Newbie and Prospective Buyer from San Diego

[Oreo52]

I'm Ed, and my wife and I are in the market for a Travel Trailer. I'm a retired rail transit project manager and the wife is about a year and a half out from retiring. We're from Sunny San Diego with twins in college (Jr/Sr years).

We've been campers for the last 25 years. When the twins were young we had a Starcraft tent trailer that we toured the Southwest with. Since then its been camping with a tent. However after a two week trip to the Oregon coast last year we've decided its time for a trailer. Started looking at the different models and were initially enamored with the Little Guy Max and New Camp teardrops. Beautiful units but a little pricy for the size. After deciding to move up in size we looked at 25' Palominos, Coachmans and recently Lance 1985s. Been doing quite a bit of homework regarding the different manufacturers which narrowed our search to Lance and Arctic Fox which are supposed to be near the top in regards to quality. We are impressed with the Lance and it remains one of our finalists.
But... I discovered the Camp Addict website which led me to Escape Trailers whom they rate as one of the better manufacturers.

Our budget is between $35-40K. Quality concerns me and is #1 on my list as I'm not inclined to spend a large amount of money for something that sits at the dealership for months at a time for repairs.
Wife wants room to move around and while not having a slide isn't a deal breaker, its on her want list. That and lots of windows. I, as mentioned earlier, care about quality and ease of maintenance. I like the new 21 but news of a larger 23 model definitely has me interested. I tow with a half ton, 2006 Crew Cab Silverado with a 5 1/2' bed and 7500# trailer package. Its been a great truck with minimal problems since I bought it new.

Which brings me back to Escape.
I do have some preliminary questions.
How is warranty service performed? Not really keen on driving 1300 miles for repairs.
Is there any negotiating with the price?
Anyone in the San Diego area willing to show off their Escape?

Thanks for listening, or reading. Really excited to learn more about the new 23 footer.

Ed

 

[cpaharley2008]

Ed,
Welcome to our Escape world. Let me try to answer some of your concerns. I too have owned 2 Lance trailers, a 1880 and a 1575, both were disposed off within 6 months due to roof and slide issues. Never buy a first year Lance model. That said I have since owned 4 Escapes, owing each for a couple of years, selling and then upgrading to the newer models. In all 4 my Escapes, my issues have been about 6 total, all of which were promptly fixed by parts or local shop. Escape will reimburse you if need arises. Compared to Lance, their quality is above an Airstream. Two of mine were delivered and 2 we picked up, 6-7,000 miles each. Highly recommend ordering and picking up right before the annual rally in Osoyoos, BC, "gods country" is what I call it. There were over 180 of us at last years and if you need anything addressed on your Escape, they can fix it right there. Price is fixed and if you contact them they will put you in touch with a local owner to show you.WELCOME....

 

[GregandTeresa]

If warranty issues do arise, typically you take the unit to a local rv repair place to have the work done there and ETI pays for it.

 

[cpaharley2008]

BTW,
Escape is growing and they hold their value, you can own and sell one for almost what you pay for it, probably a better return that what the banks are paying you in todays market. The nice thing about Escape is customization. You want extra 120v or 12v outlets, they will install them. Some models have additional optional windows. They have custom interior counter colors and upholstery all for your enjoyment, and you can have oak or maple wood cabinets. A plethora of choices....

 

[Fox hunt]

I have owned two trailers a 17B which i loved but really wanted a bigger trailer so i moved up to a 5.0 TA in 2017. No real issues i had a problem with a window but it was quickly fixed. these are very well built trailers and i really enjoyed the ordering process fun to pick out the options...

 

[davidmurphy02]

We had a K-Z stick built trailer for many years, loved it but flimsy construction and roof leaks did it in. The Escape is worlds apart in quality, and the fiberglass construction makes for a very solid trailer. If you contact Escape they can give you the names of people in your area willing to show their trailer. You might also consider looking at a 5.0TA since you have a truck, they are more spacious inside. All of the components are warranted by the manufacturers and can be replaced or repaired if needed at most RV service centers.

 

[cpaharley2008]

Do not forget the "4 sale" section here, used Escapes go very quickly...http://www.escapeforum.org/forums/f...n-reduced-to-27-500-obo-17023.html#post322374

 

[jeffrow]

We are in Rancho Penasquitos and own a 21’ if you would like to take a peek. Prior to this we owned a Casita.

 

[h2owmn]

I'll be in that area in February but I doubt you're interested in a 17A.

There is a large fiberglass trailer gathering happening in Quartzite (@4 hrs from you) Feb 6-9 and in perusing the "2020 Quartzsite Gathering" item in this forum, it appears several 5.O (single axle) and 5.0TA (tandem axle) model owners plan to be there.

You could use this forum to message and see if any of them are coming through southern California on their way to AZ. Or, for the price of a motel room you could spend the night in beautiful Quartzite and see several, along with some 21' models.

Plus you are guaranteed to meet some nice people who are enthusiastic about their Escape trailer.

 

[salmo7000]

We were lifelong tent campers too before buying an Escape 19. For us, it’s been such a big step up, the space inside doesn’t seem limiting at all. Everything is easier and more comfortable, and it tows like a dream. We’re still at the stage where we marvel about being so comfortable while camping. The 21 does seem orders of magnitude more spacious inside, but we decided we didn’t want to deal with that much length. Plus we like the queen size bed in the 19. And with all the windows, it is light and airy inside and doesn’t seem cramped at all. Of course it is what we are used to, but so far we are not feeling the need to upsize.

As others have mentioned, the good thing about Escapes is they really hold their value, so if you bought one and discovered it really didn’t fit your needs, you could easily sell it for close to what you paid, assuming you did so within the first year or 2.

Best of luck with your decision!

 

[gocamp-ESC]

"Quality concerns me and is #1 on my list " Oliver trailers in TN might we worth a look too then.

 

[rubicon327]

"Quality concerns me and is #1 on my list " Oliver trailers in TN might we worth a look too then.

Not with a budget of $35-40k.

 

[Oreo52]

Thanks to all who have responded. We are considering our options and will keep ourselves updated through this website.

Ed

 

[Doug2000]

I think Escape has the best quality on the market in a travel trailer of this size. Sorry, I don't like the Airstreams at all. We also started off with a 10' box StarCraft tent trailer. Our 2020 Escape 19' will be trailer #7. #5 was a 1977 Trillium 4500, #6 was an Escape 17B. The fiberglass trailers seem to be far above every one else. Down side, small interiors, upside, light and easy to tow, and don't depreciate. The only other RV I would consider has a Cummins out back.

Yes look at the Classified section daily, they often go fast if priced right.