Questions at ETI - 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 08-26-2016, 02:05 PM   #1
J&G
Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: East TN, Tennessee
Trailer: Escape 19
Posts: 40
Questions at ETI

We are on our 3000 mile way to pick up our new Escape. Yay!!! Can you think of any questions about trailer operation that we should be sure to ask before we leave ETI?
J&G is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-26-2016, 02:07 PM   #2
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 J&G View Post
We are on our 3000 mile way to pick up our new Escape. Yay!!! Can you think of any questions about trailer operation that we should be sure to ask before we leave ETI?
Only about a thousand.

Seriously though, just pay attention during the orientation, go over every system, and ask questions about anything you're not sure of. You'll be fine.
__________________
"You can't buy happiness, but you can buy an RV. And that is pretty close."
rbryan4 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-26-2016, 02:14 PM   #3
Senior Member
 
gbaglo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: North Vancouver, British Columbia
Trailer: 2009 Escape 17B 2020 Toyota Highlander XLE
Posts: 17,136
And, there is the orientation video to refer to so don't try to make your own. Just pay attention.
__________________
What happens to the hole when the cheese is gone?
- Bertolt Brecht
gbaglo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-26-2016, 02:15 PM   #4
Senior Member
 
Mary F's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Travis County, Texas
Trailer: 2015 Esc 21. Formerly, Casita LD (16 & 17)
Posts: 801
I took notes, which I didn't reread for several weeks. Glad I did... Although I'm pretty good at listening and writing at the same time (plus, Skip was listening with full attention). YMMV... And you will be fine.
__________________
Mary F Onward, through the fog!
Mary F is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-26-2016, 02:17 PM   #5
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Brantingham Lake, New York
Trailer: 2001 coachmen
Posts: 274
Orientation video....or if you get stumped..so many folks here can help you out!

You'll be so excited, unless you write your questions down, all you'll hear is blah blah blah..

How exciting....drive safe
reetired is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-26-2016, 02:19 PM   #6
Site Team
 
Donna D.'s Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Portland, Oregon
Trailer: 2014 Escape 5.0 TA
Posts: 11,023
Safe, safe travels. Make a ton of wonderful memories going both ways. Post some pics with big smiles and if you run into issues after a couple of days, we have your back.
__________________
Donna D.
Ten Forward
2014 Escape 5.0TA
Donna D. is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-26-2016, 02:28 PM   #7
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Southwick, Massachusetts
Trailer: None, sold my 2014 5.0TA
Posts: 7,124
Try every function as soon as you can. I'm told you don't have time to do so when on site, so do it the first night.
Try all the appliances on all power sources if you are somewhere with city power.
On site find the AC switch for the electric hot water heater if you have the 2 way.
Have them take you through the solar controller if you have one as well as the EMS an look over the converter.
Go over the awning, actually doing it yourselves.
Go thru the dump procedure if you've never done such.
Understand the LP gas switch over valve.
Have them show you the fridge controls.
Keep the manuals handy.
JACK antenna if you have one, and probably the stereo if you got it.

Make sure you use a water pressure regulator.
If you are going to use such, put some chemicals in the black tank, grey is optional.
Since you have a long drive, I'd check the tire pressure, and if you can do so torque the lug nuts a couple times while you're on the road. Probably just me but I check tire pressure every couple days when traveling long distances.
__________________
Happy Motoring
Bob
padlin is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-26-2016, 02:36 PM   #8
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: SLO County, California
Trailer: 2014 Escape 21C 2019 Expedition
Posts: 5,210
Am with you Bob on tire pressure. Many visitors to our house get air put in their tires as I can tell from looking at them that they're about 20 lbs. Amazing how many people don't seem to realize how important for safety proper inflation is.
Rossue is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 08-26-2016, 03:23 PM   #9
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Edmonton, Alberta
Trailer: 1979 Boler B1700
Posts: 14,935
To know what to ask, you need to know what you don't know... which is a challenge. Perhaps it would make sense to read what everyone is providing for advice, then ask at Escape about any of the items are not clear. For example, if you understand how to use an "LP gas switch over valve" you're fine, but if you don't know that that is, it would be a good thing to ask about.
Brian B-P is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-26-2016, 03:44 PM   #10
Senior Member
 
gbaglo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: North Vancouver, British Columbia
Trailer: 2009 Escape 17B 2020 Toyota Highlander XLE
Posts: 17,136
Watch the Escape orientation video before you pick up your trailer. Orientation Video
Then you should know what you need to know to find answers to what you don't know.
__________________
What happens to the hole when the cheese is gone?
- Bertolt Brecht
gbaglo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-26-2016, 04:29 PM   #11
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: paso robles, California
Trailer: ex Casita/ 2016 Escape 21 '16 TRD 4x4
Posts: 132
what is the proper tire pressure? Must have missed that during orientation.
jerry
jerryandmaria is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-26-2016, 04:44 PM   #12
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 jerryandmaria View Post
what is the proper tire pressure? Must have missed that during orientation.
jerry
It's marked on the tires. From memory only, I think it's 40 lbs. Best to check on the tires.

