New to the group

[McBride]

We are from East Tennessee. The two of us are avid backpackers. Never had a camper before. We are nearing retirement and want a home base to backpack out of. We looked at numerous campers and found the eggs to be the best built. Of those we have picked the Escape. Got excited about the 17' and then found the 19' had a full bed, full dinette, and big refrigerator. We don't have a clue or vehicle to pull one with. Liking the idea of a Jeep Grand Cherokee or Dodge Durango, but need something to pull up mountains. We live on a mountain and will be doing Colorado so we are needing advice if we need a large truck or not. Always like advise from those that have already done this.

 

[arniesea]

We are from East Tennessee. The two of us are avid backpackers. Never had a camper before. We are nearing retirement and want a home base to backpack out of. We looked at numerous campers and found the eggs to be the best built. Of those we have picked the Escape. Got excited about the 17' and then found the 19' had a full bed, full dinette, and big refrigerator. We don't have a clue or vehicle to pull one with. Liking the idea of a Jeep Grand Cherokee or Dodge Durango, but need something to pull up mountains. We live on a mountain and will be doing Colorado so we are needing advice if we need a large truck or not. Always like advise from those that have already done this.

Welcome to the group and Escape trailers! If you look under Forum Topic -> Escape Tech -> Towing and Hitching, you will find quite a bit of information on Tow vehicles. I am personally extremely biased in favor of Toyota Tacoma's 4x4 with factory tow package. So take my bias for what it is, my personal preference.

That said, there is a great deal of information in the section noted above and several vehicles that can easily pull a 19' Escape. In the end it will come down to your personal style of camping and how you would use the vehicle in daily life. The key thing is that a tow capacity of at least 5000 lbs with a transmission cooler for the mountains. If you were always on the flat, the tranny cooler would not be as important. (and you might get away with slightly less capacity, say 4500 lbs.)

Cheers and welcome!

 

[Iowa Dave]

Hi McBride:
I do not believe you will have any problem towing a 19 with either of the vehicles mentioned. They are both used frequently by several Escape owners even pulling the 21. We pull our 19
with a Toyota Highlander and on trips west have pulled many passes with fairly steep grades and elevations in excess of 10,000 feet. Best of luck in pursuit of your tow vehicle. You don't need a diesel Ford F-550 dually with all the bells and whistles to tow an Escape, that's the beauty of these trailers.
Dave

 

[arniesea]

Hi McBride:
We pull our 19
with a Toyota Highlander and on trips west have pulled many passes with fairly steep grades and elevations in excess of 10,000 feet.
Dave

Hi Dave, I assume you must have the tow package that increases the 2012 Highlander towing capacity from 2000 lbs to 5000 lbs, correct?

 

[Rossue2]

Hi McBride- my advice would be to research tow vehicles very carefully. Many here will tell you to go with Mid-size as that is what they have and don't want a larger vehicle for a variety of reasons. Going up and down mountainous terrain regularly in the Sierra and Rockies and having towed with a Highlander 17 combo and now a Yukon 21 combo I would vote for one of your two suggested vehicles. The new 19 weighs about the same as the old 21. Struggling up passes is a drag and going down with a vehicle that can give you substantial engine braking is appreciated.

 

[rubicon327]

Not sure if you are going new or used, but the newer Escapes are getting a bit heavier. Regardless, depending on options, gear, tank levels you can easily get to over 4,000 lbs with the 19. I highly suggest a minimum 5,000 lb tow capacity especially if you are going to be tackling any significant grades. Happy with Toyota 4Runner V6 and only occasionally wishing for a V8 when fully loaded and a lot of water. This was with a full onboard water tank and about 20 gallons of add'l containers because it was unavailable at the destination.This is rarely required.

 

[freespirit]

We are from East Tennessee. The two of us are avid backpackers. Never had a camper before. We are nearing retirement and want a home base to backpack out of. We looked at numerous campers and found the eggs to be the best built. Of those we have picked the Escape. Got excited about the 17' and then found the 19' had a full bed, full dinette, and big refrigerator. We don't have a clue or vehicle to pull one with. Liking the idea of a Jeep Grand Cherokee or Dodge Durango, but need something to pull up mountains. We live on a mountain and will be doing Colorado so we are needing advice if we need a large truck or not. Always like advise from those that have already done this.

welcome...asked myself a similar question when shopping for a tug and after reading numerous tug threads ...the info that seems to be missing most is...is the tug going to be hauling grocery's or towing a trailer more often?..picked a truck for towing, with a Escape 19 being the smallest trailer/weight considered... but a tug that can handle more trailer if need be...but some trucks do not have the best MPG for hauling grocery's about town.

 

[Iowa Dave]

Highlanders

Hi Dave, I assume you must have the tow package that increases the 2012 Highlander towing capacity from 2000 lbs to 5000 lbs, correct?

Yes tow package, 5000 lb capacity. We are at about 3680 lbs. 425 on the tongue. Weight distributing hitch, transmission oil cooler, shiftable transmission. Brake controller, not in a hurry, 2 tons of common sense. I will buzz that engine, 5,000 RPMs does not scare me
My motto " Don't stop for a cup of coffee, I'll be along directly.
Dave

 

[arniesea]

... not in a hurry, 2 tons of common sense.
My motto " Don't stop for a cup of coffee, I'll be along directly.
Dave

Best advice yet!

