Howdy from a Wannabe

[Bob in Bend]

Mark
I live in Bend on Gilchrist Ave, just south of Miller's Landing Park. We have a 21' Escape if you would like to see. I think my wife will let you go inside as long as you follow normal Coronavirus protocol. We used to have a 19', so I can explain some of the differences, too. We always take two kayaks and at least one SUP, and find for us the trailer and TV is the best situation. You can email me at almquists@bendbroadband.com. (fyi this is my junk mail account)
Bob

 

[dfandrews]

Thanks for more input, guys. I'm still thinking (almost for sure) the 19'................... I plan to meet some buddies in Great Basin National Park (Nevada, USA) in early October. It'll be the 2nd anniversary of a friend's bachelor party -- "BP III" we're calling it.

Mark, here's a thought (based on my occasional what if thoughts).

What about a 19 with a permanent bed in the front. That would give you a larger dinette in the back, especially for having a group of friends over.
We have a 17A, which is great for us, but I occasionally think about those what-ifs. We have a permanent bed (54-x80) in the front, which is fine for us. It has the 4-person dinette in the back, which is fine for us, but, when we're camping/fishing with our friends, and the nights get inclement, there are 4 of us at that table eating or playing games or....., and it would be nice to have more room.
That would give you a queen size permanent bed, large dinette, windows on 3 sides in the back for some great views (our opinion: dinette in the front on the classic 19 kept us from even considering it way back in the day), and all the other great features of the 19.

 

[salmo7000]

I really love my 19, and there are 2 of us plus multiple canines. It’s the perfect balance between a small trailer that fits in tight spots and roomy enough for 2 and their stuff. The queen bed was a huge selling point. We were in a tent our whole lives too, and pretty small tents at that. The 19 feels like total luxury and comfort. When we picked it up, we looked at the 21 on the showroom, which was very nice, but still had no regrets about choosing the 19.

 

[MarkBC]

.....
.... If you want one built for September,I be ordering it on very soon....

Yeah...I know I'm cutting it close. It's only been about 2 weeks that I started considering Escape. Before that I was looking at stick-built trailers (r-Pod and No Boundaries).
I plan to start the order process early this coming week.
If I miss "BP III" because my trailer isn't quite ready...so be it.

That event is only going to be the first stop in a long trip to the USA South/East -- 2 months or maybe longer -- exploring bayou and swamp and marsh and other Southern slack water, with the help of my kayak. I spent 2 months there last fall, camping with my pickup-camper and loved the area. That's when I realized how much more convenient it would be if I could drive away from my camp dwelling without having to put stuff away....thus, my search for a trailer.

 

[tractors1]

Hi, I'm Mark.
I've owned and enjoyed my truck camper (Four Wheel brand) for 15 years. But I've decided that I want a camping "home" that I can drive away from... Like, to go kayaking or hiking -- or just to the store -- away from camp without having to stow stuff that I've "deployed" in my camper before I can drive off.
I've been studying travel trailers for a while...and I like the Escape line. I think I want a 21C... Gonna decide in a week or two.

I'm in the Hillsboro area if you'd like to tour a 2014 Escape 21 sometime. Can't go wrong with molded fiberglass - this is my 2nd one.

 

[Bob in Bend]

dfandrews
You are spot on. I loved our 19' classic. We could park in sites calling for 18' or less with no problem. It towed easily. There were only a couple of problems for us, The bed: requiring climb over, plus its location where the best seat in the house is usually in the rear. We solved both problems with a 21', but if I was single I would do exactly as you suggest. Best of both worlds.

 

[MarkBC]

I'm thinking I like the dinette in front -- the hitch end -- of the trailer. If I'm in a campground and the site is back-in (rather than pull thru) it'll be the front that's nearest the road. I like the idea of sitting at the table and watching what goes by on the road.
With my current rig -- a camper in the bed of my pickup -- with the rig backed into the site I sometimes sit in the cab of the truck...reading, or drinking coffee, etc, so I can see what's going on, walking by, in the campground.
Not for security reasons -- just human-interest.

