Our options and why (19 ft)

[wcf]

It was a long journey to get to our final build list. After scanning the forum for 6 months and having 20 years of trailer experience, the list was finalized. I hope i dont see something else because on wed mar 9 our trailer entered the cutting room. That sounds horrible. It was a major operation, there are holes everywhere, maybe reace couldnt find what he was looking for!!!!!. On Friday night 3 pictures arrived (email) to verify this.

Because of the long time and all the work it took us to deceide on the "list" and i appreciated everyone sharing their list I thought i would give forward a bit and share mine with the logic i used in each item on the list.

Some points to keep in mind is that each person will have their own specific needs, type of camping, medical considerations, length of stay etc. I am not promoting any particular option or change but I was very pleased to have the opportunity to make the changes that i needed and yes wanted.

I will list the technical things that is currently on the 19, this information came directly from Tammy and or Reace via telephone and or email.
- Max air fan - model 5100k, deluxe manual opening
- looked it up on the internet and seemed ok to me

- Converter - WFCO model 8955, 55A, 3 stage charger
- looked up on the internet and because it is a 3 stage charger it is good for deep cycle batteries, the old converters us to use a timer then drop down to trickle charge, this converter seemed ok to me

- A/C Dometic Penguin, low profile model # 600312, 11,000 BTU
- used because of its profile and only 11000btu, I would have liked one with less btu maybe 8 or 9k
so my 2000i could run it but it is what it is. I have found that ac is useful at times, like when the trailer was closed up for a period of time. We deceided to get it because if we wanted ac it was our only choice. The quick start option might come latter if needed.

- Solar panel - Carmanah 95W ?? - comes with digital display for monitoring batteries and charging etc.
- deceided on this because not as noisy as a generator and we like to camp in semi remote areas and sometimes do not have access to power. For medical reasons i need power every night when i sleep so having to charge the batteries every day by generator was my second choice. Once the panel is installed it runs free from the sun. I have my own deep cycle batteries 2 X 100AH at 12 volt AGM . The bad part is they each weigh 75 lbs. This will add 150 lbs on the tongue weight because they are mounted inside the storage box. I had to get 2 runs of #2 stranded copper wire run from the batteries to the converter area where i will have my pure sine wave inverter (12v to 120v), remember that at 12V there is a lot more current, 10 times more to get the same wattage as 120V. I bought a pure sine wave ( 1000Watt) because the modified ones are not nice to electronic things. Another point to remember is that the inverter is only 85% efficient. I needed all this because my medical device works only on 120V. So i had to set it up to run from 12V batteries. Trailers are typically set up to work on 12v except for things like ,A/C, microwave, TV. The furnace etc all run off 12V. I hope i didnt confuse anyone. I also got 2 air vents added to the area where the converter and inverter will be, under drivers side bench. Heat will destroy electronics so i figured some ventilation would be a good idea.

- additional window over the sink - my wifes request, i guess were out camping for the scenery so the more windows the better
- bike rack ready - great idea had it on all my other trailers, added a couple extra lights by the back window because i have seen too many tail lights covered by bicycles etc. If one didnt want to use it for bikes there are storage boxes that will fit into the same plug.
- blocks for the cot option - we did not get the cot option but i did get the blocks added , they are fiberglassed in place during build, they would be very difficult to add latter, not very expensive now. might need them when grand kids go with us and the cot part can be purchased at any time.
- exterior 110v outlet - good for out side cooking, radio etc, better than using disposable batteries or power cord
- exterior propane quick connect - good for barbecue or for propane light , saves on battery usage?? we have a small 2 burner propane stove that we use outside and the small bottles are very expensive and not refillable.
- Exterior shower added to interior shower pkg - would be good for washing sand off feet or washing dog or even water for dishes etc. If its nice weather we are usually outside 99 percent of time except for sleeping! Cant see me taking shower outside??
- Extra insulation and thermal windows - Insulation keeps heat in and out (sun) thermal windows are tinted and no moisture on windows except when cooking.
- led lights - use one tenth power of regular bulbs so less drain on batteries, you dont have to replace the power you don't use!!!
- exterior led light - same logic as above
- storage box - protects front of trailer and the box is line x covered so really got all that storage for only 200 more. also the batteries are in there under cover. I dont like putting wet hoses and wires etc inside the trailer . The doors open into nice clean storage areas and over time can get dirty.
- two way hot water tank - why not use power (120v) if your at a serviced campsite, it was part of the fee you paid for.
- oven with three burner cooktop -like making oven dishes, if dry camping cant use slow cooker or toaster oven so only choice is propane oven. for medical reasons dont fry food. the bad part is you loose the two drawers so we got one added in the bottom of the wardrobe 3.5 inches high. seemed like a good compromise.
- stainless steel sink and faucet - like real metal, have had plastic before.
- stereo - didnt really get this for the stereo in particular but it is a cd, dvd ,fm , i pad etc so willl save the extra cost of buying a tv with a dvd player to watch movies. may not use it much but a good feature on rainy days. has external speakers and small tvs usually have poor speakers.
- stove cover - seemed like a good idea to cover the burners when storing things on it.
- tv antenna and power amp. - like to check the weather etc and remote areas need the amplifier.
- wall mount extendable arm - need it to hang the tv from and makes it so you can set it to see the tv at any angle
- 2 12v outlets - one by the bed and another one at the table. great for running 12v appliances and just a convenience to have two.
- cabinet door at end of passenger side bench - will be a convenient place to store foot ware. now i only have to remember to use it!!!
- starter kit - the basic necesseties needed, propane tanks are filled and a water pressure regulator i think is a must campground water pressure is usually not very well regulated.
- shower combination kit - read about it on the forum and the shower suction cup holders seemed like a great idea
- Removable power cord - power cords get dirty after a while and pushing it under the bed where we will be storing a lot of clean things seemed like a poor idea. after many years of dealing with bugs crawling up the cord i am very happy to unhook it and put it in the front storage box. on the east coast we have earwigs and they love crawling up the power cords at night.
- Additional reading light over bed - my wife likes to read at night so having one on each side made sense. both are led.
- a 12 x 12 foldable table by bed for cpap machine to sit on
- 2 split plugs , top of duplex plug 120v from converter , btm of duplex plug 120v from inverter(12v to 120v) batteries. the one by the bed headboard and the one at the bottom of the fridge (for tv). this will give me 120V when dry camping from my batteries. i need it when i sleep so a bonus when we dry camp. the only problem is the power taken out of the batteries must be replaced. My research indicates that you should never discharge deep cycle batteries below 50% as this will shorten their life span.
- didnt get the microwave so the hole will come with a door
- I will add a surge protector myself because i believe it protects the electronic components of fridge and water heater etc.

