2022 Eagle HT 28.5rsts first impressions

[us2ndogs]

Good Morning! Wanted to share our first experience in our new 5th wheel. We took delivery on 8/14. Bought at our local RVone. Wish I could say that experience was all good, however, many issues including them installing a Reese hitch (16,000) when we ordered a B&W Companion and they literally tried to pass it off as "same model". Umm nope! Turned out they didn't have the B&W hitch so now we wait. The Reese hitch pulled fine with the exception of lots of chucking and motion.



We wanted to test her out before taking on a actual trip to so be bought the day at our local state park (Huntington Beach, SC) and played with everything. We then loaded her up and took her out for the past week.



We ended up at Hunting Island State Park outside of Beaufort, SC. Gorgeous park. Great sites! Easy access to private beach area. Highly recommend.



We owned a fifth wheel about 20 years ago when the kids were young. Sold it when life commitments changed. Now with all the kids grown and gone, we thought this was a good time to start again. This Jayco is a breeze on the set up and take down. It was easy to pull behind our F250 Super Duty Diesel. Everything worked well and thought I would share the likes and maybe a few things that I would suggest they rethink......


The likes

1. The theater seats across from the TV and Fireplace! A must!
2. Pantry with auto on/off lights!
3. Shoe storage under the cabinet by the door
4. Separate linen closet for bath area
5. Auto Level.........YAY!
6. Solar panels....a nice to have
7. USB and Power outlets EVERYWHERE!
8. Although we have the smaller of the two options, fridge size was quite adequate

Rethink:

1. The screen door and add on window shade?! You can't raise or lower the shade without opening the screen door and if you are on the shorter stature (like me) this is quite the chore! Whoever designed this has clearly not ever used the door.
2. The cup holders in the theatre seating........WTH!? They do not fit a standard coolie cup. They are literally the exact size of a soda can which if you are using your RTIC cups around camp, they do not fit. They would likely work for the old style convenience store slimmed down cups that literally no one sells. (I went looking - No Beano -- all too big) Dumb design
3. The bathroom mirror pops open when pulling so you have to clean it out before leaving. (I will look for an option to secure this as the magnet is not strong enough)
4. The pantry, although a nice size could have a little taller lip and there was plenty of room to increase the shelf depth another couple inches.
5. The kitchen island is a nice idea but overall we find the sink takes up the whole thing (yes we have a cutting board cover, so you don't have much counter top room. Not a big deal, but we didn't think this all the way through.
6. Small storage in the belly.......this is probably the biggest of issues. Being "new" again, we forgot how much we would need to carry
7. One AC is not enough! We will look into adding a second one.
8. Jayco Command app....why does this only work on bluetooth?! Seems we should be able to adjust the temp (or check it) from away. (We added the temperature control from Simplisafe to monitor temps when away).
9. Battery power monitor.....would be nice to know how much juice we are getting from our solar or what is left on the battery (maybe we can buy something for this?)
10. Stairs flip up and in, they have ridges on the front and back of each step, this means when you sweep them you can't sweep the sand OUT, only side to side. When you close them up, sand dumps out on the floor. We will likely need a blower of some sort (see small storage above)

As mentioned, it has been a while since we have been in a RV and we have lots to learn and likely many modifications to be done. Overall we had a blast! Took it down to Tybee island for a couple days and headed back. Already looking for our next trip! Looking forward to reading and learning from you experienced folks here!


Cheers!

[Camperdude]

Good review!! Agree, the shade is cool but does present a challenge when it comes to raising/lowering.

Happy camping!

[ceasare]

Totally agree with the shade on the door useless. For the medicine cabinet I just added another latch( the older model before magnets) and now its OK. For the pantry we added those expandable bars and that fixed that. Since ours is a 2017 we don't have the other stuff that you mentioned. We added the second AC when we ordered and it is a lifesaver in real warm weather one AC just wont cut it.

[Cincinnati Kid]

We're sitting in the 2019 version of the same model. We love it. Agree- we need to get 2nd A/C.
Our medicine cabinet has a very strong magnet, so it hasn't popped open. I like that they put shoe storage by the door. Ours has a large wooden air intake grill for the heater in that area. I'm going to see about modifying that.
Also, we agree about the island. Plan to put a drop leaf shelf on the end, or even a small cabinet. Not sure yet.

Congratulations, and enjoy!

[Topperace]

Congrats!
Recommendation for the steps....we used the large Camco wrap around step covers and that helped a lot with sand/dirt getting in from our shoes...easy to clean also...at least better than the plain metal steps...every other month or so I
undo them and clean the steps as needed....

[Porknbeans]

Great info. I’m currently looking at a 28.5rsts but can’t decide on that model or the 321rsts.

Quick question though…does the floor in the bathroom make a popping sound when you step on it near the shower? The one I’m looking at does that and I was told that is normal.

[TWP723]

Tint the entry door window instead of a shade.

[us2ndogs]

Originally Posted by Porknbeans

Great info. I’m currently looking at a 28.5rsts but can’t decide on that model or the 321rsts.

Quick question though…does the floor in the bathroom make a popping sound when you step on it near the shower? The one I’m looking at does that and I was told that is normal.

