Escape Trailer

[LindaK]

The tow vehicle and trailer look good together, I like that the grey stripe matchers the 4runner

We liked the option of being able to have our trailer match our tow vehicle. Just one more way that Reace has listened to his customers. Another great thing that we love with our Escape is that even with the 4-Runner, which is narrower than a pickup truck, we don't need extra mirrors. The Escape is narrow enough that we don't need to bother with that added hassle when towing. Hardly know it is behind us; light and easy! The quality is what matters the most, however, and it definitely has that! We love it!

[Glenn Baglo]

We liked the option of being able to have our trailer match our tow vehicle. Just one more way that Reace has listened to his customers. Another great thing that we love with our Escape is that even with the 4-Runner, which is narrower than a pickup truck, we don't need extra mirrors. The Escape is narrow enough that we don't need to bother with that added hassle when towing. Hardly know it is behind us; light and easy! The quality is what matters the most, however, and it definitely has that! We love it!

Leslie likes to tell people that we had to buy the new RAV so we could let Tammy know what color to do the graphics on our new trailer. Nice match by the way. And, just to go that further step, Tammy had the "Toad" name done up by the graphics company and had it in place when we picked up the trailer.

As for mirrors, I can get away without them, but, I did buy an extension mirror that sticks to the RAV mirror with suction. I only bought one, for the driver side. What it does for me is allow me to see further up the road behind me so that if I need to pass another vehicle, I can ensure that there isn't another vehicle overtaking me at 130 kph. The stock RAV mirror tells me the road is clear for maybe 100 feet. The auxillary mirror allows me to see a quarter mile. I'll probably get another for the passenger side so I can see, for sure, that I'm safely past the vehicle I'm overtaking and that there isn't an idiot who has ducked into the right lane to pass me.

Can't remember the name of the mirror. I threw the instructions away, but you turn a knob on the back of the suction device and it clings to the mirror. Has a safety strap in case you don't trust it. It does vibrate some, but so would you, hanging out the side of the RAV at 110 kph.

I'll likely get another and let you know the brand and source.



baglo

[jeffz]

Well we just are about to pick up our new 2009 Escape and I have to echo that Rease & Tammy are great to work with.. We looked at a couple of different trailers and we're impressed with the overall room and layout of the Escape 17ft. I not too sure if this helps anyone but we put together some information on how we came to the decision to purchase the Escape.. http://zimodecast.com/?p=82

We pick it up in about a week... really looking forward to it...

[LindaK]

Thanks for the info, baglo.

Please keep us all posted on the mirrors. We take our first real trip this weekend; looking forward to it. Hope all who post on this site will participate in the gathering in OR in July!

[LindaK]

Well we just are about to pick up our new 2009 Escape and I have to echo that Rease & Tammy are great to work with.. We looked at a couple of different trailers and we're impressed with the overall room and layout of the Escape 17ft. I not too sure if this helps anyone but we put together some information on how we came to the decision to purchase the Escape.. http://zimodecast.com/?p=82

We pick it up in about a week... really looking forward to it...

Pete and I saw your trailer when we picked ours up. You will love it. We have tried many different varieties; have done tons of research, and nothing beats the quality, the ability to personally customize, and the ease of towing (not to mention the personal attention of the owners!) of the Escape. It just keeps getting better, too! It is exciting to watch the development of a company; it is a model that we wish more would follow.

Happy trails!

[Cam A]

What a thorough analysis of 17 's, all in one place! It will be very useful for folks trying to work through which 17 fits best. Those favoring the Escape should keep in mind that the falling Canadian dollar (.89 to the US yesterday) will improve the price point. Thanks for your contribution, and please keep your site up/available.

[jeffz]

Hi all...

First of all I want to publicly thank Tammy & Rease for showing us their kindness and patience through the initial pick-up of our new 2009 Escape Plan "B" trailer with modification. We are complete newbies and Rease/Tammy really went the extra mile explaining everything to us.. We spent over 6 hours with them (lunch included).. It was raining outside and Rease set-up the Weight Distribution Hitch and made sure we were completly comfortable with how it towed.. He even did a test drive with me!!

Anyway we love the Escape and right now are outside Yakima Wa.. yes it's day 5 the trailer and we are getting it down..

If you're ever in this area, highly recommend the Yakima Nation RV resort.. it's next about 14 mi outside of the Wa wine country.. perfectly located and quiet..

Thanks to everyone who helped us in our decision making process.. it really has worked out

jeff, liana & shiba (the wonder dog)

[GORDON C.]

