19 or 21 ft, pls provide your input

[Oregonian-ESC]

Hello Craig. You will get some great advice here, and from people with a lot more trailer experience than myself. I spent the past 2-3 months researching, comparing and shopping for the best option for our family. We are two adults and two boys, now 10 and 11, but growing fast! I was torn between the 17B with the Gaucho bunk option, the 19 with the cot option, and the 21. I wanted to stay as small as possible, but still meet our needs. I concluded that the 17B was just too small for the four of us. I had a 19 on order, and then switched to a 21 when it suddenly came up for sale from the factory. In reality I don't think you could go wrong with either. Part of it is your needs, and part of it is just personal preference. Good luck with your search! Jeff

 

[padlin]

We looked at the 19 a few years back. We liked the trailer a lot, especially the way the owners towed it all over the country with a Subaru, or maybe it was a Pathfinder, either way it was a small to us vehicle. The improved mileage over what we were getting with our then 18' conventional camper made it very tempting. What stopped us was the width of it, it was 6" smaller then what we had, just too much. As far as the bed, we were used to climbing over each other to get out of bed, that's what the Starcraft had, so it wasn't an issue. 4 or 5 years later we were still looking and saw the 21, it had a width we could live with and would have gone with it had the new fifth wheel not been in the works.

In my opinion the benefit of the 19 over the 21 is you can pull it with a smaller vehicle, that's a nice thing once you deposit the trailer in a campsite. For the added size of the 21 one needs a slightly bigger vehicle. They are both still really small trailers, you'll find that out the first time you park next to a motorhome.

 

[floorpanel]

One simple answer, ROOM. I pull the 21 with a Honda Ridgline and have had no problems in about 5000 miles.

 

[Cap4hire]

Thank you for all your responses, both are great choices. The 19 meets our needs, but isn't bigger better (kidding). Couple questions asked of me were tow vehicle: Toyota Highlander and size of boats I have towed: 12/15/21ft.

 

[Ray N]

We had an EggCamper when we saw a 19' Escape at a rally in 2010 - my wife, (who is somewhat claustrophobic), said she didn't care for the 19' because of the "tightness" created by the central bath and the narrowness of the trailer. However, we weren't very happy with the EggCamper either, because of the lack of convenient storage and the tiny refrigerator, but it did have a very open feeling because of it being 88" wide and having 6'7" of headroom. When the 21' Escape came out with the open central area and an 88" width, my wife agreed that it looked good. So we bought one.

Personally, although I love the openness of the 21' I feel that the 19' has an ideal layout, especially if you camp with children. The central bath gives each sleeping area a bit of privacy with access to the bathroom. If it hadn't have been for my wife's preference, (problem?), I would have gone with the 19'.

 

[Dave Walter]

It really is a matter of personal opinion, even if those not purchasing the 19' are wrong. :hide: All kidding aside, I really loved the 15B. If it was just me, I could see myself in it, but the 17B would give me even more room. The 19' is just right for my wife and daughter and I, with a son coming along on occasion. It also suits my 5000 lb tow capacity vehicle just perfectly. Although others like the layout of the 21, I am not too keen on it for myself and could not see myself in it. In a couple of years when my current vehicle needs replacing, the 5.0TA could be in my future, as it seems well suited to my future retirement plans. But who knows, by then, Escape have come up with something even more suited to me. Will just have to wait, watch, and see.

 

[Jim Bennett]

Seeing I got one of the first 19's produced, the 21 was not even an option. If I had the choice to do all over, I would stick with the 19. The major reason is the layout, and the secondary reason is, I can get by fantastically with the room it offers.

Oh just give it up and buy a 5.0TA, you get everything from the other builds and more

Moderators, I think we have a troll!

Now, where is that "Report" button? ;D

Though, I must agree, that is a dandy trailer. Would be my next choice if I were to change.

My only caveat to this would be to make sure your choice is based primarily on the trailer and to a lesser extent the tow vehicle. Its easier to upgrade your tow than upsize your trailer. I will probably go through several tow vehicles during the time I own my Escape.

