What did you do for your Escape today.....

[Ron in BC]

Packing up and sorting stuff to take on our first outing of the year. I've always carried a set of magnetic trailer lights and had a spare brake controller. The F150, as great a tow vehicle as it is has sometimes failed to recognize that a trailer was attached.

So.... liking redundant systems I wondered how I could use these items in the case of electrical problems that either left me with no lights or trailer brakes.

For the lights I got a trailer light extension cord and can run the wires from the rear of the trailer into the cab. There I can plug into 12V and use a control box for running, turn and brake lights. Much better than when I picked up the trailer from ETI and had to fake brakes by turning the running lights off and on. That was the first electrical gremlin.

For the brakes I decided to power the system from the trailer. The Hopkins Agility controller will sit beside the truck seat. I used the Agility controller in my Ranger and it worked well. Instead of running wires to the brake pedal to signal braking I just have to touch the red button to fake it. Completely independent from the truck systems.

I wouldn't have made these modules if I didn't already have the components and I might never need them but, did I mention that I liked redundancy.

And if someone nearby finds themselves without lights or brakes they can always borrow my setup, it's usable in any other vehicle.

Ron

[MrLynn]

Back when we first got our Casita, I kept looking back to make sure it was following, and as we were listening to Bill Monroe's classic 'Close By', I decided that should be its name. In the event, we never got round to displaying that name on the trailer.

Now that we have an Escape, we decided it should be called 'Farther Along', the title of a well known gospel song, which also has multiple meanings in the context of travel trailers. This time I had some name decals created, and today we carefully stuck them on.

The decals look good, but I erred by choosing a somewhat delicate font and a lighter color than expected, so they are overpowered by the factory graphics. But the name looks OK up close, and will do for us, as we proceed 'Farther Along' life's road.

[ghosthunter]

Originally Posted by MrLynn

Back when we first got our Casita, I kept looking back to make sure it was following, and as we were listening to Bill Monroe's classic 'Close By', I decided that should be its name. In the event, we never got round to displaying that name on the trailer.

Now that we have an Escape, we decided it should be called 'Farther Along', the title of a well known gospel song, which also has multiple meanings in the context of travel trailers. This time I had some name decals created, and today we carefully stuck them on.

The decals look good, but I erred by choosing a somewhat delicate font and a lighter color than expected, so they are overpowered by the factory graphics. But the name looks OK up close, and will do for us, as we proceed 'Farther Along' life's road.

Looks great.

[brroberts]

Left Padawan in a campsite next to the Pawnee River while we went touristing.

[timdan2]

I made storage box and propane tank covers using material from an old tent (which was in disrepair). They will protect from debris and bird poop from the tree above when stored in our backyard between uses.

[occer]

I down loaded production pictures; so far, refrig, furnace, steps going up to the loft, windows on passenger side are in. Progress is being made.

[Allan Bornestig]

I washed half the trailer, time for a nap, it is hot out there.

[YakRV]

Originally Posted by occer

I down loaded production pictures; so far, refrig, furnace, steps going up to the loft, windows on passenger side are in. Progress is being made.

Getting those production pictures is such a rush. Congrats!

In our case, we had a couple surprises in our first batch of photos. We had to do a double-take, because our trailer had a couple holes that weren’t supposed to be there. We had decided not to order a bathroom window or a driver’s side rear hatch, but they were cut out anyway. Oops!

Escape apologized and told us that, of course, we wouldn’t be charged for either option. The story has a happy ending, though, because we love having both now. I don’t know what we were thinking when we did our build sheet.

[Grasshog]

Paid for it

[Chasing Trials]

Originally Posted by Grasshog

Paid for it

[waltkaren]

Why should only the high end RV's have motorized stabilizers? I just finished upgrading my 5.0 levelers to electric deploy and retract. Using BAL Power packs, custom metal spacers, cabinet hinges, spare wire and few warm days everything was installed on my C-jacks.
I didn’t like the minimal self-taping screws used on the original setup and putting large bolts into the frame didn’t seem practical. So I fabricated some spacers to mount onto the existing cross member angle iron near the original location. The spacer was shifted so as to make contact with the main frame to spread the supporting weight away from just the angle supports. The spacer also gave some extra reach due to the lift kit on the 5.0.
The controls were a bit more difficult. They needed to be in a location where I could see legs being deployed. The rear passenger access hatch seemed appropriate but hard mounting them would block access into the storage area. With a couple of detent spring loaded cabinet hinges I fashioned a retracting switch panel to swing away when not in use. Now just waiting on our next road trip to try them out.

