Beginner Questions - Escape Trailer Owners Community
Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×

Go Back   Escape Trailer Owners Community > Escape Tech > Problem Solving | Owners helping each other
Click Here to Login
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 10-04-2014, 12:38 PM   #1
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Prince George, British Columbia
Trailer: 2014 Escape 17B
Posts: 20
Beginner Questions

Hi Folks,
We are just ordering the last details on our Escape B17, we'd be interested in your experiences on some items:

We live in northern BC. We will put the under floor spray insulation in, are the heat pads on the tanks worth it.

Is the optional box at the front useful - we see lots of pictures with and without

Is there any advantage in going for the removable power cable as opposed to the standard fixed one?
TheLonePine is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-04-2014, 12:50 PM   #2
Senior Member
 
LarryandLiz's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Maple Ridge, BC, British Columbia
Trailer: 2014 17B;2012 Nissan Frontier SV 4
Posts: 701
I can't speak to heating pads but we chose all the insulation

Front box is great for all towing / ect "outside" items. Well worth it unless overall build sheet cost is getting too high

We went with removable cord and I'm happy. No feeding in a long cord into who knows what inside the trailer. The cord goes into the front box . Of course u need to ensure the cord always stays with the trailer.
LarryandLiz is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-04-2014, 12:58 PM   #3
Senior Member
 
KarenH's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Bellingham and Glacier, Washington
Trailer: 2013 Escape 15A
Posts: 2,051
Send a message via Skype™ to KarenH
Had the fixed power cord in my pop-up and chose the removable for the Escape; hands down, well worth it and a good decision for me just to avoid the fight of pulling it out and putting it away.

Also, I'm glad I ordered the storage box for the outside items like door mat, cord, etc., but it depends on your storage needs. It is great for me but not a must-have for many.
__________________
Karen Hulford
2013 Escape 15A, "Egbert"
'93 Ford 150 XLT or
'22 GMC Acadia Denali
KarenH is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-04-2014, 01:04 PM   #4
Site Team
 
rbryan4's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Canyon Lake, Texas
Trailer: 2015 19 "Past Tents", 2021 F150 Lariat 2.7L EB
Posts: 10,222
Quote:
Originally Posted by TheLonePine View Post
Hi Folks,
We are just ordering the last details on our Escape B17, we'd be interested in your experiences on some items:

We live in northern BC. We will put the under floor spray insulation in, are the heat pads on the tanks worth it.

Is the optional box at the front useful - we see lots of pictures with and without

Is there any advantage in going for the removable power cable as opposed to the standard fixed one?
My two cents:

1- You live in NORTHERN BC. Insulation and heat pads are worth it.
2- The box was the easiest decision we made.
3- The removable power cord is easier to handle, and doesn't get tangled up.
__________________
"You can't buy happiness, but you can buy an RV. And that is pretty close."
rbryan4 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-04-2014, 01:16 PM   #5
Senior Member
 
BCnomad's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: O town, British Columbia
Trailer: 2014 Escape 21 "Lightning"
Posts: 1,467
.... Heat pads take a bit of juice to run, so you need to consider electrical supply issues. They are also best done at build time and not modded in afterwards. Especially with full insulation. Winter camping and not using the tanks would reduce need.

.... Someone (Alf?) mentioned ants etc love the ease of getting inside via regular cord. I would get removeable for that alone.




All based on reading threads here.
BCnomad is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-04-2014, 01:35 PM   #6
Senior Member
 
Sandra L's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Antelope, California
Trailer: 2009 17B "Suite Escape" pulled by a 2020 Toyota Sienna
Posts: 1,565
FWIW, I would have liked the front box had it been an option. Instead, I had two front hatches placed on either side for storage for "outside stuff". I also would have availed myself of the detachable cord. However, I always wipe the cord as It goes inside, so it remains clean. So far so good and no ants or critters (that I know of.)
__________________
Peace and Sunshine
Sandra L is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-04-2014, 01:37 PM   #7
Site Team
 
Donna D.'s Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Portland, Oregon
Trailer: 2014 Escape 5.0 TA
Posts: 11,023
I didn't get the detachable cord either, it was something I may forget when leaving a campsite!

