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Interested to hear about your range reports when towing in the high mountain passes as well as the flatlands. Obviously 500 mile range loaded and towing is not what your expectations are. My SWAG is maybe a 250-300 mile range loaded might even be ambitious. I suppose you can plug in at CGs but there will likely be an additional fee.
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And I thought we were the only ones to do this! 😂
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Andersen WDH and Bulldog upgrade to 2 5/16" 12.5K LBS
jd1923 replied to jd1923's topic in Ollie Modifications
And here is the Bulldog before and after pics. The OEM gray matches my truck and the labels came off easily. Not easy to drill these holes. They used 1/2" 4" #8 bolts and OTT had drilled 9/16" holes, so I did the same (started with a 1/4" hole and stepped up, using a HD Unibit to finish). I placed them on the workbench side-by-side and used a Sharpie to circle the hole position through the old coupler onto the new one. I was so happy that both bolts pushed through first try! Torqued to 86 lb-ft (11Kg-M), DONE! -
Andersen WDH and Bulldog upgrade to 2 5/16" 12.5K LBS
jd1923 replied to jd1923's topic in Ollie Modifications
After I got done, I emailed the Andersen rep again and asked if she would mail me a new Andersen label and she replied the next morning, "of course." Now that everything is clean (used 3M Skotch-Brite pads to sand), you can push down the ball and it grabs with friction. And you can pull it up and it turns easily (about 4mm free play to the snap ring). If this persists after towing some it will allow for any hitch angle, just lift and turn. I'll let you know. No grease going on this new build and it doesn't matter if the ball looks like it's wearing, it's all solid steel at a rating 2x the GTWR! -
For 2 years, I've been wanting to lose the Andersen WDH. I have an older Ram 2500, unlike newer HD 2500s the user manual for my model states to use a WDH hitch when towing over 5000 LBS. Also when I hitch the Oliver, the rear hitch drops 2". Though tighten the WDH and it raises the rear back up to level and it keeps the trailer from “porpoising” from the light Oliver tongue weight. My Ram has helper springs, part of a Camper Special option, but after a few posts on the Cummins Forum, I found out that this option was made for truck campers and does not engage when pulling a relatively light trailer. The 25-year-old rear leaf springs are perhaps worn out. The easy out was to continue using the Andersen WDH (for now). However, I wanted to upgrade to a 2 5/16" and our 10-year-old Bulldog and Andersen had seen their better days. I'm an old-school critic of ridiculous prices today, but I truly believe a total of $200 for this upgrade is very reasonable, for both a new coupler and Andersen ball, It's nice that with Andersen you can upgrade the ball without having to replace the entire hitch assembly. Pictures show the old parts and new. Do what Andersen suggests in not greasing the ball, since it became obvious that grease on the ball worked is way below bringing dirt along for the ride. The friction cones had flakes of residue and horizontal striations which put wear on both the ball cone and the friction cone. $90 for the Anderson parts and $110 for the best price I could find on the Bulldog from a seller that included free shipping and did not charge out-of-state sales tax! https://andersenhitches.com/product/wd-tapered-replacement-balls/ https://www.trailerjacks.com/bulldog-collar-lok-trailer-coupler-2-516-ball-12500-lbs-3-channel-tongue-w-high-profile-latch
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Unfortunately, this is normal for the Truma units and any other rv ac unit where the blower runs continuously as the compressor cycles on and off. This is particularly a problem when the ambient humidity is high and the outside temp is close to the temp the ac is set to. These conditions result in short compressor run times with long blower run times wo the compressor running. You can use the dehumidify setting on the Truma, accessed only with the remove control. This setting runs the compressor continuously and does a great job decreasing humidity at the cost of making the trailer very cold. We usually just set the temp to much lower than we normally would to compensate for the increase humidity in the trailer, ie 65º at night. You can also purchase a small counter top dehumidifier as recently suggested in this great thread.
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J Yoo started following Truma AC blowing humid air?
