New 21NE owner - worthwhile options?

[felix2]

yeah, the oven in our 21 is awesome. my wife makes various dishes ahead of time, and freezes them, then we bake them to serve. that and things like making meatball sandwiches from a loaf of french bread with some melted cheese, mmMM!MM!

Hi John,
Have you placed an kind of diffusing medium in the oven (oven stone/tile) to spread the heat more evenly? ours seems to have a hot spot in the rear center, where the gas enters.

 

[Bea]

Hi John,
Have you placed an kind of diffusing medium in the oven (oven stone/tile) to spread the heat more evenly? ours seems to have a hot spot in the rear center, where the gas enters.

Hi felix2, We use a pizza stone like this:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B077Q6WSD9/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

We wrap it in foil and place it under the pull out tray. This creates a nice barier and disperses the heat, so things cook evenly. Yummm, -Bea

 

[felix2]

Just came back from the first two-week trip in our new 21NE.


Solar and dual batteries (with Zamp port for future portable)

Springfield pedestal (more legroom and hydraulically operated - nice. Also lets you rotate table)
Sand pads on stabilizers (don't understand why one wouldn't get them)
We don't use a lot of elec devices or watch tv so we skipped the inverter and tv-related stuff - everything is available streaming etc anyway. We also (due to our travel habits) skipped the AC (it's built for future addition though) and have two Maxfans - plenty of ventilation.
We got the oven, which we've used successfully, with plans for a lot more use. Operable without electricity, too, unlike a microwave...
Front Storage box carries chocks, hoses, and other stuff you don't want in the trailer, and protects the trailer front from rock chips.

On the 21NE the batteries are in there too.


Extra storage hatch makes exterior access to underseat storage handy for bits & pieces you'll need to access from outside.



I did get the body lift, and it'll come in handy when i access anything underneath for repairs, or when i afix the rigid foam insulation panels underneath (saving hundreds over the spray-on insulation). I went in & out some really steep driveway dips at gas stations where I had previously (in old trailer) scraped rear bumper and/or tongue jack, and now cleared them just fine, even with the huge extended dual bike rack hanging off the back.



Have fun figuring out your build list! Everyone is different so read about everyone's experiences and adjust to suit your types of trips and lifestyle. There are no perfect answers (except maybe the foot flush option on the toilet!).

 

[TahoeJoe]

For 2021 there is the option for the Lagun table mount, in addition to the Springfield...I wonder how they compare?

 

[splicer]

Bea,
Have you or anyone ever baked a pizza in the trailer oven? We use a pizza stone at home.

 

[cpaharley2008]

The issue I had with the Escape oven is having to manual light the pilot light every time.....oven ending up not being used.

 

[JJM]

The aluminum wheels look much nicer IMO. For the prices these trailers are going for the white steel wheels (subject to eventual rust) look cheap and out of place.

I agree. Escape trailers look nicely finished with the aluminum wheels. But ETI's current price for the aluminum wheel option--$600 USD-- is pretty breathtaking.

Best current price I found on the internet for the HiSpec 03 15x6 wheels is $112 each, compared to $73 ea for white spoke steel wheels. $195 USD difference for a set of five.

In when we got our new 19' in 2017 (with the HiSpec aluminum wheels), the wheel upgrade was 'only' $350 USD ('$475 CAD').

 

[rubicon327]

The issue I had with the Escape oven is having to manual light the pilot light every time.....oven ending up not being used.

I wonder if Escape would entertain installing a Dickinson Marine oven. Expensive upgrade for sure but you get electronic spark ignition amongst other features on a beautifully crafted piece of equipment.

 

[rubicon327]

I agree. Escape trailers look nicely finished with the aluminum wheels. But ETI's current price for the aluminum wheel option--$600 USD-- is pretty breathtaking.

Best current price I found on the internet for the HiSpec 03 15x6 wheels is $112 each, compared to $73 ea for white spoke steel wheels. $195 USD difference for a set of five.

In when we got our new 19' in 2017 (with the HiSpec aluminum wheels), the wheel upgrade was 'only' $350 USD ('$475 CAD').

Agreed. I wasn't looking at the cost of the option just that I thought they looked better. Our trailer was bought used with the white steel wheels and we did the upgrade ourselves. For four Hi-spec wheels, lug nuts, center caps, valve stems and $25 shipping we were just over $400 USD at recstuff.com. Plus a small fee for mounting and balancing at our local tire shop

 

[JJM]

The issue I had with the Escape oven is having to manual light the pilot light every time.....

YES! We use our oven almost every day that we camp. Sideways on hands-and-knees, neck craned, one hand up pushing on the gas control, the other hand waving the lighter around trying to find the pilot orifice in the dark. The contortions required to light the oven pilot light are a serious issue. I'm not as flexible as I used to be.

The unit's stovetop burners have ignitors, why not the oven?

