Hello - looking for my first fiberglass trailer

[ZachO]

It definitely helps to have towing mirrors with my Bigfoot. I only put them on for longer trips, and I feel safe driving around on shorter trips without them. I just have to be a lot more aware, and get out and actually look at things more often.

[WizWid]

Originally Posted by ZachO

It definitely helps to have towing mirrors with my Bigfoot. I only put them on for longer trips, and I feel safe driving around on shorter trips without them. I just have to be a lot more aware, and get out and actually look at things more often.

Zach - that is not logical. You either need them or you dont. I use one on my Bigfoot - every time.

[thrifty bill]

Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz

it sure seems like the escape is signficant;y wider than the casita.... casita 16, I needed no towing mirror extensions to see around it with my Tacoma. I bet its only 6'8 at the band, since it tapers in above and below the band.. the escape, even my 2014 (original, not the new updated one) seems much more slab sided

I used towing mirrors with my Casita 17, and I use the same mirrors with my Escape 19. I would not say I "need" it with either, BUT, in my case, I have a truck camper top on my pickup. You cannot look through either side of the top (no side windows). So the towing mirrors help even when I don't have a trailer on back.


As far as the Escape versus our Casita, we really notice the aisle way in the middle is wider. In our case, my wife and I can get by each other easily on the Escape which we could not do on our Casita. It may only be a couple of inches, but it is appreciated!

[ZachO]

I agree with your point, but I'm not sure if I agree that I "need" them. With the small convex mirrors on my standard side-views, I can see well enough to feel safe.

I can see what's just behind me in the passing lane, and if I need to move into the passing lane, I just move to the far outside of the road, and when I steer back towards the inside, I can see around the trailer... It sounds bad but is not a swerve, and I can see just fine when I do it...Luckily it's rare that I need to move into the passing lane. It sounds bad writing it, I'll admit, but feels perfectly safe and adequate in the moment.

I'd say I can see about as well as a semi. They have a huge blind spot behind them.

Is there a certain range of view that is considered safe or legal? I'm not one to take big chances when driving. I feel I can see what I need to see when changing lanes. With the extensions I don't need to do the side-to-side movement.

I guess I feel that the movement is not dangerous, and allows me see safely.

[ZachO]

I have to admit, "listening" to how that sounds makes me feel I should probably just keep my mirror extension on all the time...

But I really can see all I need to see, safely, doing that move from side to side.

[Jon in AZ]

Most state laws specify mirrors that give a clear view at least 200 feet behind the rear of the vehicle. That would, I assume, be referring to the adjacent lanes.

[Glenn Baglo]

Originally Posted by Jon in AZ

Most state laws specify mirrors that give a clear view at least 200 feet behind the rear of the vehicle. That would, I assume, be referring to the adjacent lanes.

It's actually see the adjacent lanes back 200 feet from the rear of the vehicle. You don't need to see what is directly behind you.

(4) Where a trailer or semitrailer in a combination of vehicles diminishes the driver's reflected rear view through the rear view mirrors required by subsections (1) to (3), the towing vehicle in the combination of vehicles shall be equipped with 2 mirrors, one affixed to each side of the motor vehicle, and each to provide the driver with an undistorted reflected view of the adjacent lane of the highway from a point on the road surface 11 m ( 36 feet ) behind the driver to a point on the road surface 61 m ( 200 feet ) from the rear of the combination of vehicles.

[rbryan]

Originally Posted by ZachO

...and don't really know much about Olivers.

I don't know much about them either, but with what I do know, I'm very impressed with their quality.

I really dislike the layout however, and the tiny side dinette. If they ever tweaked the layout to provide a front/rear dinette/bed arrangement with a side bath and a larger fridge, I'd have to seriously consider them.

[thrifty bill]

Originally Posted by rbryan

I don't know much about them either, but with what I do know, I'm very impressed with their quality.

I really dislike the layout however, and the tiny side dinette. If they ever tweaked the layout to provide a front/rear dinette/bed arrangement with a side bath and a larger fridge, I'd have to seriously consider them.

