Questions about 17 vs 19 ft Escape - Toyota Tacoma v6

[kalyson]

Hello,
We have been going back and forth between a 17B vs 19 ft Escape. We preferred the lighter 17B but the width of the bed is only 49". This is only 10 inches wider than a single/twin bed and 5 inches smaller than a full/double bed. Then we started looking at the 19 ft.
We have a Toyota Tacoma V6 TRD Sports Offroad with towing package (6500 lbs). We have seen some posts about people pulling it with that, but some of the posts sound as though it might be a bit of a strain...

Any thoughts on these two sizes and why you chose one over the other if you did?

Thanks!

kalyson

 

[PGDriver]

We pulled our 19 with the same truck, no problems, 16 MPG Imperial (13.32 US).
We slow down going up long mountain passes not because of the truck but because
of the wallet as your MPG will drop quite quickly if you maintain 100 KPH while
climbing. On the flat roads the Tacoma pulls great at 100 KPH and has lots of go
left for passing. Hope this helps.

Doug

 

[kalyson]

Thanks, Doug. Nice to hear it can get up hills with the 19.

Do you know how much your avg weight is with your things in the trailer?

Thanks!
--K

 

[gbaglo]

My buddy, Keath, tows his 19 with a Hyundai Santa Fe. I tow my 17B with a RAV4.

All through the mountains from Vancouver to Southern Alberta, down to Idaho and through the mountains to Washington State, I never managed to lose him in my rear view mirror.

baglo

 

[donandbea]

We struggled with that same question as we were initially towing with a Honda Odyssy van. After "trying" on both for size, we opted for the 19ft. We now have a 19ft coming this summer but changed our vehicle to a Honda Ridgeline. We decided we did not want to tow at the limit of the van's capacity.

 

[PGDriver]

Thanks, Doug. Nice to hear it can get up hills with the 19.

Do you know how much your avg weight is with your things in the trailer?

Thanks!
--K

We have travelled with full propane tanks, water tanks and supplies in the trailer.
Extras in the truck - Canopy, 3500 watt generator, fire wood, chairs, coleman stove etc. etc. & better half.
So with all that approx. 4000 lbs for the Tacoma to pull around.

As a side note I think you'll find there is only 410 lbs difference between the 17 & 19

Now that been said we traded the Tacoma in on a larger truck, nothing to do with the
trailer as I mentioned before the Tacoma pulled the 19 great and with reasonable gas mileage.

 

[hippo]

You will be happier with a 19ft. The queen bed is nice with lots of room. The dual axles makes the trailer balanced and a easy to tow. Make sure you order the front box it is good to store all your trailer stuff. My 19ft loaded weighs just under 3000#.

 

[kalyson]

Wow, thanks guys -- great info. We are trying not to be nervous about it since we have never towed anything. Never camped, either, so this is an adventure for us, all right!

We appreciate your input a lot

 

[Roger C H]

Here is a good website on trailer towing:

http://www.sherline.com/lmbook.htm

One of the differences between single and dual axle trailers is you cannot turn as tight with a dual axle for the reason that the pivot point on a single axle is under the inside tire whereas the pivot point for a dual axle is BETWEEN the two tires. This means that the front axle tire will be pulled sideways in the direction of the turn and the rear axle tire will be pushed sideways in the opposite direction. This action can cause the tires to pop off the rims.

 

[escape artist]

Hi: kalyson... We tow a 5.0 aprox. the same weight as a 19'er. Our entire rig fully loaded inc. the pickup was 8900#s. our max GVWR was 9500#s so we were at the max so to say!!! We've had no problems for 3 yrs. of Escaping. The dual axle 19 will tow stable and easy but I just like the 5.0...point of personal preference!!!
The only negative I see with the 19' is at the toll booth when they count axles... $a$hing. I do however admire the extra 6" of width. It seems so much more than the others including ours. For those people not wanting to be chained to a pickup truck the Escape19 would be my choice!!! Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

 

[Fiberglass Fan]

"My 19ft loaded weighs just under 3000#."

Really? Does that include your tongue weight?