No sound in our floor........not sure what they mean. We looked at both, but decided on the smaller size for us. Good luck!

[us2ndogs]

Originally Posted by TWP723

Tint the entry door window instead of a shade.

SO smart! Thanks!

[Oakley]

This trailer has been a nightmare. From the very first week things went wrong like brakes locking up,3rd year frig gives out,new motors for the expando,front cap pealed,faucets replaced,axles out of alignment,front cap is now pulling apart from sidewall,bumps forming on floor between island sink and slide out,shades breaking strings and now the best part finding out the frame is twisted and it’s not safe to tow. Anyone else out there having this many or some problems like this?

[Cincinnati Kid]

Originally Posted by Oakley

This trailer has been a nightmare. From the very first week things went wrong like brakes locking up,3rd year frig gives out,new motors for the expando,front cap pealed,faucets replaced,axles out of alignment,front cap is now pulling apart from sidewall,bumps forming on floor between island sink and slide out,shades breaking strings and now the best part finding out the frame is twisted and it’s not safe to tow. Anyone else out there having this many or some problems like this?

Yes, 2019 28.5 RSTS. Bad brakes after 2 axles replaced, cracked frame, sidewall crack, front molding separation, (The last two required factory frame repair, including partial sidewall removal) front cap water leak, entry door twisted, complete roof replacement, slides that won't slide and many more items. We keep fixing and moving on. Don't know what else to do. 27+- states so far at last count.

[Stan&Sharon]

regarding your item #9: I added a small device to my negative battery wire that shows all I need to know about my batteries on my phone.


Notice it shows I can expect my 3 batteries to last for another 8 hours and 19 minutes (before they go below 50%).

[bjones211]

On ours we are noticing that you can’t get your face over the bathroom sink as the medicine cabinet sticks out too far. Looking for some kind of tray to hook over the sink cabinet edge to catch the drips.

[Mwutke]

Originally Posted by Cincinnati Kid

We're sitting in the 2019 version of the same model. We love it. Agree- we need to get 2nd A/C.
Our medicine cabinet has a very strong magnet, so it hasn't popped open. I like that they put shoe storage by the door. Ours has a large wooden air intake grill for the heater in that area. I'm going to see about modifying that.
Also, we agree about the island. Plan to put a drop leaf shelf on the end, or even a small cabinet. Not sure yet.

Congratulations, and enjoy!

If anyone finds a good dropleaf shelf solution for the island, please post particulars. Thank you

[hyperactive]

I am interested in a drop leaf for the island also. I will be watching this.

[JB13502]

Originally Posted by Mwutke

If anyone finds a good dropleaf shelf solution for the island, please post particulars. Thank you

Originally Posted by hyperactive

I am interested in a drop leaf for the island also. I will be watching this.

Easily accomplished using a couple of folding shelf brackets and some bracing inside the island (I used 1" furring strips, no need to apply finish since they're hidden).
My camper's in Florida with the Mrs. I've asked her to send me a few pics and I'll post them when they come. These are the brackets that I used.
I'll be doing similar along the back (front?) of the island to better utilize the bar stools that my wife insists on bringing along every trip

[hyperactive]

Thank you, looking forward to seeing some pictures if you get them.

[JB13502]

Originally Posted by hyperactive

Thank you, looking forward to seeing some pictures if you get them.

Not the best pictures, but hopefully you'll get the idea.

Beginning in 2021, Jayco added a pull-out counter top extension which we found to be extremely inconvenient to use because the top had to be put on and taken off each time. I used the existing butcher block top which came with the camper, but you can easily make your own or find something that meets your needs on line or in one of the big box stores.

You'll want to do some dry fitting to make sure that it's hung low enough to fully extend up beneath the overhang. I could have gone higher if I had chamfered the leading edge, but I didn't think about that until I had put it up and it doesn't really bother us.

This summer, I plan on doing the same to the front; probably 12" or just deep enough to fit a dinner plate,

[Cvictoriac]

Originally Posted by Cincinnati Kid

Yes, 2019 28.5 RSTS. Bad brakes after 2 axles replaced, cracked frame, sidewall crack, front molding separation, (The last two required factory frame repair, including partial sidewall removal) front cap water leak, entry door twisted, complete roof replacement, slides that won't slide and many more items. We keep fixing and moving on. Don't know what else to do. 27+- states so far at last count.

My 2019 is a nightmare. One of the back axles broke. The front door doesn't shut. Slides scrape the flooring. Already replaced one slide motor. One slide lifts up and hits the island so someone has to stand on the floor. Side walls moved/shifted so the slide goes in crooked. Black tank was disintegrating and leaking. Front jack stopped working. Back stabilizers needed repair. UGH!

[TMullarkey]

Going out this next weekend for two nights for our maiden voyage! One of the items we noticed immediately that almost caused us not to buy the unit was the shade on the front master bedroom window. Not sure if the older models had a window on the front cap, but the 2024 has a large window with the Jayco sitcker on the window. Inside, there is the standard pull down shade, but since the front cap is at an angle, the shade falls right where your head would be if you were sleeping. There is a very flimsy hook at the base of the window, but it does not hold the shade back. Anyone else do something with this window??

I like the idea of the extended kitchen counter, that will likely be my first modification. Thanks