+10 Its a deal killer for us as well. We much prefer a larger dinette and permanent bed combo, which means one across the front and the other across the rear. Everyone has different requirements. Ours were a larger bed and a larger dinette, yet small enough overall length I could get it into our backyard storage area (very tight). Escape 19 was the one that met these requirements. Very questionable I could go any larger.

Oliver layout is very similar to a Casita, just built to a higher standard (and price). So for those where a Casita works out that want more (4 seasons, double hull, etc.) I can see where an Oliver would be nice. Since we really didn't like the layout of our Casita, getting a nicer version of the same layout didn't make much sense.

We really liked our fifth wheel we traveled with 30 years ago. I can see us someday going with an Escape fifth wheel. Then again, we really like having the bed of our truck for storage.....

[Cathi]

I just want to mention that the Escape 19' is the one with a queen bed. The 21' does not have a queen but in between a full and queen.

You can likely find Escape owners in your region willing to show their trailers by calling Escape in BC.

Originally Posted by AndyF

Thanks for the welcome.

In my internet research, the Escape 21 seems to be the best fit so far, between being reasonably small for towing and large enough to be comfortable for a longer trip. We have a lot of looking to do still, especially in terms of finding trailers close enough to us that we can actually touch and walk through to see how they feel. I'm 6'1" and would prefer not to be bent over in the trailer, so one with sufficient headroom and a large enough bed - ideally queen size - is on the wish list. I also live in Central NY and contemplate some fall trips in the Adirondacks and New England as well as longer trips that will bring me through areas where it might be below freezing occasionally, so a trailer with a real 3 season capability is also on the wish list.

[ZachO]

Based on what Glen posted, I'm guessing that without the mirror extensions I'm legal, but having to do the little side to side motion isn't ideal, and I should just always use the mirrors. My excuse is that I'm towing my trailer somewhere between 3-120 miles, usually more than once a week all summer, and get lazy about taking the mirrors on & off. I don't like leaving them on all the time but I may just start doing it.

When I was first looking at trailers I was drooling over Olivers. That wore off pretty fast, though. They do seem great, but even if I had enough money, I think other trailers would be higher on my list. Nothing to do with quality, obviously, just personal preference.

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by rbryan

...If they ever tweaked the layout to provide a front/rear dinette/bed arrangement with a side bath and a larger fridge, I'd have to seriously consider them.

That doesn't sound like "tweaking," but more like a ground-up redesign due to the need for all-new inner molds and completely reworked mechanicals. The real limitation with Oliver is the relatively narrow width given the length, which sacrifices spaciousness for towability. Any layout is going to have a corridor-like feel. A mid bath might actually make it feel more pinched or constricted.

Fortunately, I believe someone is making exactly what you want.

[rbryan]

Originally Posted by Jon in AZ

That doesn't sound like "tweaking," but more like a ground-up redesign due to the need for all-new inner molds and completely reworked mechanicals. The real limitation with Oliver is the relatively narrow width given the length, which sacrifices spaciousness for towability. Any layout is going to have a corridor-like feel. A mid bath might actually make it feel more pinched or constricted.

Fortunately, I believe someone is making exactly what you want.

You're right Jon, it's not a tweak in that sense. A wider Oliver would make alot of sense too. Just 6 more inches of interior width would probably make a big difference, with not much impact on towing.

Escapes are the best fit for my tastes in terms of layout, but I wouldn't call it exact. Would love to see an aluminum frame and a few other 'tweaks'. There's always room for improvement.

[Dapaxton]

HI Andy,
You are asking all the right questions, but have you looked at Bigfoot yet? we owned a Casita before making the switch to BF and have never looked back. The roominess and quality are unmatched and they hold their value very well.
It sounds like you have a big enough rig to pull just about anything you want and the BF is fairly light (21' is 3700lb dry). A lot of people have a smaller SUV and want to keep things really small which is how we started. But after moving up to a 21' (tongue to bumper) we really appreciate the space.
Bigfoot is super high quality and all season.

We love them so much we bought a 25' recently and we have our 21' up for sale. If you're interested we're happy to answer any questions.

Good luck! You won't be disappointed owning a fiberglass trailer.