EDIT: OK, it's 50. My memory ain't what it used to be.
__________________
"You can't buy happiness, but you can buy an RV. And that is pretty close."
rbryan4 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-26-2016, 04:46 PM   #13
Senior Member
 
gbaglo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: North Vancouver, British Columbia
Trailer: 2009 Escape 17B 2020 Toyota Highlander XLE
Posts: 17,136
It's on the tire ( Max or close to it ). And, if you are still running the tires that came on the trailer, it's on this sticker. 50 PSI.
I'm now running a load range D with Max pressure 65 PSI. I run at 60 PSI.
Attached Thumbnails
Escape wt sticker.jpg  
__________________
What happens to the hole when the cheese is gone?
- Bertolt Brecht
gbaglo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-26-2016, 04:48 PM   #14
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Edmonton, Alberta
Trailer: 1979 Boler B1700
Posts: 14,935
Quote:
Originally Posted by jerryandmaria View Post
what is the proper tire pressure?
That can start a long and heated discussion.
What you are likely told during orientation is to inflate them to the maximum allowed cold inflation pressure, which is what is marked on the sidewall... and is 50 PSI for the Load Range C tires provided by Escape.

What you should do with tires of a different specification than supplied by Escape is presumably not a question for Escape's orientation. At orientation, one might ask questions such as "is that pressure when cold, or after driving?", or whatever else one doesn't already know or needs to confirm.
Brian B-P is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-26-2016, 05:13 PM   #15
Senior Member
 
Jim Bennett's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Trailer: 2017 Escape 5.0 TA
Posts: 15,532
Quote:
Originally Posted by jerryandmaria View Post
what is the proper tire pressure? Must have missed that during orientation.
jerry
I always use max pressure in all my trailers (down to 3 now). With the Escape tires this is 50 psi.
__________________
2017 Escape 5.0 TA
2015 Ford F150 Lariat 3.5L EcoBoost
2009 Escape 19 (previous)
“Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” — Abraham Lincoln
Jim Bennett is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-26-2016, 07:02 PM   #16
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
Quote:
Originally Posted by J&G View Post
We are on our 3000 mile way to pick up our new Escape. Yay!!! Can you think of any questions about trailer operation that we should be sure to ask before we leave ETI?
What drives the questions to be asked at ETI orientation would be the level of towing a trailer and/or your experience with an RV.

in our case we had some experience in a stick-built RV (vacationing at a stationary Rv at a lake) but no experience towing, hitching up. So my info is for those like me with no hitching up, towing experience.

At orientation make sure you completely focus on anything safety related. Understand how to hook-up / unhitch. Make sure you understand how the brake controller works.

In our case, Reace showed us how to set and test the brake controller. He said to set the controller at five and then, explained how to test the controller when underway.

We didn't fully understand the brake controller, being unfamiliar with all things trailer towing we had difficulty sensing whether or not the trailer brakes were pulling back at the tug, we left the controller setting at five for quite some time. We didn't know that the controller setting needs to vary depending on the load/weight of the trailer/tow. This caused us some problems with braking down the road. (More info To be shared when the Forum has a thread about dumb things we have done).

Larry
LarryandLiz is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-26-2016, 08:08 PM   #17
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
Quote:
Originally Posted by jerryandmaria View Post
what is the proper tire pressure? Must have missed that during orientation.
jerry
The tires should be at 50 psi if they are still the Carlisle radials. That is according to Carlisle.
__________________
Cathy. Floating Cloud
"Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air.... "
Emerson
float5 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-27-2016, 05:45 AM   #18
Senior Member
 
kstock11's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Asheville, North Carolina
Trailer: 2014 Escape 19
Posts: 895
I've always felt that the ideal way to do the orientation for someone who is new to RV'ing would be to go through the Escape as if you just got to a campground & you had just unhitched and then reverse as if getting ready to leave. Just going over each system randomly is difficult to take in and doesn't follow a logical progression. (to me)
__________________
Kevin
Thanks to the interstate highway system, it is now possible to travel across the country from coast to coast without seeing anything - Charles Kuralt
kstock11 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-27-2016, 09:42 AM   #19
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 kstock11 View Post
I've always felt that the ideal way to do the orientation for someone who is new to RV'ing would be to go through the Escape as if you just got to a campground & you had just unhitched and then reverse as if getting ready to leave. Just going over each system randomly is difficult to take in and doesn't follow a logical progression. (to me)
Makes sense. Do the orientation in the order someone would use when setting up, then camping, then leaving.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
__________________
"You can't buy happiness, but you can buy an RV. And that is pretty close."
rbryan4 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-27-2016, 09:53 AM   #20
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Whidbey Island, Washington
Trailer: 2020 Escape 17B "Voyager"
Posts: 2,661
Great video. I'm not new to towing or to trailering but my Campster doesn't have a fridge or furnace and isn't currently set up for 12V (though it has been at some time) so useful to see how those systems work. Having said that, I'm glad I did things in stages- learned to tow with a boat, learned to trailer with a simple trailer (which was complex enough when I started) and now am looking forward to learning more.
Bobbie54 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 09:17 AM.


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