Advice on different brand

[brroberts]

We’ll be close to you at Big Bone Lick in late April on our way home from the east coast.

[YakRV]

Originally Posted by brroberts

We’ll be close to you at Big Bone Lick in late April on our way home from the east coast.

Oh, nice! You’ll have to give us a shout when you’re heading this way, as we’re only about 30 miles from there.

BTW, our Escape Ambassador, Buellfire, lives even closer to Big Bone (maybe 10 miles or so). I think there are other Escape owners around here too.

[buellfire]

Hey Guys, Just got home from 3 weeks camping in and around the Ocala National Forest. Had a great time canoeing at the many different springs in the area, and rode the Santos Mountain Bike trails just south of Ocala. Drove home in one day, just thought I would relax and catch up a bit, and I see my name! Big Bone is a cool little place to spend a few days, make sure you see the Buffalo and go to rabbit hash country store down the road, and yes I live 10 minutes from Big Bone if you need anything!

[YakRV]

That sounds like an awesome trip, Shawn. Welcome back to winter! Haha.

[MrLynn]

Re inTech: Just learned that a Sol Horizon owner had his single axle break entirely loose from the trailer. Apparently the aluminum welds holding an axle mounting bracket to the frame broke. Seems to be a weak point in their design; it's happened once about a year before (according to Facebook posts) and an another owner noticed cracks in the welds on his unit. Obviously not a common occurrence, but worrisome for a prospective buyer, nonetheless. Have you ever heard of Escape trailers losing axles?

[gbaglo]

Originally Posted by MrLynn

Have you ever heard of Escape trailers losing axles?

No.
Aluminum welding requires special training and maybe that's the source of the problem.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by MrLynn

Re inTech: Just learned that a Sol Horizon owner had his single axle break entirely loose from the trailer. Apparently the aluminum welds holding an axle mounting bracket to the frame broke. Seems to be a weak point in their design; it's happened once about a year before (according to Facebook posts) and an another owner noticed cracks in the welds on his unit. Obviously not a common occurrence, but worrisome for a prospective buyer, nonetheless. Have you ever heard of Escape trailers losing axles?

No. I've never heard of any brand of trailer with a steel frame and Torflex axles losing axles.

Originally Posted by gbaglo

Aluminum welding requires special training and maybe that's the source of the problem.

Whether it is an issue with design, or with the manufacturing process, or with the training of the welders, I agree that the problem described with the Sol Horizon likely is specific to the material choice.

The Escape 23 will have an aluminum frame (according to a video release by ETI). I'm not concerned about axles coming off due to poor design or fabrication, because the frame has been designed and will be built by a company with suitable expertise and experience.

[MrLynn]

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

No. I've never heard of any brand of trailer with a steel frame and Torflex axles losing axles.


Whether it is an issue with design, or with the manufacturing process, or with the training of the welders, I agree that the problem described with the Sol Horizon likely is specific to the material choice.

The Escape 23 will have an aluminum frame (according to a video release by ETI). I'm not concerned about axles coming off due to poor design or fabrication, because the frame has been designed and will be built by a company with suitable expertise and experience.

inTech has experience building trailers of many types, many I assume with aluminum frames, for years. So this is doubly puzzling, and rather concerning.

[John in Santa Cruz]

you can't really weld aluminum to steel, they have drastically different melting temperatures, so I do wonder how they attached those axles. maybe was a welded aluminum bracket that the steel dexters were bolted to, something like that.

[MrLynn]

Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz

you can't really weld aluminum to steel, they have drastically different melting temperatures, so I do wonder how they attached those axles. maybe was a welded aluminum bracket that the steel dexters were bolted to, something like that.

Yes John, exactly that. It's the welded aluminum brackets, one on each side, that broke loose. Looks like bad welds. Most worrisome!

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz

you can't really weld aluminum to steel, they have drastically different melting temperatures, so I do wonder how they attached those axles. maybe was a welded aluminum bracket that the steel dexters were bolted to, something like that.

Although no same person would weld a steel axle bracket to a trailer frame, and any welding of steel and aluminum is obviously problematic and generally inadvisable, there are cars with aluminum panels attached to steel panels by friction stir welding.

