Escape Gear Dash and Trans covers - pics/feedback?

[yonah]

Update:

1). See post #19 for the feedback and photos of the dash cover installed: Escape Gear Dash and Trans covers - pics/feedback? - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/escape-gear-dash-and-trans-covers-pics-feedback.1251149/post-13943844

2). The Escape Gear 200-series trans cover is no longer in production as of ~May 2021. More info on that in post #13 Escape Gear Dash and Trans covers - pics/feedback? - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/escape-gear-dash-and-trans-covers-pics-feedback.1251149/post-13913751

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Gents,

In the next week, I’m going to order a full set of Escape Gear seats covers (in charcoal color) for the family 200. While on Equipt’s webpage, I saw the dash and trans covers were both listed for the 200:

Dash cover:

Dash Cover

Introducing the Dash Cover by Escape Gear, crafted from durable cotton canvas with robust zippers to ensure your vehicle's dashboard is protected from sun damag

www.equipt1.com

Trans cover:

Transmission Cover

Discover the rugged reliability of the Trans Cover, crafted from durable cotton canvas to protect and store your gear effectively. Perfect for overlanding enthu

www.equipt1.com

Not a lot of photos on the net, so I’m curious if any Mud 200 owners have either, or both, installed. Interested to see the fit and finish, as well as hear your feedback. No doubt they’re well made due to Escape Gear’s reputation, but interested in how they look and function once installed.

Cheers ,

-Steve

 

[TLC2013]

I have the cotton canvas seat covers in grey. Excellent fit and super durable. Not a difficult install but time consuming getting all of the straps installed and snugged up. Having kids and a dog these covers are a life saver. The vented and heated seats still work but you can tell there is a barrier Slowing down the vents/air flow. The grey compliments LCs black interior nicely.

I have the dash cover but it’s still boxed up. Plan on installing it this weekend. It’s made of the same material and I believe it’s “made to Order”, as I had to provide images of my dash to ensure they made it with the correct figment to accommodate sensors and speakers.

here’s a good read:

Escape Gear Seat Covers for 200

OK, good to know. Worth the wait for sure.

forum.ih8mud.com

 

[yonah]

I have the cotton canvas seat covers in grey. Excellent fit and super durable. Not a difficult install but time consuming getting all of the straps installed and snugged up. Having kids and a dog these covers are a life saver. The vented and heated seats still work but you can tell there is a barrier Slowing down the vents/air flow. The grey compliments LCs black interior nicely.

I have the dash cover but it’s still boxed up. Plan on installing it this weekend. It’s made of the same material and I believe it’s “made to Order”, as I had to provide images of my dash to ensure they made it with the correct figment to accommodate sensors and speakers.

here’s a good read:

Escape Gear Seat Covers for 200

OK, good to know. Worth the wait for sure.

forum.ih8mud.com

Thanks for the reply! Please post some photos of the dash cover once installed.

 

[yonah]

@Markuson regarding the above link from @TLC2013 - in one of your posts you mentioned that you have an Escape Gear dash cover installed in your 200. Can you share some photos?

 

[Markuson]

@Markuson regarding the above link from @TLC2013 - in one of your posts you mentioned that you have an Escape Gear dash cover installed in your 200. Can you share some photos?

Will try to come up withsome.

 

[sleak]

I have the dash cover also; I like it, especially the extra pockets. I haven't taken any pix of it, though,

 

[yonah]

I have the dash cover also; I like it, especially the extra pockets. I haven't taken any pix of it, though,

Could you post a few photos?

 

[Markuson]

Could you post a few photos?

Here’s a photo that shows the passenger half, which includes the part that is unattached in order to accommodate an expanding airbag under that oart of the dash (above glove box).

The zippered pocket visible there is just the right size for trail books such as the excellent FunTrek series.

Ignore the green arrow (from a different post), but here a closer view of passenger…

Here’s a glimpse of the view from driver.
Smaller pocket on driver that I keep a couple Fast-Trak units in (toll road transponders) and a tourniquet…within reach (If you need one a crash, you need it NOW &within one arm’s reach).

Worth noting that despite not being garaged (so direct sun all the time), there has been no noticeable fadinh after several years.

 

[borfoo3]

Here’s a glimpse of the view from driver.
Smaller pocket on driver that I keep a couple Fast-Trak units in (toll road transponders) and a tourniquet…within reach (If you need one a crash, you need it NOW &within one arm’s reach).
View attachment 2665692

Worth noting that despite not being garaged (so direct sun all the time), there has been no noticeable fadinh after several years.

On a separate note, what kind of setup are you running on the A-pillar to mount you stuff?

 

[Mazderati]

Pup looks excited to be on the road. Nice pic.

 

[yonah]

Thanks for the feedback and photos.

I added the dash and trans covers to my Equipt order.

I’ll snap some photos and post for posterity once they’re installed.

 

[kalieaire]

Thanks for the feedback and photos.

I added the dash and trans covers to my Equipt order.

I’ll snap some photos and post for posterity once they’re installed.

I can't seem to see Transcovers for the 200 series on Equipt's website. Are they available or just currently unlisted?

 

[yonah]

I can't seem to see Transcovers for the 200 series on Equipt's website. Are they available or just currently unlisted?

They actually just discontinued it last month. I spoke to the rep from Equipt, to clarify my order / send additional photos, and she verified that Escape Gear discontinued the 200-series trans cover. Apparently they had too many fitment issues / complaints and were not happy with the product. That’s secondhand info, but what I have.

