What do you do while you wait a year?

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by SSBN

These trailers are so popular, I can't find a used one to buy!

Originally Posted by rbryan4

I think he means another brand of trailer - like a used sticky that will at least get you out camping while you wait. Some can be had for very little money.

I was thinking an Escape if you can find it - the new one will still be appreciated because it will be just like you want it, instead of what you could find. Of course they're hard to find, but at least that means they hold their value well so you don't take much of a hit for keeping for a year.

The other-brand alternative is certainly valid, and some have done that. It can keep you camping, let you sort out the tow vehicle... and make you appreciate the new Escape even more.

[Mary F]

Originally Posted by Ron in BC

It's a big world. See some of the places a trailer won't go.

Ron

That's what we did. We had already planned a European trip, plus after that we had to get our old trailer cleaned up and ready to sell... Our lead time was "only" 9 months, but it worked out perfectly for us. And yes, figuring out the build sheet, how to pay for it, and what to carry with us on the pick up was almost as hard as packing for the European vacation had been.

[Dave Walter]

Go tent camping, canoe tripping, back country hiking, mountain biking, whitewater paddling, running, sight seeing, watch some movies, go shopping, go to some fine restaurants, visit some old friends, make some new friends, lie on a sandy beach, do some yard work, wash the truck, do some 4 wheeling and get the truck muddy, wash the truck again, write silly forum posts, visit the doctor regarding overuse injuries, catch up on sleep. Time tends to pass really quickly when you keep busy.

[cpaharley2008]

Now you can understand why I have close to 10,000 posts here..........too much time on the forum......

[Donna D.]

Have you never, ever camped before? Just remember, what ever size or brand of all-molded-towable... you have a bed and you'll sleep out of the elements. You need to prepare food, you need to sleep and you need a comfortable place to sit. Figure those things out! Sleeping bags, outside chairs and beer... you're good to go

Honestly, don't over think this... you'll figure out what works for you as long as you have a sense of humor.


Jim isn't even close to the number of posts I have between here and FiberglassRV... and I lost about 10,000 posts when that site was hacked.


It isn't about us... it's about YOU and your needs and wants, truly.


Dave wrote the perfect post about WHY.

[float5]

Originally Posted by SSBN

What do most of you do while you wait a year for your trailer to be built?

We ordered in October. We didn't do anything much on it until the end of January. Then we worked on the build sheet and it took us until it was due which was June 1, I think. And we had already owned an Escape! Of course, we also sold that one.

Everyone does not want or need custom fabric, flooring and counters or many other items that really take time. Since it was our second Escape, we wanted pretty much the opposite of the first. That is what we have and love it. We also sent some items to be installed and they did a great job with those.

Just having spent months in the 21', it worked well for us. We have had few glitches. We like our choices but it all takes a while to figure them out exactly. Those details can be time consuming. Then there is the never-ending list of new possibilities that one reads about. You don't have the time you think!

I can only suggest that the build sheet not be turned in early because we have had a number of people who then wanted to make changes, and did not want to pay the $200 extra to do that. There are always more items to consider!

[NW Cat Owner]

Originally Posted by SSBN

What do most of you do while you wait a year for your trailer to be built?

Go absolutely NUTS waiting! Are you a patient person? I'm not, so it's driving me nuts.

We decided to purchase after ETI had closed their books to ordering. I knew we'd have to wait until they opened them back up earlier this year, so it was going to be more than a year before we got ours. However, thanks to Stephen99 I found out, via this forum, about an opening in early December 2015 for a 21 footer, due more than a year later. Called and got it. Massive amounts of shouting, shrieking and leaping around ensued. Drink(s) of choice to Stephen if we ever meet in person.

Our build sheet had been worked on quite a bit before we ordered, so it didn't take long to finalize. Massive amount of time spent on this forum had already happened. Bookmarking of information. Building of spreadsheets. Picking out flooring, fabric and formica all decided before we were able to order.

You can only spend so much time on Amazon (and other places) buying stuff and wadding it in the attic in storage buckets. We've never camped so we're starting from scratch.

Try to ignore all the fabulous "What's out your back door" photos due to wanting to use a trailer we don't have. Read books on various parks and such. Web sites will be cruised later on.

Wait around some more. Go nuts some more. Ignore more posts. Go nuts some more. Try to ignore all the trailers on the road going to places you're not going to - yet! Ignore the camping photos your friends send you.

Mentally count down the months until your due date. Go nuts during that count down. Roll your eyes every time you read someone post "oh, that year will go very quickly".

Lose sleep thinking of all the nifty places one can go once that trailer arrives. Fortunately we should still be able to hit the WA and OR coasts and not worry too much (knock on wood!) about snow and such, so the trailer won't sit around for months until we can start using it.

So, that's how *I* spend my time waiting for that year plus to roll around. Now, Dirk is completely different. He lets me do all the prepping, research, deciding, etc., etc. as he knows he'll be happy with whatever we get. He's a very patient person so the time waiting is no biggie to him. Ack!

[tractors1]

Originally Posted by Steven M

Do the build sheet, redo the build sheet and then change it again.

I sent 7 revisions to ETI in 5 months............

[NW Cat Owner]

Originally Posted by tractors1

I sent 7 revisions to ETI in 5 months............

I haven't kept track of the changes since it was turned in this past January. I probably don't want to know!

