Looking to look through an escape trailer.

[roundturn]

I am interested in looking at some of these escape trailers mainly the 15b and 17b. I live near the outer banks of North Carolina so if anyone might be heading this way to do some camping out there and would be willing to let me take a look at your Escape Trailer I would really appreciate it.

Marty

 

[BCnomad]

Welcome Marty.

Did you contact ETI to see if they have someone close by (that doesn't read these forums?). There is a list....

 

[cpaharley2008]

There is a rally in Tennessee in April where there will be several Escape models to view, see here for details http://www.escapeforum.org/forums/f...sion-townsend-tn-april-16-18-2015-a-4899.html
about 8 hour drive for you, come spend the weekend with us.
ps..
Welcome to out Escape world....

 

[padlin]

The map shows a 19 around Raleigh, see if ETI has them listed as available for walk throughs. I found just seeing one that's close to the model you want may be the best you can do. If you bring the floorplans with you you can sit in it and envision it in a smaller size.

 

[roundturn]

Looking for a look through.

I did contact ETI and they told me about a guy about 300 miles from my house that has a 17b but I haven't been able to raise him on the phone yet. I live down here near the coast and have several major campgrounds close by (Hatteras, Ocracoke, etc.).
I thought I might be able to catch someone while they were down there. I like these escapes they seem very well built. I looked at the Casita and Scamp production videos on youtube but when I saw them putting OSB plywood in for the decks it pushed me away from them.

Marty

 

[escape artist]

I did contact ETI and they told me about a guy about 300 miles from my house that has a 17b but I haven't been able to raise him on the phone yet. I live down here near the coast and have several major campgrounds close by (Hatteras, Ocracoke, etc.).
I thought I might be able to catch someone while they were down there. I like these escapes they seem very well built. I looked at the Casita and Scamp production videos on youtube but when I saw them putting OSB plywood in for the decks it pushed me away from them.

Marty

Hi: roundturn... We're booked into Hunting Island St. Pk. in SC. if that's any help. We'll be camping with some Escape wannabees too!!! Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

 

[Donna D.]

I looked at the Casita and Scamp production videos on youtube but when I saw them putting OSB plywood in for the decks it pushed me away from them.

Marty

Oh pfffft! I own a 27 year old Scamp and the floor is in perfect shape. It's not about what's used for the floor... it's about maintenance and all trailers have them.

Love my 5.0TA tho! ;D

 

[thoer]

Oh pfffft! I own a 27 year old Scamp and the floor is in perfect shape. It's not about what's used for the floor... it's about maintenance and all trailers have them.

Love my 5.0TA tho! ;D

As the former owner of a newer Scamp I have to disagree (and undoubtedly get Donna mad at me again for dissing Scamps ) I consider OSB to be a completely inappropriate material for that purpose. I would wager that Donna's 27 year old Scamp does not have it on the floor and also that the owners of Scamp 27 years ago probably cared a lot more about quality than the current one does, at least based on my communication with him. Ok, there I'll once again get myself in hot water with a forum admin.

 

[escape artist]

As the former owner of a newer Scamp I have to disagree (and undoubtedly get Donna mad at me again for dissing Scamps ) I consider OSB to be a completely inappropriate material for that purpose. I would wager that Donna's 27 year old Scamp does not have it on the floor and also that the owners of Scamp 27 years ago probably cared a lot more about quality than the current one does, at least based on my communication with him. Ok, there I'll once again get myself in hot water with a forum admin.

Hi: thoer... It's a good thing that trailer water heaters are only 6 gal. Barely enough to get into!!!;D Not fussy about OSB board myself!!! Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

 

[roundturn]

Oh pfffft! I own a 27 year old Scamp and the floor is in perfect shape. It's not about what's used for the floor... it's about maintenance and all trailers have them.

Love my 5.0TA tho! ;D

That 27 year old scamp probably has marine grade plywood or at least exterior grade plywood for the deck. OSB might be ok I've just had issues with stuff where they used OSB instead of plywood. It just does not hold up as well in my expierence. When I asked Escape about the type of wood used in the deck they said it's exterior grade plywood. I asked if they had a production video like scamp and casita so I could see what type of materials they use and they said no but when the lady called me back to answer some of my questions she said she brought it up to the sales staff and they will be putting one out in the next month or two so you will be able to see what they are made of.

 

[escape artist]

I am interested in looking at some of these escape trailers mainly the 15b and 17b. I live near the outer banks of North Carolina so if anyone might be heading this way to do some camping out there and would be willing to let me take a look at your Escape Trailer I would really appreciate it.

