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10-26-2013, 04:10 PM
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#21
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2013
Location: ..., New Mexico
Trailer: 2013 Esc19/'14 Silvrado
Posts: 4,193
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...and, our first four campsites were...
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10-26-2013, 04:15 PM
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#22
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2013
Location: ..., New Mexico
Trailer: 2013 Esc19/'14 Silvrado
Posts: 4,193
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...a few more campsites on this trip...
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10-26-2013, 04:23 PM
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#23
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Central, Pennsylvania
Trailer: Escape#5 2022 E19
Posts: 26,268
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I notice you do not seem to use your awning much, or is that a coincidence?
__________________
Jim
Sometime life gets in the way of living.......
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10-26-2013, 04:44 PM
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#24
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Trailer: 2017 Escape 5.0 TA
Posts: 15,561
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cpaharley2008
I notice you do not seem to use your awning much, or is that a coincidence?
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I was thinking the same thing. We seem to deploy our awning as part of our setup almost every time.
Only if it is a quick stop over and not rain or bright sun do we not set it up. Myron does seem to be just stopping for the one night.
__________________
2017 Escape 5.0 TA
2015 Ford F150 Lariat 3.5L EcoBoost
2009 Escape 19 (previous)
“Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” — Abraham Lincoln
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10-26-2013, 04:50 PM
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#25
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: St. Thomas not BVI., Ontario
Trailer: 2014 Escape 5.0TA / 2016 Ram Eco Diesel 4X4
Posts: 8,038
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cpaharley2008
I notice you do not seem to use your awning much, or is that a coincidence?
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Hi: cpaharley2008... My guess is that he doesn't want to do a Robin Williams "RV" style exit from his "One nite stands". Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie
__________________
Quote Bugs Bunny..."Don't take life too seriously, none of us get out of it ALIVE"!!!
'16 Ram Eco D. 4X4 Laramie Longhorn CC & '14 Escape 5.0TA
St.Thomas (Not the Virgin Islands) Ontario
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10-26-2013, 05:05 PM
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#26
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2013
Location: ..., New Mexico
Trailer: 2013 Esc19/'14 Silvrado
Posts: 4,193
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Actually, we had no need to use the awning. This trip there was much rain the first 3 days, but we'd get to each site late, we fixed dinner, wobbled around the camp area, and then were on the road again by 9-10 am the next morning. In fact I have yet to open the thing.
Biggest exception was Sequoia NP.
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10-26-2013, 05:18 PM
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#27
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Highland Park, New Jersey
Trailer: Escape 19 February 2014
Posts: 975
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Where did you stay in Sequoia? We were there several years ago but we stayed in a lodge.
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10-26-2013, 05:32 PM
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#28
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: _, Texas
Trailer: Escape 5.0 SA
Posts: 544
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Hi Myron,
How many miles did you travel in thirteen days? I have made a few trips similar to yours to get somewhere and back on limited time with limited enjoyment. Never again I hope.
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10-27-2013, 11:06 AM
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#29
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Auburn, Washington
Trailer: 2013 Escape 21 #3
Posts: 385
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I was also concerned about moving a dual axle trailer using a swivel wheel. My new 21 is parked on concrete with the swivel wheel attached. My neighbor and I pushed it forward and to the side to put it into place without too much effort. It was much easier then setting up and using the tow vehicle. I do think it would be a problem if not on a hard surface though.
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10-27-2013, 01:09 PM
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#30
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2013
Location: ..., New Mexico
Trailer: 2013 Esc19/'14 Silvrado
Posts: 4,193
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Ruthe: I know there are several very nice lodges within Sequoia. Was able to check out the one at Hume Lake. We camped at the Azalea Campground in Kings Canyon NP, next door to Grants Grove Village. I will be posting that story in a separate new thread real soon.
DaveandSandy: 2,722 interesting, scenic miles towing in 13 days.
TAfraser: For a moment, forget pushing the trailer around a parking area. Maybe I should mention this... I wonder what would happen if while doing 50 mph towing on I-70 you did not see a road construction seam at night and, when the rear tow vehicle wheels bounced harsh over it, this violently dislodges the trailer hitch resulting in the safety chains doing a great job of safely nesting your trailer tongue, but, that straight Escape pipe, with no swivel wheel attached, wasn't cranked up enough, so it is now plowing down into the pavement while you watch your trailer fishtailing in the rear view mirror as you hope you can come to a safe stop before the thing flips?
That is no fantasy. It happened to me in another trailer life when towing a 16 ft Scamp. In that case the jack (with swivel wheel) was turned parallel to the tongue frame and out of the way, so no damage done. Except, it was dark, the shoulder was narrow, and getting out of the car because I did not want her anywhere near the heavy truck traffic whizzing by while I addressed the issue at hand, my wife tumbled down a drainage ditch she did not see.
I see it like this: hope for the best, prepare for the worst, because like with the lottery, you never know.
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10-27-2013, 05:35 PM
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#31
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Denison, Texas
Trailer: 2015 21'; 2011 19' sold; 4Runner; ph ninezero3 327-27ninefour
Posts: 5,136
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I am going to suppose that you did not have a lock on your coupler latch.
We try to be particular about the tongue shaft being just barely below the chains as we have had the chains get out of position on occasion.
__________________
Cathy. Floating Cloud
"Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air.... "
Emerson
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10-27-2013, 07:14 PM
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#32
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2013
Location: ..., New Mexico
Trailer: 2013 Esc19/'14 Silvrado
Posts: 4,193
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No, I always have a lock on the coupler. I can only speculate... that the coupler jaw gripping under the ball had just a hair too much play in it and that big jolt, at that speed, was just violent enough.