SINCE MOST OF THE RESPONDERS HERE ARE FROM THE COLD CLIMES, HOW WELL INSULATED ARE THESE? I KNOW THAT SOUTHERN CALIF DOESNT HAVE ITS SHARE OF SNOW, BUT I LIKE TO HEAD TO THE SIERRA'S FOR FISHING DURING COLD SPELLS.

WHAT ARE THE EXPERIENCES OF TOWING THE 19? I HAVE THE EXPLORER WITH A 6 AND TOW PACKAGE.

THANKS ALL

GORDON

[Doug Mager]

Can't speak on the insulation value, but one might consider the sales aspect alone.
IMHO: IF these weren't quality trailers (all way round), they wouldn't be selling so many of them.

Reace used to tow his 17 around with a little Mazda (or wuz it a Ranger??) pick up!!

[jeffz]

Gordon:

We just picked up our Escape on Oct 13th in BC.. The first night in Chilliwack it was 34 degrees (at about 7:00am) we didn't have the furnace on and it was about 45 degrees in the trailer.. We have the extra insulation and dual pane windows.. Once we turn on the furnace it immediately warmed up the Escape.. We then were in Bend Or where it got down to 25 degrees, this time we had the furnace set and it probably kicked on around 4 or 5 times that night (we had set around 58 degrees)..

We're from the SF Bay Area and really not too used to the cold.. I think the Escape handles the cold quite nicely.. We used our little ceramic heater more than the furnace to heat the trailer as it is more than sufficient.. I would definitely opt for the additional insulation & dual pane windows.. it seems to be a minor investment in warmth (from our perspective).. Of course this is our first foray into TT of any type so take it for what it's worth..

Hope this helps..

jeff

[Sandra L]

Gordon:

We just picked up our Escape on Oct 13th in BC.. The first night in Chilliwack it was 34 degrees (at about 7:00am) we didn't have the furnace on and it was about 45 degrees in the trailer.. We have the extra insulation and dual pane windows.. Once we turn on the furnace it immediately warmed up the Escape.. We then were in Bend Or where it got down to 25 degrees, this time we had the furnace set and it probably kicked on around 4 or 5 times that night (we had set around 58 degrees)..

We're from the SF Bay Area and really not too used to the cold.. I think the Escape handles the cold quite nicely.. We used our little ceramic heater more than the furnace to heat the trailer as it is more than sufficient.. I would definitely opt for the additional insulation & dual pane windows.. it seems to be a minor investment in warmth (from our perspective).. Of course this is our first foray into TT of any type so take it for what it's worth..

Hope this helps..

jeff

I'm in the process of deciding exactly how to configure an Escape. I have visited the factory and had seen another prior in time. I'm very impressed with the quality and the willingness of both Reace and Tammy to answer questions and give thoughtful advice. They also are very careful so that you do not order items that are not personally needed. To me that speaks of honesty and forthrightness, a quality not always seen these days. What else did you hve done differently( aside from the closet mod)?
Thanks,
Peace and Sunshine
Sandra

[Rob M]

Is the additional insulation a option or does it come with the dual pane windows as a package? What extra insulation do you get, and if it is a separate option, how much is it.

[Sandra L]

Is the additional insulation a option or does it come with the dual pane windows as a package? What extra insulation do you get, and if it is a separate option, how much is it.

I talked to Tammy. She indicated that the extra insulation can be purchased separately. The thermal windows are separate. I'm thinking that I may go for the extra insulation and tinted windows, since I am not a "snow person". However she did say that a Texas customer got both and she was extremely pleased with the fact that she kept cool!
If you are still looking, I would recommend the Escape. You can have extra outlets, lights and wiring placed as well as other modifications. They definitely try to please! Be sure to check out JeffZ's podcast. The date is 10-8-08. It is very informative.
Peace and Sunshine
Sandra

[jeffz]

Sandra:

We are so happy with the modification of cutting the closet in half and having it meet the overhead storage. I really opens up the inside and allows our dog more space to turn around in without giving up any storage space.. As for the additional things we added.. We did the tinted windows with dual pane (tinted seems to give more privacy as well) We have the outside outlet which came in handy for my laptop outside.. a 12v internal outlet (so that if we dry camp we can just get a small inverter to run things like hair dryer..) the bike rack (we are avid bikers..) Also Rease added pre-wire for solar (just in case we go that route..)

We just got back from our maiden voyage today.. so we'll have another little podcast with some visuals of how the inside looks with the cut down closet..

Oh yeah we were the test case for putting the air conditioner on top.. which really came out nice.. also we lucked out and got the retractable screen door that replaces the folding panel screen door..

