17b vs 19 escape opinions pros & cons

[Mucram]

Have a 2017 escape 17b. Am considering getting a 19. Wondering if the 2 ft are enough to make this leap? I would like a larger bed & a larger fridge. Hoping those who have upsized will chime in. Thank you.

[outwiththedogs]

We upsized from 17B to 19 and are glad we did. It is nice to have a dinette and permanent bed that is reasonably large. The 17 felt crowded for the 2 of us plus two 60# dogs. In the 19, one sleeps under the dinette table and one in the alcove by the door. No more stepping over 8 dog legs on the way to the bathroom at night. It was surprising how a small increase in size felt like a big change. We got the big fridge and love it. The freezer holds plenty for a week or two of prepared and frozen meals.
We can still get into smallish camping sites. For us it was a good move and we are happy with this size. Good luck with your decision and definitely do a tour of a 19 so you can see what it feels like.
Catherine

[brroberts]

I have not owned a 17, but looked at both carefully at the factory. We chose the 19 for the bigger bed, bigger fridge, and taller shower. There is a width, height, and weight difference. I find 7’ wide enough, but 6’8” too narrow. Those 4” really make a difference to me. Didn’t need the additional 4” of a 21. So, for us, the 19 is the perfect fit.

[Reid Larsen]

We moved up to 19’ escape after having a Trillium 4500. We looked at a couple of 17’s but wanted the bigger bed and dinette. So glad we held out for a 19. We travel with a 60# dog and changed the double pedestals on the u shaped dinette to a Lagune pedestal leaving the space under the table for a dog bed. And ,oh my, is the bigger refrigerator grand, as is the queen sized bed and bigger dining booth. We absolutely love our Escape 19.

[Mike G]

The 19 has more countertop space and more storage, too.


Personally, I gravitate toward the 17b because I don't feel like I need a WD or anti-sway hitch with it (but I think I'd need that with the 19) and because the 17 will be easier to fit into small campsites. But I travel alone so I don't need as much space, especially not a big bed.

[Doug & Betty]

When we went to the factory to compare the 17 and 19 we found an item that made an instant decision for us (me). I'm 6' even in height. I found that my head touched the roof in the 17 shower and did not in the 19 shower. If you're about my height this might make a difference for you. Otherwise we still preferred the 19 for the other reasons mentioned by folks above, including the 60# dog. (Actually ours was a different dog, but still weighed 60#.)

Safe travels,
Doug

[cpaharley2008]

Towing a tandem axle trailer is a lot easier than a single axle....something to think about!

[GPS]

I think the comment on how tall/big you are is a key one. My wife and i are on the smaller size and we get around and fit just fine in our 17a.

The full size permanent bed, large table, and smaller size of the trailer was our draw. I didn't and don't want a toilet to deal with so that made our choice rather easy.

Not sure there is anything easier to tow. Just hitch up, plug in and go. No wdh needed.

I would not have considered a17b just because of the lack of permanent bed, and then alternatively the smaller table. But we are a a family of 4. The number of people in your trailer is another point to consider. Have fun either way! We are heading out to mt. Rainier Tuesday!

[cpaharley2008]

Having towed single and dual axle campers, the dual models seem to tow straight with less sway as compared to the single axle units.

[Mike G]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

Having towed single and dual axle campers, the dual models seem to tow straight with less sway as compared to the single axle units.

IMO if someone is experiencing sway with a trailer, they need to check how it's loaded because there might not be enough weight on the hitch. I have never had sway with any single axle trailer (and I've towed plenty) except the 4'x8' utility trailer when I had a heavy steel part hanging out the back end (producing negative tongue weight, yikes!).

[cpaharley2008]

Some of the trailers I have towed, like the Dutchman T@da or Forest River's Springdale are inherently unbalanced, regardless of being empty or loaded.... just poor design.

[Mucram]

Thanks to all for your replies. The larger frig & freezer would make me very happy for those extended trips. Hard to cram much in the tiny freezer I have as I like to bring lots of frozen precooked soups etc along. (Should have listened to Donna about the 4cf reefer)

The 2 person dinette was going to be adequate but in reality, the drivers side bench is used for storage of totes w dog & human food. Plus having another bed for friends or just to have space for someone to visit would be nice.

On the other hand, I tow this baby easily w my 4runner without wdh. And have learned to back this squirrelly trailer like a pro (mostly). So I am a little intimidated about adding wdh as I understand it has to be removed while backing into tight corners. I would still want to tow with a 4runner. I do like the fact that a double axle might be safer in case of a blowout. Then there is the additional cost of a larger trailer but you only have so long above the dirt eh?

Anyway, keep trying to convince me.

