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Greetings to the Alcan Oliver Club plus! I'm looking for suggestions for campgrounds in proximity to Grand Junction. This will be a detour for my summer, and thankfully not too far off course from my planned route, however, I haven't had much time to research for places to camp before the day. I have tried to read the entire Made In USA Leaf Springs thread (now at 37 pages) but haven't been able to complete that task. I am looking for suggested campgrounds but also favorite things to do during a day or two in the area. Also suggested good eats. So far, I've found two campgrounds mentioned in that thread, and I am seeking additional input to add to this list: James M Robb Colorado River SP FRUITA SECTION CO 8 miles W of Alcan Spring; https://www.cpwshop.com/camping/james-m-robb-colorado-river-state-park-fruita-section/r/campgroundDetails.page?parkID=50069&media=3 James M Robb Colorado River SP ISLAND ACRES SECTION CO 23 miles NE from Alcan Spring; 1055 I-70, Palisade, CO 81526 https://cpw.state.co.us/state-parks/james-m-robb-colorado-river-state-park/james-m-robb-colorado-river-state-park-camping Rifle Gap SP 76 miles NE from Alcan Spring; 5775 CO-325, Rifle, CO 81650 https://www.cpwshop.com/camping/rifle-gap-state-park/r/campgroundDetails.page?parkID=50038&queueittoken=e_snasoco01~ts_1784416095~ce_true~rt_safetynet~h_7c7fd3b7e002cd85f34c1de9feaf47d1b6c0c9a91e25de9abdb5894558bc513e Other campgrounds in the regional area: KOA Grand Junction (commercial) this is close, but not my cup of tea... Rabbit Valley Mcinnis Canyons Conservation Area (NPS) 30 miles W of Alcan Spring; Mack, CO 81525 https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/10227416 I camped at Rabbit Valley in 2024; it's very minimal but has some interesting formations. I was actually in the Horse Camp area, and had the entire place to myself. That section was easier to access, and better suited to my limited time that year. Saddlehorn Campground (NPS) LIMITED LENGTH (will not accommodate Oliver E2, not sure about E1) max 40 feet combined length https://www.nps.gov/colm/planyourvisit/camping.htm *The length limit in Loops A and B for all RVs is 40 feet. The length limit for trailers is 40 feet total for the vehicle and trailer combined.* I resisted posting this in the MADE IN USA LEAF SPRINGS thread, but I hope it will serve as a good reference for those of us making the journey to Alcan Spring in Grand Junction. Moderators might be able to better link, if they see fit to do so. I am inserting that thread below. Made in USA leaf spring

I stick to the lowest-slung truck possible. The Denali trim level on the 2021 Canyon is pretty close to the ground - just as low as the 2wd. Same with the Sierra. We stay off of the “4wd, high ground clearance” trails. That, and we don’t need a ladder to get in and out. No AT4’s for us. I’ve only used the 4wd once on the Canyon - when I inadvertently pulled onto a loose sand “road” and shifted to 4wd as a precaution. I think I used it once on snowy roads in Chicago without the trailer. Same with the Sierra. I would have chosen 2wd as well - but the Canyon was in the tail end of COVID when I was lucky to find anything. With the Denali’s - people have to do a double-take to even realize it’s a diesel. We can sneak in and out of campgrounds without waking up the neighbors. Granted, you definitely know you have a 7,000 trailer behind you with the “smaller”, lighter trucks, but maneuverability and parking are pretty high up on our priority list. The Canyon was easy to park and get through narrow streets. (We like NOLA) It was also a lot lower than the Sierra - which makes for a lot better being able to see where the corners of the truck are. I can’t imagine backing up without the cameras all around - seeing over the hood or bed of a full size pickup is an act of faith.

And you mentioned an exhaust brake which makes a huge difference! I added a Pacbrake exhaust brake on our TV and love it, use it almost always since it's safer to slow as soon as you lift your foot off the pedal, in mountains of course but also on busy highways. We get 13 MPG regularly towing in the Mountains! Never have gone long enough on flat Interstates to know the number. If we do make it to The Rally, I'll have 1700 miles mostly on I-40 to measure this. I'm thinking 15 MPG will be the number. Yes, torque is the criteria for towing, HP not so much. But the REAL issue with smaller trucks is the footprint, width and wheelbase. Our truck is a solid TV since it's full width and an extra cab with long bed. And with 2WD the center of gravity is much lower (which nobody wants but me, but towing weight is on the rear wheels). All of this adds to stability. After a quick test drive, I could not imagine towing with our GX470 and it's not for the 470, but for the short wheelbase. The length of the 23' trailer and a SWB truck is the tail waggin' the dog! 🤣

We initially towed with our 2021 GMC Canyon Denali with the 2.8 liter Duramax diesel - handled the Oliver with zero issues. Only traded it for the Sierra 2500 Denali with the 3.0 liter Duramax because I wanted to trade it before it got too many miles. We were based in NE Texas - which as also pretty flat - but we had no problems towing the Ollie over the continental divide several times and negotiated plenty of mountains. From Florida to PEI to Yellowstone and NM. The diesel gave us exhaust braking, so at 80,000 miles our TV brakes looked near new. Your Tacoma has more HP - but the Diesel has more torque - and it comes it at 2,000RPM - so plenty of guts to get up to speed without the engine screaming. We also enjoyed stellar mileage - 20mpg towing was pretty typical on flat interstates.

