-2018, 07:58 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz View Post
note that most stickies, like that Jayco hummingbird use a different length measurement. a Escape 19 is 19 from hitch to bumper. a Jayco 16 is 19'9" from hitch to bumper. and yes, its 8' wide, while the Escapes are about 7' wide.
Specs say 8' wide but the tires are outriggers with the body inside of them. Just a guess but that would make the body closer to 7' then 8'.
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Old 10-07-2018, 09:34 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz View Post
note that most stickies, like that Jayco hummingbird use a different length measurement. a Escape 19 is 19 from hitch to bumper. a Jayco 16 is 19'9" from hitch to bumper.
Yes, in most RVs outside of the moulded fiberglass travel trailers (not just Escape, but Casita, Scamp, etc) the length which is incorporated into the model name is the body length, not the overall length. Enclosed cargo trailers are also usually designated by body length, and flat-deck cargo trailer are usually designated by deck length.
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Old 10-07-2018, 09:52 PM   #10
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Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz View Post
... a Jayco 16 is 19'9" from hitch to bumper. and yes, its 8' wide, while the Escapes are about 7' wide.
Escapes vary from 6'8" (17' and discontinued models) to 7'4" (21' and 5.0TA).

Quote:
Originally Posted by padlin View Post
Specs say 8' wide but the tires are outriggers with the body inside of them. Just a guess but that would make the body closer to 7' then 8'.
I would guess more difference that that - the entire wheel and tire is outboard of the body, so assuming 205 mm tires that must be at least 20" in total, making the body width less than 77" (given the 97" overall width).

So less than Escape 17' body width with more than Escape 21' space needed (side to side), and aerodynamic drag like there are two small parachutes deployed out the sides.

This wheels-outside-of-body design has made a comeback in recent years, and it makes no sense to me. It is slightly cheaper to build, but seems so much less functional. To compound the width issue, most of these trailers have rounded tops at both ends so they have no headroom at the ends and no space for cabinets, while gaining nothing... since any aerodynamic gain at the front is offset by the high drag caused by the back end. The only good thing is that it is easy to see past the narrow body in the mirrors.
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Old 10-08-2018, 05:25 AM   #11
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How long?

How long to you plan to own your next trailer? You say you keep downsizing and if you plan to stop at 19' then how much longer do you plan on camping?
If you are buying your last trailer then I think a used Escape would be your best option, yes not very easy to find but would save you some money buying used instead of new.
We just sold a 2004 17' Casita SD, owned it for almost 5 years and cost of ownership was GREAT, sold it for $500.00 less than what I paid for it.
Also highly suggest you reach out to Escape and find someone on their referral plan that you could see one, since you have a history with stick built trailers you will see how much different they are.
Good luck in your search and safe travels to all,

Steve
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Old 10-08-2018, 07:05 AM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Brian B-P View Post
This wheels-outside-of-body design has made a comeback in recent years, and it makes no sense to me. It is slightly cheaper to build, but seems so much less functional. To compound the width issue, most of these trailers have rounded tops at both ends so they have no headroom at the ends and no space for cabinets, while gaining nothing... since any aerodynamic gain at the front is offset by the high drag caused by the back end. The only good thing is that it is easy to see past the narrow body in the mirrors.
Not to mention you have to be careful when walking close to the trailer. It would be very easy to catch those fenders while doing things around the trailer.
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Old 10-08-2018, 11:07 AM   #13
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Originally Posted by stratos175 View Post
How long to you plan to own your next trailer? You say you keep downsizing and if you plan to stop at 19' then how much longer do you plan on camping?
If you are buying your last trailer then I think a used Escape would be your best option, yes not very easy to find but would save you some money buying used instead of new.
We just sold a 2004 17' Casita SD, owned it for almost 5 years and cost of ownership was GREAT, sold it for $500.00 less than what I paid for it.
Also highly suggest you reach out to Escape and find someone on their referral plan that you could see one, since you have a history with stick built trailers you will see how much different they are.
Good luck in your search and safe travels to all,

Steve
Thank you Steve for coming back to and raising an excellent point about longevity. The lifespan of our current Springdale is becoming quite obvious to us. That is one of the main draws of molded fiberglass construction.

