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Old 10-26-2019, 07:29 PM   #1
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17B lift and larger tires

I am settling in on purchasing the 17B and because I do a great deal of off the grid camping is what can be rough areas I will be ordering the lift kit and 15-inch rims. My question is does anyone know if I can install larger diameter tires and if so what size tire does the clearance allow?
Thanks much for your help.
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Old 10-26-2019, 07:55 PM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by newbie View Post
I am settling in on purchasing the 17B and because I do a great deal of off the grid camping is what can be rough areas I will be ordering the lift kit and 15-inch rims.
15 inch wheels are standard equipment for all Escapes. The only wheel option is alloy instead of the stock steel.

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Originally Posted by newbie View Post
My question is does anyone know if I can install larger diameter tires and if so what size tire does the clearance allow?
I don't know, but others have tried larger tires and may have some information. If you are staying with ST (Special Trailer type) tires you will find a very limited range of sizes, and larger diameter (in the same wheel size) comes with greater width; the width may cause fit issues. The only readily available 15" ST size, other than Escape's stock ST205/75R15, is ST225/75R15 - that's only 20 millimetres wider (and will presumably fit without issues) and only 30 millimetres (just over an inch) larger in diameter, gaining only 15 mm in ride height.

You could try 16" tires, in the ST235/80R16 size. That's a lot taller, so it might not fit well, and it would require different wheels... and it is hard to find 16" trailer wheels with the 5 holes on 4.5" pattern of the Escape's hubs. The brakes will be less effective with a larger diameter tire.

Of course you can switch to LT (light truck) or commercial vehicle tires, which are available in different sizes.
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Old 10-26-2019, 10:47 PM   #3
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ace brown's was lifted 6in with 30in tires.
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Old 10-26-2019, 11:26 PM   #4
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Originally Posted by gocamp View Post
ace brown's was lifted 6in with 30in tires.
I had forgotten about that one.

The "lift" is a suspension configuration option no longer offered by Escape, and the amount is relative to an old spec for the 17', so it's not at all clear how high the suspension is relative to the current stock and raised configurations.

In a larger photo in Expedition Portal you can see how the tires fit... and decide if you think that's appropriate.

The tires look like Cooper Discoverer ATR, which is not an ST tire. It's a light truck (LT) model. There are various sizes; all of the current sizes are 16" or larger, and among them the closest to 30" overall is LT255/70R16... which is really wide for the trailer.
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Old 10-27-2019, 06:23 AM   #5
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Interestingly, Ace has no solar and closed off the refer vent on the side? One would think solar and propane would be heavily used while off-roading.....?
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Old 10-27-2019, 07:31 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gocamp View Post
ace brown's was lifted 6in with 30in tires.
Ace claimed 4” factory lift and 2” additional with the bigger tires. I suspect that Reace worked with him on a modified start angle on the Dexter Torflex axle to achieve this.
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Old 10-27-2019, 07:36 AM   #7
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Originally Posted by cpaharley2008 View Post
Interestingly, Ace has no solar and closed off the refer vent on the side? One would think solar and propane would be heavily used while off-roading.....?
That closed off vent up high on the driver’s side is not for the fridge. It is for the old window type A/C unit that Escape installed in early 17’s. His fridge was on the passenger side.

Also he had an Optima battery and probably did a lot of weekend trips so didn’t need solar. Probably driving a good part of the day exploring and charging from tow vehicle too. Different type of camping than most people do in their Escapes.
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Old 10-27-2019, 08:05 AM   #8
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We've done a small amount of rough road hauling with ours. The leaf springs make for a violent ride which will toss any contents not absolutely secured all over the place. I'm not just talking about a dish or pillow either. Over the years we have had the microwave and the fridge door both end up on the floor! I would look into some sort of augmented suspension system to gain better clearance and smooth out the ride, or look at a trailer made for this environment.
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Old 10-27-2019, 08:47 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rubicon327 View Post
That closed off vent up high on the driver’s side is not for the fridge. It is for the old window type A/C unit that Escape installed in early 17’s. His fridge was on the passenger side.

Also he had an Optima battery and probably did a lot of weekend trips so didn’t need solar. Probably driving a good part of the day exploring and charging from tow vehicle too. Different type of camping than most people do in their Escapes.
I thought of that but if you look at the larger photos the refer roof vent is right over that closed vent, thus the a/c would interfere with the refer chimney? Just my thoughts but then again that is an awful high refer vent with a roof chimney...oops on edit, the refer is on the passenger side, so that roof vent must be for the a/c? Never saw that set up before with a wall mount a/c with a roof vent also?
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Old 10-27-2019, 09:59 AM   #10
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On my 17 footer, the roof vent is the air intake for the air conditioner condenser coils. The hot exhaust air comes out of the side vent. Too bad it doesn’t operate in the reverse with the hot air going out the roof vent.
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Old 10-27-2019, 12:29 PM   #11
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Originally Posted by rubicon327 View Post
Ace claimed 4” factory lift and 2” additional with the bigger tires. I suspect that Reace worked with him on a modified start angle on the Dexter Torflex axle to achieve this.
I agree - some combination of start angle, bracket height (Torflex comes with at least two heights) and a bracket-to-frame spacer makes the height difference. Recent 17' Escapes sit substantially higher than they did originally, so it's hard to compare using just a "lift" distance.

