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Old 12-18-2011, 10:00 AM   #1
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Name: Steve
Trailer: 2018, 21ft escape— 2019 Ram 1500 Laramie
NW Wisconsin
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Escape money well spent?

Recently my wife was making one of her rare visits to this website and discovered the Escape trailer . She was really impressed with the 19 ft. Escape after visiting their website. We have a 16 ft Scamp and we like it but she would like a little more room and a full size bed. The Escape is quite a bit more expensive and I am wondering is the upgrade worth the cost? We are going on a first time trip to the western US next year and if it's worth the time and money we may drive to the Escape factory in Canada and visit. When I bought the scamp my wife was aprehensive ( she thought I was going thru my midlife crisis) now she's not!
I'm wondering in this case are we comparing a Chevy (Scamp) to a Cadillac (Escape)

Thanks Steve Dunham
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Old 12-18-2011, 10:44 AM   #2
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As the owner of an Escape 17B, I would have to admit a bit of prejudice, but I did do quite a bit of research prior to purchasing & I know I made the right choice. Yes, it was more expensive, but I feel it is a better build, inside & out.

Another advantage is working with Reace & Tammy. They bent over backwards to help me with decisions on options, they installed equipment I sent them (A back up camera & cell phone antenna & amplifier system), in short, great people to buy from.

I'm sure there are just as many individuals happy with their particular brand of trailer but I'm glad I went with Escape.

By the way, if you want to "see" an actual trailer, call Tammy at Escape & ask for a reference to an owner in your area. Most of us are glad to show their trailer to prospective buyers.
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Old 12-18-2011, 11:07 AM   #3
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Steve, since Escape started building trailers I've seen a bunch. An Escape 5th wheel is my "forever" trailer. If you're interested in talking with a bunch of owners... there is an Escape Forum: Escape Travel Trailer Forum - Index
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Old 12-18-2011, 12:14 PM   #4
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We saw the inside of an Escape 19' at the get together in the pocono's this summer. I thought the fit/finish/quality was far superior to anything else there. Definitly a chevy to cadillac comparison. BUT for the price differance I prefer the roominess of my EggCamper.

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Old 12-18-2011, 12:32 PM   #5
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That was one of my issues with the Escape, I saw a 19' this year at the Mid-Atlantic rally and by the time you add all the options plus the weight, you are near $30K and 3000#, so I opted for the Lance with less weight and less $ but with the same options and bigger.
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Old 12-18-2011, 03:03 PM   #6
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Trailer: 2018, 21ft escape— 2019 Ram 1500 Laramie
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Mr. Harley is correct ,when I added the ESCAPE base price to the options my wife and I wanted on the trailer, the price was north of 30 grand. I looked at the EGGCAMPER in the past and talked to Jim at the factory about cost with the options we wanted. The cost of the EGGCAMPER was considerately less than the Escape . The ESCAPE price would come more in line if the exchange rate was still at 70 % like years ago but at my last check it was almost even. My wife liked the ESCAPE interior better than the EGGCAMPER , which she thought was a little sterile.
I quess it will be a form versus fuction discussion between me and my wife.
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Old 12-18-2011, 05:14 PM   #7
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Steve,

Stay away from Chilliwack! Between talking to the people there and seeing their trailers, you will be hooked. In our case, it was two couples traveling in two Casitas who stopped in at the factory. The result: two Escapes sold. We loved our Casita but we wanted a little more room and a queen size bed. Six thousand miles later, it's still worth every nickel.

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Old 12-18-2011, 06:42 PM   #8
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Hi: steve dunham... I am certainly biased in my opinion. The first thing you notice about the Escape is the fit& finish, and that's just what you can see. That's also what is under the skin that you can't see. We've put 1000's of miles on our 5.0 with a few minor isues. Most of them I created on my own...like burning out the electric element for the water heater...OOOps.
You can't go wrong with the Escape and yes it's money well spent. I never regret buying QUALITY!!!
Alf S. North shore of Lake Erie
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Old 12-18-2011, 06:57 PM   #9
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As a former Casita owner and now a very happy Escape owner, I have to add to what other Escape owners are saying: the Escape is without equals as a quality fiberglass travel trailer. No regrets at all!!!
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Old 12-18-2011, 07:36 PM   #10
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Not to throw in another wrench here, but my understanding is the Escape is based on the former Trillium. We just bought a 13ft Trillium this year, which is now being built in Southern California.

So far we've had a wonderful experience with the trailer, and similar to the escape owners above, the fit and finish have been very good. Admittedly, the 13ft is small, but you are looking at the bigger models anyhow.

Seems to me if you are looking for an alternative (perhaps cheeper) to the Escape, with a very similar (I believe exactly the same) floor plan, you might want to check out the Trilliums.

