Escape Trailers for cold(er) weather camping?

[Durango1]

Sioux and I LOVE our FWC Grandby flatbed camper. We hope to enjoy it for years to come. That said, we've been looking for a bit more draft-free cold weather option. Then we stumbled across Escape Trailers.

We want a higher clearance, self-contained trailer for boondocking on Forest Service and BLM roads in winter in Arizona. Nothing gonzo but able to pull into an isolated clearing. (We're keeping our Grandby/ Ram 4WD/ 2 door Rubicon combo for the fun stuff!)

Has anyone had experience with the Escape brand? Or is there another brand/model you'd recommend for the above scenario? (5000# or less loaded trailer weight, please.) TIA

 

[ski3pin]

WTW Site Team member Mark BC has owned and used an Escape trailer for a few years now. See post #1 in this thread -

Wintertime

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

Sioux and I LOVE our FWC Grandby flatbed camper. We hope to enjoy it for years to come. That said, we've been looking for a bit more draft-free cold weather option. Then we stumbled across Escape Trailers.

We want a higher clearance, self-contained trailer for boondocking on Forest Service and BLM roads in winter in Arizona. Nothing gonzo but able to pull into an isolated clearing. (We're keeping our Grandby/ Ram 4WD/ 2 door Rubicon combo for the fun stuff!)

Has anyone had experience with the Escape brand? Or is there another brand/model you'd recommend for the above scenario? (5000# or less loaded trailer weight, please.) TIA

Look at Oliver trailers. Rated as 4 season, but I call it more like 3.75 if not winterized. IMO, the best TT currently made. Send me a PM with your phone number, and I can tell you more about them. The Oliver forum is a great resource, too. We bought a used 2018 to replace our Airstream.

https://www.wanderthewest.com/forum/topic/24874-oliver-legacy-elite-ii/?hl=oliver

 

[MarkBC]

Yes, I have had an Escape trailer since 2020. Mine is the 19-footer. I've spent 3 - 4 months each of the past 3 winters camping - living - in it in the South/East.
I love it.
I have not used it in any conditions even a little gnarly - barely even taken it off pavement. But it could, up to a point. There is an option for a lift kit, but I didn't go for it...since that doesn't raise the axles any higher off the ground, just the bottom of the trailer.

I would not take my trailer to some of the places I've camped with my FWC camper...but that's not because the trailer is weak. It's just that I don't want to get in some situation where I unexpectedly have to back the trailer up a narrow rough road... Etc.

Feel free to ask me more questions.

 

[searching for nowhere]

I had a Bigfoot for about 5 years and loved it. I had the axle flipped to give it more clearance and I hauled it to lots of remote places.

 

[camper rich]

We had a Casita for ten years and it worked fine, although we would have purchased a Escape if they had been available in '08 when we bought our Casita. The Escape is available with double windows and double batteries whereas the Casita was not. You can also get the Escape with duel axles which are better on rough roads. My personal opinion is that trailers get beat up on dirt roads unless they are nicely graded. We hauled our Casita to Baja at least 3 times and it was not easy on it. I have been on some really rough roads trying to get into dispersed BLM campsites in AZ.