What we're NOT getting. Any thoughts?

[Jim Bennett]

Hummm, not sure I can exist without my flat iron. May have to plan my routes around slipping into fast food restaurants with outlets in their washrooms!
Or, yeah, a hat!

My wife's hair is quite heavy and curly/wavy, and just lets it dry naturally. I love the look, myself, no hat needed. Plus, a lot of the best camping spots are a few hours away from any restaurant, and the closest 120V outlet.

 

[Patandlinda]

what is not on list

pics of first mod . I found the cord tangled under center of bed . Using construction adhesive glued blocks to floor - my water tank is under there - did not want to put a hole through it The blocks gave me something to support wall from caving in , put few screws on framing for bed to hold panel also . left a little bit opening in front to let air in or to look . My water pump is in front . The cord is now confined in it"s only space , wipe cord as I put in never a problem since . I have left things behind so I would rather my cord is attached to trailer . Also have a little round rubber with a slit in it to go on cord at opening - no mice or problems -it closes up the opening to trailer . Pat

 

[Patandlinda]

I did the exact same thing and have never had the cord tangle once. Great minds; huh, Pat?

Thankyou for the compliment! Pat

 

[EDarby]

The thing is, I love curly/wavy hair on other people -- I just don't like it on myself.
I think it goes back to 5th grade when my mother gave me this horrendous permanent wave job. Shudder. May just wind up cutting it to 1/4" or . . . wear the hat!!!

My wife's hair is quite heavy and curly/wavy, and just lets it dry naturally. I love the look, myself, no hat needed. Plus, a lot of the best camping spots are a few hours away from any restaurant, and the closest 120V outlet.

 

[Jim Bennett]

The thing is, I love curly/wavy hair on other people -- I just don't like it on myself.
I think it goes back to 5th grade when my mother gave me this horrendous permanent wave job. Shudder. May just wind up cutting it to 1/4" or . . . wear the hat!!!

Kinda sounds like my wife. She has this gorgeous head of hair that many women are jealous of, yet complains sometimes she would like it straight.

I love the shaved head myself. Pretty easy maintenance.

 

[EDarby]

I may not get as extreme as you (though it would be cool [pun intended]) but am seriously considering the 1/4". Would have to keep the bangs though -- need some bangs -- they're my security blanket! I could Scotch Tape them down, like we did in high school, to keep them straight until they dry!!!

Kinda sounds like my wife. She has this gorgeous head of hair that many women are jealous of, yet complains sometimes she would like it straight.

I love the shaved head myself. Pretty easy maintenance.

 

[Loren & Cathy]

I guess one advantage of having the attached cord is that it won't disappear. If they will steal a sewer hose, the power cord would be fair game. Loren

 

[rbryan4]

As Jim B. mentions, having more 12v sources is helpful as practically all electronics, as Glenn mentions, are 12v and easily charged used 12v. Seems illogical to convert 12v to 120v to then convert back to 12v to recharge your computer.

It does seem illogical, but that depends on the computer. A 12v "airline" type adapter usually only provides a max of 70 or 80 watts for charging/power and some laptops require more to run at full speed. This is particularly true for laptops with a large screen, and the faster Core i7 processors. What happens is that the pc senses the input voltage and "steps down" the processor frequency if it's not adequate to power the processor at full speed. This means a perceptibly slower computer and a dimmer screen. Won't hurt it, since it's designed to do that, but I like my laptop as fast as it can go. By using the factory power transformer/supply and an AC outlet, it does that.

 

[C&G in FL]

I had the exterior shower put on the door side approximately over the rear wheel. That way I can set up a small table and wash dishes under the awning. I use color coded tubs (black for soaking dirty dishes, white for wash water, and red for rinse water. I have found that the sink in just about every small camper is not appropriate for washing dishes. The outside shower is also useful for rinsing sand off of wet feet. And frankly, if off grid camping, less confining and less wiping down afterward if the inside shower is used. We just wear a bathing suit and biodegradable soap.

 

[Jim Bennett]

I had the exterior shower put on the door side approximately over the rear wheel. That way I can set up a small table and wash dishes under the awning. I use color coded tubs (black for soaking dirty dishes, white for wash water, and red for rinse water. I have found that the sink in just about every small camper is not appropriate for washing dishes. The outside shower is also useful for rinsing sand off of wet feet. And frankly, if off grid camping, less confining and less wiping down afterward if the inside shower is used. We just wear a bathing suit and biodegradable soap.

