Full time in an Escape

[Y is Me]

I have had the spray foam on all 3 of my Escapes, basically the entire underneath of the trailer is coated and painted black. The foam protects the entire underside and tanks from road debris. The floors are warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer and with the thermal package the entire trailer is more quiet. I like that the foam covers part of the frame and protects it from rust, my touch up is limited to the front tongue portion and rear bumper. BTW, the heat pads, although 12v use a lot of juice and you will need to be hooked up to utilize them. They are thermostatically controlled, on at 30 and off at 40 and there is a on/off switch. The pads are only on the fresh and grey tanks as the black tank in inside the trailer.

Thanks for the heads up on the power usage. That just gives me a good excuse to head into a place with hookups when the forecast gets that bad. ;D

 

[Y is Me]

I was in/on the Olympic Peninsula last year after I got my trailer, from late April to the middle of May, and didn't have much trouble with condensation there. I've found that it gets bad when it's cold out ( 40s, 30s and below) with moderate to high humidity. Tried Damp Rid, didn't work at all. I've seen write ups for a device that pulls the interior air across a small heating element to basically bake the moisture out of the air. Seemed like a good idea. Haven't found one yet, and can't remember the make/model,etc.
As for electric, I did alright with just the solar panel and frugal use of battery power. Only once did I have to hook up to the truck and run the engine for a while to recharge a bit.

Missed your post. Thank you for the opinion on the Damp Rid, I'll not count on that for anything more than keeping the closet and seldom accessed storage fresh.

 

[sclifrickson]

You might want to think twice about the spray on foam underneath - it can be a nuisance if you need to get at stuff for repair, and may be a corrosion hazard where it coats the frame. The floor can be insulated with standard styrofoam sheets which can be removed easily if necessary, and the tanks can (I hope) be dealt with separately one way or another.

On our 21, I may simply install 120 volt heat tapes intended for water lines in the appropriate locations. Heating tanks with 12 volts doesn't seem a great advantage to me - it would not last long unless plugged in to shore power, or serious charging is available from the tug, in either of which case running 120 volt heat tapes would work fine.

In any case, I will not be adding the spray on foam.

I am a fan of the spray foam. We like to camp off-season without fretting about the tanks freezing. We like a warmer floor in winter and a cooler one in the summer. And our spray foam has taken hits from road debris that would have otherwise struck our underbelly parts. That alone is price of entry for me. Should we ever need to access under the foam for anything it can be easily removed, as one or two members here have done in the past. And lastly, as a factory option, the foam is covered by ETI’s two year hitch to bumper warranty, along with all the other trailer bits, should anything need that attention. Not so for do-it-yourself aftermarket solutions.

I have not heard of any corrosion issues associated with the spray foam. Is this just theoretical, or are there anecdotal examples?

 

[Y is Me]

Many of you have probably seen this but here are two examples of 2" rigid foam being applied. Ron in BC did his 19 and I also did a Scamp 16.

www.escapeforum.org/forums/f40/spray-foam-option-11339.html#post218211

That rigid foam does look like it would do the job nicely. Unfortunately, I'd have to find a place to do it for me, since there is no crawling around under things for me any more with the blasted neck and shoulder issues. That being the case, I think ETI's factory spray foam will be my best option all the way around.

 

[Fox hunt]

I like the spray foam had it on both my trailers. Many on this forum are very talented and able to modify on their own so they often choose to do their own work. I am not able to do that so the factory option works well for me and keeps my feet warm in cold weather.

 

[padlin]

Someone wouldo need to see the foam on the underside to see the fallacy of the corrosion point.

Due to too thin a coat of paint on the frame i had rust everywhere except where the foam was.

Removing the foam to work on the dump valve was about an hours work, nothing hard about it. Spraying on new stuff also took about an hour, not hard, but messy.

Unless you seal all the joints and edges on the foam board, you are probably more susceptible to trapping water then the spray on is.

 

[Patandlinda]

Another thumbs up for the spray foam for all the reasons listed . Pat

 

[Y is Me]

Thanks for chiming in with all of the information and opinions. The more information I have, anecdotal and otherwise, the happier I am.

 

[AllanEdie]

I appear to be out-voted, not for the first time I am sure.

For the record, my expectations are based on experience with boats, not trailers, so it is always possible that I am full of beans (or something less polite ). And the problem I anticipate is a long term one, not something that will show up in a couple years. And further, I live where salt on the roads is a strong possibility, so corrosion will be more important here than it might be further south.

In any case, I will not be putting foam on my steel frame. It is a fine thing that ETI gives us options.

 

[rbryan4]

I appear to be out-voted, not for the first time I am sure.

For the record, my expectations are based on experience with boats, not trailers, so it is always possible that I am full of beans (or something less polite ). And the problem I anticipate is a long term one, not something that will show up in a couple years. And further, I live where salt on the roads is a strong possibility, so corrosion will be more important here than it might be further south.