Yes, we are likely to stop downsizing at the size of an Escape 19 and continue camping for many years to come. So, I get many of the reasons for pulling the trigger on the Escape. However, one has to live within their means. But, I appreciate all the input and especially Steve's perspective.


Happy travels.


Mike
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Old 10-08-2018, 12:46 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mconrath View Post
Thank you Steve for coming back to and raising an excellent point about longevity. The lifespan of our current Springdale is becoming quite obvious to us. That is one of the main draws of molded fiberglass construction.
We had a small stick and tin fifth wheel, purchased in 1998, that we loved and traveled with for many years....before it eventually succumbed to repeated roof leaks. We took great care of it, the interior was still in fine shape after 15 years of use, and we would still be happily using it today if not for those leaks that rendered it unserviceable.

We're in the final stages of getting a 5.0TA, almost the same floor plan as our old trailer, and it will never die of roof leaks...sure wish Escape had been building 5.0TA's back in 1998, we'd be out camping today instead of saving and planning.
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Old 10-08-2018, 02:07 PM   #15
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We had a small stick and tin fifth wheel, purchased in 1998, that we loved and traveled with for many years....before it eventually succumbed to repeated roof leaks. We took great care of it, the interior was still in fine shape after 15 years of use, and we would still be happily using it today if not for those leaks that rendered it unserviceable.

We're in the final stages of getting a 5.0TA, almost the same floor plan as our old trailer, and it will never die of roof leaks...sure wish Escape had been building 5.0TA's back in 1998, we'd be out camping today instead of saving and planning.
I'm pretty sure most trailers built currently won't last 15 years like your 1998 trailer. Even with the best of care. (Wait, am I convincing myself here?) But, David, you infer an important point that the trailer is just the means to enjoy camping. But, it is sure nice to have one that you don't have to worry about.
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Old 10-09-2018, 03:39 AM   #16
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Life Expextancy and Resale

My last trailer was a 1977 Trillium 4500 15’. We only sold it as I wanted AC and a newer fridge. The Escapes are modeled after the Trillium’s. The Trillium’s are approaching 50 years, it is reasonable to see some last 75 years. How long will your Escape last??
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Old 10-09-2018, 12:08 PM   #17
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Fellow I talked to at my local RV shop said he worked at ETI at one time and that the Escape got most of its DNA from the Surfside trailer.
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Old 10-09-2018, 01:15 PM   #18
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Fellow I talked to at my local RV shop said he worked at ETI at one time and that the Escape got most of its DNA from the Surfside trailer.
And Triple-E's Surfside TM14 was their near-clone of the Trillium 4500. Yes, the original Escape 17' was designed as a stretch of the TM14, plus some improvements (and omitting the Trillium logo from the door).

One of issues with Trilliums was the belly band construction, which resulted in rusting bits of metal embedded in the joint. That's the major thing which Reace fixed, with a better joint construction method. It seems reasonable to expect Escapes to last longer than Trilliums or Surfsides.
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Old 10-10-2018, 09:58 AM   #19
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Our 2002 Nash had two leaks that went unnoticed and became apparent after 5 years. Cost us $6800 to have the damage repaired. In 2014 damage from another leak forced us to either fork out $5000 or sell it for a song, so we sold it. My brother-in-law’s Jayco also had significant damage from a leak, as have other acquaintances.
ETI owner Reace told us they haven’t had an Escape with serious water damage like you can get with stick built trailers and I believe him. The stress points where walls meet each other and the floor and roof are where the stick built trailers leak the most. The insulation in their walls holds moisture that seeps in and is trapped, causing rot and/or mold. I think our Nash suffered more leaks because we took it on tougher roads where the frame flexed a lot and stressed the joints, causing slow seepage that was undetectable. If you look at the Google Maps photo of our house you will see me caulking our Nash trailer. Despite my extra care after the first major repair my efforts didn’t prevent the damage that finished off our trailer.
We went looking for a molded fibreglass trailer and discovered Escape. The likelihood of leaks is far far less and not something that will destroy your trailer.
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Old 10-10-2018, 01:04 PM   #20
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Thanks for the perspective Bob. Reminds me, I need to get on the roof of my Springdale to calk and hope that holds.

I believe Eternabond tape is better than caulk for the seams on SOB's.
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