 

[Janet H]

Welcome to the board Mark

 

[MarkBC]

Welcome to the board Mark

Thanks, Janet!

 

[cpaharley2008]

I think the front bed area in a E19 is closer to a large twin bed or double bed but not a queen. If I were traveling solo that is what I would do, make the rear into a huge "u" lounge area with a small round table on a single pedestal.

 

[Rossue2]

dfandrews
You are spot on. I loved our 19' classic. We could park in sites calling for 18' or less with no problem.

We usually boondock, yet sometimes we will use campgrounds. Sometimes we're asked the size. A 21 Escape is about what an 18 Stickie is; our box is 18'4- so we say 18'. Another reason to at least ditch the front graphics. Also we prefer the tent sites if separated and available as to be away from generators in some cases and the 21 is very maneuverable.

 

[Langley Barb]

Hi Mark,

My partner and I did TONS of research on what kind of camper to get. We first leaned towards a truck camper because we didn’t want to tow a trailer and we didn’t want an RV another engine to maintain. We eventually changed out mind about the truck camper because the ones that would fit on our Toyota Tundra were just too small,

We settled on a fiberglass shell trailer because stick built trailers develop leaks with all the road vibration.Thus, fiberglass trailers hold their value as they age and are more trouble free. Also we decided against anything with a pullout because those are just one more thing to break down, leak, etc. We already have a house to maintain and wanted a recreational camper that would be as low maintenance as possible.

We liked both the Casita and the Escape. We live only 200 miles from Chilliwack BC and that was probably the deciding factor since we would have had to either drive there or pay for delivery. We have been EXTREMELY happy with the fit, finish, and individualization of the trailer. Escape Trailers has been nothing but a pleasure to work with. We have friends who bought a teardrop trailer the same year who have had multiple problems with poor construction issues. They are envious of our trouble free camping trailer!

 

[Barb Hunt]

I have been living full-time in my 19 Escape for almost 3 years and it's perfect for one person - plus light and easy to tow and park. I have a single bed instead of the queen and I use the extra space for storage. Get a storage box for the front of the trailer, worth every penny.

 

[MarkBC]

Hi Mark,

...

We settled on a fiberglass shell trailer because stick built trailers develop leaks with all the road vibration.Thus, fiberglass trailers hold their value as they age and are more trouble free. Also we decided against anything with a pullout because those are just one more thing to break down, leak, etc. We already have a house to maintain and wanted a recreational camper that would be as low maintenance as possible.

We liked both the Casita and the Escape. ... We have been EXTREMELY happy with the fit, finish, and individualization of the trailer. Escape Trailers has been nothing but a pleasure to work with. We have friends who bought a teardrop trailer the same year who have had multiple problems with poor construction issues. They are envious of our trouble free camping trailer!

Thanks, Langley Barb, for the reassurance that I'm making the right choice!
A friend asked me why I'm paying so much, "That's more than I paid for my 30-foot *_*_*_!!" (a standard stick-built trailer -- that leaks across the top of the slide-out when it rains). I didn't want to say "Because this is a lot better than yours...". So I just said, "Don't worry about it...it's my money... I got this"

BTW: The Escape 19' seems to be very popular with Barbs -- from both sides of North America!

 

[MarkBC]

Gonna get my trailer!

I just confirmed my build sheet for an Escape 19-foot!

Completion is scheduled for mid-August! ;D

....giving me over a month to get acquainted with it before I leave on a months-long trip at the end of September.

 

[jkavanagh]

I still remember the day I put in our order. I was heading out to a quilting retreat about 100 k from Escape Industries and I called my husband and said it was time to order our trailer.. That was January 2017 pick up late November 2017. Best detour of my life. You are going to have many great stories to tell of your travels in you new Escape.

 

[h2owmn]

Barb, is your 19 modified for a single bed? that is, the single is against the back window and you have open space between the kitchen and the bed?

 

[NEWYORKHILLBILLY]

congratulations! its very exciting when you get the build sheet done.