Escape alternatives

[Tom&Joan]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

Any metal cargo trailer can leak at seams and rivets. Stick with fiberglass and not worry, higher price, less worry.

Have had my Homesteader cargo trailer for years now, don't know how many miles it has been towed, but many thousands. It has never leaked a drop. I don't need it a lot anymore, but I'm reluctant to sell it. By the way, I have had it loaded to the maximum cargo capacity numerous times.

[MyronL]

My first egg was a little 1981 Burro which I bought for a thousand bucks. True, it was in bad shape and required much rehab. Several years later, all fixed and shiny, I sold it for 6 thousand dollars. Watching that eBay auction was the most fun I had in years.

Today I just saw an ad for a 1981 Burro like mine, on Fiberglass RV. The guy listed a selling price of..... wait for it...... sixteen thousand dollars !!!! Holy Moley.

[Iowa Dave]

Originally Posted by MyronL

My first egg was a little 1981 Burro which I bought for a thousand bucks. True, it was in bad shape and required much rehab. Several years later, all fixed and shiny, I sold it for 6 thousand dollars. Watching that eBay auction was the most fun I had in years.

Today I just saw an ad for a 1981 Burro like mine, on Fiberglass RV. The guy listed a selling price of..... wait for it...... sixteen thousand dollars !!!! Holy Moley.

My Dad used to say “ People in Hell want ice water too”.
Iowa Dave

[Wunfiddy]

What alternatives are there to escapes? Scamp, Trillium, Casita. Bigfoot, Oliver.
Or if you hate yourself and want to live in the equivalent of a paper cup, R-Pod or Winnie Drop, or the other half dozen R-pod clones.
Depends on your budget, but for a trailer larger than the tiny off road tear drops or 6x12s built with aluminium and composites and no wood, you don't have tons of choice outside of the stickies.
And locally, the R-pod dealer wouldn't drop price, asking$25,999 or more and getting it for units that you can guarantee have issues before even leaving the lot.
2 years ago we considered a Winnie Drop as further west in Alberta we could have had one for $20,000, which is a bit more palatable, but its still a steep price for what amounts to junk. Axles that barely meet minimum spec, C channel frame, staples and glue. At least the roof is one piece of fiberglass and not TPO or some other membrane.
I've worked a lot of OT to get to the point we can afford $40K plus for a trailer, but id like to sleep soundly at night when it rains, and not have to have stomach acid burn ulcers into me every time I pull the trailer out of storage, or spend tons of time going over dozens of meters of caulking which is the only thing separating the elements from the trailer and catastrophic structural damage.

Its too bad 40K buys you a 300 HP 4x4/AWD vehicle with tons of creature comforts these days, but the RV industry has failed to match the progress of the automotive sector.
Doesn't help when Thor and Forest River own what, like 80% of the domestic RV market?

[Iowa Dave]

What’s the resale on the $ 40,000 vehicle percentage wise after 10 years compared to the resale of a ten year old Escape? The fiberglass campers are the way to go, especially the ones that were built right in the first place. And taken care of.
Iowa Dave

[Ops]

Originally Posted by Iowa Dave

"...especially the ones that were built right in the first place. And taken care of."
Iowa Dave

Dave...you identified 2 major considerations. The first being "build right" and the second being "taken care of".

Like a car, truck or a home, if these parameters aren't met, then there'll be an issue down the road.
When?
Who knows.
We bought our 2020 based on the information provided in this forum as well as the the fact that ETI sells "direct", to buyers that appreciate the method and history of how ETI builds and responds to concerns or complaints about their trailers...seems positively pretty consistent based on my limited experience.
As to issues surrounding non-ETI production like A/C, furnace, refrigerator, etc. That's the supplier who's responsible.

We bought our 21NE based on the overall experience of members of this forum. Research is on the individual(s) making the decision. That's why we didn't buy a stick built...neighbours have them and comment constantly about the problems they've encountered. From leaks to more leaks.

Those products from outside ETI...that's on those manufacturers and no one else.

My wife and I accepted this, and the in person and personal accolades provided by members of this forum.

[meekhotglass]

Has anyone else spotted the Alto F2414? Looks like a worthy competitor to the 21. With a dry bath! https://safaricondo.com/en/travel-tr...-series-f2414/

I love the setup of the back. I think I've heard of someone on this forum with a dinette in the front and back of a 21NE - would love to see that.

[gbaglo]

Actually, it will have a wet bath soon after purchase, from all the leaking seams and from delaminating panels. It's not a moulded fibreglass trailer.

[rbryan4]

Originally Posted by meekhotglass

Has anyone else spotted the Alto F2414? Looks like a worthy competitor to the 21. With a dry bath! https://safaricondo.com/en/travel-tr...-series-f2414/



I love the setup of the back. I think I've heard of someone on this forum with a dinette in the front and back of a 21NE - would love to see that.

Stickies aren't "competitors" with all molded fiberglass trailers. They're competitors with other stickies.

[NEWYORKHILLBILLY]

Originally Posted by meekhotglass

Has anyone else spotted the Alto F2414? Looks like a worthy competitor to the 21. With a dry bath! https://safaricondo.com/en/travel-tr...-series-f2414/

I love the setup of the back. I think I've heard of someone on this forum with a dinette in the front and back of a 21NE - would love to see that.