Very true, but if one does not ever want to own anything more than a V6 vehicle for other reasons, choosing a 21 and loading it to the nuts would alter this thinking for some.

 

[rbryan4]

I keep coming back to efficiency. Room is wonderful, especially if there are 3 or 4 people in your party, or if the weather turns and you're cooped up for awhile. But, the efficient use of the space you have is one of the main reasons I think molded fiberglass trailers are so cool. Its been said before that the 15 is the most efficient use of space and functional floorplan of any Escape trailer. I agree with that. We went bigger purely for the luxury of a queen bed and a bit more room if one of the grandkids tags along. I would be thrilled with ANY Escape. Not sure about the wife or other camping companions though.

 

[Jill-ESC]

What about the window situation though? I might prefer the 21 because it has the dinette where the bigger windows are. I keep reading about people modifying the dinette in the 19 to improve visibility. To me it seems like you want the best windows at the dinette where you will be awake, not at the bed where where you will be sleeping or it will be dark. But I've never had a camper - just a lurker for now.

Can the 19 be made with a dinette at the back that can be converted to a bed (in addition to the dinette at the front)? And if so, do you lose comfort in that back bed?

 

[rbryan4]

We raised the dinette 4" so the view out the windows would be better. You could do the same in the 21 if you wished. Yes, the 19 can be built with a dinette or lounge area instead of the permanent queen bed. The size when made into a bed is the same, so no comfort loss in terms of size.

 

[tractors1]

I prefer the window at the rear of my trailer (21) since I already know what my truck looks like on the other end. I'd rather look at the campsite than the drive bys.

 

[Jim Bennett]

What about the window situation though? I might prefer the 21 because it has the dinette where the bigger windows are. I keep reading about people modifying the dinette in the 19 to improve visibility. To me it seems like you want the best windows at the dinette where you will be awake, not at the bed where where you will be sleeping or it will be dark. But I've never had a camper - just a lurker for now.

Can the 19 be made with a dinette at the back that can be converted to a bed (in addition to the dinette at the front)? And if so, do you lose comfort in that back bed? We don't camp in campgrounds a lot, and where we do camp, we are usually backed up to trees, with the better view out the front. Some choice sites in some places do have the best view out the back, like waterfront lots.

My wife is 5'-4" and when I mentioned to her that others did not like the height of the windows at the dinette in the 19, she was surprised with that, and says she likes them at the height they are at, and prefers the view she gets, rather than looking at the ground.

Though big windows are a bonus for an eating area, I love them at the bed too. When I first wake up in the summer (when there is actually light by 5am), I love watching the world for a while,as I contemplate my heading out into it.

You can have a dinette at the rear of the 19, with the front used as a bed. The front is a bit tight for two though, at 42", though is a full 80" long.

A lot of the window size and location issue with us is fairly moot though, as we spend the vast majority of our time outside, not coming in until bedtime most nights, and preferring to eat and cook in the great outdoors. Others do like to cozy up inside though.

 

[bpjod]

I remember well the agony of trying to decide between the two models. I'm a tent camper and in all honesty still would prefer to spend more nights in a tent than in our 21'. It's just that I cannot haul a trailer behind a canoe or up a mountain when backpacking. As our family is used to small living quarters and spending most of our time out of doors when camping, we debated between the 17' with gaucho, 19' and when it became available, the 21'. Got the 21' and we love it and have no regrets.

What's really nice about the 21'? Not having to crawl over my spouse to get out of bed. More hallway space to move about - 4 people living in a small trailer can be tight. More counter space - now that we've got it, not sure how we could live with less. The countertop on top of the set of drawers at the foot of the fixed bed - great spot for charging devices, leaving my camera bag, laptop (downloading photos/photo editing), etc. Sitting on the foot of the bed while putting on hiking boots. Bigger bed for the kids (the dining table makes for a wider bed in the 21').

The only small dislike is the extra 4" width is a wee bit harder to see around in the rear view mirrors. A queen bed (19') would be a nice luxury too.

It sounds like you only need space for 2 people so I don't think you could go wrong either way. If you expect to mostly cook and do dishes outside, sit outside in the evenings, explore the area during the day, then I think you'll be fine with the 19' or even smaller. If you would prefer to live in your trailer more, then I think the added space of the 21' would be most welcome.

