There are two different driving routes between my home and my trailer’s storage yard. One route is a road that goes under a railroad bridge with a sign that says there is 12 feet of clearance. When I have the trailer in tow, I never take that route, I always go the longer way around because I’ve never known for sure how tall Towhee the Trailer is.
Here’s a photo (below) of that road with the railroad bridge. So, question, is there 12 feet of clearance on the left side (where the sign is), so it’s more like 13 feet on the right side? But coming from the other direction, the 12-foot sign is on the opposite side that obviously has more clearance. So maybe the clearance is only 11 feet on the left side when viewed in the image below, and the 12-foot clearance is on the right above the lower section of the road. The road sure does slant. And from inside my pickup truck, the clearance doesn’t look like 12 feet anywhere! AND I’ve seen several commercial trucks stopped on the road there, needing to back up because they were too tall to go under the railroad bridge, even with signs back along the road, which makes me think there really is NOT 12 feet of clearance.
I purchased this Escape Trailer Industries (ETI) trailer back in 2018. They told me the trailer was less than 11 feet tall. But I’ve always wondered exactly how tall it is. What is the height of the trailer? And what clearance under bridges and roofs and things do I need to pay attention to? When adding options to the build of the trailer, I opted to have the trailer “lifted” by three inches so the bottom of the trailer is higher, for entering/exiting driveways and for off-roading (for added clearance UNDER the trailer). So that option added three inches to the height of the trailer. And I opted to have an A/C unit installed on the roof, which adds about 8 inches of height. I’ve been wondering about the height of this trailer ever since I bought this trailer in 2018.
Well, today, in 2025, I finally managed to get myself together to figure it out. Yay!
For years now, I’ve been thinking about how to measure the height of the trailer … with a 2×4 piece of wood on each side, propped up … and then another 2×4 lying across them just clearing the air conditioning unit (the highest point) on the top of the trailer’s roof. But how would I make sure that upper 2×4 was level? That it wasn’t tilted? How would I hold both upright 2x4s in place while I climbed up to measure?
Ah, but today I finally figured out how to do it that made sense and would be accurate, and would be easy!
The trailer is stored in covered parking, and is in the end spot, right next to a wall … right next to a wall! Piece of cake! 🙂
Here’s what I did.
First I got my ladder out. Then I got my “level” out. Then I got my black marker pen out. And then I got a nice eight-foot long piece of 2×4 wood out of my garage at home … a piece of 2×4 that did not curve, did not bend, but was perfectly straight. Oh, and then I got my camera out to take photos. 🙂
In the photos above and below, you can see that the air conditioning unit is the highest point (the RED arrow below). Other stuff is on the roof too … refrigerator workings, and the solar panel, and some vents, etc. But that one point on the A/C unit is the highest point.
Photo below … the ladder, the 2×4 in front of the ladder with the 2×4 leaning against the wall, and a level perched on top of the ladder.
As well, there’s a measuring tape, and a black marker pen. And of course, my camera is in hand. Ready to measure up!
I climbed the ladder, lifted the 2×4 into place on top of that point on the A/C unit. Held it in place with one hand, took a photo with the other hand. Did not fall off the ladder.
Then I rested the left end of the 2×4 onto a cross beam on the wall of the storage building, and I placed the level on top of the 2×4, and I took the photo below.
But obviously the 2×4 certainly wasn’t level. So I climbed up the ladder and lifted the left end of that 2×4 until the level told me that the 2×4 was level.
I carefully balanced on the ladder, and carefully lifted just the left end of that 2×4 until it was level, then used the black marker pen to mark the bottom of the 2×4. Then I checked the level reading again … oops, I had let the 2×4 slip. So I re-positioned the 2×4, double checked the level reading, then made another mark, then held everything in place with one hand, kept my balance on the top of the ladder with the other hand, and took a photo of the correct mark (below) with my third hand. Ok, actually it wasn’t all that hard, but still, I was very careful!
Then I put my camera down on top of the trailer roof, along with the black pen and the level. And then I lowered that 8-foot 2×4 to the ground and leaned it against the storage wall. Then I brought down everything else (camera, marker pen, level, me).
And then I measured from that top black line … all the way down to the gravel. Here below is my very professionally crafted, mathematically precise, detailed engineering diagram illustrating the measurements.
9.75 feet = 9 feet and 9 inches! Now I know how tall my trailer is!
Isn’t she the most beautiful, the most perfect trailer ever? I think so.
On the other hand, I still don’t trust that 12-foot clearance sign under that railroad bridge. One of these days you’ll find me out there measuring it. I will report my findings!