 

[escape artist]

Optional

Hi: All... Must haves for our time of life are easy. All the stuff you find in a 40' Moho... in a 22' trailer!!! Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

 

[Bea]

Bea,
Have you or anyone ever baked a pizza in the trailer oven? We use a pizza stone at home.

Hi Dave,
You bet! Homemade pizza is a staple for us. When we do, we make it early in our trip. DH loves the leftovers for lunches. -Bea

 

[Bea]

YES! We use our oven almost every day that we camp. Sideways on hands-and-knees, neck craned, one hand up pushing on the gas control, the other hand waving the lighter around trying to find the pilot orifice in the dark. The contortions required to light the oven pilot light are a serious issue. I'm not as flexible as I used to be.

The unit's stovetop burners have ignitors, why not the oven?

We use the oven almost everyday, too. I hear you, but here's where I'm coming from. Our previous trailer had the exact same oven, but it had an oven (pilot light) lighting issue. I had to fight with that crazy pilot light/oven burner for a good 15 minutes, until it would light....took forever! I even took it in to get serviced - but to no avail, so I learned to live with it... for 10 years.

So now, when I light our current E21 oven pilot light on with a clicker, wait just 1 minute and slowly turn the dial and the flames turn on instantly, I rejoice, every time! I agree, an instant oven igniter would be very nice (especially for non-nimble folks) but an instantly working oven is my ticket to happiness.

I wonder if that new flush-mount oven on the current ETI menu has an oven igniter? If I were buying new now, that's what I would ask. -Bea

 

[TahoeJoe]

I wonder if that new flush-mount oven on the current ETI menu has an oven igniter? If I were buying new now, that's what I would ask. -Bea

I don't think it does. Here is the exact one they are using, on this link scroll down and it's the 17" glass top flush mount one. I think if it did have that feature they would list it...but they only mention the stovetop piezo lighters:
https://www.airxcel.com/rv/suburban/cooking/elite-series-ranges

 

[okhcolot]

I noticed that the price for the option for the flush mount oven has gone down significantly since the last time I looked at the online build sheet. It went from well over $1000 down to just under $500. The livestream from 9/29 shows a Suburban Elite that looks different from the link posted above. I do a lot of cooking, so the oven option is important to me. I too like the Dickinson and will be asking if they can install that one. If not I’ll probably get the standard cooktop and have the hubby put one in for me. Seems like some of the other 2021 option prices initially on the website have changed. Guess it’s a work in progress.

 

[rubicon327]

The livestream from 9/29 shows a Suburban Elite that looks different from the link posted above. I do a lot of cooking, so the oven option is important to me. I too like the Dickinson and will be asking if they can install that one. If not I’ll probably get the standard cooktop and have the hubby put one in for me.

I wonder what the difference is? Only the burner knob configuration and backing plate looks different.

 

[AndNeitherDoI]

Hello - my wife and I are in line for a 21NE and just had our completion date moved up to June 15. We are semi-retired and first time RVers (tent camping many years ago). I know we have some time for options selection, but would appreciate any advice on options, which I would put into 3 categories: Must have, worth it if you can afford it, and do not bother. Would be particularly interested in the value and use of composting toilet, furnace or heat strip in AC, inverter and solar. We expect our camping will be in more "civilized" locations, late Spring through Fall. Grateful for any suggestions. Thanks.

Ted and Katie

As you can see, there are strong opinions on the composting toilet here...

I installed the AirHead Composting toilet in our 21c and we're full-timing in it with two people. The liquids container needs to be emptied regularly. We've settled on emptying it every 36 hours and before moving. Solids container is getting about 3 weeks before emptying. It's as good as dealing with a toilet can be - neither great, nor terrible. It's just a little different.

I grew up hating the smells & horrors of the black tank & flush toilet in a trailer. It was composting toilet or not get a travel trailer. I'm happy with what we've chosen.

 

[okhcolot]

I wonder what the difference is? Only the burner knob configuration and backing plate looks different.

I wonder too, since I don't see anything online as far as a description for the one shown in ETI's video. We have until February to finalize our build, so hopefully we will have more information on the oven as well as a couple other new options.

 

[TahoeJoe]

I wonder too, since I don't see anything online as far as a description for the one shown in ETI's video. We have until February to finalize our build, so hopefully we will have more information on the oven as well as a couple other new options.

Look in the comments of the video on YouTube, and they provide the link I entered above, so that is definitely the one they say they are using. It is probably a minor difference, such as one being a newer model year than the other one...

 

[TTMartin]

At home the cord is a pain to plug in since with last Escape I just pulled a bit of the cord out from trailer to attach the 15 amp extension to the garage. Now I have to use the whole cord but usually only when precooling fridge before camping since the solar keeps batteries charged year round.

I purchased a dogbone power cord plug adapter 30 amp male to 30 amp female locking connector with LED Power Indicator. That way I have just a short cord that plugs into my household extension cord.

View attachment 51247

It also gives me a backup way to plug in my trailer, in case my main power cord gets stolen at a campsite. I have a 30 amp extension cord that I carry with me that I could use with it if needed.