[Dapaxton]

Bigfoot! All these things are found in the Bigfoot trailers.

[Mitzi Agnew-Giles]

Welcome! I lurked on another site devoted to RVs in general for 12 years before purchasing a Lil Snoozy. If at all possible do try to get to a rally. Youll get to se a wide variety of makes, and how people have personalized theirs. I didnt do that, I got to peek into a few over the years while tent camping. When I finally saw an Rpod in person (and rejected it) I remembered seeing a couple Scamps over the years and googled Scamp, which brought me to this site. I had no idea there were so many different kinds.
We knew wede have to buy a dedicated tow vehicle, and we wound up doing that 3 months before our Snoozy was ready for pickup. Our Snoozy weighs 2436 lbs and our tow (named the Carship Enterprise for all the bells and whistles) can tow up to 7500 lbs, so we do have wiggle room if we decide down the road to go with a different trailer. Enjoy your search.

[AndyF]

Originally Posted by Dapaxton

HI Andy,
You are asking all the right questions, but have you looked at Bigfoot yet? we owned a Casita before making the switch to BF and have never looked back. The roominess and quality are unmatched and they hold their value very well.
It sounds like you have a big enough rig to pull just about anything you want and the BF is fairly light (21' is 3700lb dry). A lot of people have a smaller SUV and want to keep things really small which is how we started. But after moving up to a 21' (tongue to bumper) we really appreciate the space.
Bigfoot is super high quality and all season.

We love them so much we bought a 25' recently and we have our 21' up for sale. If you're interested we're happy to answer any questions.

Good luck! You won't be disappointed owning a fiberglass trailer.

I've done a lot of internet looking at the Bigfoot, but the difference in price between a new Escape and new Bigfoot had pointed me towards the Escape. Yours looks really nice though. Too bad there is 3,000 miles and lots of snow between us. Although, I guess a road trip could be possible.

How well do you think a Colorado would do as the tow vehicle for your Bigfoot?

[PamD]

Hi! My first trailer, and I still have it, was/is an older used Scamp that's 13 feet - perfect for 2 people! Because of the short wheel base, it's hard to back, but you never know if's behind you when traveling at 60 or more MPH!!! I made the dinnete into a bed and carry a "porta potty". We camp in campgrounds so use the provided dining tables and BBQ. Mine is the "Deluxe" model, which means wood cabinets instead of fiberglass. Oh, and there is a forward 2 seat dining table!

[NW Cat Owner]

I looked at the floor plans for all of the fiberglass trailers out there. The one in the 21' or 5.0TA Escapes appealed to me the most. It was all about the bed for me as I'm tall and needed the length of the bed. Some trailers & motorhomes have shorter beds. I rented a motorhome and took a 3 week trip from Seattle to Sacramento and back. It had the short queen in there and it drove me nuts. I'd try sleeping sideways to get the extra length but that didn't really work.

So, yeah, look at floor plans. If need be, start running that tape measure out to see how everything is in real life. Start asking around for trailers to view. Sit on the dinette. Flop on the bed. (I warned everyone that was showing us their Escape trailers that I'd be flopping on the bed and I did!) Have the two of you walk around in it.

I pull our 21 with a crew max 2017 Tundra with a higher canopy on it. Tons of room to wad stuff in the back and plenty of umph to get up over the mountain passes.

Here's the truck, trailer and Dirk at SolarFest last summer. Spike the cat is hiding inside under the blankets. He wasn't as thrilled about the trip as we were.

[thrifty bill]

Originally Posted by AndyF

I've done a lot of internet looking at the Bigfoot, but the difference in price between a new Escape and new Bigfoot had pointed me towards the Escape. Yours looks really nice though. Too bad there is 3,000 miles and lots of snow between us. Although, I guess a road trip could be possible.

How well do you think a Colorado would do as the tow vehicle for your Bigfoot?

To be fair to Bigfoot and Oliver, while their prices are at the top end, they are true four season trailers. Now if you don't need a four season trailer, that aspect may not be that important. But it drives up the price. Myself, we are not interested in camping in really cold weather. But if we lived somewhere further north, it might be more important.