Escape 5.0 and extended living

[none]

Hi, we are new to the forum, searching for a trailer in our retirement years, and the Escape 5.0 TA is on our short list for serious consideration. We live in the midwest, and here they are rare so we have not seen one in person yet. Couple questions jump out at us, hoping others in the forum can share experience/perspective/alternatives. I have been searching the forum, I find some info, but not quite what I was hoping to learn, so apologies in advance if this is duplicated somewhere (I have not found it).

1) generally, external storage seems to be very limited, my "vision" is I need space for standard setup items (wheel chocks, leveling blocks, etc), small general purpose tool kit, a small portable grill (something like a weber Q1200), a small generator (like Honda 2200i), some chairs to sit around the campsite. Does the front external underbed compartment have room for most or all of that ? I think not ... what are others doing for items such as I describe ?

2) sleeping space seems comfortable, but changing space seems like only option is in the kitchen. We are thinking trips of 30+ days, do folks feel constrained in the available space of the 5.0 ? With the 5th wheel being about 1/3 of the living area, space to stand up seems to be an exceptional premium. Do any of you regret that limited space for long duration trips ?

3) If we are careful and try to be conservative (2 adults only) how many days should we expect we can boondocks/dry camp before one of the holding tanks becomes a problem ?

4) is air flow / ventilation comfortable ? window area for ventilation seems on the smaller side from looking at pictures ... how good is airflow through that unit (we rather not run A/C for several reasons).

Thanks in advance for your feedback ...

[davidmurphy02]

Originally Posted by none

1) generally, external storage seems to be very limited, my "vision" is I need space for standard setup items (wheel chocks, leveling blocks, etc), small general purpose tool kit, a small portable grill (something like a weber Q1200), a small generator (like Honda 2200i), some chairs to sit around the campsite. Does the front external underbed compartment have room for most or all of that ? I think not ... what are others doing for items such as I describe ?

2) sleeping space seems comfortable, but changing space seems like only option is in the kitchen. We are thinking trips of 30+ days, do folks feel constrained in the available space of the 5.0 ? With the 5th wheel being about 1/3 of the living area, space to stand up seems to be an exceptional premium. Do any of you regret that limited space for long duration trips ?

3) If we are careful and try to be conservative (2 adults only) how many days should we expect we can boondocks/dry camp before one of the holding tanks becomes a problem ?

4) is air flow / ventilation comfortable ? window area for ventilation seems on the smaller side from looking at pictures ... how good is airflow through that unit (we rather not run A/C for several reasons).

1) Here's a photo of the front storage compartment. I keep a portable grill, 1 gallon propane bottle, and all of my water hoses, electric cords etc. there and there is plenty of room for that. Not enough room for all the stuff you list, though. I have a 6-4" bed in my pickup and that allows me room to put a large toolbox in front of the hitch which gives me tremendous additional storage space. Also, the second row seating in our extended cab is spacious and also holds a lot of stuff. Although the 5.0TA can be towed with a short bed truck with no clearance issues, if extra storage is a big issue for you then consider getting a longer bed and toolbox.

2) We find the bunk area really cozy. With the slope up in the shell in the stairs area the ceiling is very tall there and feels quite spacious, does not bother us at all. We spent 6 months on the road several times in our previous small fifth wheel with a very similar bedroom and found it very livable. Mary has become expert at changing clothes on the bed, I tend to prefer standing on the steps or right outside the bathroom door.

3) Everyone has their own style of camping and water usage can vary widely. We have found that our black tank can easily go a week - probably more, that's just the longest we've gone so far without dumping it. Often when boondocking for extended periods the gray tank will fill up and I'll just draw some out into a bucket and use it to douse our campfires, not a problem in remote areas. The biggest limitation is fresh water, and we carry a 6 gallon jug with long flexible spout that makes it easy to add water to the fresh tank if we are able to fill our jug periodically. I have found that we can get by pretty comfortably on about 7 gallons of water a day - drinking, dishwashing, toilet flushing, and a very brief and conservative shower for each of us. When we know we have a hookup or are about to dump it's nice to take a longer shower, but after a long hike it doesn't take a lot of water to feel fresh and comfortable.

4) Ventilation is very good, you'll find strong opinions on both window types but they both allow for good ventilation. There's also the screen door, MaxxFan, and in the 5.0TA the escape hatch vent in the bedroom ceiling is huge and we use that a lot when we want to air things out.

You mentioned not wanting to use A/C, and also carrying a generator. With the factory solar setup, 6v batteries and inverter we have found that we pretty much always have all the electricity we need, don't like generators or running noisy A/C.