Besides, I like only needing to pull out the length of cord that's needed to hookup. The cord doesn't lay in the dirt or mud. And, I've never had it get tangled up inside. YMMV
__________________
Donna D.
Ten Forward
2014 Escape 5.0TA
Donna D. is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-04-2014, 02:06 PM   #8
Senior Member
 
cpaharley2008's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Central, Pennsylvania
Trailer: Escape#5 2022 E19
Posts: 26,268
The 12v pads are really not needed when you have the foam package and besides you have to be hooked up to use them as they eat a lot of battery power. The front box is indispensable, the removable power cord is practical, particularly in cold weather where it becomes really hard to coil up or reinsert inside the tiny hole, just throw the whole cord inside until it warms up and becomes pliable again.
__________________
Jim
Sometime life gets in the way of living.......
cpaharley2008 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-04-2014, 02:17 PM   #9
Commercial Member
 
tractors1's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Hillsboro, Oregon
Trailer: 2014 Escape 21 - "Felicity"
Posts: 2,945
Quote:
Originally Posted by BCnomad View Post

.... Someone (Alf?) mentioned ants etc love the ease of getting inside via regular cord. I would get removeable for that alone.
Ants aren't NEARLY the problem inside compared to the mice once they get in. DEFINITELY go for the separate cord!
__________________
Charlie Y

Need custom storage to your design? Don't drill holes!
www.RVWidgetWorks.com
tractors1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-04-2014, 02:25 PM   #10
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Edmonton, Alberta
Trailer: 1979 Boler B1700
Posts: 14,935
Quote:
Originally Posted by cpaharley2008 View Post
The 12v pads are really not needed when you have the foam package and besides you have to be hooked up to use them as they eat a lot of battery power.
I assume that 12V power is used for tank heating pads so that they can be run while driving, not to run them from battery power.
Brian B-P is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-04-2014, 02:48 PM   #11
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Burlington, Vermont
Trailer: 2014 17b/ 2012 Chevy Colorado
Posts: 736
I too am curious about Brian's question. If you run the pads, does the tow vehicle also charge the battery? What about if you are running the pads, and the fridge on 12v?

On point to the thread, I am regretting our decision to get the heating pads. I suspect the insulation under the bottom, thus including the tanks in the heated space will be more than enough to keep the tanks from freezing so long as the trailer space itself is heated.
yardsale is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-04-2014, 04:03 PM   #12
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Vancouver Island, British Columbia
Trailer: 2014 Escape 21--FOR SALE
Posts: 411
Yes to the separate power cord (shudder to think of the damage mice could do to a pristine Escape trailer).

And yes to the front storage box (I have no idea where else all the stuff in the box could be stored).

And yes to the sprayfoam under the floor and tanks (it went down to -3C in Manning Park our first two nights camping, yet the floor stayed warm enough to walk on barefoot).
__________________
Brent and Cheryl.
Catchlight is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-04-2014, 05:25 PM   #13
Senior Member
 
float5's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Denison, Texas
Trailer: 2015 21'; 2011 19' sold; 4Runner; ph ninezero3 327-27ninefour
Posts: 5,136
The fresh tank is not in the heated space. I would get the pads with the spray foam underneath for when electric is available.

We use a soft rope caulk at the electrical cord entrance. We mould it around the cord so it is completely covering the space.
To put the cord away, we hold it in one hand and have an old towel on it with the other hand, wipe clean with towel while putting in, done in one minute.