Even a 2" height difference with 30" tall tires implies 26" tall original tires, which implies the old ST205/75R14 size, rather than the current ST205/75R15 which is an inch taller overall.
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Old 10-28-2019, 07:33 PM   #12
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Thanks to all who responded

I do appreciate the knowledge shared on this forum.
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Old 10-30-2019, 12:42 PM   #13
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Installed the std Dexter Torflex lift on our 15A and 245/75R15” LT tires and the tire size works perfectly without rubbing. Good size compromise for on & off highway use for us.

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Old 10-30-2019, 01:46 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dstreight View Post
Installed the std Dexter Torflex lift on our 15A and 245/75R15” LT tires and the tire size works perfectly without rubbing. Good size compromise for on & off highway use for us.
For those that might not know what the lift kit consists of here they are. They are just spacers so should be a manageable DIY if desired.

Single axle
https://www.etrailer.com/Accessories...71-707-01.html

Dual axle
https://www.etrailer.com/Accessories...SABEgKZSPD_BwE
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Old 02-11-2020, 10:18 PM   #15
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We are considering ordering a 17b and am wondering if we should get the lifted axle. We looked at a 2012 last weekend and I pretty well decided I would get the lift based on what I saw but I'm understanding that a lot of things changed in 2016. Are the new 17s higher, lower or pretty much the same as the older ones? We have a 3" lift on our Casita and it just about right for us. I really like the way these 2 trailers in this thread look. We will also be towing with lifted 100 series LC.
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Old 02-12-2020, 08:59 AM   #16
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I flipped the springs to above the axle on my 5.0 because of the height of my tow and wanting to ride level. The spring flip gives you about 5”, the axles are designed for either option. I did buy new bolts as they get torqued and technically “stretch” a bit at the required torque, so reusing the old ones isn’t wise. You do have to add another step to get in comfortably, but double steps are available. It’s not too bad a do it yourself project, but you need a few good jack stands that’ll support the frame, and a good heavy floor jack or bottle jacks. Just make sure the axle stays in the same position, you’re ONLY moving the springs, the axle stays in the same alignment i.e. with its tube arched up as you look at it.
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Old 02-12-2020, 09:22 AM   #17
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So, @yardsale mentions "leaf springs" on their 17B and others mention Torflex: Has the 17-series had leafs and Torflex over the years??

For the record our 15A is the first trailer I've owned with Torflex; and I can't wait to swap it out (still investigating as 'modern' suspension systems for relatively light trailers are rare) . Very limited travel and even on smooth highway surfaces it transmits significant shock to the trailer.

@77FJ40: If you are venturing off gravel roads I'd suggest a suspension/body lift. I installed the 2-3/4" spacer lift on our 15A coupled with slightly taller tires...and glad we did. I too have a heavily modded/custom'd UZJ100 but also pull the 15A with our LBZ HD2500. You on 'MUD?
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Old 02-12-2020, 09:31 AM   #18
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I believe all of the Escape trailers have a torflex suspension and the early 5th wheels did have a leaf spring suspension for ease of height adjustment depending on the tow vehicle. Later all the 5th wheels are now torflex also.
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Old 02-12-2020, 10:49 AM   #19
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Randy, the ETI Ambassador, brought the demo 17b to the Quartzsite gathering. He was talking about changing the suspension on the demo to a Timbren setup and possibly heading to a more off-road version. He was the guy that was involved in designing the off-road tear drop that is a part of KV the parent company, so he is a very capable person to look at going to a more off-road version Escape. It could be another interesting path for ETI in the future.
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Old 02-12-2020, 03:42 PM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cpaharley2008 View Post
I believe all of the Escape trailers have a torflex suspension and the early 5th wheels did have a leaf spring suspension for ease of height adjustment depending on the tow vehicle. Later all the 5th wheels are now torflex also.
Correct. All Escape travel trailers have Torflex rubber-sprung independent suspension except for the first two years (2014-2015) of the 5.0TA.

If a 17' has leaf springs, it was presumably converted later. A misunderstanding of the trailer's suspension seems more likely to me, although many similar trailers of other brands have been converted from Torflex (or similar) to beam axles with leaf springs.
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