Looking at Escape 5.0

[Trevor Toni]

Hi, just joined the forum. As an introduction, we are recently retired, living in Saskatoon but spending winters in Australia. We are thinking of getting an Escape 5.0 and a suitable truck to tour North America.
Trev & Toni

 

[Teresa G]

Great. Do you have questions about Escape, fiberglass, or the 5.0?
We were fortunate to camp beside a 5.0 in September and received a tour from the owners. It is spacious and has high ceilings. Personally, I wouldn't want the three steps to get up into bed and the bed is a 'sit up bed only' (i.e., you cannot stand in the upper bed area).
We have a 23 on order. We really wanted the walk around Queen bed.
I believe any Escape floor plan is well thought out and will suit anyone's needs. It all comes down to personal preferences.
Happy shopping.

 

[iamunique127]

We were in your position in 2014, not the Australia part but the retiring and shopping for a vehicle parts. We took advantage of the Escape Ambassador program and saw an E19 and a 5.0 in our area. Over a few months time we also shopped for a vehicle larger than our Tacoma. We checked out all the truck and large SUV options. We both also read through as much of these forums as we could.

After we saw the 5.0 our decision was made and we started the next steps: deciding on options for our own 5.0TA, selling our small truck and buying a big one, etc.

By the time we picked up our new trailer in 2015 the whole process had taken about a year. We picked up the trailer about 2 weeks after my wife's retirement party and the adventure had begun. Those are fond memories as are all the ones we've made in our Escape.

We've been totally happy and never had occasion to second guess or regret our decisions about either the truck or trailer. Enjoy your decision making and welcome to the forum. There is a wealth of information here for you to benefit from.

 

[R&ESask]

Welcome Trevor Toni. If you want to tour a 5.0 somewhat close to home there are two of us in southeast Sask. One close to Regina and myself an hour further. Mine is presently in a heated shop while I do some maintenance if you are interested in a tour. Ross

 

[marrstian]

We're in the exact same position - doing research for a few years, but coming back to Escape and looking hard at the 5.0. I like the ease of towing, the ability to get into nearly any site, the comfort of a (nearly) full size queen, and having a separate dining/lounge area (fiberglass and no slides is a given . We also like the 23, but those extra ~7' behind the tailgate make a difference in many state parks and national forest areas. Plus, since I'm 6ft, the wet bath in the 23 is a bit height challenged and the queen, at 74" long, is as well). We're new to RVing, so...any must have features from Escape (especially 5.0) owners? Tips on "coulda done without that" or "man, wish I'd ordered it with that option" and/or must-do high-priority mods? Like, which walls really need that reinforcement option and why? And, is there a reason NOT to get the underbelly insulation and tank heating pads (we live in Colorado)? Is the ZAP pack for power worth it (we do intend to boondocks for up to several days at a time)? Or better to get the prewire for solar and do it myself (I have the skills, question is the time). To pile on, we also need a tow vehicle - thinking Tundra or a RAM, but need feedback on the same questions. It's a lot, but know this community is both helpful and knowledgeable!

 

[jjdeluca]

We're new to RVing, so...any must have features from Escape (especially 5.0) owners? Tips on "coulda done without that" or "man, wish I'd ordered it with that option" and/or must-do high-priority mods? Like, which walls really need that reinforcement option and why? And, is there a reason NOT to get the underbelly insulation and tank heating pads (we live in Colorado)? Is the ZAP pack for power worth it (we do intend to boondocks for up to several days at a time)? Or better to get the prewire for solar and do it myself (I have the skills, question is the time).

When we ordered our 5.0 two years ago, I had many of the same questions as we'd never owned an RV (other than a small pop-up tent trailer). We didn't get many of the factory options, as I planned to to many of my own upgrades (including solar & lithium), but one option I'd highly recommended is the compressor fridge. A couple of others are the manual awning and U-shaped dinette (although some folks prefer the std dinette seating arrangement). Didn't have any walls reinforced, but now thinking we should have for the bathroom wall, as we're considering adding a grab handle along the stairs up to the bed.
I had considered the solar pre-wire option, but decided against it, as ETI was using 10awg and wasn't willing to upgrade to a heavier gauge. I found it quite easy to route the solar cables from the roof, through the cabinet beside the refrigerator and into the dinette area.
As for "must-do, priority mods", I'd definitely recommend the front 5.0 storage compartment expansion (you'll find several posts on this forum). It nearly doubled the amount of storage we have in that compartment. Another mod (with the compressor fridge) is to open up the cabinet area just above the fridge. I was able to order an extra cabinet door for that space and it provides another large interior storage area.
We really love our 5.0, but everyone has different wants/needs, so I encourage you to look at several models before pulling the trigger. Best of luck!