We have found that the huge amount of storage space in the trailer, combined with the toolbox and back seat of the truck, are more than enough for anything we want to bring along. Certainly there is a tradeoff with a small trailer in that you do have less exterior storage compared to larger trailers with "basement" storage compartments....but that is more than offset by the benefit of ease of towing of such a short trailer and the ability to fit into small campsites in the national parks, forest service, and similar older campgrounds.

[padlin]

Originally Posted by none

Hi, we are new to the forum, searching for a trailer in our retirement years, and the Escape 5.0 TA is on our short list for serious consideration. We live in the midwest, and here they are rare so we have not seen one in person yet. Couple questions jump out at us, hoping others in the forum can share experience/perspective/alternatives. I have been searching the forum, I find some info, but not quite what I was hoping to learn, so apologies in advance if this is duplicated somewhere (I have not found it).

1) generally, external storage seems to be very limited, my "vision" is I need space for standard setup items (wheel chocks, leveling blocks, etc), small general purpose tool kit, a small portable grill (something like a weber Q1200), a small generator (like Honda 2200i), some chairs to sit around the campsite. Does the front external underbed compartment have room for most or all of that ? I think not ... what are others doing for items such as I describe ?

2) sleeping space seems comfortable, but changing space seems like only option is in the kitchen. We are thinking trips of 30+ days, do folks feel constrained in the available space of the 5.0 ? With the 5th wheel being about 1/3 of the living area, space to stand up seems to be an exceptional premium. Do any of you regret that limited space for long duration trips ?

3) If we are careful and try to be conservative (2 adults only) how many days should we expect we can boondocks/dry camp before one of the holding tanks becomes a problem ?

4) is air flow / ventilation comfortable ? window area for ventilation seems on the smaller side from looking at pictures ... how good is airflow through that unit (we rather not run A/C for several reasons).

Thanks in advance for your feedback ...

Everyone is different...


1. Everything on this list I keep in the truck bed.


2. We have no problems with the space for at least a month, for us after 3 or 4 months it does start to feel a bit small and it's god to get home. Personal body size may make a difference.



3. Taking very short showers every other day and just washing up on the other, we can go 6 or 7 days on the gray, 7 - 10 on the black.


4. They have changed the windows since I got my trailer.

[JStelly]

On background, we had an Escape 19 for four years and took several 4-6 week trips. We never felt too small or confined in a 19. We now have a 5.0 and it feels comparably spacious!

Specifically, in answer to your questions.

1. The storage in the front above the propane tanks is sufficient for small items that I want to keep clean and out of the weather. Water hose, leveling blocks, sewer hose support, lantern and miscellaneous small tools I need. Other larger items, folding chairs, two small tables, chocks, etc. go in the bed of the truck in front of and on the side of the hitch. I have a vinyl weatherproof bag that is in the bed of the truck behind the hitch that stores some lightweight seldom used items and keeps them out of the weather. Our volcano grill, Dutch oven and my larger tool bag go in the rear seat of the truck. Note: we have cabinet space and under bench space that is NOT fully utilized. It’s more than we had in the 19 and plenty for our needs.

2. Changing space is not a problem. Yes, it’s basically the aisle between the bed and dinette. We’ve developed a system where one sits (or goes outside) so the other has full use. One gets into a rhythm living in a small space and it’s never been an issue.

3. We are NOT that conservative and can easily go four days. I’m sure others have more experience. We like sites with at least partial hookups so we carefully plan no hookup sites to no more than 3-4 consecutive days. It’s just our preference. The grey tank is the constraint. The black tank is never a constraint and the fresh water tank can be easily refilled with a hose or water jugs and a funnel if necessary.

4. Airflow is great especially using the Maxxfan in the ceiling and perhaps a supplemental portable fan. Now, we have sliding windows. There is an awning window option. I can’t speak to the air flow using the awning windows. It’s been discussed many times on this forum and there are proponents of each.

John

[JStelly]

Originally Posted by JStelly

On background, we had an Escape 19 for four years and took several 4-6 week trips. We never felt too small or confined in a 19. We now have a 5.0 and it feels comparably spacious!

Specifically, in answer to your questions.

1. The storage in the front above the propane tanks is sufficient for small items that I want to keep clean and out of the weather. Water hose, leveling blocks, sewer hose support, lantern and miscellaneous small tools I need. Other larger items, folding chairs, two small tables, chocks, etc. go in the bed of the truck in front of and on the side of the hitch. I have a vinyl weatherproof bag that is in the bed of the truck behind the hitch that stores some lightweight seldom used items and keeps them out of the weather. Our volcano grill, Dutch oven and my larger tool bag go in the rear seat of the truck. Note: we have cabinet space and under bench space that is NOT fully utilized. It’s more than we had in the 19 and plenty for our needs.