[John in Santa Cruz]

Originally Posted by waltkaren

Why should only the high end RV's have motorized stabilizers? ...

Why? Because they are more expensive, and push the overall price up closer to 'high end'

me, I motorize my manual stabilizers with my Ryobi drill-driver. takes about 30 seconds to run all 4 up or down.

[WillyB]

Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz

Why? Because they are more expensive, and push the overall price up closer to 'high end'

me, I motorize my manual stabilizers with my Ryobi drill-driver. takes about 30 seconds to run all 4 up or down.

I haven't pulled out my drill-driver yet. My wife is in charge of the stabilizers and likes doing it manually. She says any exercise helps her stay fit.

[Nindy]

I'm in the "stay fit" camp and have resisted doing anything that I can still do manually! Maybe that's why the stabilizers are my least favorite part of setting up camp...

[MrLynn]

Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz

Why? Because they are more expensive, and push the overall price up closer to 'high end'

me, I motorize my manual stabilizers with my Ryobi drill-driver. takes about 30 seconds to run all 4 up or down.

I've gotten to using my portable impact-driver. Makes a racket, which could annoy campground neighbors, but not for very long.

Waltkaren's installation is very impressive, but the impact driver is a lot quicker to implement.

[oldwave]

Originally Posted by MrLynn

I've gotten to using my portable impact-driver. Makes a racket, which could annoy campground neighbors, but not for very long.

Waltkaren's installation is very impressive, but the impact driver is a lot quicker to implement.

I use a regular low powered 12 volt drill, be careful of the impact driver stressing the thread mechanism. Also Iowa Dave’s recommended tri-flo works great to keep the worm gears lubricated

[Allan Bornestig]

Good morning.
I replaced all four inside selftapping screws on the stabilizers with bolt and nuts and lockwashers x 2. We did an overnighter in Manning Park on our way to the Rally in the Valley.
In the morning I could not retract the rear right leg and used bungees to secure.Selftapping screw long gone.
By using my racing jack at home I could press the leg into position,drill the hole a little bit larger and slip in the bolt and nut.10 mm bolt.Nice and tight.Following day I did the other three legs.Should be good for a long time.

[John in Santa Cruz]

I just replaced my tongue jack. the previous one got twisted when the trailer popped off my hitch ball leaving my driveway on our last trip. I used a Curt this time, and I think I'm really happy with it.

[Iowa Dave]

I use the crank because I still can. I do not work out or have a personal exercise regimen. I just work on our property, maintain our equipment, lift and carry heavy objects that are hard to handle. And do as much manual labor as I can. I believe I will continue to do this as long as I am able. I do not care about how much time anything takes when I’m camping. I’m not on the clock. I usually don’t know the date unless I look it up, let alone the time. For those folks who cannot do the manual tasks for legitimate reasons I have empathy. For the clowns who come into the campground with the big stick built trailers and own a King Kong impact wrench and hammer their stabilizers up to improperly level the trailer while not knowing enough to chock their tires, well I just laugh and ask myself “what you gonna do when you’re 75?” But that’s probably just me. Don’t know, don’t care.
Iowa Dave

[MrLynn]

Originally Posted by Iowa Dave

I use the crank because I still can. I do not work out or have a personal exercise regimen. I just work on our property, maintain our equipment, lift and carry heavy objects that are hard to handle. And do as much manual labor as I can. I believe I will continue to do this as long as I am able. I do not care about how much time anything takes when I’m camping. I’m not on the clock. . .

Now I'm feeling guilty for resorting to the impact driver. And I have a power jack, too! In defense, I inherited that with the trailer, but must say it comes in handy (well, electrically) when I have to raise up the tongue sky-high to put on and take off the E2 bars easily.

But I was cranking the stabilizers—until I noticed another camper using his portable drill. Might still, if we didn't have shore power.