2020 Eagle HT w/16” Wheels, Owners Read!!

[vapor3000]

I had to move the spring shackles down (raise the trailer) to get my trailer level with my RAM 2500 4x4. No 16" tire clearance now.

[jpak2020]

What are some of main issues you encountered with the 30.5 CKTS? I would like to address these with the dealer before purchasing the RV. Thanks!

[Nathan S.]

Originally Posted by jpak2020

What are some of main issues you encountered with the 30.5 CKTS? I would like to address these with the dealer before purchasing the RV. Thanks!

We have had some usual minor issues with the trailer. Miswired water heater and a few extra things. If you do a proper PDI you can eliminate these items.

The 30.5 CKTS is a wonderful layout, functional with plenty of storage. But the design of this layout makes it “heavy” on one side. You have 2 slides, the kitchen, propane, utilities, pantry, batteries all on the drivers side of the trailer. This is where I experienced the tire rub with the 16” wheel and tire upgrade. Make sure you have the leaf springs in the lower shackle hole. I would do this even if you stay with the 15” tires. My trailer sits approximately 5/8” lower on the drivers side because of the weight distribution. Make your dealer aware of this and if they aren’t already in the lower hole you want them moved before you will sign. I don’t think this slight lean is going to do anything other than wear out tires on that side faster. So I’ll rotate. I don’t think it has any effect on the towing experience. But I have put shocks on to help with the bounce and sway, again this is an issue with all trailers, not just this floor plan. The only other thing I try to do is when we load the trailer for long trips, I try to but all the extra liquids, like water, soda and beer under the dinette to help with weight distribution.

I don’t know what TV you are using, but we have all been trying to get our trailers “up” to get the proper clearance over the bed, so this will help that also. Other than that can’t tell you much else.

[Cenvalleysteel]

For those of you with the 16" tires what is the spacing [gap] beetween the front and rear tires? If I swap over to the optional 235/80-16's I will only have 2.5" to 3". Is this enough?

[Jim Smyth]

I have a 28.5 and went from the stock 15's to 16's". I elected to go with the 235/80-16. I could have went up to the 85 but that would have given me about 1" clearance between the tires. I now have like 2-1/4" and my X chocks still work and fit in between the tires.



I got a 1-1/4" trailer lift with this tire option which wasnt a problem because I already had a Lippert Correct track system on. I have raised my trailer 4"-5" since I got it and now have 6" around my bed clearance/tail gate and am pretty level finally. My high point on the trailer is the front low profile AC unit which is at 12'-11".

[Nature Ist]

Originally Posted by Cenvalleysteel

For those of you with the 16" tires what is the spacing [gap] beetween the front and rear tires? If I swap over to the optional 235/80-16's I will only have 2.5" to 3". Is this enough?

Cenvalleysteel: (I assume you are asking about upgrading from the 15" to the 16" wheel option.) I have a 2020 HT 30.5 CKTS that was ordered with the 16" option. My tires are ST235/85R16 Endurance. What you need to know is that you will need to lower your spring shackle mount to the lower hole of the frame mount bracket. I imagine you have the two hole bracket and that it is currently in the upper hole. The issue is that the larger diameter tires will also come very close to hitting the underside of your wheelhouse. Several of us whose units came from the factory with the 16" option had been shipped with the shackles in the upper holes and the tires rubbed the sheet-metal and caused damage. We resolved that by moving the spring shackles to the lower hole (raising the trailer by about 1" overall) and repairing the damage.
Your question about the spacing between tires is the second concern, and a good question for you to ask. Generally speaking, I think the 2 1/2 inches is OK. My unit has the kitchen slide, bedroom slide, and most of the heavy mechanicals (batteries, water heater, propane tanks etc) all on the street side of the camper. This creates a load imbalance to the point that you can actually see the additional suspension compression on that side. Some of us have measured the top of spring distance to the bottom of the frame to be almost 3/4" less on that side. This exacerbates the condition you address: as the springs compress the shackles move to accommodate the springs stretching and lengthening, which moves the two axles closer to each other. On my unit, I have less space between the tires on the street side: almost 3/4" less to be exact.
Under normal road travel, this space seems to be OK. My concern was with the "extreme" conditions that we sometimes encounter on the road that come up suddenly and are unavoidable.
I am in the process of installing SumoSprings TSS-107-40 to address this issue. These attach to the top of the spring plate directly over the axle and absorb some of the shock and spring compression, which in turn, helps to prevent the suspension from compressing even more and closing the gap between the tires.
Long story short: Yes, you can upgrade to the 16 wheels successfully, assuming you address the potential concerns I mentioned above. You referenced 235/80 tires: the factory shipped mine with 235/85 tires. That's a marginal aspect ratio difference, and it would mean your tire selection has a slightly smaller outside diameter, which would be a help. I am assuming the tires you are considering are actually the 80 aspect ratio rather than the 85's Jayco puts on.