On a side note, I’m still patiently waiting for my Escape Gear order to arrive. Hopefully by the end of July.

 

[kalieaire]

They actually just discontinued it last month. I spoke to the rep from Equipt, to clarify my order / send additional photos, and she verified that Escape Gear discontinued the 200-series trans cover. Apparently they had too many fitment issues / complaints and were not happy with the product. That’s secondhand info, but what I have.

On a side note, I’m still patiently waiting for my Escape Gear order to arrive. Hopefully by the end of July.

That's too bad. I sort of feel like taking mine apart to make a mold, and then just doing some sort of thermoplastic vacuu-formed fabric cover instead.

 

[yonah]

That's too bad. I sort of feel like taking mine apart to make a mold, and then just doing some sort of thermoplastic vacuu-formed fabric cover instead.

If you do that, I’d be interested in purchasing a unit from you.

 

[yonah]

I received an email at 4am via FedEx that my order from Escape Gear has been picked-up and the shipping process is initiated. No feedback for an estimated delivery date - maybe this is due to it being an international shipment and a lot of variables come into play, mainly US Customs.

To those that have ordered through Equipt / Escape Gear, how long did it take for your order to arrive to your address in CONUS?

 

[MTN2SND]

I received an email at 4am via FedEx that my order from Escape Gear has been picked-up and the shipping process is initiated. No feedback for an estimated delivery date - maybe this is due to it being an international shipment and a lot of variables come into play, mainly US Customs.

To those that have ordered through Equipt / Escape Gear, how long did it take for your order to arrive to your address in CONUS?

It took almost two weeks to my door. Customs clearance coming into US was slow.

 

[yonah]

It took almost two weeks to my door. Customs clearance coming into US was slow.

Good deal, thanks for the inside baseball. FedEx says it’s at their facility in Johannesburg.

 

[yonah]

The Escape Gear shipment (ordered via @Equipt) arrived Tuesday from South Africa.
I didn’t have time to install the seat covers, but did install the dash cover this afternoon.

A lot of the time is spent on prep; mostly cleaning and dusting before adhering the 3M Velcro tape to the dash. I recommend a little aerosol spray can of compressed air to clean the dash before pressing on the Velcro tape. I found that a very small amount of dust would continually the fall from the cover while moving it around. It took me about an hour to get the tape installed and the cover positioned in a way that I was happy with.

IMO, material quality is a 10/10 and craftsmanship is a 8.5/10.

Things I like:

1). The fabric seems durable and it is attractive on the 200 dash. It’s nice to know that if something is accidentally dropped on the dash, like a phone mount or a GPS unit, that the cover would do its job in protecting the plastic’s finish. It also covers probably 90% of the plastic on the dash, so sun fading should be minimal.

2). It’s lightly padded and the pockets are a nice touch. I put the vehicle registration and proof-of-insurance in the small pocket in front of the steering wheel and misc. device charging cables in the pocket above the air bag. It’s nice to have a bit of functionality added with the cover.

3). Escape Gear has installed a strip of Velcro at the bottom of the flap that covers the air bag. That seems to hold it down well, while also being semi-detachable (maybe this is an improved feature) - the lack of Velcro here was mentioned in a previous comment by @Markuson

4). Overall, the cover conforms to the dash really well and doesn’t detract from the interior appearance of the 200. I like the integrated “Equipt” logo tag - it’s an attractive logo, but I suspect it will fade from red to pink in a few years due to the location.

5). Escape Gear seems to have made their own 3M equipped Velcro tape. They even added some additional reinforcement stitching the to pieces that are placed on the dash. Very cool. The grey, semi-foam-like, 3M trim tape is an excellent product.

Things I don’t like:

1). The cut-out for the right side door defroster vent is about .5”, maybe a bit more, too far left (seen in some of the below photos), so roughly 1/3 of that vent is obstructed. I played around with the alignment at least a half dozen times and could not fully align the cut out over this vent. If I slid the cover more to the right, the left side of the cover (over the gauge cluster would rise up off of the dash and it looked unsightly. Maybe the left side of the cover (between the center speaker and left side defroster vent) was cut a little too short? Open to suggestions if someone thinks I could have installed the cover incorrectly. Overall, not a huge deal, but it seems like a QC issue to me. I think the right side vent should still accomplish its purpose in defrosting the side window, albeit not as effectively.

2). The fabric that runs over the top of the front of the nav screen only has Velcro on 1/2 of its length - on the right side. Would have made sense, from what I can see, to have Velcro installed on the entire length of this piece. I can see no practical reason to have not done that. This would help to fully hold it down for a more finished look. It’s noticeable from the drivers seat view, but not so much in the photos below.

3). The Velcro strip on the back of the center speaker runs about 1” over the trim on some uneven transitions between the speaker grill, trim, and dash. I suspect the strip of 3M Velcro tape at this location will fail to bond well and detach over time. It’s also odd that Velcro is only found on the right side of the speaker.

4). I feel like the the loop portions of the Velcro tape could have been more strategically placed/sewn on the underside of the cover to marry up to the contours and trim of the 200’s dash. Seems like an oversight on an otherwise well-made product.

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All and all, I would probably purchase it again. Maybe not on its own, but since I was ordering a full suite of Escape Gear seat covers, I figured I’d give it a try. I’ll definitely keep it installed and give some feedback via subsequent posts as a longterm review.

Working from my phone, so photos of the cover installed will be placed in below posts.

-Steve

Photos:

 

[yonah]