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Old 09-22-2021, 06:08 PM   #41
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Perhaps Donna pictures herself being chased around the island by a good-looking someone.
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Old 09-22-2021, 08:45 PM   #42
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I'm soo glad I graduated to an Escape. Problems large or small notwithstanding, it's just a joy to own.

True story: my wife and I purchased a new Forest River R-Pod #179, from the local dealer, in 2016. After the papers were signed and the money changed hands, the obviously overworked gentleman that gave us our orientation, during said orientation, looked us dead in the eye and said, in the iciest voice I'm sure he could possibly muster: "If you need service DON'T COME HERE. We're too busy".
Speaks volumes to the quality that Forest River and their ilk have been putting into their builds for years.

Makes one wonder where all those worn out, used up stick built trailers, and they are legion end up.
Probably down some dead-end dirt road with all the lost socks.
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Old 09-22-2021, 11:45 PM   #43
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Nice layout Donna! I have to admit that some of the 'stickies' are beautiful inside and are, of course, built with the idea that many will be lived in full time.
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Old 09-23-2021, 12:13 AM   #44
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Originally Posted by CADreamin View Post
Nice layout Donna! I have to admit that some of the 'stickies' are beautiful inside and are, of course, built with the idea that many will be lived in full time.
Agree, and must admit that such monsters have an appeal when one's home-base lifestyle includes 'RV park living' with rare movement of the trailer (which I believe Donna has described as her goal). Methinks in that rarely-moved scenario my concerns about slide-outs would be minimal while the benefits they provide would be great.

The one thing about that particular unit that baffles me a bit is the bed size - 70x80 is just off of standard king (76x80) or queen (60x80) - pity that makes fitted-sheets (or swapping to a standard-size preferred mattress) a bit less convenient (though I suppose a standard queen would fit). A small matter if the rest is really appealing.

Congrats and Good Luck with the goal Donna D., and Happy Shopping !
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Old 09-23-2021, 07:31 AM   #45
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We have yet to step foot in an Escape trailer (although we hope to accept a local Ambassador’s offer to see theirs as soon as our schedule allows). We’ve gravitated to Escape mainly because we want the longevity of molded fiberglass.

We’re hopeful that it’s a quality trailer, of course, but having walked through and been disappointed with the feel of some other brands that are supposed to be the higher end of their class (i.e., Winnebago and Grand Design), we’ve come to the conclusion that RV quality is relative.
🤔We have a 2017 5.0 TA. The only issues we have had so far is 1 of the dual pane windows has fogged up and the gasket on the bathroom exhaust fan came unglued. Have not fixed window yet, gasket was an easy fix. All I can say is the trailer still looks practically new and every one that has looked at it so far has been quite impressed. Some wouldn't get one simply because they need or want more space. No pop outs (or the inherent problems). We find the space more than satisfactory for the 3 of us, the wife, an 80 lb dog and me.
We recently toured a brand new camper, Ultra Light??, it was their first trip, and yes it was spacious. It also had a broken storage drawer which the owner broke off the face while trying to open. The bathroom door was also damaged by slide out jamming it while trying to retract it. Pretty much looked put together like the cheap furniture you buy in a box. When they checked out our Escape, both where really impressed.
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Old 09-24-2021, 08:01 PM   #46
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Before the wife & I bought our Escape, we visited just one dealership to look at the trailers built out of plastic and cardboard. (I think "stick built" may be too generous now!) They didn't have much inventory, but the sales guy let us look through a sold unit on the way out. Wife brushed against a cabinet, and snapped the plastic handle right off!

We didn't visit any more dealerships.
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Old 09-24-2021, 08:55 PM   #47
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Three years ago I was a complete newbie to trailers, and bought an Escape. I've been happy with it and would do it again. I'm completely convinced that fiberglass is the way to go, and among the fiberglass manufacturers, I like the way Escape designs, builds and sells its product. I've heard enough horror stories about stick built trailers that, well, where there's smoke, there's . . .

All that said, after decades of backpacking and car camping, I'd say that the trailer is a bit more, ah, mechanical proposition. You travel in a great deal more comfort, but you do have to learn a comprehensive set of systems. You certainly don't have to make the trailer your hobby, or turn into a complete DIYer, but its a good idea to know how things work and be able to fix simple stuff.

Right now, for example, I'm messing with a finicky regulator. I've commented on it in another thread, and I am not particularly upset about it, but I do believe my Escape 19 just may be getting a new regulator for Christmas. Or earlier in the summer I had an algae problem in my freshwater tank. That one's 100% on me, and while it was a PITA to deal with, was a simple bit of time consuming maintenance (hint, even if you're taking lots of short trips, it's a good idea to drain the fresh water tank between trips).