I hope i didnt bore anyone with all this but it might help someone deceide or maybe just make them aware of an option or just what you can change.

wendell

[PGDriver]

Hi Wendell

You will really enjoy your 19 when you get it... they are great.

If you plan on camping into the colder season as we do Reace
mounted our fresh water tank under the bed so it wouldn't freeze.
You can always put a little antifreeze into the grey and black tank
to stop them from freezing.

Also check the hight of your trailer hitch ball as Reace has a high
lift axle if you need one.

Congratulations on your purchase.
Doug

[wcf]

Doug
my understanding is that all the 19 now have the high lift axels. Never thought of the fresh tank inside. I guess the horse has left the barn as far as any changes go now. Generally we only 3 season camp.

wendell

[escape artist]

Hi: wcf...Sounds like you got a pretty extensive list...and why? That's the way you want it. The great advantage to owning an Escape is that Reace& Tammy want to build your trailer... your way!!! Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

[Geo]

sound like a good trailer so far.
We have had ours since last summer.
I did not see line-X on the front end.
We have it on our :-)
I prefer a honda generator, as we mainly camp in thick bush and solar will not work there.
I also had Reece put in a couple of DC plugs, one at the table and one at the bed mainly for our laptop.
Congrats and enjoy
Geo

[wcf]

Geo
We did not get linex because we got the front storage box which comes linex covered. The box coveres the bottom half of the trailer so it should be well protected. We also have a honda 200i so with the solar panel we should be covered wherever we want to park. We also have the 2 dc plugs in the same places, we started with one at the table then deceided on the second one in the bed area. If i missed something its too late i think!!!! I,m afraid to read the form in case someone has a good idea that i didnt think of.
We are looking forward to many years of ESCAPING figuratively and literally. The current delivery time is the 22 of april/11. Getting real close only, only 40 sleeps left!!

[shanngord]

Sounds like a great set-up! Are you driving out to Chilliwack to pick it up when its ready?

The few more options that are available can still be added, like:

1. EZE lube axle (I've had them on boat trailers, so for $50 I figured "why not")
2. shelving in various locations (like the wardrobe closet)
3. hitch wheel (good for manuevering into tight garages for winter storage)
4. screen room (too many mosquitos when early season camping)

I would be interested to hear of people's experiences with the solar panels particularly in cloudy and/wet weather.

Gord

[gbaglo]

As I recollect, the hitch wheel is not that useful on the tandem axle 19'. On the 17' it works fine because, with only one axle, the tires are a three inch pivot point ( that which is in contact with the pavement ). On the 19' with two sets of tires, the pivot point is about 3 feet long.

Did I make sense?

baglo

[gbaglo]

Further:

I have the hitch wheel on my 17'. It's really reluctant to rotate to the direction of travel. I end up kicking it around to align it to the direction I want to move. And, off pavement, it digs into the earth, going nowhere.
At camp, I find it a lot easier to hitch up to put the trailer where I want it. At home, in the carport, I have used it a couple of times to shift the trailer a bit.

baglo

[wcf]