 

[Jeremy Kessenich]

We're new to RVing, so...any must have features from Escape (especially 5.0) owners? Tips on "coulda done without that" or "man, wish I'd ordered it with that option" and/or must-do high-priority mods? Like, which walls really need that reinforcement option and why? And, is there a reason NOT to get the underbelly insulation and tank heating pads (we live in Colorado)? Is the ZAP pack for power worth it (we do intend to boondocks for up to several days at a time)? Or better to get the prewire for solar and do it myself (I have the skills, question is the time). To pile on, we also need a tow vehicle - thinking Tundra or a RAM, but need feedback on the same questions.

Some of the things I'm going to mention are ... touchy ... for some folks, I want to stress it's an opinion I'm expressing here. I think the OE mattress is terrible. I also don't like the idea of carpet in the bed area because of cool weather moisture build up. I'd order it without a mattress and without carpet in the bed area or stairs as long as you are asking them to skip the carpet. In the bed area you can put down LVP or 1/4" plywood and put a finish on it. It will come with 1.5" of white Styrofoam in the bed area.

On the stairs you can remake them to not only open up the top step but also I love the hinged riser I made on the 2nd step to really open it when you need to put something larger than a loaf of bread in there.

Yes to opening up/widening the front storage area.

The downside of the spray foam is you can't get at the gas or wet plumbing without significant effort. I personally feel the risk is worth it.

If you have the skill set to the do the solar do it. I had ETI do ours and the wiring for the front panel just runs along the roof not inside the camper. I don't like that. Again it's an opinion.

I have the compressor fridge and also agree about opening up the area above the fridge. Be sure to delete the vents for the absorption fridge. The compressor fridge vents to the inside of the camper at the bottom of the fridge.

Any 1/2 ton is capable as a TV as long it has sufficient payload. Folks can get a little twitchy around what number is the floor, the lowest you can go, sure a lot depends on how you travel. Some folks are solo, some folks are pack rats. So I get that it a variable number, however, I personally wouldn't go below a payload of 1,500 lbs. My truck is around 1,700 lbs before adding a tonneau cover and B&W turnover ball hitch. Look at/for the posts about Granger Ford.

I'd skip the cable ready, we added it but have never used it. I had all the walls reinforced, haven't used them yet but I may yet.

Best of luck in your choices.

Jeremy

 

[occer]

I would ask for more build pictures, I would love to know where wires are, and where in the walls the 1' by 2' reinforcement pieces are, the vent pipe. Most of these things can be figured out but knowing where to hunt for them would really be nice. (maybe even insist, I'd of paid a few extra dollars for that information)

When somebody post pictures of there 5.0 build I save the pictures in a file.

 

[Jtheo]

Hello Trev and Toni,

I have a 2018 (2019 build) Escape 5.0 that I am going to be listing…probably tomorrow.
Feel free to reach out to me at montanajt@gmail.com.
I am located in Livingston, MT.
Thanks!
JT

 

[marrstian]

All - appreciate the advice. I'd seen the mods about opening up the front storage area and above the compressor fridge- they seem like no-brainers. I'd thought about nixing the carpet on the stairs but hadn't considered the bed area. We'd plan to get the Froli system, which would work fine on top of a plywood support. Good insights on the solar - hadn't considered the gauge of the pre-wire. And, yes to the build process pictures (did that for my basement finish and they've come in handy).

 

[iamunique127]

I'd thought about nixing the carpet on the stairs but hadn't considered the bed area. We'd plan to get the Froli system, which would work fine on top of a plywood support.

Eliminating the carpet may be the opinion of a few 5.0TA owners but I'd guess the majority have the carpet and either like it or have no issues with it. I like the traction it provides on the stairs- who needs to slip and take a tumble? Usually when going down the stairs I bump down from step to step on my butt and like the padding and warmth provided by the carpet. Of course, YMMV.

Although we have carpet on the complete upper deck, as provided by ETI, I (we) don't even notice it except on the edges. I like it there for some padding for the items we stow in that area. We have no Froli, have camped in all kinds of 3-season weather for the past 10 years and have had no issues with moisture build up under the mattress. We keep the mattress away from the front wall a few inches and the trailer well ventilated which seems to be enough in our situation. It must be said though that we mainly camp in northern climates and not in super humid or rainy areas.

Sometimes I feel some mods solve theoretical problems that some ppl may experience, get repeated on the forum and become gospel. Some ppl have done wonderful jobs of making hardwood stairs, others have changed the carpet if they don't like the ETI shag. We like the carpet and don't mind the shag, it's functional for us. Of course, your conditions and preferences may vary and you can do whatever mods you want.

As for the mattress provided by ETI: a few ppl don't like them. Again I'd say the majority either like them or don't mind them. At home we have high quality mattresses and really appreciate the comfort they provide. We find the ETI mattress in our 5.0TA to be comparable in comfort and we both get a very good night's rest on it. Mattress feel is very subjective but we like ours. I don't know if there is an appreciable saving if you eliminate the mattress from your build but it has been suggested here on the forum before to get the mattress and see if it suits you then, if you don't like it, get a different one. When we have mattress shopped in the past we try out all the mattresses before we decide but never really know how it will feel until we sleep on it for a while.

Just relaying our experiences in case they can be helpful.