I think that's about it.. anyway the Escape performed flawlessly!

jeff

[reinhold m]

this is a great thread with good info. my family and I have been looking at trailers and the Escape has risen like cream to the top of our short list. e-mails to Escape have been answered promptly and thoroughly by Tammy each and every time and there is even one person in Anchorage (also a member here I've discovered by reading around various posts) w/ a 17' plan B that she was able to refer us to, to go look at - I was impressed with what I saw.

I noticed the addition of the thermal windows and factory window tint to their options page last week (or had just not noticed before) but have not seen anything on the website about the 'extra insulation' - I will have to e-mail Tammy back about that as I think that would also be a desirable addition around these parts...

look forward to reading more from current owners and seeing more posts with pics of the mentioned custom/modified features as we continue towards hopeful FGRV 'Escape-ing' (or is that Eggscape-ing? - trying to follow the leads around here) in the Spring. The real adventure will be going after it and bringing it back.

[Sandra L]

Jeff:
FYI: Empty the blackwater tank 1st, followed by the gray to clean out the lines. I enjoyed the latest podcast, but if it had pictures, I couldn't get it on my Mac. However, I saw the comparison movies which were good. Thanks for mentioning the extra insulation. I'm just trying to think of all the details. I'm getting extra outside lights (front , back and driver's sides) for convenience and safety purposes. I'm looking forward to pictures of your trip and the closet mod.
The first Escape that I saw had a rack on the top for the owners' very lightweight boat (folding I think). They also had a TV with a swing arm attached to the fridge cabinet such that it could be viewed in bed or at the small dinette. So many people have come up with such clever ideas.
Enjoy!
Peace and Sunshine

[Glenn Baglo]

look forward to reading more from current owners and seeing more posts with pics of the mentioned custom/modified features as we continue towards hopeful FGRV 'Escape-ing' (or is that Eggscape-ing? - trying to follow the leads around here) in the Spring. The real adventure will be going after it and bringing it back.

All I've done to ours is add a few hooks, using adhesive tape so I can change my mind, installing a paper towel holder ( with adhesive pads ) which I happy with, so I'll probably screw it in place if the adhesive pads start to fail and I added a Dot-it light to the inside of the bathroom door. It provides enough light for a night-time excursion, without disturbing anybody else.

The last thing I want to do is drill a hole anywhere that I might later regret. I've got a few minor things in mind, but, I'm just going to keep them there until I'm convinced that's what I want to do.

I figure a year of camping will help me make additions or revisions that will work for me for years to come. I already ditched the plastic boxes for clothes that I had in the wardrobe. Replaced those with part of a wine rack that will hold 4 bottles and keep them from rolling around. Instead of trying to jam all my pots and pans in the cupboard under the stove, I'm storing my 10" and 12" Calphanon fry pans in a stainless tub that goes under the bed. I'll re-visit the spice rack after the stove cover is installed. It may interfere with my plans.

My point to all this, is, take it easy, no matter what trailer you buy, new or used. Try it out for a while so you can solve problems instead of creating them.

baglo

[reinhold m]

baglo,

sound advice. I didn't make myself clear that I was mainly referring to modifications done by the factory as noted by those who just recently assumed ownership - stuff not [yet?] listed on the Escape website options list.

BUT I also will certainly be looking at those custom things done by owners like yourself with proven tips & tricks to offer. I do agree with you that I likely won't be really fiddling with anything much for quite awhile and will most definitely take it a day at a time. Once that day finally comes. Until then, anticipation!

reinhold

[Sandra L]

Hi Reinhold,
You may wish to check out others modifications and just ask if they will do it. I talked to a 2005 Escape owner who wishes to extend the front dinette passenger side bench to the doorway, eliminating the wardrobe. They have offered to do it, but since he lives in California and likes woodworking, he is going to do it himself. Of course it will have storage underneath the seating. He wants to sit and take shoes on and off near the door, and doesn't care about the loss of hanging space. (I think they use the shower for that). They will also add doors to the seating storage if you like. Enjoy your planning.
Peace and Sunshine,

[jeffz]

I agree with baglo.. we have just gotten our Escape and I'm adverse to drilling any holes in anything until I understand what the heck our needs are.. One great thing is Magnets on the exhaust stove hood.. we bought the ones that are usually used for keys, they make a wonderful holders for anything that has holes in it..(large utensils for cooking) some of the magnets are rated for holding 9lbs.. We're also installing an additional shower curtain so the toilet doesn't get wet during showers.. Other than that is just the typical suction cup madness..

On a side issue I was thinking of hosting a Escape forum and was wondering if anyone thinks that's a good idea..

jeff