Our tow vehicle (VW Touareg TDI) can tow 7700 lbs and unless I look in the rear-view mirror, it's easy to forget I'm towing anything. I rarely even notice the trailer back there. Towed it a little over 4,000km last summer and that was my first towing experience.

 

[dave macrae]

This is a really tuff choice. We have had both and both are great trailers. It really depends on your situation. How many people are with you most of the time? How long are your trips ? Do you prefer to cook in or out of the trailer? The other really big one is are you a minimalist type person or like to have lots of stuff with you.
For us it came down to a few things. Counter space, food storage for longer trips.
As for the difference in towing I think the 21 was actually a little better but I did get a Anderson hitch with the 21 and that may well have been the difference.
As for tow vehicle ratings, they are just Iron and they make more of them every day, buy the trailer that makes the most sense and deal with the vehicle when you need to. I have seen so many freinds and family buy the trailer that they can tow with what they have, shortly after are disapointed with both and and up switching both. Would have been easier and much less expensive to just buy the right trailer in the first place.

 

[dave macrae]

It really is a matter of personal opinion, even if those not purchasing the 19' are wrong. :hide: All kidding aside, I really loved the 15B. If it was just me, I could see myself in it, but the 17B would give me even more room. The 19' is just right for my wife and daughter and I, with a son coming along on occasion. It also suits my 5000 lb tow capacity vehicle just perfectly. Although others like the layout of the 21, I am not too keen on it for myself and could not see myself in it. In a couple of years when my current vehicle needs replacing, the 5.0TA could be in my future, as it seems well suited to my future retirement plans. But who knows, by then, Escape have come up with something even more suited to me. Will just have to wait, watch, and see.

I agree Dave, If I was a sinlge guy I would have a 15B in a heart beat. Absoulty love that trailer for a single person on the move.

 

[padlin]

What's really nice about the 21'? Not having to crawl over my spouse to get out of bed.

I kind of enjoyed that part.

 

[LeonW]

We chose a 21 for many of the same reasons listed here -- floorplan (we prefer the dinette in the rear, storage space, no-crawling over anyone to get out of bed, etc.

To your point about tow vehicle, we pull our 21 with a Toyota Highlander (5000 lbs towing capacity). The only passengers are the two of us, and Murphy-the-Dog. We have a bunch of stuff in the back of the highlander, and the usual sort of stuff in the trailer (folding chairs, weber grill, a couple of bicycles, cooking gear, etc etc). We transitioned from our Escape 17 (which we liked lot) to the 21, and are still amazed at how much room there is.

While some on this forum wouldn't tow a 21 with anything less than an F250, we have been happy towing with our Highlander. We came home from Chilliwack, managing to cross the continental divide 3 times. Never on the freeway (passes are usually graded better on the freeway than on secondary roads). Never had any problems, and always had a great towing experience. We do have an Anderson Hitch, and that may contribute to our good experience.

Leon

 

[Cap4hire]

I prefer to have enough headroom to stand up comfortably inside, at 6'3" I have a more limited selection. We will be outside at all opportunities, love the outdoors. We plan to camp in spring and fall, may retreat inside depending on the weather. Still on the fence, I hope to get by the factory in a couple weeks on the way to Whistler.

 

[cpaharley2008]

What about the window situation though? I might prefer the 21 because it has the dinette where the bigger windows are. I keep reading about people modifying the dinette in the 19 to improve visibility. To me it seems like you want the best windows at the dinette where you will be awake, not at the bed where where you will be sleeping or it will be dark. But I've never had a camper - just a lurker for now.

Can the 19 be made with a dinette at the back that can be converted to a bed (in addition to the dinette at the front)? And if so, do you lose comfort in that back bed?

That is the nice thing about Escapes, they will make the trailer the way you want it. Yes, you can have a dinette in the rear that converts to a bed and a dinette in the front that converts or make the front into a permanent bed if you so choose.

 

[gbaglo]

My 17B would be just perfect, if it had a four-person front dinette instead of two-person. ;D