As your learning not to many sticky fans on here. 21ne rear dinette. see post 11
https://www.escapeforum.org/forums/f...mod-19253.html

[C&G in FL]

Originally Posted by gbaglo

Actually, it will have a wet bath soon after purchase, from all the leaking seams and from delaminating panels. It's not a moulded fibreglass trailer.

This statement sounds a bit like defamation of Alto to me. Where is the factual evidence of this happening in an Alto? While I don’t expect it to happen in this case, Fox News, some of its hosts, and Rudy Giuliani are being sued for big bucks for alleging wrongdoing by a voting machine company. And while I “share” your sentiments regarding fiberglass trailers, they too have their share of leaks, usually due to lack of maintenance, as stick built trailers have. Frankly, I personally would expect/suspect the trailers manufactured by Alto to be of a “higher build quality” than those mass produced mostly in Indiana. If going the “stickie” route, I would be more likely to buy an Alto than SOB.

[meekhotglass]

Have a closer look - not a "sticky". Pretty clever construction method. Hard to find info on it, but looks to start just above $50K Canadian, so certainly more expensive.

[meekhotglass]

Originally Posted by NEWYORKHILLBILLY

As your learning not to many sticky fans on here. 21ne rear dinette. see post 11
https://www.escapeforum.org/forums/f...mod-19253.html

Thanks for finding the thread on double dinette, neighbor! I'm in Corning & have a build scheduled for October this year.

[TTMartin]

Originally Posted by meekhotglass

Has anyone else spotted the Alto F2414? Looks like a worthy competitor to the 21. With a dry bath! https://safaricondo.com/en/travel-tr...-series-f2414/

You're joking right?

It is not a molded fiberglass trailer!!!

[meekhotglass]

Kinda joking I guess. I agree fiberglass is the way to go. Just love the modern design of these.

[TTMartin]

Originally Posted by meekhotglass

Have a closer look - not a "sticky". Pretty clever construction method. Hard to find info on it, but looks to start just above $50K Canadian, so certainly more expensive.

My previous trailer was an R-vision Trail lite Bantam 19. It had an aluminum frame, and a fiberglass panel exterior walls. It still had issues with leaks.

So, I decided I'd never buy anything, but, a molded fiberglass trailer. I wanted the smallest dual axle molded fiberglass trailer, that's what brought me to an Escape 19.

[Telescopist]

Originally Posted by C&G in FL

This statement sounds a bit like defamation of Alto to me. Where is the factual evidence of this happening in an Alto? While I don’t expect it to happen in this case, Fox News, some of its hosts, and Rudy Giuliani are being sued for big bucks for alleging wrongdoing by a voting machine company. And while I “share” your sentiments regarding fiberglass trailers, they too have their share of leaks, usually due to lack of maintenance, as stick built trailers have. Frankly, I personally would expect/suspect the trailers manufactured by Alto to be of a “higher build quality” than those mass produced mostly in Indiana. If going the “stickie” route, I would be more likely to buy an Alto than SOB.

Yeah...I'm waiting for the the Big Announcement. Another well-known commentator in the camping trailer community "gbaglo" from North Vancouver, BC, like Lou Dobbs of FOX News has been taken off the air.

[Mike G]

Glenn was just serving us a dollop of hyperbole in our thread. He's perfectly safe.... or at least he's safe as long as his hyperboles don't lean to the right, which (knowing Glenn) is unlikely to happen. (Glenn himself would only lean to the right if he had a sore leg!)

Despite the Alto's unusual construction, I still see seams where the roof meets the sidewalls, so I assume they could still be potential leak points someday.

Personally, though, I do find their folding-roof models attractive in many respects. The ability to potentially garage the trailer is nice. I think all that glass would produce a hot-house effect in sunny weather, though.

[Iowa Dave]

Glenn will not have to lean right even with a sore leg. I will be there to hold him up straight or just a little to the left.
Iowa Dave

[NEWYORKHILLBILLY]

Originally Posted by meekhotglass

Thanks for finding the thread on double dinette, neighbor! I'm in Corning & have a build scheduled for October this year.

I have a 19 and member Tburt has a 21c over in Dalton. When i first starting looking there was only two escapes in New York. Now there poping up everywhere,

Originally Posted by meekhotglass

Have a closer look - not a "sticky". Pretty clever construction method. Hard to find info on it, but looks to start just above $50K Canadian, so certainly more expensive.

we put stickers in one classs



"The walls and roof are a sandwich-structured composite of a honeycomb core, laminated with an aluminium skin on one side and Alufiber on the other. Alufiber combines the lightweight properties of aluminium with the resistance of fiberglass. The Alto is built exclusively from materials that are water resistant, such as aluminium, Alufiber, plastic, Formica and glass"


This construction is actually good for a wall construction and is nothing new they been laminating wall panels for years. The problem in where they join the seams of the panels. They always to always leak and there is a lot of seams in the trailer. once they leak they start to deliminator. I seen some of the forest river products state all joints should be resealed every 90 days or warranty is void. I would love to see some escape alternatives.If your really looking into escape alternatives take a look at the Bigfoot units.