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My truma AC blows very humid air when its compressor cycles off. I can feel the humid air immediately after the compressor turns off and within 5 minutes, the humidity level inside increases to much higher than the outside. For example, the outside humidity was 45% and the inside humidity was 80% while the fan was running. I have a thermometer that displays in/outdoor temperature and humidity levels. The AC runs as it should (cooling and dehumidifying) as long as the compressor is on. Is this normal? Anyone else have similar experience? Hull 1264
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I had a problem similar to this when my Ollie was still under warranty. My microwave and AC were unusable when off shorepower as the 3000 watt inverter would shut down. I can't recall if my voltage drop mirrored yours, but the behavior was at least similar. As such, a repair facility with OTT and Xantrex' guidance made the repair. I am not 100% certain what was done but I know there were issues with redundant and/or undersized or defective circuit breakers as it came from OTT. (There are only so many things you can check in the OTT campground if you stay a night or two there as part of shakedown following new trailer pickup.)
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Andersen WD Hitch Periodic Maintenance?
Geronimo John replied to Galileo's topic in Mechanical & Technical Tips
$94 at Tweety's. A bit more expensive than free. Drats. Thanks for the heads up. At that cost it will be worth an inspection of the ball and it's shaft. If the shaft is good, Get the free cone for cost of shipping and install the ball 180 degrees from OEM and wear out the other side of the ball. Another reason to lube the ball... get longer life out of the new looking front side! Sorry CRM I could not help myself on that one! 🙂 GJ - Yesterday
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Water carry: Don’t know about the others (but probably average), but the Oliver is expressly designed for fresh water carry. Important for Boondocking and I want to bring water with me just in case the campground water is having issues For us, this is the main OTT limitation. We boondock almost exclusively and water is what we run out of first even with a composting toilet. I ultimately added an auxiliary 35-gallon tank in the back of my TV as my 3/4 ton has the capacity (wish I had opted for 40 or 45 gallons). We fill both tanks with softened water from the trusted home source and we are good for almost a week. I have a custom pump setup to simply refill the freshwater tank so I don't have to fool with the valve configuration using the Ollie water pump. This also serves the purpose of a backup water pump if ever needed. So all told, I am adding several hundred pounds to my TV payload - something to consider if you plan to boondock much.
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rich.dev started following 2025 N.E. Oliver Owner's Mini-Rally in Boothbay, Maine
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I'm guessing that there are a bunch of kids in the pool here.😇 Bill
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With my juvenile mindset, it was really difficult not to say something inappropriate here. But I refrained. 😁
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Thanks for the kind words of encouragement! Just what I needed … I’m at that stage of ‘having trouble’ shall we say, with doing the last few years. Fact is my theoretical date is early next year, which would be 59.5 same as my Dad and brother, why not … but I’m tacking on a few years to earn guilt free extra dollars to pay for this rig and this and that. Oliver jacked up the price like crazy last few years and EV trucks aren’t cheap yet as they’re just releasing. Meanwhile there’s various factors I’m waiting to settle out - interest rates, production start for MY2026 on both the truck and the trailer, anyhow now that I finally settled it’s a bit of being impatient. Good news is, maybe I can pull this all together this year and be camping in the new year. That should make the final couple years fly by as I’ll practically be retired, just with that pesky day job to attend to still 😅 Dan
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OTT has provided a notice of the mini-rally (beginning on June 2, 2025 in Maine) in the Oliver TT web site under Resources tab and under the Upcoming Events tab. All Oliver Owner's are welcome to attend.
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I have our two mounted on each side of the television. I decided that locking them at all while underway was not the best idea. We just let them swing free.
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More DC to DC charger installation tidbits
Carl Hansen replied to Snackchaser's topic in Ollie Modifications
Well, I pulled the trigger today and ordered all my DC charging parts. They will be coming in over the next week or so. I would like to extend a big thanks to all the members of this forum, who over the years, have helped me with many questions and concerns I would like to give a special thanks to Coddiwomple (David) who graciously invited me over to his shop to show me how he installed his DC charging in his LE1. It was extremely helpful to see first hand. He went beyond the mark by opening up his TV and trailer (including every access panel) and allowed me to photograph and video his trailer. He even went so far to give me copies of all his documentation and notes. It's people like David and many others that make this community such a great place to communicate and share. Thanks to everyone! Carl BTW... I just got notified by Highway Trailers in Salem that Oliver is sending them the Truma water heater parts replacement for the recall. There is hope! -
Andersen WD Hitch Periodic Maintenance?