Happy shopping!
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Old 12-18-2011, 07:58 PM   #11
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I'm not sure what the meaning of money well spent is to some people, but $28,000 without air conditioning and by the time you add $options you are approaching $35,000 for the 5th wheel IMHO is not money well spent unless it becomes your address.
Before spending that amount I'd start looking at Airstreams, we know they hold their value. But I'm not looking at my RV as an investment, I'm not planning on getting a return on my investment. In these recessionary times your home is no longer an investment.
But I'm looking at the most value for the least amount spent, not most amount spent. I think there are some alternatives at the $15k level, the $20K level and higher, depending on how comfortable you are in your economic situation. I have no qualms spending $20,000 cash on an item, but $30,000 or $35,000 makes me stop to think. You can almost buy 2 Casitas for one Escape 5th wheel. Maybe my comfort threshold is lower than most Escape 5th owners.
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Old 12-18-2011, 08:05 PM   #12
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Yeah, I agree with Jim. If you're looking at making an investment anywhere north of the $30-$40k level, the Airstream is the way to go. Nothing against our fiberglass trailers, but those Airstreams certainly are beautiful trailers!
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Old 12-18-2011, 08:28 PM   #13
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Escape to Wisconsin

Those from Wisconsin will recognize the above title as a slogan used for advertising by the State of Wisconsin Department of Tourism. I think that particular ad campaign has now ended, being replaced with the mitten. We will not bore you with the details of the mitten.

At any rate Steve, you do not have to drive to BC to see an Escape as there are now four of them in Wisconsin. Two of them are 19’s and two 17’s. They are all congregated on the borders, two on the Illinois border, one on the Iowa border and one on the Minnesota border.

I guess my point is you can see them without a cross country drive and at the same time get first hand opinions. I believe I have shown mine to two interested parties. One has taken delivery and the other has one on order. Send me a PM if you would like details of whom and where.
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Old 12-18-2011, 08:40 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by steve dunham View Post
Recently my wife was making one of her rare visits to this website and discovered the Escape trailer . She was really impressed with the 19 ft. Escape after visiting their website. We have a 16 ft Scamp and we like it but she would like a little more room and a full size bed. The Escape is quite a bit more expensive and I am wondering is the upgrade worth the cost? We are going on a first time trip to the western US next year and if it's worth the time and money we may drive to the Escape factory in Canada and visit. When I bought the scamp my wife was aprehensive ( she thought I was going thru my midlife crisis) now she's not!
I'm wondering in this case are we comparing a Chevy (Scamp) to a Cadillac (Escape)

Thanks Steve Dunham

If you are coming out west, by all means stop at Escape facilities. But if you can plan your trip, stop at Egg Camper as well.

A while back, FGRV had a thread asking what trailer you'd buy if price was not a consideration. I posted: I'd seriously consider buying an Escape. If I were to buy an Escape, I'd get an Escape 19. I love the idea of a big bed at one end of the trailer and a comfortable dinette setup at the other.

But, since price is of importance, there are pros and cons to the cost of the Escape. There are pros and cons to the way the bed is configured in the Escape 19. And the trailer is heavy, and that will impact your gas milage.

Regarding that larger back bunk (and front dinette), you'll have more room when sleeping on the bed, but you'll still have to crawl over one another when nature comes calling at 2:00 AM.

The Egg Camper has the same bunk type but a small side dinette. Even so, you get a "roomy interior cabin" and less weight, for less $$. The Egg Camper does have double insulation, but not double paneled windows. I'd ask Jim Palmer if he could configure the trailer to offer better insulation.

What kind of camping do you do? How important is insulation to you? That is what you can get from the Escape.

You are paying more ... and I have no doubt that they give you an insanely superior product. They also do a lot of custom work that would not be offered by Egg Camper.

Finally, there are other fiberglass options I have not researched. Also, there are "stick" options to be considered. Though, I doubt you'd get the same quality construction as the Escape and Egg Camper.

Another consideration: a used Bigfoot 21.
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Old 12-18-2011, 08:55 PM   #15
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The Egg Camper does not have double insulation, it has an inner and outer shell, 1/8" thick separated by foil on about 60% surface. While contemplating insulated windows in the Nest Egg I was told I'd be wasting my money because of the 3/8' wall thickness has little insulating value. The Escape and Bigfoot offer thicker insulation at additional costs and weight. But Scamps and Casitas and Egg Campers all are not that well insulated. Stick built trailers with their leak issues offer the thicker foam/fiberglass insulation in floors/walls/roofs. These reasons are why I went with the non molded fiberglass Lance. It has 1.5" thick walls,roof,floor, and insulated windows and hopefully no leaks.
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Old 12-18-2011, 09:18 PM   #16
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Name: Daniel A.
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The Escape is right up there with the Bigfoot in build quality. If price were not an issue I'd buy the Escape in a heart beat.
I settled on a used Bigfoot for the quality and am happy with it.

