What were your deciding factors when you purchased your Escape?

[ghosthunter]

Solid but lightweight construction, no seams to encourage water leaks, reliability, great (2013) price, great looking, custom build - excellent customer service, easy tow, head room, long term owner satisfaction, safety from critters out there. And, of course, if the time comes, great resale value.

Nice photo, when I was young I worked on the pipeline and installed those modules.

 

[Ron in BC]

to me this pure white interior just seems too institutional and not warm and cozy.

The white f.g. liner makes me feel like I'm inside a fridge. F.G. is great for the exterior but for the interior, not so much.

Ron

 

[marant]

Having read all of the replies there is little for me to add, we have a 21C and love it.

For a first time trailer owner I would suggest, however:
1. Consider purchasing a used trailer. We started out with a 2010 17B, which allowed us to learn at a relatively modest cost. We were able to hone in on things we liked or disliked. It quickly became obvious that a 17 was too small for us, but that an Escape was the brand we wanted due to quality, weight and features.
2. If you decide to order new and are somewhat tall consider ordering it without an AC. Then get a Houghton (9500 for us) AC and have it installed. The Escape will come AC ready, with a standard opening and the necessary wiring in place. Overall cost is comparable to Dometic, but it gives an added 1" head room. It also is quite quiet which allows normal conversation instead of a jet engine.

 

[Escaping the World]

For us we wanted something we could tow with our regular vehicle. First we were on the list for a Scamp but I got concerns about the level of quality as I learned more about them. So we found Escape and got exactly what we wanted. I’ve seen an Oliver and admired it but I don’t like their hi-tech appearance, prefer the more organic look of the wood styling, and we couldn’t tow it anyway. The storage space in our Escape is so generous and also the kitchen counter space is nice (especially compared to the Oliver). If we needed cold winter camping ability Oliver or Bigfoot might be worth us getting a truck. Hubby actually likes the idea of a Northern Lite truck camper too.

 

[brroberts]

I can vouch that Bigfoot and Northernlite campers are very nice, but you need a minimum of a 3/4 ton truck, and depending on the camper, you may need a 1 ton dually.

The Escape strikes a nice balance, and with the right options, can easily be comfortable at 10F.

 

[Mike G]

The wood-look interior was definitely important to me, too. When I'm camping I want (and now have) that 'cozy cabin in the woods' feeling.

 

[dstreight]

Fiberglass bathtub design
All electric
Lightweight
15-16' long
No bathroom
6' tall interior height
Affordable
Canvas for a long list of custom mods for off-road travel into rugged terrain

All goals met.

 

[dlakeman]

My first TT was an Escape 21C, with almost every option. My wife, our German Shephard and I are the "campers". The Escape did have a few quality issues, however not like the stick-built TT's I have had, and the one I currently own (33' Keystone Cougar). We sold the Escape because we didn't like the wet bath, and it wasn't big enough for the 3 of us. We also wanted a king bed like we have at home. I'm tall!! We like our "creature comforts", and the Escape didn't provide the space we needed.

 

[Michael.Chadwick]

My wife and I investigated all your mentioned campers as well as Escape and we went with Escape because of quality, ease of towing and this site. When we have a problem no matter how small we can get help from our Escape family on here. This family also extends to when out camping, we find other Escapees and network with them…….have no regrets!

 

[Perry Butler]

In 2018, after 14 previous non-popup campers we knew we did NOT want a crawl-over bed. That eliminated all the Escapes except the 5.0. We also had a 2000 16’ Scamp for 6 years, a 2007 17’ Casita for 5 years, and a Bigfoot 25RQ for a year, so we were well-informed about fiberglass. Our other 11 stickies had the traditional problems: delaminating outside walls, cold (despite claiming 4 seasons), leaks, poor pulling, and just plain poor construction, with the worst a 24’ Lance 1995.

A year ago I had some health issues (a pacemaker helped) and in my darkest day we decided to sell the 5.0 and go back to a 25RQ, since Escapes 23 (25?) was just a camper on paper. We gave up 2 mpg and quite a few camping spots with our 2016 25RQ, but like the format. Our friends now have an Escape 23 (25?) and will be very interested when we can finally see their new Escape and hear their opinions.

Escape builds awesome campers and I’m guessing we’ll probably own a 23 some time in the future.

Enjoy,

Perry

 

[Bob from Lewes DE]

Hi, I am new to this forum and my wife, and I are getting ready to pull the trigger on a first-time trailer purchase.

May I ask what made you choose the Escape brand. What differentiated it for you when comparing it to its competition?

We are considering an Oliver, Legacy Elite, Casita either the Liberty or S Spirit Deluxe and the, Escape 17B. We had the opportunity to see a Casita the other day and liked it a lot and are hopping to see an Escape soon.

The reason for getting a trailer is I recently retired, and my wife will retire in a year or so. We sea kayak, and hike and the kinds of places we want to be able to explore do not have the best accommodations. We want to use the trailer as our base camp for our adventures. We also want to explore national parks here in the US and Canada.

Thank you,

Bobby

I read through the replies to your question about Escape campers and I agree with just about everything said.

That said, I'm writing to tell you that I have a 2011 Escape 5.0 single axle camper for sale in Delaware. My late husband and I purchased the camper in 2012, but didn't use it as much as we wanted to due to the need to care for aging parents and then my husband's cancer diagnosis.

