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Old 06-08-2015, 11:14 PM   #1
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What we're NOT getting. Any thoughts?

Thanks to the many people who have posted advice to our questions and in previous threads. We feel very welcome.

We just about have our build sheet done. As some have said, it’s easiest to just list the things we’re NOT getting. Do any of you think leaving out the following items on our Escape 21 is a big mistake? We’d love to hear your thoughts.

We’re NOT getting…
  • Extra exterior outlets
  • Extra interior outlets
  • Additional 12v outlets (we’re getting the inverter)
  • Removable power cord
  • Additional front window
  • Aluminum rims
  • Not sure whether to go with Equalizer or Anderson hitch (for v8 4Runner)
  • Jack’s TV Antenna
  • Extra exterior hatch (driver’s side)
  • Exterior shower
  • Screen room
  • Shelves in wardrobe closet
  • 2 - 12V Heat Pads with Spray Foam Insulation
  • Custom fabrics & Countertops

We realize everyone has to fit the trailer to their own needs. We’re planning to full time so we want it set up right. Thanks again for the input!
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Old 06-08-2015, 11:33 PM   #2
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You guys will know best, and what you propose will still allow you to get out and enjoy yourselves.

The only thing I would think you should reconsider is the removable power cord. I changed mine over after the fact, and am so glad I did. It saved me lots of stowage hassle, and is way easier to set up, as I don't fight with tangles.

Almost everything else I might eliminate too.

I also assume you meant that you are getting an inverter, as the converter is standard. This is one thing I don't think I would get, as we don't have anything that relies on 120V that it could run.
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Old 06-09-2015, 12:00 AM   #3
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Yes! Inverter. Thanks! You can plug in computers, TV's, curling irons, coffee grinders, etc. if you have the inverter, right? With the solar it makes these kinds of things usable, right?
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Old 06-09-2015, 12:01 AM   #4
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And thanks for the thoughts on the power cord. I had no idea. What you say makes sense.
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Old 06-09-2015, 12:18 AM   #5
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Yes! Inverter. Thanks! You can plug in computers, TV's, curling irons, coffee grinders, etc. if you have the inverter, right? With the solar it makes these kinds of things usable, right?
Yes, sort of. Your logic is the same as mine was regarding the "whole-house" inverter. But I discovered that the inverter draws its own parasitic load even when nothing else is running, makes noise, and complains sometimes when the load is heavy (as when using a microwave). If the battery capacity is below a certain threshold (it appears to be around 70%) the inverter will just shut off if it is under heavy load. So it doesn't work as smoothly as you might expect.

Given this, I'd still keep the inverter, but opt for more 12V outlets-- at least three, so you have them in the front, midsection, and rear of the trailer. Then buy 12V versions of stuff as far as practicable. I'm guessing you can't get 12V curling irons, but you can get a 12V TV, fans, laptop with a 12V power supply, etc.
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Old 06-09-2015, 12:20 AM   #6
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For me, I would add additional exterior 120v on driver side, as that side has some darn nice shade/views at times.
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Old 06-09-2015, 12:25 AM   #7
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You are getting one great big list as we are, nearly the same.

Since you are in California, would think you would want the outside shower to wash off sand and the like. Does have to be winterized but we are getting it.

We put the power cord away in less than a minute using a towel to wipe it off as we feed it in, so we are staying with that. Only have to remove what is needed so not necessarily on the ground if raining or muddy. Don't know if there is any access to it --- who knows? --- in case of tangling. No problem with anything getting in with the cord by using pliable rope caulking around it.

The equalizer is the name used by Escape for a weight distributing hitch. (Equal-I-zer is a brand name that Escape does not sell as far as I know.) Escape's is probably still a Reese Pro Series. We have it and like it.

We are getting the extra hatch because we have particular exterior items that we want to access there. Anything exterior in the dinette area is at the other end of the trailer from the door, not like a 19'. You would have to walk through the trailer in bad weather to get something from there.