GJ added comments are great! Too he added his DC-D charger just before Victron came out with the smaller and more efficient Orion 50A charger. Either way, OTT would only install the Oliver half of the installation and last time they offered a sale, it included the older 30A version. We use front LP port everyday camping. We have a 12 ft extension LP hose with quick connects and a Y-coupler on the other end. Connect our fire ring and grill at the same time. You need to remove the regulators from your appliances since the LP on board is already regulator to low pressure. Too bad OTT installs the rear connection inside of the sewer compartment, where you must drop the bumper to use it. I would use it on rare occasion if it was accessible like the front but never have. Tried to remove it but the underbelly LP lines are not easy to access. Many carry an extra tank for their grill, and you should have an extra tank if you go with two 20# tanks. Also, if you must use a generator the front shore power outlet can be helpful. Better to order or modify a new trailer with enough electric to avoid this (we run A/C for days on battery with a variable-speed A/C). If you go without the second outlet you won't need the PD5100 Automatic Transfer Relay. These are known to fail. I replaced one in a class-A RV and later a class-C years ago. I bypassed the one in our Oliver since we weren't using it and I preferred a direct run. My picture shows the PD5100 still installed if needed someday and right now it's only holding up our LevelMatePRO, another very useful upgrade we wouldn't live without.

Why not? As they say “everything is for sale - the only question is the price.” More than once I’ve thought that “the bare bones are great, it’s the accessories and layout of some of the utilities that have issues.”

I totally agree with SeaDawg. Many owners have had a gust of wind take out an awning. Having $5K invested in one would worry me a lot. We have a DC to DC, sadly the older 30 amp one. Best investment ever for those covering a lot of miles. Front gas port and plug in can be handy as well if they are not standard. One item that I really like is our 16" tires. OTT changing to 15's IMO was a rare step in the wrong direction. If you are going to be in the mountains a lot, get the 5200 pound dexter axles for the larger brakes. I, and others, don't recommend the larger propane tanks. When you get older their weight becomes prohibitive. GJ

Yep - our drain holes are clear, tracks are clean, and rig is level. Almost certain our issue is the way they mounted the window stop/bumper by drilling a hole through the bottom of the frame. Anything fit a perfectly dry track equated to a steady drip of water between the shells - or into the interior. Only other suspect is a similar hole drilled through the bottom of the frame to hold the center vertical muntin in place. Both really terrible design & construction.

Another related trick that leverages the "highest point" predilection of deer flies (and black flies for that matter)... When entering your vehicle, stand up high on the door sill (or step / running board if you have them) first, which brings the flies to a higher level, then duck down and enter the vehicle quickly and close the door before the flies discover that you've moved.

I haven't attempted to fine-tune this approach, but we have had some modest success by altering what appears to be your "highest point"... while wearing a day pack, insert a 2-3 foot light stick into the pack so that it stands more-or-less straight up. Hang/attach a hat to the top of the stick. Some flies will be attracted to the hat at the highest point, and bypass your head/hat at a somewhat lower point. Not sure how the effectiveness of this changes with height above your head. I assume there's a "sweet spot" to be determined experimentally. You look kinda goofy walking around with this contraption, but then sticky solo cups probably also look goofy LOL

This information is all here in various threads. I'll summarize while trying to be concise enough! 🤠 All new 2026-27 Oliver models will have D52 Nev-R Lube axles rated a 2x 5200 LBS. But unfortunately, on the EII, OTT will install same underrated springs they installed on all our hulls, the 1750 LB Dexter part # PR4B. These have a long history of failure where the main leaf breaks where the second shorter leaf makes contact. The OTT YouTube video on the Apex stated OTT is using the lighter rated 4-leaf version of Alcan Springs. In the Alcan design, the second leaf is the same length as the main leaf, so it cannot fail in the same way. There are also no gaps between leaves which is often observed on the Dexter PR4B. There must be DOT cost/legal reasons why OTT keeps their products rated at 7000 GVWR. If OTT installed the 5-leaf Alcan it could be rated at 10K. About 200 Oliver owners have installed the Alcan Spring upgrade, most with 5-leaf and a few with the 4-leaf version (without the bottom leaf). Not certain and it really doesn't matter as much, but it makes sense OTT will install the same Dexter EZ-Flex kits on all models which include Dexter shackles and wet bolts. The video also stated the Apex will have Bulldog shocks. OTT will likely keep installing Monroe 555001 shocks on the EII.

Oh!

This does seem to be a common problem. People have resolved in different ways, having found different causes. By the way -- we did replace my brake wires in both front and rear axles, but the original rear axle wire was left abandoned in the rear axle. Unfortunately I didn't pull it out that day, because we were working against the clock, trying to finish as the sun was setting. Now it's a lot harder to access. I hope to get it out of there to inspect it though, because I really want to see it. Thanks @Wayfinder for linking the image of your frayed wire -- Wow! That is a mess. The jury is out on my 'fix' and time will tell.