 

[cpaharley2008]

Dodge now offering the Durango SRT with the big Hemi, it will smoke all 4 wheels
2018 Dodge Durango SRT - All-Wheel Drive Burnout
this would be my choice, fun, hitched or not

 

[BCnomad]

Payload numbers for toys and passengers.

Truck vs SUV is personal preference.

Horsepower and torque for mountain passes, and overcoming the air resistance of two bricks traveling at highway speeds.

Tow weight so the dog wags the tail.

MPG and purchase costs depending on budget.


Personally, the only times I regret getting a full size tow is when parking in crowded urban centres. However I completely understand the desire of some to have a smaller tow. YMMV.

 

[War Eagle]

Lora, You might find these guys, TheFastLaneTruck, interesting or at least entertaining:
2016 Ike Gauntlet Towing - The Fast Lane Truck
They test a wide variety of vehicles (mostly trucks) towing heavy trailers down then back up an 8 mile, 7% grade stretch of Interstate-70 near the Eisenhower Tunnel West of Denver. If you have a particular vehicle of interest, do an internet search of that vehicle and "Ike Gauntlet", and you'll likely find they've tested it. Click on a video and ride along with them!

 

[Iowa Dave]

Smoking tires

Dodge now offering the Durango SRT with the big Hemi, it will smoke all 4 wheels
2018 Dodge Durango SRT - All-Wheel Drive Burnout
this would be my choice, fun, hitched or not

Don't you already have a little pony car that will get some scratch?
Dave

 

[Jim Bennett]

Welcome to the site. You have made a wise decision, and an Escape will work great for your needs. The 19 is a fantastic trailer, we had one for over 6 years.

As far as a tow, I am in the camp of making sure that you have a 5,000 lb capacity. Only you can choose beyond that what is good for you. If you need a pickup, there are lots that will more than fit the bill. There are also lots of SUVs that will do the work well too, and possibly provide a better all round vehicle. Both you mentioned should fit the bill.

 

[rubicon327]

Dodge now offering the Durango SRT with the big Hemi, it will smoke all 4 wheels
2018 Dodge Durango SRT - All-Wheel Drive Burnout
this would be my choice, fun, hitched or not

That looks like one badass truck

 

[Kountrykamper]

Dodge now offering the Durango SRT with the big Hemi, it will smoke all 4 wheels
2018 Dodge Durango SRT - All-Wheel Drive Burnout
this would be my choice, fun, hitched or not

You should be about ready for a tune up? It would go through a lot a tires.

 

[arniesea]

Personally, the only times I regret getting a full size tow is when parking in crowded urban centres. However I completely understand the desire of some to have a smaller tow. YMMV.

This is one of the main reasons I choose a Tacoma. I drive in Seattle too much to want a larger rig. I take my truck on the Washington State ferries a couple if times a month. Plus I would never get my '19 trailer up my curved driveway without the smaller turning radius of the smaller rig.

So McBride, as you can see there are so many variables that goes into each person's choice, one really has to do what is best for their circumstance.

 

[Bill and Earline]

We are from East Tennessee. The two of us are avid backpackers. Never had a camper before. We are nearing retirement and want a home base to backpack out of. We looked at numerous campers and found the eggs to be the best built. Of those we have picked the Escape. Got excited about the 17' and then found the 19' had a full bed, full dinette, and big refrigerator. We don't have a clue or vehicle to pull one with. Liking the idea of a Jeep Grand Cherokee or Dodge Durango, but need something to pull up mountains. We live on a mountain and will be doing Colorado so we are needing advice if we need a large truck or not. Always like advise from those that have already done this.

Lora,
There are several owners within driving distance, if you want to take a look. We are on Signal Mountain (21'), ATHiker is in Chattanooga(21'), and KountryKamper is near Cookeville, if I remember correctly. Tom and Cheryl have a new 19'.
Another spot to peruse will be the gathering at the Townsend, TN KOA in April.
As far as tow vehicles, we towed the first 20,000 miles with our 4Runner, which did fine, sort of, but we opted for more torque and a larger stance in the Ram.
The first thing I'd do is see quite a few Escape trailer sizes and make sure you know what size you want before buying a tow vehicle. We thought we wanted a 19 but eventually chose a 21.
Good luck,
Bill

 

[Kountrykamper]

We are from East Tennessee. The two of us are avid backpackers. Never had a camper before. We are nearing retirement and want a home base to backpack out of. We looked at numerous campers and found the eggs to be the best built. Of those we have picked the Escape. Got excited about the 17' and then found the 19' had a full bed, full dinette, and big refrigerator. We don't have a clue or vehicle to pull one with. Liking the idea of a Jeep Grand Cherokee or Dodge Durango, but need something to pull up mountains. We live on a mountain and will be doing Colorado so we are needing advice if we need a large truck or not. Always like advise from those that have already done this.

Welcome Tennessee!

Like Bill said their are several of us around your area. ETI can give you all the contact info to go see some near you or come to Townsend in April and there should be 12-15 of all sizes.

 

[Mike Lewis]

My Tacoma will pull my Escape 21 fine through the mountains on an occasional long trip. But-- if I were living in the mountains and planned to tow my trailer often, I would consider a larger truck. The reason is that although the Tacoma will pull the 21 over mountain passes, its engine really revs up to accomplish this, and I get the feeling that it would wear out quicker if I were towing through the mountains on a regular basis.