 

[Trevor Toni]

Great. Do you have questions about Escape, fiberglass, or the 5.0?
We were fortunate to camp beside a 5.0 in September and received a tour from the owners. It is spacious and has high ceilings. Personally, I wouldn't want the three steps to get up into bed and the bed is a 'sit up bed only' (i.e., you cannot stand in the upper bed area).
We have a 23 on order. We really wanted the walk around Queen bed.
I believe any Escape floor plan is well thought out and will suit anyone's needs. It all comes down to personal preferences.
Happy shopping.

I don’t have any questions at the moment, but thanks anyway

 

[Trevor Toni]

We were in your position in 2014, not the Australia part but the retiring and shopping for a vehicle parts. We took advantage of the Escape Ambassador program and saw an E19 and a 5.0 in our area. Over a few months time we also shopped for a vehicle larger than our Tacoma. We checked out all the truck and large SUV options. We both also read through as much of these forums as we could.

After we saw the 5.0 our decision was made and we started the next steps: deciding on options for our own 5.0TA, selling our small truck and buying a big one, etc.

By the time we picked up our new trailer in 2015 the whole process had taken about a year. We picked up the trailer about 2 weeks after my wife's retirement party and the adventure had begun. Those are fond memories as are all the ones we've made in our Escape.

We've been totally happy and never had occasion to second guess or regret our decisions about either the truck or trailer. Enjoy your decision making and welcome to the forum. There is a wealth of information here for you to benefit from.

Thanks

 

[Trevor Toni]

Welcome Trevor Toni. If you want to tour a 5.0 somewhat close to home there are two of us in southeast Sask. One close to Regina and myself an hour further. Mine is presently in a heated shop while I do some maintenance if you are interested in a tour. Ross

Thanks Ross. We got to see a 5.0 on the weekend in Toon!

 

[C&G in FL]

My spouse and I have no problem with either the carpet or the mattress in the sleeping loft. I actually sleep better in the trailer than I do at home.
I did not mod the top step to open, but I did install a light up in the top step’s area with a pressure switch on the second step which turns on the light when the second step is opened. I also put a cabinet door lift on the second step to hold it open like all of the flip up cabinets have. My spouse says “it is her most appreciated mod” of the many mods I have made. I think she also appreciates the black out curtain I made for the sleeping loft because I am an earlier riser than she is.
Another mod I did not make is the “front storage expansion.” I have a saddle toolbox in front of my hitch and all of my propane, electric, and water components are kept in individual bins along with a propane campfire inside. Since most of our cooking is done outside (we are after all camping) and I typically heat when necessary with a ceramic heater and have a 12v compressor refrigerator, I removed one of the propane cylinders and now use that area of the compartment for additional storage. I carry the removed propane cylinder in the bed of the truck where it is more easily accessed for use and/or refilling.
The moral of my post is that over time, every trailer owner will, through experience, realize what works best for them and make the mods to accomplish “RV Nirvana.”

 

[GinoandLinda]

My spouse and I have no problem with either the carpet or the mattress in the sleeping loft. I actually sleep better in the trailer than I do at home.

Linda says the same thing; she sleeps better in the 5.0 than at home, mainly because we put an 8" Wilderness RV mattress in and tossed the ETI mattress. We had thought about removing the carpet from the stairs, but our dog prefers carpet for getting on the bed. I did expand the front storage area and plan on opening up the middle loft step and installing a drawer in the top loft step this winter.

 

[Jeremy Kessenich]

plan on opening up the middle loft step and installing a drawer in the top loft step this winter.

I'm excited to see what you do. Didn't the 5.0 SA have a drawer or hatch in the riser from the top step to the bed that went into what is now the front storage area? Not claiming that as fact, just that your drawer idea had me wondering. Best of luck.

 

[occer]

I will add to the thread one of the mods I installed.
The switches that operate the landing gear. I no longer have to reach inside. I added extension cables and switches so I can stand toward the front of the trailer and watch as the landing gear extend or retract. I dont store anything in the area where the switches are. I remember reading about someone puting stuff in there and it bumped the switch and the landing gear extended while trailing.

Okay one more Mod, we have the Anderson hitch, I painted the base of the lock handle yellow so when I look in the rear view morror I can look to make sure the handle is pushed in. Okay that ones a little OCD.

 

[Jeremy Kessenich]

I added extension cables and switches so I can stand toward the front of the trailer and watch as the landing gear extend or retract.

I have a friend with the requisite skill set and he's contemplated adding/building a Bluetooth connection and stand back to operate the landing gear with their phone. Super cool but way above my skill set.

On looking in the rearview mirror, how many years will it take to end the habit of looking in the mirror to see what's behind me when towing? I laugh at myself every time I do it.

 

[iamunique127]

Okay one more Mod, we have the Anderson hitch, I painted the base of the lock handle yellow so when I look in the rear view morror I can look to make sure the handle is pushed in. Okay that ones a little OCD.

Good idea. I frequently look to see if I can see that handle but never can.