2. Changing space is not a problem. Yes, it’s basically the aisle between the bed and dinette. We’ve developed a system where one sits (or goes outside) so the other has full use. One gets into a rhythm living in a small space and it’s never been an issue.

3. We are NOT that conservative and can easily go four days. I’m sure others have more experience. We like sites with at least partial hookups so we carefully plan no hookup sites to no more than 3-4 consecutive days. It’s just our preference. The grey tank is the constraint. The black tank is never a constraint and the fresh water tank can be easily refilled with a hose or water jugs and a funnel if necessary.

4. Airflow is great especially using the Maxxfan in the ceiling and perhaps a supplemental portable fan. Now, we have sliding windows. There is an awning window option. I can’t speak to the air flow using the awning windows. It’s been discussed many times on this forum and there are proponents of each.

John

We are packed up for a trip next week. So here are a few phots that should help.

[Ronn]

Originally Posted by none

Hi, we are new to the forum, searching for a trailer in our retirement years, and the Escape 5.0 TA is on our short list for serious consideration. We live in the midwest, and here they are rare so we have not seen one in person yet.

If your time schedule to buy works out, there is the Mississippi Rally scheduled for September. The rally is in Thomson IL and there are several 5.0 TA's that generally attend. In the past we have had open house's scheduled one morning during the rally. In addition you can talk to the owners and get first hand experience to many of your questions.

Non-owners are welcome, we went before ordering our trailer, it was a great way to see the trailers and get firsthand information from the owners.

Caveat - hopefully the Covid-19 doesn't interfere with this rally!!!

[Ronn]

Originally Posted by none

Hi, we are new to the forum, searching for a trailer in our retirement years, and the Escape 5.0 TA is on our short list for serious consideration.

1) generally, external storage seems to be very limited, my "vision" is I need space for standard setup items (wheel chocks, leveling blocks, etc), small general purpose tool kit, a small portable grill (something like a weber Q1200), a small generator (like Honda 2200i), some chairs to sit around the campsite. Does the front external underbed compartment have room for most or all of that ? I think not ... what are others doing for items such as I describe ?
We use totes in the bed of the truck 1) for levelers etc 1) Misc stuff 1) for Ryobi tools 1) for Black Tank items 1) for outdoor items. We also have a Generator back there, a Gazelle Gazebo and an aluminum folding table. We have a short bed truck with the Andersen rail mount Ultimate Hitch - pic attached.

Our Q1200 goes into the hatch above the propane tanks. I expanded the passenger side of that space, we carry a Lil Red fire pit, water hose and electric cord there as well. Still has room left.


2) sleeping space seems comfortable, but changing space seems like only option is in the kitchen. We are thinking trips of 30+ days, do folks feel constrained in the available space of the 5.0 ? With the 5th wheel being about 1/3 of the living area, space to stand up seems to be an exceptional premium. Do any of you regret that limited space for long duration trips ?
Whether the bed is above the 5th wheel or on the floor, your floor space is pretty close to the same. The counter in the 21 is slightly longer which would suggest a little more floors space.

We can't even tell you how we get dressed, it is a non issue for us as far as space is concerned.

Our longest trip has been 5 weeks, we have no problem with the living space. I think the trailer is great for 2 people, we have had 4 a couple times and have not had concerns, but those were 4 days or less.

We tend to travel vs camp, I would think some of this would depend on how you will use your trailer.

3) If we are careful and try to be conservative (2 adults only) how many days should we expect we can boondocks/dry camp before one of the holding tanks becomes a problem ?
Similar to other's answers, for us, we are not conservative with water, we generally need to dump/add water after about 4 days. Those who conserve water probably double this.

4) is air flow / ventilation comfortable ? window area for ventilation seems on the smaller side from looking at pictures ... how good is airflow through that unit (we rather not run A/C for several reasons).Lot's of ventilation, I think the kitchen and bath windows are optional, we have both.
We carry a generator, so far we have only used it once, and that was for air conditioning. Solar would be important if you plan to boon dock. We have solar and think it is great.

F 150 short bed truck with rail mount Andersen Ultimate Hitch

[UncleTim]

I started to say this in another post, but I will say it again here.

I really like that the 5.0TA elevates the bed to about 6.5' off the ground. I measured mine today, while camping, and I really like being up higher a bit. I look out at mid level trees and the air flow is absolutely great. You can get it just right (my wife agrees). I tend to get claustrophobic and this bed area is not a problem at all. I am getting over a respiratory ailment and find this much to my liking.

Everything everybody said, I seem to agree with. I love mine and I think we made the absolute right choice.