Those kinds of things come with the territory.
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Old 09-24-2021, 10:38 PM   #48
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I’d suggest a sanitizer treatment multiple times in the summer. Though you’ve already figured that out. How did the algae manifest ? What were the symptoms?
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Old 09-25-2021, 08:01 AM   #49
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Nice layout Donna! I have to admit that some of the 'stickies' are beautiful inside and are, of course, built with the idea that many will be lived in full time.
I 'get' the allure, too. My back is pretty uncomfortable after several weeks in our Escape, I'm ready to stretch out in a recliner or something. It's hard for me to sit comfortably in our Escape.

Our friends just bought a used 23' stickie. Wow, it's palatial! Compared to our 19, the living space is maybe eight feet longer than our trailer. It has a slideout and a REAL SOFA.

They know what they are getting into with a stickie. Their lifetime of RV adventures including several motor homes (including a Southwind dubbed the 'Breakwind', that the back of the RV literally fell off) and a GM 4104 bus (taking his Detroit Diesel affiliation to the extreme). Anyway, they're fully aware of the downsides with stickies...

So their Vintage 23 is a 2017, like our Escape. So it has exactly the same fraught mechanical components as our Escape (refrigerator, oven, toilet, water heater etc etc), but with comfortable furniture! And a walkaround bed! And... and... it was pretty inexpensive.

It's a compelling package. It'll be interesting to see how it holds up.
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Old 09-25-2021, 02:17 PM   #50
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I 'get' the allure, too. My back is pretty uncomfortable after several weeks in our Escape, I'm ready to stretch out in a recliner or something. It's hard for me to sit comfortably in our Escape.

Our friends just bought a used 23' stickie. Wow, it's palatial! Compared to our 19, the living space is maybe eight feet longer than our trailer. It has a slideout and a REAL SOFA.

They know what they are getting into with a stickie. Their lifetime of RV adventures including several motor homes (including a Southwind dubbed the 'Breakwind', that the back of the RV literally fell off) and a GM 4104 bus (taking his Detroit Diesel affiliation to the extreme). Anyway, they're fully aware of the downsides with stickies...

So their Vintage 23 is a 2017, like our Escape. So it has exactly the same fraught mechanical components as our Escape (refrigerator, oven, toilet, water heater etc etc), but with comfortable furniture! And a walkaround bed! And... and... it was pretty inexpensive.

It's a compelling package. It'll be interesting to see how it holds up.
That right there is why I keep thinking how, when I get my Escape, I'd like to sleep in the front bed, remove the rear dinette table, and plop a comfy recliner between the seats! (There are some advantages to camping alone.)
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Old 09-25-2021, 02:47 PM   #51
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That right there is why I keep thinking how, when I get my Escape, I'd like to sleep in the front bed, remove the rear dinette table, and plop a comfy recliner between the seats! (There are some advantages to camping alone.)

What Mike said. Almost. I don't even travel with the dinette table anymore. I've a pair of wood folding tables, one for 2 diners and one for 4 diners if needed.
The dining room, especially with the u-shaped option, is really the living room, occasionally used for dining.

You won't need a "comfy recliner", just ditch those back-killing vertical cushions for bolster cushions (picture relevant). Once you've felt the ergonomically correct (i.e. no more lower back pain) comfort of the bolsters there's no returning to vertical cushions.
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Old 09-26-2021, 09:36 AM   #52
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Here is another arrow aimed at the RV industry. This guy seems to verify that warranties are not what they seem.

https://www.rvtravel.com/heres-rv-de...-quality-rigs/
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Old 09-26-2021, 10:10 AM   #53
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Yeah many stickies are palaces inside. I looked inside one at a dealership once and marveled at the head room, the furnishings, made a mental note that a church pipe organ would fit right in beautifully with the décor. Just a hunch, but no doubt owners would change their tune though, soon as the roof leaked, the walls creaked, and no repair parts are made any more for the dead slide out motor mechanisms.
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Old 09-26-2021, 11:25 AM   #54
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Here is another arrow aimed at the RV industry. This guy seems to verify that warranties are not what they seem.

https://www.rvtravel.com/heres-rv-de...-quality-rigs/
Seems like a pretty lightweight critique of the stick built industry to me. For the most part, he tried to highlight and point to brands that he thinks produce s good product. Not much critiquing going on there.

His focus on quality issues was demonstrated by an example of a gap in the juncture between a shower stall and the bathroom wall. I am guessing that most people who have been bitten by quality problems in a new RV would gladly trade most any of their construction defects for something that can be made serviceable with a tube of silicone caulk.

If there was one thing he said that comes close to taking aim at manufacturers and the quality of the products that they send to dealers, it was his suggestion that buyers of new trailers should hire an independent inspector to check out their new trailer before putting down the cash.

Ironically, his suggestion is as much an indictment of dealers as it is of builders. RV inspectors make sense when buying from private parties because many RV owners do not necessarily know of serious problems with their RV that have not yet bubbled to the surface. When I buy a new trailer from a dealer, I expect that they have checked it out to ensure that anything that a private inspector might discover has already been addressed before I take possession.

And to his point that Consumer Protection laws are designed to protect buyers who purchase to dealers, When was the last time that anyone on RV forums has reported success in being made whole after buying a new RV that was riddled with defects?
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