Jane & John - New from Oklahoma

[Dos Oquis]

Our 17B is scheduled to complete 2/7, and we'll be picking it up in early May. We're total newbies to RVing, so we're trying to absorb as much information as we can. The forum was incredibly handy in helping us create our build sheet. Now we need to start on some specific (and very basic) questions. Apologies in advance for our naivete.

1. We've read a lot about tongue and GAWR weights, but it's not clear to us where best to access the vehicular scales needed to get these right. Are commercial side-of-road scales the best resource? RV camps and/or dealerships?

2. The owners' manual says that the brakes should be readjusted after about 500km. The description of the process sounds straightforward, but is this something best left to an experienced tech? We'll be way past 500km before we make it back to Okieland from Chilliwack. And if we do decide to take a shot ourselves, what's the best jack type (in the manual picture it's a pneumatic)?

That's enough for a first post. We don't want to appear too clueless (though we are). We really like the forum and look forward to whatever advice we can get. Thanks in advance.
John V

 

[Eggscape]

Welcome...are you going to be able to come to the Escape Trailer Rally in May to be with aprox 140 other Escape trailers and their owners?

 

[jkavanagh]

Welcome...are you going to be able to come to the Escape Trailer Rally in May to be with aprox 140 other Escape trailers and their owners?

If you can make it to the Rally, it is great for newbies. Tammy's father came to our trailer and explained some of the items that we were having trouble with. The orientation seems so simple but it is a bit overwhelming when you are new to RVing as we are. Lots of great people there,and a lot of fun. Great times ahead for you.

 

[escape artist]

Hi: Dos Oquis... Welcome from Norman Ontario!!! If you can attend the Escape rally a lot of your fears can be dealt with. For us Reace and a worker visited us at our site and re calibrated our Propane set up to make sure we were at max. operating pressure. Reace also replaced the control switch for the water heater. Off was on and on was off and that wouldn't do for Reace.
Brakes after a run in period need some re set and you'll only have two to do and there would be tech's there to do it. A five min. adjustment.
Congradulations Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

 

[padlin]

Welcome, I don't recall seeing anyone else from OK, you may be the first.

For checking trailer weights I use a road side CAT Scale, you can find them here https://catscale.com/cat-scale-locator/

For the brakes I've done both, done it myself and had it done at my regular car mechanic while getting the bearings checked. I used a floor jack while leaving the trailer connected to the tow vehicle, I assume the mechanic did it similar but with a floor jack. I do carry a bottle jack for on the road use although I've never had to do so, Good Sam took care of the one tire problem I've encountered. If you go the bottle jack route, make sure you get one that'll go high enough for you, some are pretty short. There are also accessories available for them that make them safer to use, something like these https://safejacks.com/collections/bottle-jack-accessories/6-ton

The only thing I;d be concerned with getting done on the way home is checking the wheel lugs. I picked up a set of Harbor Freight thin wall lug nut sockets, short extension, and their 1/2" torque wrench that I keep in the trailer.

 

[stratos175]

Congratulations on your new Escape. If you ask me you've already started out correctly by buying what I think is the best value, quality travel trailer made today. I'm sure it will create some wonderful memories and will be honest a couple that might not be so great . Remember though that is part of the journey, just like on my last trip last thing I noticed when putting in the last wheel chock was a screw sticking out of my back left tire. While traveling every time I stop I walk around the trailer, look at tires and use my hands to check for excessive heat caused by either brakes or bearings but never saw this screw until then so not sure how long it had been there. When it was time to leave, pulled into a flat parking area, used the stabilizers to raise the trailer and had the tired changed in no time.
I have never been to the Escape rally but really plan to sooner then later and like others would really suggest you attend that if you can. If not that try to attend another rally that some Escape owners would be at, I did that in October, really enjoyed it and learned a lot.
Plus as you figured out already the members on this forum are wonderful people many willing to help and share their knowledge, big reason why we bought an Escape.
One last thing plan some trips close to home since this is all new to you, not sure where the trailer will be stored but just spend a night or two there. Always feel better the closer you are to home I say.

Enjoy the journey.

Steve

 

[cpaharley2008]

I'm not sure using stabilizers is the best way to change a tire, too much strain on the frame. I think the better way is to use a ramp and raise the good tire up until the bad tire can be changed...something like this

 

[stratos175]

I worried about that a little but to get the tire off I did not have to raise the trailer much, plus I made sure to do it slowly and equally on each side, I would count the amount of turns I did on the first side. Plus also constantly checked to see if it was high enough to not over do it. I have an Anderson style level and though about doing that but once I figured how little I had to get trailer off ground I went with this option.

Enjoy the journey.

Steve

 

[salmo7000]

Congrats on your new purchase! While I will rely on the experience of others to answer your questions, I will say my husband and I are totally new to RVing, and towing, as well. We picked our 19 up in September. Orientation was extremely helpful, as was studying the owner's manual before we arrived. We made it home in 2 days and had no trouble. I was driving as we pulled out of Bob's Burgers in Sumas, and I do admit to being terrified and white-knuckled for the first 100 miles or so. Then I got used to it. Took multiple wrong turns at the multitude of roundabouts heading south and had to turn around in parking lots more times than I care to mention, but that's how you learn! We practiced hitching and unhitching the first night at the campground, as well as leveling. We experimented with all the options that night and morning but did not use the toilet, as I was too squeamish about having to dump the black tank for the first time. Funny thinking back on all that. After just a handful of trips since then, I can now say there's nothing to it!