Possible new buyer

[citabria90]

I miss her crawling over me!

 

[kavm]

We had a 1/2 hour session with Samuel at Escape. Very helpful and also confirmatory of our convergence to E5.0.

I do have a question: What’s your take on the high lift axle option? Our primary planned use is to visit / hike in national parks and national forests - mixture of campgrounds and some dispersed camping/boon docking. Some of these do involve dirt road driving - a few of which can be as long as 8-10 miles. For this type of use - would it makes sense to order high lift axle option? Does it degrade the towing characteristics badly?

Any advice on pros/cons or experience to help help us think about it will be helpful.

Thanks a lot!

 

[UncleTim]

The high lift axle does not impede handling in any way. It requires two steps to get into. But no problem at all. The trailer is extremely stable at high speeds.



We travel dirt roads frequently so i just did it, but then I bought almost every extra. I do like it, but I have limited experience with it.

 

[kavm]

Thank you, UncleTim! The stability at highway speeds was the main concern - so it helps a lot. We are not planning to do major off-road driving with it but some of that is inevitable in our plans for camping in national parks and national forests with some dispersed camping thrown in. So, it would be great for that.

Many thanks!

 

[Sean Murry]

Hi everyone
I want to make a correction on an earlier post. TX_Clint had asked if the Novakool fridge was the model RFU9000. I said it was, but I am afraid my old brain made a mistake. It is actually the RFU8220, which is 7.3 cu ft not 9.1 cu ft. I had considered the RFU9000, but felt the overall dimensions might make it impossible to get through the door of the Escape.
The RFU9000 is 52 7/8" high, 23 1/4" wide and 22 3/4" deep.

The door opening in the Escape is 22 1/2" Wide. . I didn't think it would fit through the door, so I opted for the RFU8220, which has the same height and width but is only 19 1/2" Deep. The door of the fridge extends another 1.5" making the total depth 21". I did remove the door to get it into the Escape and had no problems. The door is very simple to take on and off. Sorry for the mistake.

 

[kavm]

No worries! Thank you for correcting it.

 

[rick-ESC]

If the word 'boondocking' doesn't scare you at all, the high-lift is a wonderful addition. We've gone with that in both of our trailers, and it has let us get into some spectacular places, with great peace of mind. It just removes a bit of worry (not all) when you're heading out to that dispersed campsite you've heard about, outside the Badlands, for example.

If you thought you would never camp in anything other than a park campground, it's probably not essential.

 

[TTMartin]

We had a 1/2 hour session with Samuel at Escape. Very helpful and also confirmatory of our convergence to E5.0.

I do have a question: What’s your take on the high lift axle option? Our primary planned use is to visit / hike in national parks and national forests - mixture of campgrounds and some dispersed camping/boon docking. Some of these do involve dirt road driving - a few of which can be as long as 8-10 miles. For this type of use - would it makes sense to order high lift axle option? Does it degrade the towing characteristics badly?

Any advice on pros/cons or experience to help help us think about it will be helpful.

Thanks a lot!

I had written a long post on why the Escape 19 was better than the 21 for Forest Service camping. When I got to your post about the 5.0 I just added that. The 5.0 TA wasn't really an option for me as I have a non-pickup tow vehicle that I'm not replacing. While the 5.0 TA is wider then the Escape 19, and slightly taller, it isn't any longer behind the tow vehicle, so much of my rational for staying with a 19 over the 21 don't apply. I deleted my previous post. Enjoy your new F150 and Escape 5.0 TA!

 

[kavm]

If the word 'boondocking' doesn't scare you at all, the high-lift is a wonderful addition. We've gone with that in both of our trailers, and it has let us get into some spectacular places, with great peace of mind. It just removes a bit of worry (not all) when you're heading out to that dispersed campsite you've heard about, outside the Badlands, for example.

If you thought you would never camp in anything other than a park campground, it's probably not essential.

Thank you Rick! We are getting more familiar and comfortable with boondocking idea. We go to Sawtooth Wilderness in Idaho and we go to Southern Utah where it is possible and attractive. The high lift axle was (and is) on our list for sure. I only asked as the higher center of gravity was a point that came up in conversation with Escape and we did not know how much (or how little) to worry about that. Sounds like not much is the answer based upon your and other people's experiences - so it is firmly on our list.

Many thanks!

 

[kavm]

I had written a long post on why the Escape 19 was better than the 21 for Forest Service camping. When I got to your post about the 5.0 I just added that. The 5.0 TA wasn't really an option for me as I have a non-pickup tow vehicle that I'm not replacing. While the 5.0 TA is wider then the Escape 19, and slightly taller, it isn't any longer behind the tow vehicle, so much of my rational for staying with a 19 over the 21 don't apply. I deleted my previous post. Enjoy your new F150 and Escape 5.0 TA!

Thank you so much! Your thread - 2020 Escape 19 build discussion - was something I spent most time reading early on and my (still light) knowledge of various options and reasoning about them is still from reading that thread. That's what got us started on this path. We did move further down that path to settle on F150 and E5.0 but haven't bought either. Plan to buy 2021 F150 - and that's likely 6 month out in delivery. So the plan is to get the new setup around May 2021 (as even outside of Covid, my wife has semester teaching commitments Jan-May and I don't fancy going to Canada or even North WA to drive it back in the winter by myself).

Many thanks!

 

[strawbarry]

Boat transport

Boats are no problem with a roof rack. Plenty of space between trailer and back of boats.

 

[kavm]

Interesting! Boats aren't part of our activities, but bicycles are. I guess we will need to have a bike rack at the back of E5.0.

