Poor Reace -- he would have loved to have a nice 95% consensus, one way or the other! However, we can see two distinct camps emerging -- the first focuses on efficiency, the second on convenience.
The efficiency group probably already leaves behind the things they don't need, because un-needed items add the other gas-mileage killer -
weight. This group can generally make do just fine in whatever storage space happens to be there, and the loss of just one or two cubic feet of storage won't negatively impact them.
The other group places a higher priority on convenience, and will pack any and every available storage space with items that add to the comfort or peace-of-mind. The loss of even one cubic foot of storage is a significant set-back to the enjoyment of their camping style.
It is interesting, too, that the cabinet in question is a FRONT cabinet, which translates into pure tongue
weight. This translates directly into tow-vehicle capacity, and therefore, to some degree, economy. For instance, my tow vehicle (which isn't Escape-class) is rated for 1500# of trailer, and for 150# tongue
weight. However, the suspension can't really carry that much tongue, so front cabinets are a major negative to me in whatever I tow. My tongue capacity keeps my towing capacity down to about #1200, based on the 10% rule.
Escape Hatch II
Our Escape Hatch
1970 Trails West Campster
2011 Escape 15A
Linear Mode