Gord
We did consider the shelves but deceided against them as i wanted removable ones but they only install them permanently. Maybe i will get a wire rack system if needed. I wanted to be able to use it either way, shelves or not, depending on the season camping. I'm safe on that one. Hitch wheel i can get locally if needed. Considered the screen room , deceided since there is nothing needed as far as the build can always add it latter. My main concern was to get anything structurally done that i might need.
I suppose everyone will be trying to find something i will need that i didnt get!!!
I will be keeping track of the performance of the solar panel and keep it posted here, I never travel without my electrical meter. This last winter i keept track of everything, i even installed an hour meter on my oil furnace so i can tell at any point how many liters of oil i burned. Since not working I'm trying to keep my brain active.
The other thing i will do as soon as i get the trailer is measure the current draw on all appliances etc, to help me calculate my required power generation needed.
We are to meet the trailer in Quebec, arround Montreal.
wendell

[gbaglo]

For storage solutions, check out Rubbermaid and OXO Goodgrips web sites. Both have products that may provide a solution for you.

baglo

[fudge_brownie]

I did not see enough why? You teased us with it in your title but then did not elaborate on why Escape and why the 19. Seeing where you live there has to be some compelling reasons as the travel or transportation is perhaps the furthest possible. Maybe Key West Fl could be further?
Give us that rationale.

Also, how did you happen on Escape and what have you camped with before?

[Harold Kroeker]

Originally Posted by wcf

- exterior propane quick connect - good for barbecue or for propane light , saves on battery usage?? we have a small 2 burner propane stove that we use outside and the small bottles are very expensive and not refillable.

The exterior propane quick connect is regulated to 11" WC (0.397 psi) so it may not work for your propane light and stove, depending on the type that you have. Coleman camp stoves and lanterns have their own high pressure regulator that reduces tank pressure to 15 psi. I use a special hose to attach my Coleman stove's regulator directly to one of the trailer tanks to get the high pressure that it needs. Most barbeques work on 11" WC so they can plug in directly to the quick connect after removing the regulator that came with the barbeque.

[JeffZ]

If I remember correctly.. You can make changes "After" your order is placed because the build cycle. So if you like to change where the fresh water tank is, my guess is it's not too late..

I'm sure you're going to have a blast in your new trailer!!

[Hokie Escape]

Originally Posted by JeffZ

If I remember correctly.. You can make changes "After" your order is placed because the build cycle. So if you like to change where the fresh water tank is, my guess is it's not too late..
I'm sure you're going to have a blast in your new trailer!!

That would be a great addition if you like to extend your camping season. Wish I had that on Hokie. The only thing I get concerned about in cold is the fresh water tank. You can just add a little antifreeze to the other tanks and be just fine. If the caps freeze on, a little coaxing with a hair dryer works just fine : - )

[PGDriver]

Reace loves changes....

[wcf]

Paul
The why was refered to the options not the 19. But i do have reasons why 19 and why escape. First of all i wanted a trailer that was very functional and a few comforts. It had to be easy to care for (outside) and a reasonable size to store inside ( 9 foot garage door it will fit under, only 8.5 feet high). We had to have a queen size bed and one that was permanent, couldnt handle it being the table also. I always liked the old trilliums, but they had a very small bed.
When my health failed we sold our 5th wheel 28 ft. with slide out and 3/4 ton truck because it was too big to look after, i had to hire people just to wash it. Then there was the rubber roof that had to be cleaned and inspected for potential leaks, i always carried a repair kit and extra screws and calking. The other issue i have with regular trailers is that the more you use them on the road the corners work and it is a constant struggle to keep the corners tight. The newer calkings do not dry out like the old ones so they are a bit better. Then there is the issues with larger trucks for hauling. Fuel repairs etc.

Why Escape It was a bit of good luck, i was doing a search on the web looking at bigfoots, (very heavy) so did a search for fiberglass trailers escape showed up. After a year or so i really didnt find too many issues with them, usually people are pretty quick to give their opinion if there are issues. When i came across this forum the whole issue of being able to customize was a real bonus. It only took about 6 months to figure out what we wanted and needed.
I hope now to put my energy into traveling instead of maintaining, I realize that room inside will be smaller, when i deceide to hold a barn dance i guess it will be under the stars!!
This will be our fifth trailer, 2 fifth wheels and 2 small pull behinds 22ft, over 25 years. I was only in a 17B but the quality was there, but the fiberglass exterior was the main point, they just seem to simplify the outside care, and durability. No more wondering in the middle of the night if that last limb that scraped the rubber roof caused a leak that you didnt see upon inspection. It was also a pain trying to keep those little plastic rain gutters clean from tree debris.

wendell

[majaross]

Screen rooms need external snaps on the trailer body, which have to be installed during the initial build, I believe. We have one, but in two years' of ownership haven't used it yet, not even in the Yukon. Guess we got lucky.

[gbaglo]

Originally Posted by majaross

Screen rooms need external snaps on the trailer body, which have to be installed during the initial build, I believe. We have one, but in two years' of ownership haven't used it yet, not even in the Yukon. Guess we got lucky.

I got my screen room long after taking delivery of Toad. It does require snaps and those require holes, but you wait until after the build.

I too have had the screen room for two years and have never used it. In fact, I'm not sure I can remember how to install it. If we were staying in a mosquito and black-fly-infested area for a week, I'd maybe set it up.

baglo

[Geo]

You should enjoy your trailer very much.
We do, and I would buy it again if I had to do it over again.
Escape is a good product and good people behind it.
Happy trails Geo