17B for 5?

[deekboutique]

Hi there! Just wondering if anyone has had any success with customizations of the 17b to have 5 people in it? I have three children (12, 10, 6) and would like to see if I can stay in the 17b rather than going to a 19. Plus my vehicle has a tow capacity of 3500lbs. I know Escape in the website says you can have 4 (with the bunk)...but just curious what others might have done in my similar situation? Was also thinking about shooting Escape an email to see if they have configured anything like this in their 17. Thanks!!!

[gbaglo]

My son-in-law and daughter took my 17B camping recently. They have two sons, one 4 and one almost 2. The two year old slept in a crib on the front bunk/dinette. The four-year-old slept with them in the rear.
I don't think anybody got any sleep.

[padlin]

Put the 10 and 12 yo's out in a tent.

[Thane]

We just got back from camping for four days with five people 18 and over, and a mid-size dog in a 17b.

2 on the rear bed, 2 in the bunk beds, 1 on the floor and the dog under the rear bed. The campground was too noisy for a tent so we all slept inside. The bears were another reason to sleep inside. A big one, over 225 pounds, came right next to the trailer door and within 7 feet of us sitting around the campfire, there was another one across the road. Chasing bears through sleeping tent campers was exciting for us and probably scary for the folks in the tents, no one came out...

We consider the trailer to be a nice tent so we don’t spend much time inside, and as long as only two were up, it was doable but I may not want to do it on every camping trip. The night time bathroom visits woke up the floor sleeper, and maybe the others.

If we were in a quiet location, without bears, we definitely would use a tent; we tried a tent one night and it didn’t work out at this campground.

If I had three kids, and space to park it, I would consider a bigger trailer. I don’t know anyone who added another bed to a 17b with bunk beds.

A 3,500 pound tow capacity may be cutting it close with 5 people and the associated gear.

[Bobbie54]

Can you do the two oldest in the back of the tow vehicle? My older daughter loved sleeping alone in our van when we went camping and she was about that age. Safe, secure, away from parental supervision.

[Bea]

Originally Posted by deekboutique

Hi there! Just wondering if anyone has had any success with customizations of the 17b to have 5 people in it? I have three children (12, 10, 6) and would like to see if I can stay in the 17b rather than going to a 19. Plus my vehicle has a tow capacity of 3500lbs. I know Escape in the website says you can have 4 (with the bunk)...but just curious what others might have done in my similar situation? Was also thinking about shooting Escape an email to see if they have configured anything like this in their 17. Thanks!!!

Have you considered the 21NE? If I had 3 children that would be the one I would look at because of the large dinette area for the family which also makes into a big bed where I would put the 10 & 12 yr old and the 6 yr old in the cot above them. Even if you plan to just sleep in the 17 or 19 and use it as a tent that could work, but there might be times, during inclement weather, for instance where it could be challenging to eat and live inside with all 5, but in a 21NE, it would be much easier, I would think.

Our kids grew up in tent trailers and, I admit, I still think that is a wonderful way to camp with kids - a great compromise, Mom & Dad get to be off the ground and the kids get the feeling of 'tent camping' and there's plenty of room for everyone. We have so many warm memories in our tent trailers, especially on stormy days (where we played Trouble or Aggravation all day long). I will always have a soft spot in my heart for them. But if a trailer like an Escape is still high up on your list, totally understandable. They are great little trailers and as long as you find something to go out and make family memories together in, that's what it's all about. Best wishes, -Bea