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Investment in Joint Ventures - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Apr. 19, 2013
Jul. 14, 2014
Feb. 12, 2015
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]            
Equity income from unconsolidated joint ventures $ 4,578,000us-gaap_IncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments $ 2,039,000us-gaap_IncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments $ 1,899,000us-gaap_IncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments      
Number Of Joint Venture Sites 3,125els_NumberOfJointVentureSites          
Adjustment Depreciation 900,000els_AdjustmentDepreciation 1,000,000els_AdjustmentDepreciation 1,200,000els_AdjustmentDepreciation      
Proceeds from Equity Investment, Distributions, including those in excess of basis 5,900,000els_ProceedsfromEquityInvestmentDistributionsincludingthoseinexcessofbasis          
Distributions from equity unconsolidated joint ventures 3,362,000us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentDividendsOrDistributions 1,311,000us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentDividendsOrDistributions 1,839,000us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentDividendsOrDistributions      
Proceeds from Equity Investment, Distributions, amount in excess of basis 2,365,000els_ProceedsfromEquityInvestmentDistributionsamountinexcessofbasis          
Investments in and Advance to Affiliates, Subsidiaries, Associates, and Joint Ventures 13,512,000us-gaap_InvestmentsInAffiliatesSubsidiariesAssociatesAndJointVentures 11,583,000us-gaap_InvestmentsInAffiliatesSubsidiariesAssociatesAndJointVentures        
Equity Method Investment, Net Sales Proceeds 100,000us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentNetSalesProceeds          
Other Regions [Member] | ECHO Financing [Member]            
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]            
Equity income from unconsolidated joint ventures 103,000us-gaap_IncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments
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58,000us-gaap_IncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments
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0us-gaap_IncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments
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Number Of Joint Venture Sites 0els_NumberOfJointVentureSites
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Economic Interest 50.00%us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentOwnershipPercentage
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Investments in and Advance to Affiliates, Subsidiaries, Associates, and Joint Ventures 6,302,000us-gaap_InvestmentsInAffiliatesSubsidiariesAssociatesAndJointVentures
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2,685,000us-gaap_InvestmentsInAffiliatesSubsidiariesAssociatesAndJointVentures
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  1,000,000us-gaap_InvestmentsInAffiliatesSubsidiariesAssociatesAndJointVentures
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Lakeshore Investments [Member] | FLORIDA            
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]            
Equity income from unconsolidated joint ventures 1,350,000us-gaap_IncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments
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271,000us-gaap_IncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments
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250,000us-gaap_IncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments
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Number Of Joint Venture Sites 342els_NumberOfJointVentureSites
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Economic Interest 65.00%us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentOwnershipPercentage
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Investments in and Advance to Affiliates, Subsidiaries, Associates, and Joint Ventures 9,000us-gaap_InvestmentsInAffiliatesSubsidiariesAssociatesAndJointVentures
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145,000us-gaap_InvestmentsInAffiliatesSubsidiariesAssociatesAndJointVentures
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Other Investments [Member] | Other Regions [Member]            
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]            
Equity income from unconsolidated joint ventures 25,000us-gaap_IncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments
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(188,000)us-gaap_IncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments
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(15,000)us-gaap_IncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments
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Number Of Joint Venture Sites 0els_NumberOfJointVentureSites
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Economic Interest 20.00%us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentOwnershipPercentage
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Investments in and Advance to Affiliates, Subsidiaries, Associates, and Joint Ventures 0us-gaap_InvestmentsInAffiliatesSubsidiariesAssociatesAndJointVentures
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0us-gaap_InvestmentsInAffiliatesSubsidiariesAssociatesAndJointVentures
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Other Regions [Member] | Other Investments [Member]            
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]            
Economic Interest         20.00%us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentOwnershipPercentage
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Subsequent Event [Member] | Other Regions [Member] | ECHO Financing [Member]            
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]            
Investments in and Advance to Affiliates, Subsidiaries, Associates, and Joint Ventures           $ 10,502,000us-gaap_InvestmentsInAffiliatesSubsidiariesAssociatesAndJointVentures
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