Thinking about a 19 foot

[Red-ESC]

Picked up our 19 in June and have been travelling in BC for several weeks and 2,000 plus KMs. I tow with a Tacoma Access Cab Off Road edition and use the E2 hitch. I have not towed anything larger than a boat trailer in the past and was not sure what to expect with handling and braking. We have been over some very steep and twisty mountain passes (Highway 6 to the Arrow Lakes and 3 to Princeton). I had no issues with sway and do not need to disconnect anything when backing up. Escape set up the hitch for me, the rig is level and the Tacoma bumper only dropped half an inch. I wish I had a little more power sometimes but no problem cruising at 110 KmPH in top gear.

The layout is great but it does not have as much dance floor space as the 21. It is not easy for 2 people to work in the kitchen so some cooperation is necessary if you need to get a refreshing beverage from the fridge while someone is preparing your sandwich. The crawl over bed arrangement in the 19 is uh interesting but the queen size is more comfortable than the smaller bed in the 21.

I cant say enough about Escape and their customer service. They are awesome.

 

[Mrs. iamunique127]

We spent nine weeks in the mountains of B.C a couple of years ago, and even on overcast days, deep in the forest, our batteries were fully charged by the time we got up in the morning. It's and incredibly efficient system and so amazing to have "free"power for LED lights and fans, etc. when you are boon-docking.

 

[neamster]

Solar. Even in the deep woods, it will charge. Totally amazing. It allows us to free camp with no worries. We don't plug in a toaster or a hairdryer, but no worries for most uses, including charging our devices. We tow our 19' w a Kia Sorrento V6 with absolutely no problems in 3 years. Next week are headed to a Guest Ranch in the Hills South of Kamloops... no worries with solar, we can pull over anywhere for the night.

 

[cpaharley2008]

Solar. Even in the deep woods, it will charge. Totally amazing. It allows us to free camp with no worries. We don't plug in a toaster or a hairdryer, but no worries for most uses, including charging our devices. We tow our 19' w a Kia Sorrento V6 with absolutely no problems in 3 years. Next week are headed to a Guest Ranch in the Hills South of Kamloops... no worries with solar, we can pull over anywhere for the night.

Yes, I agree, plan to make everything 12v except for air conditioning, with solar you have have unlimited power and can just about camp anywhere.....

 

[Serendipity-ESC]

Greetings from Ashland, Oregon. We have a 17 foot Casita and are seriously considering moving to the 19 foot Escape. We do most of our camping in the Oregon State Parks on the Coast and some off the grid National Park and Forest Service campgrounds.

Will be looking into the possibility. If you have any perspectives to share, I'd greatly appreciate it... particularly what you like best about the 19. We take about 10 trips a year (this year a couple of long distance). My tow vehicle is one of the GMC Canyon diesels set up for towing.

Thanks! Looking forward to learning more about Escapes and hoping to purchase one.


Art

Hello,
Just thought I share our experience with our brand new 19. We just picked it up from BC a few weeks back. We have zero experience with trailers but after much research and meeting some very helpful Escape owners in our area (Rubicon aka David from this forum, and his parents, were very helpful in providing insights into ownership of this trailer) we took the plunge and now know we could not have made a better decision. A couple of items:

1) Not a single screw came off this trailer while in transit from BC to New Jersey. Solid construction!

2) We thought something might not work while in transit, but everything did... it also helped that we reached out to David during our travels for him to help us through whatever misunderstanding we had about the operation of the various systems on the trailer. Thanks David!

3) We have, since our arrival, taken the trailer out to a couple of local campsites to 'test the waters' So far, so good.

4) The space and layout is perfect for us. The permanently available, queen size bed is wonderful. Having A/C in the middle of the muggiest, hottest summer days we have experienced so far is simply a luxury that no one should do without.

5) The folks at Escape were very nice throughout the whole process. The customization of the trailer was fun, and we loved all the options we had to pick from.

6) We have not opened the awning yet so we don't know if it works but can not imagine it won't. And, we have not used the gas system (for stove or heater) because we are prefer to use electricity. When we get more comfortable with the entire trailer, we will venture into using the propane stove and heater.

In a nutshell, you can not go wrong with this trailer... and you can't beat its resale value... Good luck with your purchase!