That is something I have had in the plans for years now, just have to get to it. We each dishes outside almost all the time, and would love to have a tap handy to the table.

We just use one pan though. No presoak in a separate plan, and dishes are dried immediately eliminating any need to rinse. Gotta keep it simple.

 

[Bobbito]

I do not have removable cord . First time I pulled it out and found it was tangled I added some 1/8 panel on both sides under bed which makes a compartment it has never tangled since . will post pics tomorrow . Very simple like separate compartments . Especially keeping cord , water heater pump etc . In own separate compartment . Pat

On our Escape 21 I have a wooden divider for the permanently attached power cord and it never tangles. I plan to prevent mice getting in by using a 1 inch piece of clear plastic tubing split down the centre (to allow it to be slid over the cord) and acting as a collar to make the gap between cord and cord cover too small for a rodent. (I've extracted a live mouse from a 3 1/2 inch floppy disk drive on a computer at work, so I know how little space they need to gain access). If I was worried about bugs I would probably opt for the removable cord, but I'm not.

We found that the steel rims started to rust after a year and a half on our 15B so for our 17B we ordered the aluminum rims.

I have confidence that our aluminum rims will be far easier to maintain than the steel wheels on our old stick trailer. I was always behind on my battle with rust and I wasted far too much time at it.

We had a power incident in our old trailer that gave us grief for a long time and would have been avoided if we had a surge protector, so we got one on our Escape.

The Andersen Hitch is a real improvement on the previous equalizer hitch on our stick trailer. I know some of this is due to the trailer being a bit lighter and more aerodynamic, but I think how it tracks is mainly a function of this new hitch. I'm glad I sold the old one. Dennis at ETI said about 80% of the Escapers request the Andersen. I noticed that there is a bit of wear and Dennis recommended some dry graphic lubricant on the ball to prevent and further wear. By the way, when we brought the truck in for ETI to install the hitch (orientation day) we had none of the heavy gear we usually carry (boat, motor, extra water, gas, etc.; we are close to the GCVW for our Tundra with all the gear and trailer). A week later when we stopped by ETI on the way to the lakes Reace notice the front end of the trailer was way too low, so Dennis adjusted the hitch two holes. What a difference.! If you routinely load up your tow vehicle, be sure to do so when they install your hitch. (Why didn't I think of that at the right time!)

Bob K

 

[Loren & Cathy]

One thing I was back and forth on was the Andersen hitch but now have read so many positive reviews on it that I am sure I made the right decision by ordering it. Reace recommended it while looking at the suspension on my truck "to prevent galloping" as he put it. Heavy crosswinds are my main concern. Loren

 

[sunrisetrucker]

One thing I was back and forth on was the Andersen hitch but now have read so many positive reviews on it that I am sure I made the right decision by ordering it. Reace recommended it while looking at the suspension on my truck "to prevent galloping" as he put it. Heavy crosswinds are my main concern. Loren

We got the Andersen hitch as well but was extremely disappointed with it. As an equalizer it worked well but the sway control was horrible (and that's putting it mildly) and the noise it created was none stop, even at hwy speeds. I got a hold of the Andersen people and Reace and was offered a refund which I excepted. Maybe my situation was a "one off" but I'm glad I went back to a conventional setup, it works great.

 

[rbryan4]

We got the Andersen hitch as well but was extremely disappointed with it. As an equalizer it worked well but the sway control was horrible (and that's putting it mildly) and the noise it created was none stop, even at hwy speeds. I got a hold of the Andersen people and Reace and was offered a refund which I excepted. Maybe my situation was a "one off" but I'm glad I went back to a conventional setup, it works great.

Zero sway, zero noise with our Andersen. The variables are tow vehicle type, trailer model, weights and adjustment. Sounds like your 17, your Santa Fe and an Andersen are just one of those combos that don't work very well. I LOVE the Andersen with our setup.

 

[Bobbito]

Our Andersen is dead quiet, unlike our Reece hitch on the stick trailer which groaned and clanged like a ghost story.

 

[BCnomad]

Mine makes noise while making early morning getaways from campsites -- tight turns and relatively cool/moist. With this warmer weather I have not heard from it.