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Old 03-31-2021, 06:41 PM   #621
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Awning Support for Eggscape

The Short Story...I made an awning center support to shed the rain. This may “peak” the interest of some of you that have the power awning option or one on order.

The Details...Over the last two years we have successfully been using a vertical painters extension pole and a horizontal tube to make a peak in our power awning to shed water. The idea of a center pole is nothing new as others have posted with various hard hatted designs.

Being in the pacific north wet, sometimes it rains. Without an awning that you can dip one side you need to have someway to not turn your power awning (sun shade) into an above ground pool. Yes you can just open it up a few feet and it should survive but that is not what I want out of our awning when camping.

I have been delaying posting this to make sure there were no other tweaks to be made, but all seems to work just the way it is. That being a telescoping painters pole from the hardware store and a plastic type (abs/pvc) tube of your choice. The tube I had on hand allows the painter pole to slide inside for storage. The large diameter of the tube and chamfered upper ends reduce marking the awning when in use. You will also need some way of making a hole for the pole in the bottom center of the horizontal tube. An inexpensive step bit works good for that.

With the pole and tube placed under the center of the awning, I give it a little lift making a peak. This usually results in the side arms raising about an inch. Even though it will raise much more it would, in my opinion cause undue stress, on the material.

Having the awning fully extended in the rain is what camping is all about. However, I would never recommend you leave it like this and walk away. The wind sensor will work but could require more force as the pole supports the awning much better. The pole just falls out/down on retraction...and yes it could hit your trailer. Personally since I am there I turn the power off to the awning and only turn it back on when I am ready to put it back in.
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Old 03-31-2021, 07:26 PM   #622
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Very nice. How long is the pvc tube?
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Old 03-31-2021, 07:59 PM   #623
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Mine is 53 inches...because that is what I had on hand. I would say 48 inches should be the minimum and the width of your trailer storage would be ideal if longer.
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Old 04-23-2021, 08:11 PM   #624
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Smart Socket Tester for Eggscape

The short story...To protect our trailer’s electronics we use a Smart Socket Tester before plugging our trailer into power.

The Details...The optional offering from Escape to manage incoming power is a superior unit which is also reflected in the price. It does more, like full time monitoring, but some of you may want something not so pricey that will still give you some peace of mind if for whatever reason your trailer does not have this option.

I had an earlier generation of the Socket Tester that worked but had no display, just 3 leds that would light up in various configurations to indicate a fault. This latest unit has a display and spells out if there is a problem and what it is. Simply plug it in and let it work. After a few moments the display shows you if there is a problem.

We have an adapter on ours from a normal wall style plug to an RV plug. We keep ours in the truck so we can quickly run up to the power pole and test it out before we even back into the camp spot. I am not as worried about camp power as I am plugging into somebody’s house where handyman efforts may not be up to code.

One thing it does not do is disconnect the trailer from sudden bad power or a surge . Thus, if you see a thunder cloud coming, you best unplug your trailer and let the storm and lightning pass. We have a second one that stays plugged into an outlet in the trailer. This way I can visually check the voltage during the day for fluctuations.

The Smart Socket Tester checks for...missing ground, missing neutral, live neutral reverse and live ground reverse.

Simple, fast and cheap. The Smart Socket Tester can be purchased for under $20 at Amazon.ca or Aliexpress. Of course you will also have to buy the adapter as well.

In this day and age of questionable and untimely appliance replacement/repair you can’t really afford not to check for clean power before you hook up.
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Old 04-23-2021, 09:46 PM   #625
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Thumbs up

That's a nifty socket tester, useful for quick pre-setup pedestal testing as you describe even when folks do have the ETI EMS option.

Thanks for posting, here's link to an AmazonUS listing for those interested: https://www.amazon.com/Receptacle-Fr...42562156&psc=1
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Old 04-24-2021, 08:33 AM   #626
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But the optional factory system works 24/7 and is there when you are not....
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Old 04-24-2021, 08:48 AM   #627
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When I get to a campsite, before I unhook I plug in to the pedestal. Usually I’ve been driving a while by the time I get to the camp site. So my first order of business before setting up is to check out the restroom, then I “walk down to the water”, especially if I’ll be fishing later or stop talk to another camper, a park maintenance person or the camp host if they are nearby. By the time I get back, the EMS has done its thing and I either start setting up or start figuring out what my next electrical “move” will be. Most folks have their own setup regimen. Camping about 60 to 70 nights a year, I usually find one faulty receptacle a season but can usually adapt to the 50 or 20 amp circuit if the 30 amp receptacl or breaker is “bad”. YMMV
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Old 04-24-2021, 10:18 AM   #628
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Centex View Post
That's a nifty socket tester, useful for quick pre-setup pedestal testing as you describe even when folks do have the ETI EMS option.

Thanks for posting, here's link to an AmazonUS listing for those interested: https://www.amazon.com/Receptacle-Fr...42562156&psc=1
Also handy to check out if a plug goes dead in your trailer, house or friends trailer. Safer than sticking probs from a meter into a plug.
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Old 04-24-2021, 10:35 AM   #629
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Originally Posted by cpaharley2008 View Post
But the optional factory system works 24/7 and is there when you are not....
Absolutely correct.

For people new to the topic...

If you have the optional one in your trailer now or want to order one in your new trailer, great. Otherwise it could be a little daunting to install one inside your trailer afterwards.