We expect to, and have been, hooked up in cold weather so we are getting the heat pads. Do not think they can be added later.

On the outlets, there are never enough and they are relatively inexpensive so we added several. Know you mean an inverter (we all have converters) which we will also have. The 12Vs can be used when plugged in also. We will have them if need be. It is more efficient to use the 12Vs if boondocking and many people get whatever they can in a 12V version, as Mike is saying. We are not sure how that is going to work out but be advised that you cannot run that much even with the inverter, so limited time with the microwave.

Looks like a good list!! I would say that you probably do not want to sign it until you have to. New information being discussed every day.

For fulltiming, you would benefit from a membership in Escapees which has no connection to Escape Trailer. Perhaps you are changing your domicile from California and Escapees knows all about that and I know quite a bit too, so you can pm me if you wish.
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Old 06-09-2015, 12:26 AM   #8
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Originally Posted by Maury&Julie View Post
Yes! Inverter. Thanks! You can plug in computers, TV's, curling irons, coffee grinders, etc. if you have the inverter, right? With the solar it makes these kinds of things usable, right?
We are set up to not rely on 120V, a manual coffee grinder, 12V charger for all things electronic, no TV but would likely get 12V, and so on. It may not work for everyone, but does for us. We have come to appreciate the simplicity of it. Maybe some day of we ever employed some charging...maybe.
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Old 06-09-2015, 12:28 AM   #9
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I have TV, DVD player, Sirius satellite radio dock, iPod dock, Sony AM/FM radio and they all run on 12 volt, so I wish I had a couple more 12V outlets, and one outside.
I use a small, portable 100 watt inverter ( plugged into a 12 volt outlet ) to use the chargers for my MacBook and iPhone. Both of these could be charged more efficiently from a 12 volt outlet if I had the appropriate cords.
A curling iron or hair dryer can be powered by the 120 volt outlet ( with the inverter ), but they take a lot of power out of a battery.
Like Jim, I don't use a curling iron or hair dryer. Don't have a microwave or coffee grinder, coffee maker that requires AC power.
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Old 06-09-2015, 12:32 AM   #10
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One more thought on the power cord is one less hole for ants, mice and other critters to make their way into the trailer too.

As for the inverter/extra 12V outlets, we opted for both. We use the 12V outlets a ton and have not used the inverter yet, other than to test its functioning. The main things we got the inverter for were for hair styling devices for my wife. Turns out, if we don't have power hookups, it's probable we're not doing the kind of activities where she needs to style her hair. Toss on a hat and away we go. When we need to be a little fancier, we also tend to be closer to civilization and have access to electrical hookups. As for the microwave it's easy enough to live without. Coffee grinder - we buy ground coffee when camping (yeah, I know) and brew it in an Aerobie Aeropress so we just need to bring a kettle to a near boil on the stove. We have a toaster for when we're plugged in, but use one of those toasters for over a stove when off the grid.

On the otherhand, we use the 12V outlets to charge: cell phones, iPads, my laptop (it has a 12V charger as an accessory), digital cameras, Kindles, use it to power our electrical cooler (beer fridge!), and so on. It's my understanding that it is less efficient to use the inverter than the 12V outlets for performing the same task (i.e. less drain on the battery charging an iPad via a 12V outlet rather than using an inverter, then a wall plug to charge the iPad). Also, things such as hair dryers, toasters, coffee makers etc. consume a lot of energy, and I'd like to conserve my batteries when possible. We sleep 4 in our Escape 21 so we have the standard 12V plus an additional one for each bed and also the one outside. We use them constantly, even when we do have electrical hookups. That said, I could afford the inverter, and there may be times in the future where we're glad we have it so we have no regrets on its installation, but we wouldn't want to be without our extra 12V outlets.

