19 Coming to Arizona

[jamie beers]

Escape Industries sets the GVWR - and Reace said it doesn't change with the higher capacity axles. BUT it means each axle can take more weight/abuse if unevenly loaded. And for me, a cheap increase in the strength/capacity of just about anything for little to no weight penalty is good.

"Overly built" is just barely in my vocabulary.

Great, thanks for the feedback. I tend to feel the same way. j

 

[Burloak]

Thanks for the info. I'm just trying to figure this all out. It seems like the heavier axle would allow it to carry more weight. In reality, would it be more like a 4500 lb GVWR as the 21' is (with the 3000 lb axle)? j

Perhaps I'm just thinking about this issue in a wrong way...

you would be right about the axles but the capacity of a body on frame vehicle (pickups, escape trailers, etc.) would also need to be upgraded to take the extra weight. I suspect the frame of the escape 21 is stronger than the E19 same as a half ton truck has a lighter frame then a three quarter ton. Without the frame change the rated carrying capacity of the vehicle remains the same.

 

[Brian B-P]

Added weight - I don't know but I think it is minimal - I think it is just different torsion rubber.

That's right... just longer but otherwise identical rubber rods.

... it means each axle can take more weight/abuse if unevenly loaded..

"Overly built" is just barely in my vocabulary.

The stiffer suspensions will mean they are more sensitive to level, so the stiffness will cause uneven load carrying to some extent. Imagine completely rigid axle mounting (no spring action) and rock-hard tires - the slightest tilt and the load would be entirely on one axle. Stiff suspensions are just a less extreme version of this.

No offense, but when I hear "over built", I hear "inappropriately built".

 

[Burloak]

That's right... just longer but otherwise identical rubber rods.


The stiffer suspensions will mean they are more sensitive to level, so the stiffness will cause uneven load carrying to some extent. Imagine completely rigid axle mounting (no spring action) and rock-hard tires - the slightest tilt and the load would be entirely on one axle. Stiff suspensions are just a less extreme version of this.

No offense, but when I hear "over built", I hear "inappropriately built".

Not to mention stiffer suspensions are much less forgiving of poor road quality allowing greater amplitude of road surface shocks and jolts to enter the body of the trailer, its equipment and contents. IF you are blessed with totally smooth roads in your local and travel destinations then you could even forgo the rubber springs and bolt the axles directly to the trailer frame.

For the rest of us I'm recommending letting the vehicle designers and engineers do their mechanical thing selecting the proper frame, spring capacity/constants, and wheel/tire combinations and letting us know about the capability constraints based on their calculations via the mandated placards that the place on each and every vehicle.

 

[cpaharley2008]

I'll drink to that...

 

[gocamp-ESC]

Kountrykamper
is your polar cub digital thermostat an aftermarket item or did it come stock? I've had 4 to 5 degree drift with an analog model in an old RV. I like the polar cub and digital setup.

 

[Kountrykamper]

Sorry for the confusion. The digital stat we have now in our Escape is a Dometic and we have the Dometic A/C. It also runs the furnace.

We had the Polar Cub in our Casita. I did modify it to run on a digital stat. Instructions for modifying it can be found at the following link but probably would not work on an Escape but would give you an idea what has to be done. Basically it just needs a 12 volt/30 amp relay installed in the 120 volt line feeding the unit and use a battery powered thermostat to send a 12 volt signal through the thermostat to the relay when it calls. This link will tell you the relay to use and where to get it.

http://www.casitaforum.com/invboard/topic/379-automatic-ac-mod/

 

[sokol]

The next step bigger than the Honda 2000 is the 3000 which is 138 lbs and a lot to muscle around. I'm getting two Honda 2000's in the companion package. It hooks up in series and gives you a 4000 but with two 48 lb generators to move around. More than enough power for the AC but don't have to break your back moving them around.

 

[cpaharley2008]

The next step bigger than the Honda 2000 is the 3000 which is 138 lbs and a lot to muscle around. I'm getting two Honda 2000's in the companion package. It hooks up in series and gives you a 4000 but with two 48 lb generators to move around. More than enough power for the AC but don't have to break your back moving them around.

You should not need 2x2000 watt generators for the Polar Cub nor the Dometic, I believe the Dometic already has the soft start.

 

[float5]

A lot of people on this site have demonstrated that a generator is not needed, especially with a small trailer, as they have a solar panel instead. I guess they do without the air in that case. I hear that there are people who actually have air with solar, using a number of panels.

 

[Jubal]

Just to clarify...the newer version of the Dometic 11,000 BTU A/C comes equipped with a smart start capacitor. I successfully ran the A/C with a Honda 2000. I put it through all the paces of starting up under different situations, and it worked fine. It does run into the peak capacity zone when the compressor kicks in, but does not trip the breaker. It would be an issue if the trailer batteries are weak and the on-board battery charger is working to charge them while you are planning to use the A/C. I would suggest switching the batteries off before operating the A/C. Our test had all the LED lights on, and the furnace running. (had to create heat in the winter ) The generator should provide enough power to run basic items in the trailer at the same time as the A/C.

The down side of the new a/c is it is approx 20 lbs heavier than the previous version. (its not the smart start)

Hope that helps

Reace

 

[float5]

Just to mention, the newer one with the smart start has been around for a while as I am pretty sure that is what we have from 2011.