In any case, I will not be putting foam on my steel frame. It is a fine thing that ETI gives us options.

I went without the spray foam as well, but not out of any corrosion concerns. The foam is inert, and won't react to the metal. There's even anecdotal evidence that it protects the frame from corrosion by providing a barrier that water (or road salt) can't get through. No. I went without it because our climate is warm, and because I really don't like the look. What I would LOVE, and what I feel would be a real market separator for Escape, is if they offered an aluminum frame.

 

[skiman-ESC]

I went without the spray foam as well, but not out of any corrosion concerns. The foam is inert, and won't react to the metal. There's even anecdotal evidence that it protects the frame from corrosion by providing a barrier that water (or road salt) can't get through. No. I went without it because our climate is warm, and because I really don't like the look. What I would LOVE, and what I feel would be a real market separator for Escape, is if they offered an aluminum frame.

Galvanized would trip my trigger and would be a lot less expensive..

 

[Dave Walter]

I have spray foam on both Escape trailers. Helps keep them cooler in hot weather and warmer in cold weather. The foam also helps to decrease noise levels inside the trailer. The corrosion issue is baseless. The foam actually protects the paint on the frame from damage due to gravel or road debris. It also helps to protect the underside plumbing from damage due to road debris. The paint on the foam does tend to wear off with time and mileage, but the foam can easily be repainted. When painted black, the presence of the foam on the underside of the trailer is hardly noticeable, and in any case, most people are too busy admiring the fiberglass construction to pay any attention to the underbody. I give the foam four thumbs up out of five.

 

[Greg A]

Neutral on the foam. Like Robert, we didn’t get the foam and never have said “sure wish we’d gotten the foam.” If we’d gotten the foam and had to dig it out for a repair, probably would have said “sure wish we had not gotten the foam.” Been in a number of Escapes that have it at gatherings in both hot n cold temps and never felt any noticeable difference, but I’m sure there might be a small measurable difference in extreme temps. Also, it would help a bit with external noise levels although really not a noticeable issue on the trailer without foam.
It is a good option to have available since adding insulation to any living unit is normally a good thing if you have extreme temps. Only negative I can see is digging out for repairs, etc. and of course the added cost. If we were going to do a lot of cold weather camping definitely would have gotten it, but we don’t camp much at all in cold temps.

 

[StarvingHyena]

I'm a foamer too. Glad I have it. After a recent almost 5000 mile trip that included many miles of poor roads, a lot of the paint has been sand blasted off my foam. If my frame wasn't covered then it would be the frame that needed painting.

My concerns about the foam was capillary and water action from the foam loosing adhesion to the frame. You wouldn't know there was a problem until something serious was going on. Also, at first blush I wondered about removing the foam to do repairs or mods.

I finally decided to get foamed and quit worrying .... time to go camping anyway!

Hope everyone has a spectacular summer!!!!

Tom

 

[Moaboy]

I too opted for the foam and glad I did for all the reasons mentioned. In Alaska really helped to protect the underside of my 19. I did have to touch up the paint, but I used that “spray rubber” which seems more durable. Having said that, some folks may just not need the foam. So depends what u will be doing and where.
Good luck!

 

[casejh]

I too opted for the foam and glad I did for all the reasons mentioned. In Alaska really helped to protect the underside of my 19. I did have to touch up the paint, but I used that “spray rubber” which seems more durable. Having said that, some folks may just not need the foam. So depends what u will be doing and where.
Good luck!

What "spray rubber" do you use for this?

 

[Moaboy]

Comes in a can and is sold in the paint section of any of the big box stores. Goes on like paint, but is thicker and helps adds some resiliency to the foam so it does not pit as easily from rocks, debris, salt etc.

 

[cpaharley2008]

Rustoleum sells a spray on undercoating
https://www.amazon.com/Rust-Oleum-2...1303055&sr=8-4&keywords=spray+on+undercoating

 

[Arthur John]

Hello Y is Me. Just curious, have you narrowed down the Escape models you are considering to full time in? I myself will be traveling full time in my 2017 5.0 TA from this coming May until at least November probably longer.

My ultimate decision to go with the 5th wheel over the 21 model trailer was based on my preference for towing a 5th wheel, but it was a tough decision because I really like the appeal of the 21 with the bath on the same level as the bed, and the longer kitchen counter space.

Having been out now on a couple of extended trips since I picked up my Escape this past October I'm getting very comfortable with all the protocol and procedures for traveling with this small 5th wheel. I really am enjoying it! You won't go wrong with any Escape model you decide on. Happy Travels!

Art

 

[Jim Bennett]

..... and the longer kitchen counter space.

Pretty sure they are identical in size.