I would like to not have the box but don't know where we would put all of that stuff.
__________________
Cathy. Floating Cloud
"Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air.... "
Emerson
float5 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-04-2014, 05:29 PM   #14
Senior Member
 
Patandlinda's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Ventura County, California
Trailer: 2013 19 Escape
Posts: 7,204
Saw the posts . Can tell you what we have done . We do not have the detachable cord . We wipe the cord when we put it back and we bought what are called hatch door bug shields . They are made by AP products . We bought the round one for our 19 . It is slit and goes on cord and we push it into hatch and then close the hatch . We store it in our little side door . We do have screens on everything else . The # for the round one is 55-5283 .
Patandlinda is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-04-2014, 08:05 PM   #15
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Southwick, Massachusetts
Trailer: None, sold my 2014 5.0TA
Posts: 7,124
I've had both kinds of cords. In 8 years never had critters of any sort go up the cord and into the trailer, not that I ever knew about anyways. I went with the detachable on the new trailer as I was always worried about the plug falling inside the trailer on the fixed cord, never did, but I still thought about it every time I pushed it into the opening. the one I had had a small door that closed over the pulled out cord, when properly closed up nothing bigger then ants could have gotten past, don't know if the Escapes use this style. It also uses up some valuable real estate in the trailer. That said, the detachable has to be pulled out from it's storage bin and put away each time it's used, in this regard the attached was simpler. I prefer the detachable.
__________________
Happy Motoring
Bob
padlin is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-04-2014, 08:13 PM   #16
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Kamloops, British Columbia
Trailer: 2024 Bigfoot 21RB
Posts: 254
We have heating pads and have used them, whether they help prevent the gray water and fresh water tanks from freezing even with foam insulation under the trailer and extra insulation in the trailer/windows while keeping the trailer warm with furnace and space heater at temps down to minus 3-5 deg C is not known to me. i think if you plan to camp and at night it could get below minus 5 deg C and you want to carry water get the heat pads. We used to live in PG and I would get the heat pads as we would camp in the shoulder season. I gives you piece of mind at low temps.
gharper is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-04-2014, 08:59 PM   #17
Senior Member
 
cpaharley2008's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Central, Pennsylvania
Trailer: Escape#5 2022 E19
Posts: 26,268
Quote:
Originally Posted by Brian B-P View Post
I assume that 12V power is used for tank heating pads so that they can be run while driving, not to run them from battery power.
Either way they are operating off battery 12v, it is just when hooked to 120v at the pedestal you have unlimited 12v available.
__________________
Jim
Sometime life gets in the way of living.......
cpaharley2008 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-04-2014, 09:00 PM   #18
Senior Member
 
Patandlinda's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Ventura County, California
Trailer: 2013 19 Escape
Posts: 7,204
You could get to cord at least in our 19 right under the double doors -bed area .we added a 1/4 Piece of plywood on both sides to close up sides still leaving front of that area to be able to air . Also very easy to get in there just remove couple of screws . The hatch cover is just 1/2 in piece of rubber for a barrier just in case when camping .
Patandlinda is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-05-2014, 12:32 AM   #19
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Edmonton, Alberta
Trailer: 1979 Boler B1700
Posts: 14,935
Quote:
Originally Posted by cpaharley2008 View Post
Either way they are operating off battery 12v, it is just when hooked to 120v at the pedestal you have unlimited 12v available.
I agree... but running out of battery power is not a concern when there is a charging source, whether AC or tow vehicle. So yes, you need to be "hooked up" - to either source.
Brian B-P is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-05-2014, 11:04 AM   #20
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Prince George, British Columbia
Trailer: 2014 Escape 17B
Posts: 20
Thanks everyone for your helpful and speedy replies. So in case you are interested here is what we have decided to do (so far!). Add the storage box, go for the removable cord, and add in the spray insulation, but not the pads. We decided not to add the pads as we rarely use hookups and we thought we would be safer draining the system by October and managing without fresh water in the tank. We have done this with our current trailer up until now.
TheLonePine is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off




» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Escape Trailer Industries or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 02:13 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Copyright 2023 Social Knowledge, LLC All Rights Reserved.