[Bobbie54]

I have a 17b. All other things being equal (price, space in my garage) I’d have gone with a 19. It’s more open inside. I like my 17 though, just fine for one. And it fits in my garage.

[John in Santa Cruz]

we chose the 21 because the front bed was aligned front/rear, so one doesn't have to climb over the other to get out of or into bed. And there was a lot more storage space, and the aisle is more spacious, and I prefer a rear dinette since most campsites are backed up to something scenic

[Radar1]

I had planned to jump in size from a 16' Scamp to a 17B. I think it would have worked well for us, but then I kept reading reviews from people that had a 17B and ended up sizing up to a 19 or 21. I decided I didn't want to do the same thing in a couple years.
I actually ordered the 17B but before the build sheet date I switched to the 19. Now that we have the 19, we love it. Plenty of storage space, and the bed size is luxurious compared to the 45" bed we had in the Scamp.
One of the things I like about the 19 that you don't get with the 17B is a larger standard fridge, that is even larger than the 17B optional fridge. I also like that the fridge vents out the top rather than the side (just like a chimney is supposed to work).
One thing that I would like better if we had the 17B is the time and cost of replacing tires, brakes, or bearing lubrication.
The 19' with tandem axle seems smoother when going down the road, although the single axle on the Scamp was able to make quicker turns backing into campsites.
We decided to take the old advice from Reace and picked up our Escape without a WDH and decide on WDH after towing it a bit. Turns out our payload and tongue weight capacity on our 2019 Ranger were strong enough that a WDH was not needed for the 19, it is well balanced.

[brroberts]

I’ve towed a lot more single axel than tandem axel trailers, and don’t really see much difference. I also use a wdh on my travel trailers, but none of the other trailers. I have never done anything with the wdh backing up. I just back in, and then unhitch.

[JimJul]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

Having towed single and dual axle campers, the dual models seem to tow straight with less sway as compared to the single axle units.

I have a seventeen…tracks great…no sway…and easier to park!
I’m impressed how well these trailers are made ….we’ve owned lots from a class A down to a two man tent…a hundred years ago !
I have equalizer hitch from previous trailers and was talked into trying our 17 without it…….tows like a dream.
Good luck

Are folks who own Escapes called Escapees ? We’re adding “Pod “after Escape on the trailer ��

[MyronL]

When making our decision we were fortunate to have been inside both the 19 and a 17, thanks to local owners. At the time I had a 16 ft Scamp so I was leaning toward an upgrade to the 17. Liked it's ease parking and towing. But I am 6'7" and sleeping in the pre-natal position does get old. Then got inside a 17 and knew immediately it wasn't big enough for us.

[rubicon327]

Originally Posted by JimJul

Are folks who own Escapes called Escapees?

Some have used this moniker although I think this is more generally used for those who have joined the Escapees RV Club
https://escapees.com/

[rubicon327]

Originally Posted by Mucram

Thanks to all for your replies. The larger frig & freezer would make me very happy for those extended trips. Hard to cram much in the tiny freezer I have as I like to bring lots of frozen precooked soups etc along. (Should have listened to Donna about the 4cf reefer)

The 2 person dinette was going to be adequate but in reality, the drivers side bench is used for storage of totes w dog & human food. Plus having another bed for friends or just to have space for someone to visit would be nice.

On the other hand, I tow this baby easily w my 4runner without wdh. And have learned to back this squirrelly trailer like a pro (mostly). So I am a little intimidated about adding wdh as I understand it has to be removed while backing into tight corners. I would still want to tow with a 4runner. I do like the fact that a double axle might be safer in case of a blowout. Then there is the additional cost of a larger trailer but you only have so long above the dirt eh?

Anyway, keep trying to convince me.

Don't forget that Reace solicited current and potential owners for what they wanted in their perfect molded fiberglass trailer and thus the 19 was born...permanent queen bed, 4 person dinette, option for larger fridge, tandem axle... If you need the extra space over a 17 and you like the layout the 19 is a great trailer.

We tow with gen4 4Runners and added a WDH. It towed fine before when properly loaded but tows fantastic with the new setup. I can highly recommend the genuine Equal-i-zer WDH with integrated 4 point sway control. Also I added a Bulldog electric tongue jack with helps tremendously with hooking up. Some WDH's do require you to disconnect before backing but not the Equal-i-zer. This is what they say-

"Can I back up with the Equal-i-zer hitch?
Yes, the Equal-i-zer hitch is designed to allow you to back up and take tight turns with the hitch hooked up. Just be sure the frame brackets are installed in the correct range on the trailer frame (27"-32" from the center of your coupler) so the arms have plenty of room (2"-3" after the bracket) to move during tight turns."