jd1923 replied to Galileo's topic in Mechanical & Technical Tips
I think that was back in the @John E Davies days, many years ago! I just purchased the 2 5/16" ball and friction cone. It is the friction cone ONLY that has a lifetime warranty but you must pay shipping ($18 part and $13.50 for shipping)! 🤣 My total was $90 just purchased this month. -
Andersen WD Hitch Periodic Maintenance?
CRM replied to Galileo's topic in Mechanical & Technical Tips
Anderson isn't one of them. For their WDH they say not to grease the ball or coupler. -
JD.. Yes that is the fan I installed. No, it's not whisper quiet... but it is pretty quiet when set on low. We like the maxxfan a lot when sleeping... provides just the right amount of white noise to cover any other sounds. The Sirocco is about the same as the maxxfan but it's a lot closer. Still not annoying and should not interfere with sleeping. I posted a video of the fan on the facebook page... you can look for it there. I cycled through the 3 speeds so you can hear how loud each is. Steve, Have not travelled with it at all but plan on leaving it in the down position. I think it would stress the fan especially on bumpy roads. Will probably leave it in the down position all the time. Thanks, Scotty
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Andersen WD Hitch Periodic Maintenance?
Geronimo John replied to Galileo's topic in Mechanical & Technical Tips
OK found the On Ramp back to the topic of maintenance of the Andersons........ I'm going to replace my Anderson Cone and Ball Assembly at 60,000 Ollie miles. So I'm about two years away. I seem to recall that such parts from Anderson were being provided to OTT owners at no cost. Am I dreaming again? GJ -
Andersen WD Hitch Periodic Maintenance?
Geronimo John replied to Galileo's topic in Mechanical & Technical Tips
Loosing the chains will effectively make the hitch act incrementally more as a standard ball hitch with a bulldog coupler. Doing so will reduce the contact patch PSI loading. That reduces friction between the two components. Less friction less wear. However going to a 2 5/16 ball seems to have greatly reduced the wear issue. Why? Less contact loading by having a larger contact for the same load (Chain Tension and Tongue Weight). Adding grease to the ball is exactly what the vast majority of hitch MFG's suggest.... to reduce wear. Disclaimer: The above discussion is about OE2 sway. For the vast majority of owners of OTT's, sway is a non-issue. But circumstances such as improper trailer/TV loading, speed, and very unusual environmental conditions could make an adverse difference. OFF TOPIC: For newer owner who may not have seen it, here is OTT Jason's very informative video about connections of the Anderson/Bulldog system. -
Andersen WD Hitch Periodic Maintenance?
CRM replied to Galileo's topic in Mechanical & Technical Tips
I fully understand how the Anderson WDH works. I think some who have had wear issues may not of had the chains tight enough which could allow some movement between the ball and coupler instead of both being locked in place together and turning inside the friction cone. I also think greasing the ball could increase the chances of movement between the ball and coupler if the chains are set too loose. -
Andersen WD Hitch Periodic Maintenance?
Geronimo John replied to Galileo's topic in Mechanical & Technical Tips
I'm not so sure about that. The whale plate and the ball shaft and ball are pinned. They turn as a unit. The friction takes place on the lower end of the ball shaft. Grease makes no difference. In the below video you can see how they are made. First, the ball does not spin. It rotates with the whale plate. The whale plate rotates with the chain attachment points. This is why the balls always wear always looks like this video opening shot: If the ball was spinning, you would have wear all around the ball. It does not happen. Since the ball is not spinning, the wear we see is typical of "contact patch" friction induced wear. Wear does not occur unless there is contact between the two objects. By lubricating the contact patch you reduce the wear. Some have suggested getting a metallurgically harder ball. Bad idea. The ball is a softer material than the Bulldog for safety reasons. GJ -
That would be my Chris too! I’m not into fans, so for me just one fan is needed on her side. Thanks