Delighted Escape 19 owners!

 

[rbryan4]

Thanks Maria for that nice report! Here's to many more great trips.

 

[Steve Clark]

Very well said, Maria! 2 1/2 years and 25,000 miles later and I couldn’t have said it any better!

Cheers!

 

[Berndad]

High Lift and Towing

The high-lift lets us get to pretty amazing places, like the Alvord Desert and Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge.

Hope this helps.

Rick

Does the High Lift change the towing angle much? We plan on using our Honda Pilot Elite with full towing package as our tug?

 

[John in Santa Cruz]

using a different 'drop' tow bar, or maybe flipping the towbar over so its a rise instead of a drop, should take care of any axle height differences. of course, doing this COULD block opening a tailgate, depending on the vehicle.

 

[NCBill-ESC]

Does the High Lift change the towing angle much? We plan on using our Honda Pilot Elite with full towing package as our tug?

Yes. If you raise the trailer, you need to raise the hitch ball.

I have two trailers right now, one my Escape 19 and a vintage Trillium 1300. I keep both trailers at about the same angle. On the Escape, my receiver is flat (no lift or drop). With the Trillium, I use a 4 inch drop. When I had a Casita, I used a 2 inch drop.

This assumes you have the appropriate amount of tongue weight.

 

[gbaglo]

If using the Pro-Series weight distribution hitch, it can be adjusted to match the trailer. I have high-lift on my 17B and ETI installed the WDH.

 

[Brian B-P]

If using the Pro-Series weight distribution hitch, it can be adjusted to match the trailer.

I'm pretty sure that every weight-distribution system made is adjustable in height. There are also adjustable-height plain (not part of a WD system) ball mounts... although the appropriate fixed height ball mount is lighter, simpler, and cheaper.

 

[Berndad]

One more question to ask the forum or ETI: What is the tongue height on a lifted 19? (I understand load matters) Then we can come prepared with the correct ball height, or will they set up for us when we pick up the trailer?

 

[Yukon Escape]

I think the original question was, what do you like about a Escape 19.
I think the answer is what’s not to like.
We have seen on this forum many modifications made by owner, who did not like this or that.change were made, I think in honesty the changes were made to make the 19 their own, more comfortable for them, not necessaryly for others.

With the equalizer hitch, toungue weight is evenly distributed, if set properly.
With regard to sway our 19 follows like our shadow, what the truck fits through so will the 19 with no problems.
Mabe it is because it is a Dodge.
Doug

 

[cpaharley2008]

My tongue weight on my 19's were in the 400-450 lbs and on my 21 slightly more, close to 500 fully loaded for 3 weeks. I also carry at least 50% fresh tank water but empty grey/black.

 

[bdornbush]

I'm pretty sure that every weight-distribution system made is adjustable in height. There are also adjustable-height plain (not part of a WD system) ball mounts... although the appropriate fixed height ball mount is lighter, simpler, and cheaper.

I agree that they are all adjustable. However, when we picked up our Escape 19, he had to use a carrier with extra drop because our Jeep Grand Cherokee is higher than most vehicles. You may need a different hitch part to make it all work and level.

 

[Brian B-P]

I agree that they are all adjustable. However, when we picked up our Escape 19, he had to use a carrier with extra drop because our Jeep Grand Cherokee is higher than most vehicles. You may need a different hitch part to make it all work and level.

Good point - the adjustment range may not be great enough for extreme mismatches of tug and trailer. Just don't buy WD, or a particular WD system, just to get adjustability.

 

[gbaglo]

I only named my WDH to provide specific information on my set-up. I think I also mentioned RAV4 and Escape 17B.
Too often posts on the forum make assertions, but don't specify what exactly is being discussed.

 

[Iowa Dave]

On both our Pro series hitch and the Anderson that we got with the 21, we had to adjust the ball height. In both cases we were able to get the height we needed by disassembling the mount and “turning the tower over” to get another inch that would make for level towing once the proper tension was levied on the spring bars and or cushion rubber. Just a suggestion if it is needed in certain situations. Measuring the inside curvature height on the fenders before and after adjustment will give you a proper “rake” on the body.
Iowa Dave