But yes, a steel axle assembly is attached to an aluminum trailer frame with a bolted or clamped connection to the aluminum frame rail or to an aluminum bracket welded to it.

[Camper Scott]

Well, we took you guys advice and put down the deposit on a 5.0 to get in line for April 2024, and then this weekend an inventory 5.0 came up. We put our name in for it, so wish us luck.....unless you are bidding on it too!

[Ron in BC]

Originally Posted by MrLynn

Yes John, exactly that. It's the welded aluminum brackets, one on each side, that broke loose. Looks like bad welds. Most worrisome!

Not necessarily bad welds. Aluminum is subject to fatigue cracking that can be caused by stress from unanticipated forces.

Even the Honda Goldwing with an aluminum frame that generally never has a problem has frame cracking in bikes that tow trailers.

So if an aluminum frame with brackets to hold the axle on is pounded over rough roads my guess is that it'd fail before a similar all steel one.

Time will tell how the E23 frame stands up.

Ron

[MrLynn]

Originally Posted by Ron in BC

Not necessarily bad welds. Aluminum is subject to fatigue cracking that can be caused by stress from unanticipated forces.

Even the Honda Goldwing with an aluminum frame that generally never has a problem has frame cracking in bikes that tow trailers.

So if an aluminum frame with brackets to hold the axle on is pounded over rough roads my guess is that it'd fail before a similar all steel one.

Time will tell how the E23 frame stands up.

Ron

On the inTech Sol Facebook group, one commenter who owns aluminum cargo trailers describes his solution: bolt steel hangers to the aluminum frame. Don't rely on aluminum ones.

If inTech wants to solve this problem before there's a (maybe deadly) catastrophe, they're going to have to do a recall and send out kits to all dealers to fix the problem. Otherwise they're going to lose buyers—like me.

I hope Escape engineers are savvy enough to use steel hangers from the start.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by MrLynn

I hope Escape engineers are savvy enough to use steel hangers from the start.

Although ETI actually has at least one engineer now (it didn't have any before the current owners bought it), the engineering of the frame is likely by the frame supplier, not by Escape.

Starting at 5:44 in the video that ETI posted on the Escape 23 page the chassis the trailer is shown. Black (presumably painted steel) brackets for the axle are bolted through the aluminum frame rails; this is most visible at 7:48. These brackets are long - spanning the brackets of integral to both axle assemblies and beyond - and attached with several bolts; it looks substantial and suitable (assuming that the issue of the bolts crushing the hollow frame extrusion is managed appropriately). Other equipment is attached to the frame by aluminum brackets welded to the frame.

[MrLynn]

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

Although ETI actually has at least one engineer now (it didn't have any before the current owners bought it), the engineering of the frame is likely by the frame supplier, not by Escape.

Starting at 5:44 in the video that ETI posted on the Escape 23 page the chassis the trailer is shown. Black (presumably painted steel) brackets for the axle are bolted through the aluminum frame rails; this is most visible at 7:48. These brackets are long - spanning the brackets of integral to both axle assemblies and beyond - and attached with several bolts; it looks substantial and suitable (assuming that the issue of the bolts crushing the hollow frame extrusion is managed appropriately). Other equipment is attached to the frame by aluminum brackets welded to the frame.

Yep, those look like nice, hefty steel brackets shared by both axles (couldn't tell—maybe a U-channel that the frame nestles in?). That's where inTech completely fell down, with axles breaking off from their welded-aluminum hangers.

I put my name on Escape's Wait List for E23 trailers, but it looks like 2024 before they'll be available.

[Langley Barb]

You could order a trailer now even though the delivery date is 2 years out and if your Jayco bites the dust before it is ready, rent a trailer for trips until you take delivery. It is also likely with that long of a wait that some people ahead of you will make other arrangements and drop off, making the wait less long. I have friends who have had good experiences renting campers and trailers who live in the city and have no place to store one. I would not envy anyone entering the mad market for a used Escape right now. I have also heard that quality problems with other brands are sky high due to supply chain issues and skilled labor shortages. Good luck.

[Camper Scott]

We didn't win the inventory 5.0. a person with the last name of Smith got it. Congratulations to her!

Now, only 27 months to figure out exactly how we want the 5.0 built. April 2024 if nothing we're to move up.

I'll have plenty of time to peruse the forum for ideas.