Ah, just one little blog business item here, ok? In the past two months, there have been five new subscribers to the blog. Welcome! I sure hope each of you folks enjoys this blog. But if something different would suit your fancy, then I hope you find other blogs that you enjoy. Comments are more than welcome here … questions, ideas, places you’ve camped, how you do things if you have/had an RV, who you are, where you live, where you’ve traveled anywhere in the world, what’s your favorite photo in each blog post, etc. Bottom line is that you are welcome here whether you comment or not. Thank you for riding along! I love the company, I really do. 🙂
Quack, quack, you’ll never have to “duck” again, lol! Sorry couldn’t help myself. 🙂 Good job!
LOL! 🙂
Ha! Love your comment Nevada. You are terrible. 🙂 We haven’t signed in at about the same time for a long time, nice to meet you here once again.
Ann, that was a great way to measure the trailer height. I’m impressed!
Thanks Nebraska. 🙂
Good job!!! Sounds like you put Towhee away for the season. 😊🙋♀️🙋
In between camping trips, the trailer is always stored in its covered spot. I just happened to think of that way to measure it, so I did it. Seems there is always maintenance, cleaning, etc, to do on the trailer, so I keep current on all of that by working on the trailer throughout the year. I still have more camping to do this year!
So I guess the manufacturer was being extra conservative when they said less than 11 feet?
You are right, though, to not trust the bridge signage . Who knows if that is correct.
I think so too, Dawn, I think they were being careful. And maybe with some owners, they need that exaggeration in order to stay safe. But for me … “All we want are the facts, ma’am.” Remember that from the tv show “Dragnet”?
Had the same experience with my trailer and the manufacturer not giving me the correct height. Thankfully they told me it was higher than it really was so I never hit anything, but I too measured my trailer and it was almost 2 feet shorter in height than they said it was. Maybe they do that on purpose to reduce their own liability? I’d rather have the truth! Excellent way to measure the rig, way to go. 🙂
Yep, just the facts, ma’am (see reply to Dawn’s comment above). So maybe most/all RV manufacturers exaggerate the height. I wonder what else they tell us that isn’t quite accurate. Hmmm. Thanks Susan.
I can moor a boat in a tiny space but I would panic parking in there 🤣
Oh boy, I had boats for almost 30 years, Lisa. When I switched to a trailer, I was nervous! But I soon learned that when you stop a trailer, it stops. It doesn’t drift sideways, or continue forward pushed by the current or the wind, etc. And, with a trailer, you don’t have to jump off the boat towards shore. So I rather quickly realized that it was actually easier to park a trailer than to park a boat. I could stop the truck, get out and walk around, and the trailer didn’t move, then I could pull forward and adjust the angle and back up again. It might take a few times, but I was never in danger of hitting something, or of missing the dock entirely and hitting another boat. So I get you … when I was boating, once I got it figured out, it seemed awfully easy, and towing/backing a trailer was scary! Heck, you’d figure it out in a minute or two. 🙂
Fantastically professional engineering diagram, have never seen anything so precise, so well-calculated, amazing. 🙂 Good old pencil and paper. What fun.
🙂 Thanks Jamie.
Well done! Excellent measuring plan, and excellent description of it to us.
Thank you Ben. 🙂
We never knew how tall any of our rigs were, and I never figured out a way to measure them. Wished we’d known you back then. What a great idea to use a wall. Fun drawing too, very technical. 🙂 Hey, it works!
Yes, very technical! Ha! Well, it was accurate, that’s for sure, it worked!
I retired as a manager from a state department that dealt with (and measured) roadways, bridges, width and height, etc. Can’t tell you how many lawsuits there were where it was proven that the measurements were NOT accurate. Yes, most of the measurements are accurate and usually add (or subtract where appropriate) two inches or so. But there are LOTS of measurements that are not accurate, or where the roadway has settled lower into the ground … or where the bridge above the roadway has settled into the ground, but no one has bothered to come out and do another measurement. (Looks like that railroad bridge in your photo is supported by pilings that go into a serious waterway … that road/bridge clearance should be measured every year and I bet it hasn’t been.) Good for you for accurately measuring the height of your trailer … you did a perfect job of that. And yes, go measure that 12-foot clearance. That road obviously slants so how can the clearance be the same on both sides? Love your professional engineering diagram, probably just as accurate (or more so) than most I’ve seen. Common sense wins every time.
If you run into trouble with the measurement of that bridge clearance not being accurate, trouble with the county or state agency that controls the signage, or male employees who tell you that you are wrong or measuring incorrectly, let me know. Wish we were younger and still working … I’d hire you in a heartbeat! You actually think about what you’re doing without criticizing anyone. Excellent work!
What a great comment, Olivia, thank you! First hand information from someone who worked in that field. That’s really helpful and encouraging. I will measure the clearance under that bridge, and I will let you know what I find. If the clearance isn’t accurate (or close to it) I will contact the local folks, and if the response isn’t appropriate, I’ll be talking with you. Super helpful info, thank you! 🙂
I do appreciate the thoughtful engineering diagram!
I spent HOURS drawing that diagram! (not!) 🙂