Otherwise yours sounds pretty similar to ours. We did put shelves in the closet, in hind sight either way would be fine, and we did get the underspray foam insulation (no heating pads), but then we don't live in California. Where we camp it often drops below freezing at night in the middle of summer.
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Old 06-09-2015, 02:06 AM   #11
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And thanks for the thoughts on the power cord. I had no idea. What you say makes sense.
I do not have removable cord . First time I pulled it out and found it was tangled I added some 1/8 panel on both sides under bed which makes a compartment it has never tangled since . will post pics tomorrow . Very simple like separate compartments . Especially keeping cord , water heater pump etc . In own separate compartment . Pat
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Old 06-09-2015, 04:14 AM   #12
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We’re NOT getting…

  • Aluminum rims

We found that the steel rims started to rust after a year and a half on our 15B so for our 17B we ordered the aluminum rims.
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Old 06-09-2015, 05:55 AM   #13
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The inverter makes sense IF you plan to use AC stuff when you boondock.

In such a case its handy to have more than one AC outlet, usually adding one at the rear, middle and front of the trailer. The automatic transfer switch powers them all. An exterior AC outlet comes in handy for us to power/charge our little Bose Speaker or a weather radio.

We like the Aluminum wheels and are very happy we got them. You'll be hard pressed to find them at the same price Escape charges if you decide to get some later. No rust either.

Nothing else on the list gives me pause, but then again, its all about how you camp- not someone else.
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Old 06-09-2015, 07:26 AM   #14
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I'm a more windows type of guy. From what I've read the Jack get more channels.
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Old 06-09-2015, 07:31 AM   #15
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I do not have removable cord . First time I pulled it out and found it was tangled I added some 1/8 panel on both sides under bed which makes a compartment it has never tangled since . will post pics tomorrow . Very simple like separate compartments . Especially keeping cord , water heater pump etc . In own separate compartment . Pat
I did the exact same thing and have never had the cord tangle once. Great minds; huh, Pat?
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Old 06-09-2015, 07:39 AM   #16
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As Jim B. mentions, having more 12v sources is helpful as practically all electronics, as Glenn mentions, are 12v and easily charged used 12v. Seems illogical to convert 12v to 120v to then convert back to 12v to recharge your computer.
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Old 06-09-2015, 09:06 AM   #17
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We found that the steel rims started to rust after a year and a half on our 15B so for our 17B we ordered the aluminum rims.
Yup... same here. Our 17B has steel which rusted... so our build sheet for the 19 includes 5 aluminum rims.
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Old 06-09-2015, 10:46 AM   #18
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I use the exterior shower to rinse the stinky slinky with hot water. I got the 1500 watt inverter with transfer switch to all 120v outlets, but don't use it. Am glad to have it, however...one never knows when it might be needed. And we put in a lot of 12v outlets, including one outside next to the 120v outlet. While our trailer configurations are different, I wish I had more exterior access to storage in certain areas.
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Old 06-09-2015, 11:56 AM   #19
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Yes! Inverter. Thanks! You can plug in computers, TV's, curling irons, coffee grinders, etc. if you have the inverter, right? With the solar it makes these kinds of things usable, right?
Actually, it is a chain of events that make the above 120 V accessories possible.

The big ( 1500 Watt ) inverter generates the 110 AC. But it relies on the batteries being able to provide up to 100+ Amps for a period of time. That is close to what it takes to start a car. So it is important to have a healthy set of batteries like the 6 V pair. Then, to put back those Amps you need a good solar system. 150 Watts is considered a minimum for the "sunny season". If you plan on camping in fall/winter and running those curling irons, then a second portable panel may become a necessity.

Like some others - we have chosen to rely on mostly 12 V appliances and skipped the curling irons ( and don't drink coffee, watch TV ). But I do have a nice portable 1000 Watt sine wave inverter - just in case.

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Old 06-09-2015, 12:18 PM   #20
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Hummm, not sure I can exist without my flat iron. May have to plan my routes around slipping into fast food restaurants with outlets in their washrooms!
Or, yeah, a hat!

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If you plan on camping in fall/winter and running those curling irons, then a second portable panel may become a necessity. Alan
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