[poohbear]

Originally Posted by vapor3000

I had to move the spring shackles down (raise the trailer) to get my trailer level with my RAM 2500 4x4. No 16" tire clearance now.

Why doesn't these dealers order the rv with flipped axles when doing tire/wheel upgrade ? My dealer in Longview Tx does this but mainly due to how tall these trucks have gotten over the last 15 years.

[Nathan S.]

Originally Posted by poohbear

Why doesn't these dealers order the rv with flipped axles when doing tire/wheel upgrade ? My dealer in Longview Tx does this but mainly due to how tall these trucks have gotten over the last 15 years.

HT’s all come with a flipped axle configuration from the factory. At least all I’ve seen.

[Nathan S.]

[QUOTE=Cenvalleysteel;824357]For those of you with the 16" tires what is the spacing [gap] beetween the front and rear tires? If I swap over to the optional 235/80-16's I will only have 2.5" to 3". Is this enough?[/QUOTE

As mentioned and what this thread is all about, move your springs to the lower shackle hole to raise the trailer. Your X-chocks will still work. But if you use Andersen levelers you may have to cut the one that goes between the tires a little shorter. I have the factory ST235/85R16’s on mine and I had to shorten the leveler for the rear tire about an inch so I could get it between the 2 tires.

[Little5ver]

Thanks for the info Nathan

I too have the 30.5 CKTS with 16" tires and have been looking at the lower adjustment hole on the suspension also. Question - does the equalizer also have to be adjusted? OR is it just the outer leaf springs?

Also I am interested in adding shocks to the 5W, Where did you find them and what brand?

Thanks for the help

David

[DBuley]

We just had to move the outer leaf spring bolts to the lower holes. The equalizer was already in lower mount location. FYI when installing the wer bolts, i am told that there is specific location the grease hole in bolt needs to face. Either 3 o’clock or 9 o’clock for them to work correctly. As for shocks, my camper did not have shock perchs welded to frame so i dont have shocks installed.

[Little5ver]

Thanks for the quick reply

[Nature Ist]

Originally Posted by Little5ver

Thanks for the info Nathan

I too have the 30.5 CKTS with 16" tires and have been looking at the lower adjustment hole on the suspension also. Question - does the equalizer also have to be adjusted? OR is it just the outer leaf springs?

Also I am interested in adding shocks to the 5W, Where did you find them and what brand?

Thanks for the help

David

Little5ver:
There are several threads on this topic, including a lot of correspondence between Nathan and myself, much of which is in this thread.
The equalizer mounting bracket does not have an option of two holes, so it will stay in the hole it is in now.
Because the HT 30.5 CKTS has an imbalance of weight on the kitchen slide side, things are compounded when 16" tires are used. You absolutely should move your suspension to the lower hole ASAP. You will be moving only the 4 outer leaf spring mounts to the lower hole. It will gain about an inch of increased height overall.
I installed SumoSprings on my unit, as mentioned in my earlier comments in this thread. My intention was to correct the squat on the kitchen slide side. I was able to install them in a way that helped raise that side a little to help level the unit. I have been running it for about 5K miles and I am very happy with it. I did not install shocks because they don't do anything to increase the height. I have found the Sumos do a lot to soften the ride, very similar to shocks.
Look closely at your unit to see how much tire-rub you have on the kitchen slide, especially.
I have posted info and pix of what I did with mine. You should be able to search for Sumosprings VS. Shocks and find it. If not, let me know and I can send you a link to it.

