A long wait!

[LRL]

Hello all! Nancy and I just joined and ordered our 21' a couple of weeks ago. It will be a long gestation: we won't be picking up until March 22, 2017. So lots of time to put way too much thought into options! It's been great looking at everyone's pictures and reading all your thoughts on what goes into the ideal rig.

One question that I'll also post in the appropriate specific category: would anyone have an opinion as to whether the regular axle or the High Lift would be ideal for towing behind a 2016 Tacoma? Thanks.

 

[LeonW]

congratulations and welcome to the group. This long wait is going to go by quicker than you think. Before you know it you will be up against the build sheet deadline. In the mean time you get to have lots of fun pondering how to make your trailer the best ever for you!

 

[cpaharley2008]

The majority of Escape owners tow with a standard axle vs the high lift....

 

[Marry-ESC]

The looking forward part is so much fun, you are going to miss it once it's over! Congratulations on your order, best wishes for the pondering, and many happy trails for the future!

 

[LosAngeles]

Our 17' casita has a somewhat low ground clearance,as stock

So we decided to get the high lift on it

At a glance the stock 21' escape looks higher than the stock casita

Does anyone happen to know?

Thanks.

 

[BCnomad]

Might help. ^^
Post 7


http://www.escapeforum.org/forums/f7/height-of-21-with-hvac-6345.html#post108294

 

[tractors1]

The stock 21 is maybe an inch higher than my Casita LD was and the Casita had the high lift axle. I put the same double-step on both, otherwise I don't know if I would have noticed it.

 

[Bobbito]

Congratulations on your purchase, Lee and Nancy. We tow our Escape 21 with a 2005 Tundra, which is very similar in size and power to one of the new Tacomas.

What became apparent to me when we took delivery of our 21 was that the spray foam insulation decreased the clearance even more. It looks to be more that an inch thick in places (maybe even 2 inches?), which is why I am getting the lift kit installed ($500 after delivery vs $300 during the build). The extra 2 5/8" may prevent us knocking off some of the foam insulation or a jack on rough roads. Though the equalizer hitch helps reduce the up and down motion, there is still enough bobbing to worry me that the trailer may be damaged if we don't get additional clearance. Then, of course, there are dips in the road that reduce clearance at front and back, another situation where extra clearance would help.

Bob K

p.s. I started a thread on the Escape 21 lift kit just the other day:
http://www.escapeforum.org/forums/f9/lift-kit-for-escape-21-a-7604-2.html#post138489

 

[Loren & Cathy]

congratulations and welcome to the group. This long wait is going to go by quicker than you think. Before you know it you will be up against the build sheet deadline. In the mean time you get to have lots of fun pondering how to make your trailer the best ever for you!

I couldn't have said it any better. That time just seems to get away from you. The year we spent waiting for our trailer was no wait at all. Loren

 

[RicVic]

It really depends on which end you are looking from. My 5.0 TA is eleven months away and from here it seems like along time.

 

[LRL]

Thanks all. Appreciate your input. I hadn't thought about the foam issue, which we plan on getting for sure. We'll probably go with the extra lift. If we do it, we'll forever think it was unnecessary, and if we don't, we'll forever regret it. I think we'll go with the former.

 

[Loren & Cathy]

Thanks all. Appreciate your input. I hadn't thought about the foam issue, which we plan on getting for sure. We'll probably go with the extra lift. If we do it, we'll forever think it was unnecessary, and if we don't, we'll forever regret it. I think we'll go with the former.

Always better to have and not need than need and not have. This option kind of depends if you plan to take the trailer in the boondocks. Loren

 

[NW Cat Owner]

It really depends on which end you are looking from. My 5.0 TA is eleven months away and from here it seems like along time.

I agree! We still have 8.5 months to go and it's driving me nuts! We ordered the beginning of December, with almost a 13 month wait for the delivery date. I got the build sheet already taken care of months ago. Now I kill time ordering stuff for the trailer (Jack-E-Up and a few other things off Amazon today). And it's still driving me nuts as I want to start using that stuff! And the weather around here is decent enough most of the year that I can't say "oh, it's crappy weather, so no worries we don't have it yet".

If patience is a virtue, I guess I'm a fallen woman without any virtue! ;D

So, yeah, I hear ya on the wait time.

 

[StarvingHyena]

The majority of Escape owners tow with a standard axle vs the high lift....

There is another option that not many seem to know about. That is the 22.5 degree lift. It costs the same as the high lift but the lift is only 1/2 that of the high lift.

I got the high lift on my 17A. I knew about the 22.5 degree but didn't order it for ..... well ... not sure why. Being a newbie I guess. With the high lift (trailer empty) visually it looks too high to my eyes. Its not that big a deal as I could still change it back ($).

Soon I'll be using my trailer and will have it loaded to camping weight and will be able to see how much she settles down.

Tom

 

[Brian B-P]

There is another option that not many seem to know about. That is the 22.5 degree lift. It costs the same as the high lift but the lift is only 1/2 that of the high lift.

I got the high lift on my 17A. I knew about the 22.5 degree but didn't order it for ..... well ... not sure why. Being a newbie I guess. With the high lift (trailer empty) visually it looks too high to my eyes. Its not that big a deal as I could still change it back ($).

One reason to use the spacers (bolt-in lift kit) instead of getting the greater down arm angle of the Torflex suspension, is that you can take it out if it doesn't suit you (or no longer suits you). To change the arm angle means replacing the entire axle; to remove the spacers can be a do-it-yourself job at zero cost, or (if you're not up to that) an hour or so of labour.

 

[StarvingHyena]

One reason to use the spacers (bolt-in lift kit) instead of getting the greater down arm angle of the Torflex suspension, is that you can take it out if it doesn't suit you (or no longer suits you). To change the arm angle means replacing the entire axle; to remove the spacers can be a do-it-yourself job at zero cost, or (if you're not up to that) an hour or so of labour.

Mmmmm ...... I wasn't aware of those two options. My trailer is in another state right now so I can't go out and look. How do you know if you have an axel with a greater down angle or a bolt on kit? Is it obvious after getting under and looking? I did order the high lift option.

Tom

Brian, I would like to thank you for all the time you put in helping others and your fountain of information is most impressive. THANK YOU VERY MUCH!

 

[Brian B-P]

How do you know if you have an axel with a greater down angle or a bolt on kit? Is it obvious after getting under and looking? I did order the high lift option.

I guess obviousness depends on your degree of mechanical inclination I stick my head under vehicles to have a look routinely, so no problem, but for most (i.e. normal ) people this stuff is not so familiar. The parts are clearly visible so no problem if you have something to compare to.

I tried to sort out the lift situation in the topic "High lift axles". Although there wasn't much information provided about what was provided in various years and models of trailers, it did serve as a review of the options. If you compare to the photo I put in that topic (or illustrations from the linked information from Dexter Axle) you can see whether or not you have a spacer between the Torflex axle bracket and the trailer's frame.

One note following up that earlier topic. A year ago all Escape spacers had been custom-made, and lifted the trailer 1.5" higher above the axle. Mark (GerriJ) had found the bolt-in kit by Dexter (which lifts by 2-5/16"), and mentioned it to Reace; that is what Escape uses now, when they add a spacer.

 

[LRL]

Couldn't agree more, RicVic. But, having waited for many things over the years... I'm sure when the day arrives, we will indeed be saying "amazing how fast time flies, especially when you're tying flies."

 

[RicVic]

Our 5.0 will be hatched on St. Paddy's Day, 2017. Maybe we will see you in Chilliwack to pick them up for the ride back to California.