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10-27-2013, 09:09 PM
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#33
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Denison, Texas
Trailer: 2015 21'; 2011 19' sold; 4Runner; ph ninezero3 327-27ninefour
Posts: 5,136
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That makes me wonder if there are heftier coupler locks than what we have or if we have to have a good look at how snug the fit. Pretty surprising.
__________________
Cathy. Floating Cloud
"Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air.... "
Emerson
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10-27-2013, 09:46 PM
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#34
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Edmonton, Alberta
Trailer: 1979 Boler B1700
Posts: 14,935
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MyronL
I wonder what would happen if while doing 50 mph towing on I-70 you did not see a road construction seam at night and, when the rear tow vehicle wheels bounced harsh over it, this violently dislodges the trailer hitch resulting in the safety chains doing a great job of safely nesting your trailer tongue...
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Floating Cloud
I am going to suppose that you did not have a lock on your coupler latch.
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The lock just keeps the latch from moving. Any decent coupler will not move the latch and uncouple no matter how hard it is pulled - once properly latched - because couplers use "over-centre" latch mechanism: forcing the jaw pulls the latch tighter.
On the other hand, if there is too much free play between latch and ball...
Quote:
Originally Posted by MyronL
No, I always have a lock on the coupler. I can only speculate... that the coupler jaw gripping under the ball had just a hair too much play in it and that big jolt, at that speed, was just violent enough.
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That makes sense to me: with too much play the trailer can tow fine, until a big enough jolt rocks the trailer enough to pull up on the ball.
The last Escape coupler I saw was a yoke type; I don't know if they all are. The yoke style cannot be adjusted, and don't need to be - short of substantial damage (or missing parts, as in a FiberglassRV discussion) I don't think they ever let go. My 35 year old Boler coupler is one of these (an Atwood).
Quote:
Originally Posted by MyronL
It happened to me in another trailer life when towing a 16 ft Scamp.
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Scamp uses economically sourced parts to enable a modest trailer price... including a $28 basic lever-latch coupler. Maybe there was nothing wrong with Myron's coupler, but maybe it wasn't the most reliable.
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10-27-2013, 10:41 PM
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#35
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2013
Location: ..., New Mexico
Trailer: 2013 Esc19/'14 Silvrado
Posts: 4,193
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Right, B-P. And the Escape couplers seem seriously heavy duty to me. The incident, remember, happened on my old '86 Scamp. In fact I had replaced its original ball clamp mechanism because it seemed too worn out. Could very likely be I didn't screw it in enough, and found that out the hard way.
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10-27-2013, 11:26 PM
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#36
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Denison, Texas
Trailer: 2015 21'; 2011 19' sold; 4Runner; ph ninezero3 327-27ninefour
Posts: 5,136
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Putting a lock on the latch often insures that the latch is on properly. I would still guess that most decoupling occurs when people do not have latch locks (and would have likely had the latch on properly had they used one). There are a surprising number of decouplings and I would guess that few had to do with the problem described here.
It is, however, not impossible to put the latch lock on wrong. We did that once. We need to look to make sure that it is on right.
__________________
Cathy. Floating Cloud
"Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air.... "
Emerson
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10-27-2013, 11:56 PM
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#37
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2013
Location: ..., New Mexico
Trailer: 2013 Esc19/'14 Silvrado
Posts: 4,193
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My latch "lock" is usually a quarter-twenty hex bolt and lock nut. I did buy an actual lock for that particular trip, though. Either way, I have noticed... seems if it don't be goin' in and through to the other side, it ain't latched.
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10-28-2013, 01:21 AM
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#38
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Edmonton, Alberta
Trailer: 1979 Boler B1700
Posts: 14,935
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Floating Cloud
Putting a lock on the latch often insures that the latch is on properly.
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I agree, but I think that's probably almost all of the benefit. The lock doesn't do much once it's in, but putting it in forces a check. I like the yoke type (as Escape uses), in part because it is very obvious when it is fully latched.
I think the common lever-latch style (which is what I have found on every non-rental trailer I've towed other than our Boler) is an invitation to problems because it must be adjusted properly. The only type I like less is the handwheel design used by U-Haul... those things have to be adjusted every time they're latched, and every time I checked the one we had on a long trip it was loose again.
Anyway, I'm glad Myron's first Escape trip didn't include a repeat of the unfortunate Scamp coupler incident!
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10-28-2013, 09:34 AM
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#39
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2013
Location: ..., New Mexico
Trailer: 2013 Esc19/'14 Silvrado
Posts: 4,193
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I always carry a spare sizzors jack in the trailer or in my tow vehicle. This really saved my bacon during the coupler incident. The road was a slight incline, had to first put blocks behind the wheels, then, there was no way I could lift the tongue up to un-chain the safety chains from the tow vehicle. Trailer just too heavy, chains were stressed real tight.
Ah, but that was then. This is now.... cannot forget boondocking at Walmart during the last leg of the big trip:
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11-10-2013, 09:15 AM
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#40
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2013
Location: ..., New Mexico
Trailer: 2013 Esc19/'14 Silvrado
Posts: 4,193
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Re: Ah, but that was then. This is now.... cannot forget boondocking at Walmart during the last leg of the big trip:
And, who could forget waiting in line in Victoria for the Black Ball Ferry...? These folks were touring Vancouver Island in their Model T's!! Told me they got um, I think, 16 miles per gallon. But where, I asked, was the heater?
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