Escape 21 storage

[dougharris10]

we are considering buying a escape trailer for our ranch. We are looking for fiberglass trailers since they are hail resistant, and very water resistant. I was curious if putting a trailer on a ranch would ruin the trailer? The ranch is located about 30 miles north of Waco curious of anyone’s thoughts.? I was also curious if they make trailer covers for the escape 21. Thank you in advance for your thoughts.

 

[JohnK-ESC]

Generally speaking putting your trailer on a ranch will not functionally ruin your trailer. How you store and maintain this trailer once it is on that ranch will determine the eventual outcome, both functionally and aesthetically, which are perhaps the essential elements in your question.

We camp outdoors with our early 2020 21C an average maximum of 90 days per year and store it as we did our 2009 Casita Liberty Deluxe - under the roof of a 4-walled enclosure. And we wax it at least twice a year. It still looks brand new. How well it functions depends more on good winterizing and mechanical maintenance than does the 4-walled, roofed enclosure. We credit the brand new look more to the 4-walled enclosure than to our waxing the trailer.

Whether you park your trailer on a ranch or at/in an urban storage facility, our recommendation is to store it under a roof within 4 walls and maintain it mechanically.

John

 

[Ron in BC]

Or a fabric cover. Anything that keeps UV and dirt off.

Ron

 

[HABBERDABBER]

Trailer cover or under cover in a structure is sound advice. The sun can degrade plastics, even fiberglass, with time.
And keep the wild life OUT of your rig. Mice, pack rats if you have, mud dabbers, wasps, ants, all those critters are looking for a home.
There are numerous suppliers of trailer covers, some custom fits and very long lived, but pricey. The El cheapo ones I've used last 3-5 years and get sun weakened. They too, are made from plastic materials.

 

[iamunique127]

Trailer cover or under cover in a structure is sound advice. The sun can degrade plastics, even fiberglass, with time.
And keep the wild life OUT of your rig. Mice, pack rats if you have, mud dabbers, wasps, ants, all those critters are looking for a home.
There are numerous suppliers of trailer covers, some custom fits and very long lived, but pricey. The El cheapo ones I've used last 3-5 years and get sun weakened. They too, are made from plastic materials.

Agree with all you said.

 

[Chamberman]

Here in N. Texas with all of the large hail we see I personally wouldn't want it permanently parked in an uncovered situation. We keep ours at a covered storage lot. Hail resistant isn't the same as hail proof and the plastic vent covers on the roof will likely be cracked and broken in anything larger than dime sized hail and I've had some golf ball plus sized hail here at my house every so many years which would possibly damage the fiberglass. Then you add in the extreme heat in the summer and the damage that will do over time. If I had a lot of land to park ours on then I'd plan to build a stand-alone cover with steel roofing for the trailer. The money you see in improved resale value over say a 10yr period due to keeping the trailer under a cover will likely pay for a good portion of the cost of building a basic cover for it.

 

[Iowa Dave]

We bought our first Escape (a 19) in 2013. We had it outside at our home for a couple of months. We did some research and ended up keeping the trailer in a storage lot in a metal building from November till June of the next year (2014). Cost was $80 a month at that time. In the fall we also stored outdoor furniture and some other items with the trailer. It was ok and accessible enough but we had made a commitment to staying at this camping thing so we had a pole building put up in the yard behind the house.

It has worked out great. The building withstood a 2020 derecho that hit us directly with 140 mph winds that lasted 42 minutes and destroyed a lot of property but the Escape ( by then a 21) did not have a scratch. So our choice will always be a sturdy building and a good insurance policy. Everybody has to make their own choices. If you build a building, make sure it’s about 40% bigger than what you think you need.
Iowa Dave