I want to start camping again and I decided I wanted a slightly larger camper due to purchasing a new, larger truck (Silverado 2500). I recently purchased a 2020 Escape 5.0 TA, and now the 2011 has to go....

The camper is listed on the the "escapeforum.org" website as well as on eBay. If you'd like to take a look at it I'm located in Lewes, Delaware, and I'm also frequently in Frederick, MD.

Please let me know if I can provide any information...

Thank you,

Bob

 

[Jim Bergie]

The BEST 17 foot

We purchased our 2008 17B in November of 2010 in Calgary from a couple who had gently used it and covered it in their driveway when not in use. We live in Western Colorado and have used the trailer over 400 nights, traveling from Maine to Oregon, and Canada to Memphis pulling it with a 4 liter (6 cylinder) 4Runner. When not in use it occupies the third stall in our garage. It gets waxed twice a year and works/looks like new.
In 2017 we traveled to Chilawack to have a new water heater, front storage box, new SS sink and range hood.
Prior to our Escape days we traveled in a 13 foot and 16 foot Scamp. Both of those trailers were sold for more than we paid for them. I am confident that we could sell our Escape for what we paid for it in 2010. We have never been disappointed in the Escape! Jim Berger

 

[LSmith]

We were long term tenters who decided it was time to move up to a camper. During our research we came across the fiberglass rv, Bolar, Trillium and Escape Trailer forums. After following them for a few months, we were starting to think that molded fiberglass was the answer.

We attended and rv show and toured small conventional trailers, pop ups and a-frames. We did not like any of them. We bought a vintage 13 foot fiberglass trailer and we loved it. A few years later we moved up to a 15 foot vintage trailer. We loved camping in them. They were easy to tow, easy to repair and required little maintenance. They were great to camp in but we were planning to spend 3 to 6 months camping when we retired and we wanted more comforts.

Our requirements were AC, separate bed and dinette, bathroom, furnace, fridge and stove. We also wanted something we could pull with our mid sized truck. We eliminated Oliver and Bigfoot because of price and weight. We settled on an Escape 19 because checked all our boxes and the owners so happy with the quality of their trailers. Ian Giles (who is a fiberglass rv legend) even recommended it once when I was talking to him. Last year we bought a 2012 E19 and so far we are thrilled with it. It has impressive storage space as well. The Escape tongue box is a gem that also protects the trailer from stones.

 

[John in Santa Cruz]

Huh, my 2014 e21 has a junction box screwed to the floor in the forward left corner compartment, but there's no breakers there at all, or line voltage, that stuff is all in the back, under the dinette benches.

 

[C&G in FL]

Actually the previous comment about ETI used to do more customization brought a smile when I remembered when:

-only slider windows
-one upholstery pattern
-no lithium
-no solar panels
-one type of fridge
-one type of table support
-one flooring pattern
-one arborite pattern
-one type of awning

Most customization occurred when the buyer shipped their upholstery etc. which for US buyers added a bit of work to the buying process.

Current buyers don't realize how lucky they are to have as many options as are now available. Of course same old, same old me would still order the original 3; I've always thought that the original colors, no doubt selected by Tammy, were inspired and I couldn't do better.

Ron

Yes, I can remember those days. Most customization work was done by the owner after delivery. Reace did, however, do a bit of custom wiring for me and when I asked about putting the outside shower on the passenger side of the trailer stated that they had never been asked to do that, thought a minute, and then said sure because the water lines for the kitchen sink were nearby. A lot of “new” options came about due to “innovative” requests from the purchasers during their build sheet formulation period. Others came when Reace saw “improvements” by owners modifications.

The “many options” period did not come about until Reace and Tammy sold ETI. It seems to me that was when I started reading more quality complaints on the forum from new owners. More options seem to mean more complication with assembly, slowing things down. Perhaps that is the reason Reace did not expand the options. Perhaps he believed in the philosophy that “keep it simple, stupid” would not lead to an increase in quality complaints.

 

[DWagaman]

My husband and I had several pop ups, an RV, a 19’ trailer but decided we wanted to get an Escape 21c because it has dual axles and a bed which didn’t need one person climbing over another to get out of bed. We drove out to Chillawack in June 2019 to pick it up. Because of COVID we haven’t used it as much as we would like but we are Ambassadors for Escape and have shown our trailer frequently since 2019. We live in Northern VA if you are interested in seeing it.

 

[MrLynn]

I described my 'Molded Fiberglass Obsession' in the 2016 blog post linked in my signature. The result of that was a used (2013) Casita, which we had for six years.

Then in 2021 we decided we needed a camper with two beds, or one with a bed plus a 4-person dinette that could be made into a bed (the Casita 2-person dinette made a bed that was too narrow and in the way). In the MFG world, the only options were Escape 19s or 21s, or Bigfoot 21s and 25s (and maybe Oliver 23s); the Escapes fit the budget and the space in our yard better.

Fortunately, we were able to negotiate a deal with a Forum member who was moving to a Bigfoot 25; his 2019 Escape 21C was just right for us (even the cushion color (green)! We are happy with the choice, and have had no problems since we bought it in the Spring of 2022. My only mods have been springs on the screen door, and curtain tracks (my wife made the curtains).

 

[DWagaman]

We live in Annandale, VA if you are interested in seeing our 2019 21C call 703-560-3822.