[SpokanEscape]

Watch utube videos of how to hitch up and back up your trailer. Become fixated on how to properly empty black and grey tanks and watch utube videos of people who made fatal errors while dumping. Daydream about being able to retire and travel to every national park and Shakespeare festival in North America. Turn to a new picture in the Escape calendar every month and drool.

[skyfree]

I spent a couple of months getting the storage location ready. Finally got a new driveway poured that extends to the side of the house. We had been putting this off for years because it is 1,000 sq. ft of cement which is expensive, but getting a trailer that would actually fit on the side of the house pushed us to get it done. Moved a shed, cut down a large tree and a bunch of small ones and installed pavers on the side of the house. Built a gate large enough to fit (8' 2").



Now we are planning our "pick up the trailer" trip and finalizing options. Still a long wait though!

[escape artist]

Hi: skyfree... Looks like a nice space for a welcome home party too!!! Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

[cpaharley2008]

Ron,
That pad looks really nice, a couple of observations though. what is the height of your garage overhang? Will the trailer miss it and the downspout? Also your opening only allows maybe 6-7" clearance on each side, mighty small to gauge while sitting in your tug 20 feet away. Perhaps if you mounted the house side gate directly to the house or better yet make a one piece gate swinging from the fence side, you might be able to gain another 12" which would give you more room.

[float5]

skyfree, that is one beautiful job!

[Iowa Dave]

We went with an eighteen foot wide door on the shed we built as my back in skills are marginal. If you can get lined up square on your space, I believe you'll be ok.
When I worked in the packing house we used to describe incremental progress towards our nightly goal as "steady by jerks". Take your time and listen to your spotter and you'll be ok. That goes for dragging it back out too.
The R on the transmission shifter stands for R eal slow
Dave

[skyfree]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

Ron,
That pad looks really nice, a couple of observations though. what is the height of your garage overhang? Will the trailer miss it and the downspout? Also your opening only allows maybe 6-7" clearance on each side, mighty small to gauge while sitting in your tug 20 feet away. Perhaps if you mounted the house side gate directly to the house or better yet make a one piece gate swinging from the fence side, you might be able to gain another 12" which would give you more room.

Garage overhang is at 8' high, but the gutter is not really necessary there so it may go, along with the downspout. I do plan on relocating the downspout which is easy enough if I can keep the gutter. I'll just put the spout on the front of the garage and turn the whole thing 90-degrees.

You might remember some time back I was trying to get exact height measurements for a 2017 19' which we had on order. We switched to a 17B which was what we had originally wanted to get but the 49" bed width was a deal breaker. When the 2017 specs came out with a wider 52" bed we switched. I don't think a 19' would have fit there based on the measurements I got because it is also 4" wider.

You can't see it because it's behind the gate, but there is a gas meter on the side of the house, which is why the gate is mounted away from the house a bit. That is absolutely the maximum space I could get there. I mounted the hinges so the doors swing outboard of the posts.

I know backing it is going to be really difficult or impossible. I may need to get one of these: https://parkit360.ca/collections/par...y-base-version

So this seems like a lot of trouble just to have a parking spot on the side of the house, but our city (Fremont, CA) does not allow RV parking in your driveway. It's OK if it is on the side of the house behind a 6' fence even if the top is visible. RV storage is several miles away and costs $70 / month, and they have timer locks that prevent access after 8:45PM which was a real pain for me. I'm looking forward to this situation a lot more.

[gbaglo]

Just take it very slow and pull forward to straighten out the trailer and tow if you find yourself going off line.
I don't do it often, but when I back into my yard, I've got a cedar on one side and a shed on the other with little clearance. If in doubt, get out and look.

[cpaharley2008]

Originally Posted by skyfree

Garage overhang is at 8' high, but the gutter is not really necessary there so it may go, along with the downspout. I do plan on relocating the downspout which is easy enough if I can keep the gutter. I'll just put the spout on the front of the garage and turn the whole thing 90-degrees.

You might remember some time back I was trying to get exact height measurements for a 2017 19' which we had on order. We switched to a 17B which was what we had originally wanted to get but the 49" bed width was a deal breaker. When the 2017 specs came out with a wider 52" bed we switched. I don't think a 19' would have fit there based on the measurements I got because it is also 4" wider.

You can't see it because it's behind the gate, but there is a gas meter on the side of the house, which is why the gate is mounted away from the house a bit. That is absolutely the maximum space I could get there. I mounted the hinges so the doors swing outboard of the posts.

I know backing it is going to be really difficult or impossible. I may need to get one of these: https://parkit360.ca/collections/par...y-base-version

So this seems like a lot of trouble just to have a parking spot on the side of the house, but our city (Fremont, CA) does not allow RV parking in your driveway. It's OK if it is on the side of the house behind a 6' fence even if the top is visible. RV storage is several miles away and costs $70 / month, and they have timer locks that prevent access after 8:45PM which was a real pain for me. I'm looking forward to this situation a lot more.

Oh, I agree with you 100%, if I could not keep my Escape at my house I would not have one. It is so convenient to be able to visit it when you want, keep it under watch and use occasionally while it sits, waiting to be taken out again.

[gbjepson]

Originally Posted by SSBN

These trailers are so popular, I can't find a used one to buy!

We have a 2001 17' Casita Spirit Deluxe we're planning to sell if you're interested.

[blhvet]

I obsessed and immersed myself in fabric, Formica, and floor choices until I couldn't look at them anymore. Then I ignored them for awhile. And I'm spending as much time camping in my 12 year old Aliner as possible.