Marty

Hi: roundturn... Check out the thread It's Friday on the forum. Lots of production pic's posted by owners. Takes about 3 weeks to build a trailer from mold to finish. During that time each Fri. they send you progress reports with pic's. Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

 

[dfandrews]

... I consider OSB to be a completely inappropriate material for that purpose. ......

I totally agree. Oriented strand board ( OSB ) is an engineered structural use panel (made to perform in one plane) made from thin wood strands bonded with waterproof resins under heat and pressure. In the presence of water OSB swells and comes apart; you're left with hard resin/wood lumps and flakes. By contrast, when plywood is wet, there is disassociation of the plies, but the plies themselves retain much of their inherent structural characteristic. Not so with OSB.

When I started investigating FG trailers, OSB use was a condition that caused me to immediately reject that mfr.'s product.

 

[Loren & Cathy]

What turned me away from the Casita was all of the stories of popping rivets. The Casita owner ordering an Escape that we talked to in Chilliwack confirmed this. Anyway, we are going to the big RV show here in KC tomorrow to get some decorating ideas. Loren

 

[Patandlinda]

I totally agree. Oriented strand board ( OSB ) is an engineered structural use panel (made to perform in one plane) made from thin wood strands bonded with waterproof resins under heat and pressure. In the presence of water OSB swells and comes apart; you're left with hard resin/wood lumps and flakes. By contrast, when plywood is wet, there is disassociation of the plies, but the plies themselves retain much of their inherent structural characteristic. Not so with OSB.

When I started investigating FG trailers, OSB use was a condition that caused me to immediately reject that mfr.'s product.

I also agree . Only use plywood . Had the problems with osb mentioned in past if it got in contact with any water .

 

[skiman-ESC]

floors, leaks and OSB

From following the Casita forums I understand that they are notorious for floors going bad. If they have any leak the water gets trapped and has no where to go. Unlike Escapes there are no built in drains. In 2013 I was at the Ohio gathering and the folks across from me had a fill hose pop off and had a minor flood. In the process of drying out they found out most of the floor in the back was soft from prior leaks of their used unit. That can be fixed but it's a bear.
Maintenance definitely critical if you have OSB. Another reason to have an Escape.

 

[Donna D.]

Nah, I'm not about to get mad at anyone and I don't think anyone is really dissing Scamp. I know the quality of the build isn't even in the same ballpark as my Escape. I just believe any trailer (even my wonderful 5.0TA) is going to have maintenance issues and it's up to me to pay attention. And yes, my 27 y/o Scamp has an OSB floor.

 

[Brian B-P]

Donna, if you meant that all trailers have maintenance issues - and not that all trailers have wood floors - then I agree.

An Escape has planned drainage for any water that gets to the floor, my Boler has no fiberglass at all under the floor, and both approaches work (although obviously the Escape approach is nicer in some ways). There are moulded fiberglass trailers with no wood in the floor, avoiding the wood rot problem entirely, but there are always pros and cons to this sort of design choice.

Personally, I would not accept OSB as flooring material for a new trailer.

 

[Loren & Cathy]

When we went through the Escape plant, we had to take in a lot of information real fast. I thought that there was a plywood floor in the inside bottom of the trailer. There was a bottom half of a trailer with a bunch of weights in it and I assumed they were gluing the wood floor in. The fiberglass is not that strong and ridged to carry the weight of the accessories all by itself plus be bolted to the frame. And then you need to have a flat, level surface for the lino. I don't know, but whatever they do, it works. If you use exterior plywood and drain holes, I don't see where there would be a problem. But if you come back to your campsite and water is running out the door, then all bets are off. Loren

 

[Brian B-P]

I thought that there was a plywood floor in the inside bottom of the trailer. There was a bottom half of a trailer with a bunch of weights in it and I assumed they were gluing the wood floor in. The fiberglass is not that strong and ridged to carry the weight of the accessories all by itself plus be bolted to the frame. And then you need to have a flat, level surface for the lino. I don't know, but whatever they do, it works. If you use exterior plywood and drain holes, I don't see where there would be a problem.

Yes, the structural floor is plywood, within the fiberglass shell. The shape of the bottom of the shell channels any trapped water that makes it through the floor away to drain holes.

Fiberglass can be the structural floor, but to be stiff enough without excessive weight it needs to be a sandwich with a lower-density core, as is now used in some Escape roof areas. Plywood bonded to a bottom fiberglass skin is a type of composite sandwich, using wood as the core and top skin.

But if you come back to your campsite and water is running out the door, then all bets are off.

 

[emers382]

What turned me away from the Casita was all of the stories of popping rivets. The Casita owner ordering an Escape that we talked to in Chilliwack confirmed this. Anyway, we are going to the big RV show here in KC tomorrow to get some decorating ideas. Loren

Loren where in KC is the RV show? We are in Leavenworth now.

Adrian