The other option would be to buy as similar external unit to what Escape sells and hang it out outside on the power pole. All of which has been discussed with pros and cons and can be searched here on the forum. Search EMS
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Old 04-25-2021, 12:01 PM   #630
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If you want to keep things small you can get the 30 amp to 15 amp adapter without the cable like previously pictured. Here is one example made by the widely available Camco supplier. It just may require you strain your neck a bit to see the display properly.
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Old 05-07-2021, 10:22 AM   #631
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Valance Bump Shelf for Eggscape

The short story...I, like many others, wanted a shelf above our door for a variety of reasons.

The details...I have been thinking about this design ever since the idea came into my head...actually ever since my head came smacking into the metal door frame! I honestly feel that a person could knock themselves so stunned that they could lose their balance and fall out of the trailer. If not ending up with a bump on the head or maybe worst falling on a concrete pad in the middle of no-where land.

It is not a new idea to make a shelf above the door as some have done showing wonderful craftsmanship in matching Oak. However I want to design a shelf that served a few purposes and one that anybody could hack out of a piece of plywood.

This shelf not only holds items easily accessible on the way out of the trailer but also covers over the metal door frame with a layer of high density foam forming a bumper on the way out. I also like how it continues on my valance/rear shelf material eye level look. It is a great place high in the trailer, to store your cellphones. The better your cellphone can stay in touch with the cell tower, the less battery it uses up doing so.

The shelf is made from whatever plywood with interlocking type foam glued on and covered in material of your choice. Spray contact cement works well to glue both the foam and material to the plywood. I used a spacer block on the back of each side to add to the Escape blocks you will find in this location. The easy way to attach it is with 4 screws hidden behind plastic caps. To keep the screws and cap from sinking into the foam, a nut on each was used as a spacer.

Good luck on your build.
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Old 05-07-2021, 11:13 AM   #632
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Great job.
I've got to order material from ETI.
Being able to stash phones up there, you may now need to wire in some USB ports close by.
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Old 05-07-2021, 02:03 PM   #633
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Great job.
I've got to order material from ETI.
Being able to stash phones up there, you may now need to wire in some USB ports close by.
There should be 12v power in one of the upper cabinets with lights.
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Old 05-30-2021, 12:09 PM   #634
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More Air for Eggscape

The Short Story...I removed the plastic limit strip to allow the windows to open more.

The Details...This is another borrowed idea from both people here and the internet. To allow the windows to open further you can easily remove (or cut in half) the plastic limit strip between the two rollers on the arms. The rollers are attached to a section of spring steal that allow the arms to be flexible enough to allow the correct travel without damage. This is another post I have delayed in writing to make sure there were no bad side effects over time.

I am not sure why they limit the travel other than to keep people from walking into to windows on various designs of trailers. I did the rear passenger, both rear and the front drivers side windows of our 19. The kitchen, bathroom come without a limit stop and the front passenger opens enough now that my door does not hit it with my door stops.

I don’t open the windows all the way all the time but it is nice to have the ability on a hot summers night. Some people have cut the limiting spacer in half which I think is a great idea as there is little gained in the last few turns of the knob. I do keep the little wheelies and track well lubed which is much easier to get to now without having to remove all the screens.

The photos of the rear windows are with and without the spacer.

Because of our trailer design I found a normal small P1 Philips screw driver worked. The biggest worry about the whole operation is...don’t loose the screws! However one screw will hold the window in place until you find a replacement.

Also to note...if you get locked out of your trailer and there is a window open 1 inch or more...all you have to do is remove the screws and slide the window off.

Here is someone’s You Tube on the procedure. You will need to remove both screws on the single side windows.
https://youtu.be/c81VoVN80Yw

Good luck and breezy nights.
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Old 05-30-2021, 12:27 PM   #635
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This is not the point of your post, but why to the screens have to be so hard to put back in place? The clips on the top and bottom seem to work fine, but aligning the side clips, and getting them to snap in place is a real challenge. Does anyone have a "here's how you do it" post?
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Old 05-30-2021, 04:26 PM   #636
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Screen Replacement

This is what I do...

Once you get the screen over the knob and behind the blind, I start with one top clip then move onto the nearest side clip. This locates the screen in position. Then I continue on around the screen.

Hope this helps
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Old 06-04-2021, 12:51 AM   #637
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I was thinking more North Africa in the summer, the Caribbean and South Pacific but up here it rains buckets outdoors, but from what I hear in the Southern US it rains indoors from the heat and humidity.

Glad to hear that HD carries those bins. Maybe I should get a few for test fitting. When she sees how well they work how could she say no.

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Old 06-16-2021, 06:26 PM   #638
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Time for Something New!

My daughter Shannon Wilson the Artist (searchable) did up a drawing of our Eggscape for my birthday. You would have to see our trailer to appreciate the detail. I thought it might be nice to make it my avatar.
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Old 06-17-2021, 08:09 AM   #639
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My daughter Shannon Wilson the Artist (searchable) did up a drawing of our Eggscape for my birthday. You would have to see our trailer to appreciate the detail. I thought it might be nice to make it my avatar.
very nice!
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Old 06-17-2021, 08:27 AM   #640
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My daughter Shannon Wilson the Artist (searchable) did up a drawing of our Eggscape for my birthday. You would have to see our trailer to appreciate the detail. I thought it might be nice to make it my avatar.
That is wonderful. Would love have one to hang in our escape ........... but with escape 21 on it lol. She is very talented

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