Worth the wait

[Mudhiker]

Good evening!


In 2009 I was discharged from the Coast Guard and wasn't sure where I wanted to be next, so I purchased, without any experience or research, a 20' no slide (Fleetwood) Mallard to live in. Fleetwood had just gone bankrupt so I got it new on the lot for thousands below MSRP. Dragged it to a park and lived there for two and a half years. Learned a lot... skirting, plumbing, frozen stuff, replacing water heater tanks, tree damage, condensation, etc. But it was an affordable little home with no roommate. Got married, had kids, traded the pickup for a family car, and sold the trailer to a family member who could make more use of it.

Now, my kids are getting big and I want to take them out and explore the country. I'm also in a permanently remote job so the idea of taking off for a week or two on the Oregon Coast or wherever sounds nice. So I'll probably be doing a mix of on and off-grid week or more trips. I've settled on the 21C, and will probably go pretty high spec with solar and such. With almost two years to wait, I have plenty of time to ponder.


Thanks all in advance for the forum. I've watched a great many of the official Youtube videos as well as third-party reviews, and already been browsing these posts to answer my questions and get a feel for the ownership experience. Escape looks to be a good company building a quality product that will last and hold its value better than most of the stick and tin mildew traps currently on end-of-year discount at the dealer lots just down the highway from me.

[Eggscape]

Enjoy your new trailer when it arrives.

[Chasing Trials]

Welcome. ETI does seem to move up dates. Just did a bunch, so might be set for awhile. But, as new workers get up to speed, & others find a used one, (more & more of them out there). I'm sure hoping us resent deposit people more up.

[Mark&Elaine]

Isaac, Have you seen an Escape up close? If not, you're welcome to view my 5.0 TA at some point. I'm in Spokane too. I was set on purchasing a 21 until we walked through a 5.0!

[Mudhiker]

Originally Posted by Mark&Elaine

Isaac, Have you seen an Escape up close? If not, you're welcome to view my 5.0 TA at some point. I'm in Spokane too. I was set on purchasing a 21 until we walked through a 5.0!

Oh cool, I'll have to take you up on that soon. My tow rig will be a 2022 Toyota Tacoma with a pull rating of 6400 lbs. Apparently some people have managed to do some frame mods with a hitch to pull a 5.0 but I have the double cab short bed and it'd be a really fiddly expensive undertaking with the pivot way behind the axle.

[Doug2000]

WE have had many trailers. Our last was an Escape 17B. We sold it to upgrade to a larger trailer. We waited for a used Escape 19 but none were available over a year long wait. We shopped around, looked at dozens of trailers. My wife finally says to me just order a new Escape or you won't be happy. Luckily back in 2019 the wait was only 6 months.

Are they worth the wait, yes, or you'll be looking again 2 years from now when you buy a trailer with a leaky roof.

[Ooshkaboo]

I just sent the check in today for a 5.0.

It was finished just before their Christmas break so just a little over 13 months from the deposit.

I’ve been going nonstop on many other things in that time, so the wait wasn’t too bad.

Getting the options I wanted was well worth the wait to me…