I see very few used Escape units on the market for sale and the ones I do see hold there price well, Bigfoot has always had a good resale market.

Would I be unhappy with other FGRV's I don't think so because some may need more research than others to decide the trade offs of each.

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Old 12-18-2011, 10:31 PM   #17
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Originally Posted by Jon Vermilye View Post
As the owner of an Escape 17B, I would have to admit a bit of prejudice, but I did do quite a bit of research prior to purchasing & I know I made the right choice. Yes, it was more expensive, but I feel it is a better build, inside & out.

Another advantage is working with Reace & Tammy. They bent over backwards to help me with decisions on options, they installed equipment I sent them (A back up camera & cell phone antenna & amplifier system), in short, great people to buy from.

I'm sure there are just as many individuals happy with their particular brand of trailer but I'm glad I went with Escape.

By the way, if you want to "see" an actual trailer, call Tammy at Escape & ask for a reference to an owner in your area. Most of us are glad to show their trailer to prospective buyers.
The Escape is a nice trailer, but as you say..."there are just as many individuals happy with their particular brand of trailer"
I love my Scamp 13Deluxe for it's size,towability, build quality, and unmatched interior. While it seems the trend is toward larger trailers, we find the Scamp13 to be just the right size needed for travel and comfort.
When we started our search we seriously considered an Airstream Bambi 16 CCD.We bought the Scamp, and after 8 years we still see lots of nice choices out there, but nothing for which we would trade...
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Old 12-18-2011, 11:02 PM   #18
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Name: Steve
Trailer: 2018, 21ft escape— 2019 Ram 1500 Laramie
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Originally Posted by cpaharley2008 View Post
The Egg Camper does not have double insulation, it has an inner and outer shell, 1/8" thick separated by foil on about 60% surface. While contemplating insulated windows in the Nest Egg I was told I'd be wasting my money because of the 3/8' wall thickness has little insulating value. The Escape and Bigfoot offer thicker insulation at additional costs and weight. But Scamps and Casitas and Egg Campers all are not that well insulated. Stick built trailers with their leak issues offer the thicker foam/fiberglass insulation in floors/walls/roofs. These reasons are why I went with the non molded fiberglass Lance. It has 1.5" thick walls,roof,floor, and insulated windows and hopefully no leaks.
Jim you are correct . I called the Eggcamper factory and talked to Jim the owner . I told him I was interested in an Eggcamper and that I wished to use it for deer hunting as well as summer camping . I was told that it was designed to be used down to approx 32 deg f. and that the wall insulation .windows and heater were not designed for colder temps.
I suppose you could pump enough heat into any trailer but at what cost?
I did some checking and from what I could see ,none of the molded fiberglass trailers are designed for below zero use. I just gave up on the idea of using it for hunting when it's COLD
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Old 12-18-2011, 11:27 PM   #19
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Originally Posted by steve dunham View Post
Jim you are correct . I called the Eggcamper factory and talked to Jim the owner . I told him I was interested in an Eggcamper and that I wished to use it for deer hunting as well as summer camping . I was told that it was designed to be used down to approx 32 deg f. and that the wall insulation .windows and heater were not designed for colder temps.
I suppose you could pump enough heat into any trailer but at what cost?
I did some checking and from what I could see ,none of the molded fiberglass trailers are designed for below zero use. I just gave up on the idea of using it for hunting when it's COLD
Steve, Bigfoot has an option of a winterized FGRV. It's detailed on their website. Thicker insulation, thermo windows etc, Don't think they make a small egg anymore though.

Cheers,
Mark
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Old 12-19-2011, 12:43 AM   #20
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Name: Dave
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You need to set some priorities when contemplating a purchase.

Will you be camping in fully serviced campgrounds? Semi-serviced? Boondocking?

What are you towing with?

How much do you value a deluxe set of surroundings vs "a dry place to sleep"

Is resale a few years down the road important to you?

What options do you need and/or want?

Do you want airconditioning? Winter insulation?

How many people will be with you on a typical trip? Will there be times when you have "extra folks" along?

How often will you be using it? (Continually? 3 weeks vacation plus 10 weekends per year? Two weekends a year max?)

Is light weight important or do you want more "creature comforts"?

For myself, I'd much rather have a used Lexus than a brand new Camry (at comparable prices) so the decision was easy. If there were used Escapes around in my price range, my choice would have been harder, but the choice of a used Bigfoot 21 was a no-brainer for me

Your wants, needs and desires are likely different
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