 

[sherminator]

Boats are no problem with a roof rack. Plenty of space between trailer and back of boats.

How long are those kayaks? Mine is 14.5ft, so there is substantial rear overhang when it is balanced on the roof rack of our F150. One of the reasons a 5.0TA wasn't really going to work for me.

 

[Roger C H]

Tent to trailer

We were long time tenters, also. Our car was limited to 2000# at the time so we bought a new 13' Trillium. We learned a lot of things.

1. Don't use the on board water to avoid freezing problems.
2. Didn't get the refrigerator. Runs on propane, 12Vdc, or 120Vac. What can possibly go wrong?
3. The size is definitely an advantage. Got stuck on a forest service road with no turn around. Was able to unhitch, turn the trailer manually, and rehitch.
4. A lot easier to keep clean, just a lot less work. We used to have a 20' sailboat which was a job to keep clean.

 

[Lmkeaz]

Heard that the lead times can be as long as a year, so might proceed to buying soon - provided we can make a head or tail of the options we need to decide on

We are in a similar boat as you, and staying up til all hours every night reading about trailers and learning a lot, but so much still to learn! We were back and forth between a 17b and 19, and just decided on 19 due to our preference for a bigger fridge, more storage, and permanent bed.
The lead times are not bad right now, Escape trailers told us a 19 could be ready as early as August, and a 17b ready by October. We just put down a deposit to reserve our spot in line... see you at the parks!

 

[kavm]

We are in a similar boat as you, and staying up til all hours every night reading about trailers and learning a lot, but so much still to learn! We were back and forth between a 17b and 19, and just decided on 19 due to our preference for a bigger fridge, more storage, and permanent bed.
The lead times are not bad right now, Escape trailers told us a 19 could be ready as early as August, and a 17b ready by October. We just put down a deposit to reserve our spot in line... see you at the parks!

Thanks indeed! I had read the one-year lead time in a comment on a different forum (possibly for a different camping trailer). Somehow, that set our starting expectation and plans. I too have learned that the lead time can be a lot shorter. If we weren't tempted by some of the coming new options in the 2021 F150 (on-board power generator with the hybrid engine), we'd have advanced our acquisition timeline. But, intrigued by that option and with the original expectation of one year, we are planning to stick to the summer 2021 timeline.

I am sure you will like the 19 ft trailer. That was where we were gravitating to, until we realized that the change to 5.0 wasn't as huge - particularly as we were going to buy F150 anyway.

All the best with your plans! See you in the parks!

 

[kavm]

We were long time tenters, also. Our car was limited to 2000# at the time so we bought a new 13' Trillium. We learned a lot of things.

1. Don't use the on board water to avoid freezing problems.
2. Didn't get the refrigerator. Runs on propane, 12Vdc, or 120Vac. What can possibly go wrong?
3. The size is definitely an advantage. Got stuck on a forest service road with no turn around. Was able to unhitch, turn the trailer manually, and rehitch.
4. A lot easier to keep clean, just a lot less work. We used to have a 20' sailboat which was a job to keep clean.

I hear you! But, then - it is not as much of an upgrade from our excellent tent. We are going down this path because we expect to take longer trips once we retire and sooner when the opportunity arises. For that, some space and comfort are necessary - otherwise we'd wind up with hotels and AirBnbs.

 

[strawbarry]

How long are those kayaks? Mine is 14.5ft, so there is substantial rear overhang when it is balanced on the roof rack of our F150. One of the reasons a 5.0TA wasn't really going to work for me.

10'. I push them forward slightly longer in front.

 

[blkbry]

One advantage of the 21 over the 19 and 17: no crawling over a sleeping partner to get in or out of bed.

absolutely,absolutely,absolutely!
took two trailers before we finally figured that one out

 

[CasparScape]

Possible New Buyer

We are former backpackers/tent campers, too, and now we are new trailer folk. It was a trip from California to Montana that did it—contemplating setting up camp and cooking outdoors as a hail storm dumped, and facing another night crawling into the tent. The set up and takedown, with repacking the truck almost daily lost its allure.
Fast forward to our maiden voyage with our 2018 Escape 19. After a day of hiking in Canada’s Glacier Park, we could shower and enjoy a glass of wine with the heater on and not shiver while eating salad. Next door the much younger hikers crowded around a smokey fire, looking brave but miserable as the temperature dipped into the low 40’s. Next morning I hit the heater, and jumped back into a real bed to stay warm as the coffee water boiled.
Tradeoffs: You must understand that you are committing to learning and maintaining a rolling mini-home, with plumbing/electrical systems that work a bit differently than regular houses. It helps to be at least a bit “handy,” and you will sleep better on the road if you take the advice I was given and pack a “toolbox for Africa.”
Escape building: Since it appears you may still want to visit less-developed campgrounds, I suggest adding the solar panel and the high-lift axle. The added three inches of ground clearance does not sound like much, but will give you peace of mind getting in and out of some of the smaller, more remote camp spots. Also E-Z Lube hubs and self-adjusting brakes.
Towing: I suggest getting enough tow vehicle to easily manage the loaded trailer weight plus whatever gear (canoe?) etc. you may have in and on the tow vehicle. You want enough reserve power and stability to not just handle the trailer, but ideally breeze up and over twisty mountain passes.
Owner satisfaction: I did a lot of research and looked inside most of the American trailers of this class and size, and the overall quality of Escape trailers is unsurpassed for the price. We picked our 19 up and hit the road and had no problems with systems or mfg quality other than a loose screw on a cabinet. Really.
Good luck.