[Little5ver]

Thanks Nature

just read through the "Sumo" thread, this is something that I will look into. Would you have the torque spec's on the leaf springs after I move them to the lower hole? OR just crank them down tight. . .

[Nathan S.]

As you can see there is a lot of information on this subject. Pay attention to Nature 1st posts. We have both worked through this issue. “MOVE YOUR TRAILER UP”. I put on Roadmaster shocks and got them from eTrailer. But as Nature 1st noted it doesn’t help the lean much. I gained a little bit of help from them but not as much as the Sumo’s give you. But I have also put a lot of miles on my trailer since the modification to the lower hole and added shocks. I am problem free. I have not noticed any extra tire wear on the kitchen side. The one thing that did happen to me was a brake lockup on the dinette side because of one of those idiots that don’t realize how big we are. Which made me wonder if it was because that side was lighter and maybe the imbalance was at play. I also pack all “Liquids” for the trip not in the fridge under the dinette and any other heavy items I can get behind the recliners. This seems to help.

[Nature Ist]

Originally Posted by Little5ver

Thanks Nature

just read through the "Sumo" thread, this is something that I will look into. Would you have the torque spec's on the leaf springs after I move them to the lower hole? OR just crank them down tight. . .

The step wet-bolts have nuts with a "tapered" thread that prevents them from loosening. It is not hard to strip them by over torqueing, so you want to tighten them without too much force once the nut hits the shoulder. You have to be careful to get the bolt to set flush on the knurled (Zerk) end without using too much force trying to pull it through with the nut. When you have removed the bolt, the knurled splines may be somewhat softened from the initial installation, so they may be easier to get into the new hanger holes. Keep in mind that these bolts are not intended to squeeze the hanger (hence the shoulder step on the bolt) so you want the bolt tight enough to prevent the nut from loosening. Use a spacer if necessary to prevent squeezing the hanger, it needs to be kept straight. It is best to get the bolt all the way through before tightening the nut.
I also added a spacer between the hanger, bolted through the upper hole, to prevent the hanger from bending. Look at your equalizer hanger and you'll get the idea. I used pieces of 2" black iron pipe which I cut to fit the space. It keeps the sides of the hanger straight and keeps them from bending under stress. Look for the Lippert Correct Track axle alignment #87120 to see a pic of the piece they supply to go between the hanger. You may be able to order this piece, it's rectangular, mine is round, but it isn't hard to make.
As noted by others, you also want to align the wet-bolt grease hole at about a horizontal position, and I like to aim it at the side of the bushing that will not be compressed by the force of the spring under weight. That is generally aiming away from the axle side of each spring. Look at your bushings when you lower the spring and you should be able to see what I mean. Also, check your bushings for wear. I actually discovered one of my spring eyes had no bushing installed at the factory! FWIW: I also reversed my wet bolts so the Zerk faces the center of the trailer, this way I do not have to remove the tires to grease them. Crawling underneath is easier than removing wheels!

[Little5ver]

Thank You so much for the info, I'll tackle this after Thanks Giving

[one2camp]

Glad I saw this post, I just bought a 2017 28.5RSTS w/16 wheels. After I read the post I went out and looked and sure enough I to have tire rub. Looks like I'll be moving the leaf spring to that lower bolt hole.
Does that seem to solve the problem?

[Nathan S.]

Originally Posted by one2camp

Glad I saw this post, I just bought a 2017 28.5RSTS w/16 wheels. After I read the post I went out and looked and sure enough I to have tire rub. Looks like I'll be moving the leaf spring to that lower bolt hole.
Does that seem to solve the problem?

Yes that should take care of your problem. I am not to familiar with your model, but the only other thing you need to pay attention to is if you have a “heavy side”. If you do I suspect you would see more tire rub on one side. That’s the issue I had. I would start with raising the trailer by going to the lower bolt hole. Then if you still see some rub, consider some sumo springs or shocks. There is another thread on this forum about that also.

[Nature Ist]

I agree with Nathan: it will make a significant improvement. The load imbalance issue is something Nathan and I discussed in detail for our particular model. While you are at it when lowering the bolts be sure to inspect the bushings. It may be a good time to replace them: easy to do and inexpensive PM.