Can I ask what options you have on your trailer? - do you have one or two propane tanks & battery? The reason I ask is I really like the trailer but worry I may not have the tow power but I had based my opinion on other weights I have seen or had someone tell me their trailers weight.

Another 19' owner recently weighed their trailer loaded (although by others standards they were not carrying more stuff than the average trailer) and only a bit of water and it came in at just over 3700 lbs.

On Fiberglassrv.com under Real World weights there are 4 - 19' listed (not 5.0's) all but one came in at over 3800lbs (the 4th was over 3100lbs) - these were actual weights on arrival at the Bandon Oregon meet:

#64 -19' Escape total 3800lbs
#66 - 19' Escape total 3860lbs
#70 -19' Escape total 3980 lbs

Wonder what may be different about the above trailers vs yours?

 

[JeffZ]

I definitely would do the 19ft (with cargo box).. I personally think that the 2ft goes along way to happiness for extended trips and your marriage..

 

[gbaglo]

Big advantage of the 19' is a permanent bed and still having a four-seat dinette. I have the 17' and when traveling with another couple and their 19' we invariably have dinner in their trailer ( in inclement weather ). So, if you're social, you can dine or play cards without ripping the bed apart. We also noted that two people can pass one another in the kitchen area without dancing.

baglo

 

[fudge_brownie]

Escape 19 Weight

If I can weigh in here. There are so many different weights out there because we all travel different. Some need TV's, satellite dishes, generators, solar panels, 10 changes of clothes, dutch ovens, pudgy pie makers and all those accouterments that add to overall weight. On the other hand you have the minimalist who wants a place to eat and sleep and takes nothing else unless it is related to these two activities.

Now you add the options on Escape 19’s and factor in food and drink, full or empty tanks, multiplied by duration and you have an impossible task. I like the weight tables found on fiberglassrv.com, they give real world results. Are they correct for your world? Hard to answer that question.

Personally, I have found the weights shown on the fiberglassrv.com table to be high compared to my experience. In my four weightings’ I have always been within a 100 lbs of 3,450. I guess I am a minimalist based on my observations above. Do I consciously cut back – Yes. Do I evaluate the usefulness of every item – Yes. I simply do not want to stow and struggle with that 2 ton hydraulic jack I might need, nor do I want the bother of a four way lug wrench. I look for lighter alternatives or go without.

What I like about the tables is, this could be you, and based on the few observations in the table, it seems to be common. Use their numbers for planning.

 

[kalyson]

Just wondering, though -- if you had the 19 ft, would you be more concerned about taking it on non-paved roads? (Like bumpy dirt roads, not four-wheeling.) The 17 has the option for 15" tires and a high axle for that...

 

[Bruce Wray]

We've been towing our 19 with our Tacoma V6 (not TRD) for almost 2 years. Weight and power have never been an issue; the truck handles the trailer well in those regards. We found that the rear suspension was wimpy for towing (only 2 main leaf springs and 3" of travel), though, and had to take corrective actions to improve the ride. The TRD may be beefier in the back than our truck, but I've had to have air-bag helpers installed and use a WD hitch. The rig rides decently now on rough pavement.

Bruce

 

[kalyson]

Hi Bruce,
Yes the suspension is definitely stronger on our Tacoma.

But we will be going on dirt roads sometimes -- we may have to get the 17 just to get ground clearance, though, if the 19 is too low... :0(

 

[JeffZ]

Just wondering, though -- if you had the 19 ft, would you be more concerned about taking it on non-paved roads? (Like bumpy dirt roads, not four-wheeling.) The 17 has the option for 15" tires and a high axle for that...

There's the other factor as well, the tandem vs single axle. In case of a blowout the tandem would be better.. also I would imagine a tad more stable in high cross wind..

 

[PGDriver]

Our 19 has a high lift axles also (thanks to Reace) as we take ours over rougher roads with no problems ;D

 

[Jim Bennett]

I personally think that the 2ft goes along way to happiness for extended trips and your marriage..

I've heard the same said about just a couple more inches. ;D