Get one of these instead. 😎 Price dropped $12 since I bought one in May! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DHNG4DL8/

I rarely have access to a compressor with a tank large enough to be effective in blowing out the Ollie window tracks. But when I do, I use a LOT of air. Hence, if you are thinking of going the canned air route....... I suggest you get a case (or two) of them. GJ

Please don’t respond with long winded dissertations, conjectures, theories, thoughts, wishes, guesses, etc., etc., etc. As Detective Joe Friday said "All we want are the facts, ma’am” Simply stated : What axles, springs, shocks, EZ Flex Equalizers, shackles and bolts are being installed on Current Production Legacy Elite II trailers being built right now? Also the same for the Apex model? Include part numbers and pictures if you have them. Bill

I'm on an MacBook Pro, the original photo was in the correct orientation. When I attached it to my post, it showed upside down. So I edited it in Preview (Mac OS) and rotated the picture 180 degrees. Deleted the original attachment in the post and the reattached the new picture, and it still showed upside down. I read up on trying to crop with preview. I selected the area I wanted and then pressed: command + K at the same time. It cropped it and then attached it, and it worked. I did not do the best job of cropping and thanks mossemi for rotating my picture in the original post. Hopefully I can do it right the next time.

I have had some success with threaded insert nuts in the OTT installed PVC Foam Board. They are very effective on the horizontally mounted foam board, such as the water pump location. Mossey

We got 14” in one day. We’re soggy but okay. Stranded at home due to road closures for a day and a half. Our daughter in Boerne was stranded at the city library most of the day only a mile from her house due to flooded roads. Still some high water areas and road closures but it is getting better. The Guadalupe River is at an all time high affecting the same folks in Kerrville that suffered last years flood. I haven’t been by the state park, I’m sure it’s closed for now. Thanks for asking! Mike

Oh boy. This entire thread sounds so similar to my own break issues with hull #110. Nearly two years of doing similar checking & replacing. I should have just listened to others on this forum from day one, and pulled BOTH break wires from the axles. Did I do BOTH at one time? Of course I didn't, I'm a nuckle-dragger. I got stopped by rain after finally pulling out and replacing the wire on the rear axle (this year), then still having break issues with the truck, I finally got to doing the front axle. OMG!!! The wire in my front axle was an ABSOLUTE frayed mess in several locations. Once I had both new wires on the outside of the axles, I've not had an issue since. Now towing with my new-to-me 2024 F-250. No issues. But, I will say, doing all that troubleshooting and replacing 7-pin connectors and inspection the 7-pin wire connector to the trailer and redoing connections a few times.... well, I'm much better and braver now for it. WHEN the next person inquires about intermittent break issues. Please have them pull BOTH break wires from the axles and save them many hours of troubleshooting. I think it should be the first step after checking basic voltage at the break assemblies. Just my 2cents. I have a thread around here about that "saga". @Boudicca908 I hope you're all fixed up now. I may have lost track in all the good info in the thread.

Yeah @Tony and Rhonda I don’t know why some things work great for some folks and not at all for others. I’ve just had my fill of Thermocell products even though many people swear by them. I guess I’m the type where once something lets me down (aka pisses me off) I swear them off forever. I would think that if it’s the same chemical in all the devices - it should just plain WORK so long as the device was operating. Though I think it’s more of a “long term” kinda device - I may look at the things they hook to a propane cylinder. They create CO2 (great, greenhouse gas) to attract the mosquitoes, then suck them into a bag. They may not even make them anymore. I’m a former organic gardener / small stock raiser - so I try to avoid the nuclear option. Spraying a bunch of insecticide around doesn’t mesh with my hummingbird feeders. the search goes on….

@Galway Girl has the same stove top I have in my 2016 demo unit (#110). Nice.

I've used the personal Thermocells for several years without any issues but they are (probably) first generation models purchased when they first hit the market. Pre-quality fade? They still work after 12-13 years. I've also found Picaridin bug spray to work on repelling mosquitos. Perhaps not as effective as DEET but Picaridin doesn't dissolve your watch band, phone case or camera like DEET will. I also don't taste picaridin after application like I do DEET. Don't know how well it works on deer flies but it does OK with black flies.

I'm sitting here trying to remember when they announced the dealership concept at the 2023 or 2024 Oliver rally. I feel like many people were upset at the idea, and others verbalized that it would not work out well. That's just my old brain perspective of recollection. Personally, I'd prefer to keep Oliver one of those unique, and somewhat mystical brands, there's true value in that. On the other hand, this adds more load to OTT themselves. In such a small "country" town, I'm not sure how challenging it is to find quality employees and much their rotation they experience.

Perhaps you could place two treated, upside down blue solo cups into the holders on one of these drinking hats for when you go hiking? Think of the conversations you would have along the way 🤣 Keep having fun and sharing.