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Here’s what I mean, there’s precious little room left anyhow, at best I can widen it up a step from 1/2” to 9/16” Interesting to see the bolts stretching already. And these do so on the sides while the stock ones flattened out on the top bend

Yeah that’s what OTT is using and we just kind of went with it, me not knowing any better. Now $180 later … anyhow I’ll be much happier with 90 on 9/16, this 65 just ain’t cutting it. On the plates the hole spacing is already correct at 3” - those 1/2” are holding it together right now (remember OTT now has 5200 axels as standard). I think you upgraded your axels at the same time if I recall? Yes you mention still having the 3500 axels. In that case it sounds like you were using plates from the smaller axel for the larger so they’d need new holes. In this case I may (he said it depends it might be fine, its pretty close) just need to enlarge them a bit. So a 9/16” bit would center on the hole and just hog it out somewhat. I’ll put some anti-rust on it before buttoning up.

Yep!

Hey Dan, wow 1/2" U-bolts, really? I don't remember modifying the leaf plates! If this is true, you cannot merely drill 9/16" over the 1/2" hole because the space between the holes needs to be equal to the axle diameter. You'd have to have a decent drill press, clamp the plate down and drill the new holes off-center to the original holes. You could drill 5/8" holes instead, but that would be sloppy and I don't know about you but I have a couple 9/16" bits on hand but not 5/8" which would be an expensive bit to purchase these days. When I'm out at my shed this afternoon, I'm going to see what was on our hull OEM. I kept all the old parts to sell the suspension used if possible (figure there's got to be some guy in the neighborhood building a homemade ATV trailer). Cheap Dexter 1750 leafs and 3500 LB axles are not enough to carry the Oliver, but would be great for an ATV trailer (upgraded with Timken bearings)! 🤣 Here's the spec sheet Alcan gave me when I purchased my package in person. 90 ft-lbs for the 9/16" U-bolts, 80 for the end wet bolts and 65 for the shackle wet bolts.

Aiieeeeeeee!!!! Just called Alcan for a quick ship of eight new 9/16” bolts. OTT is still going on the low side with these suspensions and installing 1/2” on a 3” 5200 which is specced to 1750. I’ve got five leaf Alcan’s on the the same 5200 axels so should have gone 9/16” but it got lost in translation. Yeah I kept looking at those bolts against the springs/axels and especially that torque setting feels way too low. Anyhow they are helpful as usual, he thought I was right on to upgrade the bolts. He mentioned by the way that Oliver is only using Alcan on the Apex - the others are business as usual. He also warned me that the plate will need to be widened a bit to accept the larger bolts. I asked about how much work this would be - should I disassemble? He suggested just doing one bolt at a time. Told him that’s what I wanted to do but worried it was too much redneck mechanic - to which he said “well that must be what we are because that’s what we do!” 😅 So easy upgrade Thanks @jd1923 for helping on that, wouldn’t have caught it without checking your torque number

Wut? Here’s my spec sheet My U-Bolts are 1/2” on 5200 axels. They had said most Olivers use 7/16” u-bolts but checking mine turned out to be the 1/2 which is 65 ft-lbs. 90 would be 9/16” - is that what you got? Ahhhhh dang - yup, looking over my emails that’s what Alcan recommended, 9/16. But OTT installed 1/2” and so that’s what we went with. I’d feel a more comfortable with the 9/16, 65 on 1/2 is too low. I’ll call them and order a new set, grrrrr ….

Yeah, so far so good for us, but we also have the Dewalt leaf blower and it can empty a 5 Ah battery in 4-5 minutes big amps/blowing hard! Starlink requires a small load over a long period of time, so it should be easier on batteries. 😎 The 6 Ah Dewalts I bought 5 years ago were HD! The case could survive a shoulder height drop to a concrete floor, np but not anymore. Shop as wisely as you can. Hate to say it but the aftermarket batteries are half-decent at half price today.

I’m on the Cummins forum, several Toyo forums for our Lexus vehicles, was in the Bigfoot Forum before OTT, the “Steve Saunders” Goldwing forum for many years (40 years with my classic 1984 GL1200 Standard), a forum for everything I’m working on or have worked on for years! (90% on the OTT Forum the last 3 years)! All the bragging guys write, “did it in 2 hours!” My answer is “BS!” If it went so quickly, you didn’t do it right!

U-bolts or wet bolts? The U-bolts MUST be 90 ft-lbs MIN, 100 would be good, but not more. IMHO, the Alcan torque numbers for wet bolts are more than high enough, I went about 10 ft-lbs less on these. The original wet bolts were shoulder bolts where regardless of torque, the shoulder allows play on the leafs so the suspension can move nicely up and down. Certainly do not over torque these or the leafs may bind on the bolts which could cause the tires to skip and bounce. Before I did our major suspension install, I had no idea! Our OEM suspension was barely hanging on! Like it was never torqued in so many years! 🤣

I Good because that’s where I’m headed! 😅 Agree with all your points, and also I like the self reliance. That’s the idea with this for me, having independence. And now instead of being a mystery I’m confident and aware of what the suspension is doing and know what to look out for.

I spent a lot of time making sure the leafs were in line, square / plumb front to back, before mounting the wet bolts. Actually, I did this on my garage floor prior to mounting new axles, but you’re doing springs only. If you feel they’re not square, what I would do after you’re finished is get somewhere on a big flat level parking lot, loosen all U-bolts (somewhat) and the wet bolts with no torque at all, drive 100 ft or more steering wheel straight ahead! Then re-tighten the U-bolts first, then torque the wet bolts. Ya think the “Professional”installers would worry about this? I love Alcan and everybody I met who works there. But when you get this job done in 2-3 hours, you get what you got! 🤣 I spent 3-4 days fussing over our new axle and leaf spring installation. Was watching the tires over speed bumps the other day. This suspension is a moving work of art! Back home, time to torque again! 🤣

Question: I’ve got 65 ft/lbs on 1/2” u-bolts. Not doubting them but it seems light (I accidentally manually tightened past that on initial setup), probably back in this thread but anybody put a backing nut on it (if there’s thread), witness marks or loctite?

Thanks for the info to Run route off of DC. Since we are in the PNW we camp with a lot of tree cover (Canopy). Usually close to the roads/pavement will have less trees overhead. Like you said You really do not need the router.... until you do. I think you have convinced that router is a great "what if" backup. Thanks for the heads up, just checked my AT&T plan, and treat Canada just like the US. No roaming charges. Secondly, Crossing the border(s) with food stuff/ETOH. I know going into Canada they charge for ETOH over a very small limit, and their regulation about beef, chicken, most produce. If you have already cooked meat/vegges, is that a problem. Going back into the US we haven't looked anything up. So we not only have to travel the mainland US/Canadian borders, but we plan on going to Skagway and back by highway. that is another crossing back and forth. Then we do the AlCan Highway back and forth. Aree all 6 crossing going to be like this? Not taking produce/ meat/Etoh across the border could be a pain. We like to eat fresh fruit. Eat a fair amount of cook fresh veggies, and some meat. I would also like to pick up a bottle of wine in Washington, wine and whiskey in Canada, Spruce pine needle beer in Skagway if they got it. Have not thought about what we will buy in Alaska yet. This could really become a Pain in the..... We bought a fair amount of ETOH on our trip last year to Kentucky/Tennessee and up to the great lake and back west across highway 2. We had planned to jump across the border to the Hope BC Egg rally and then see Vancouver then back home. With all of the ETOH we accumulated seeing so many states and staying at harvest host breweries, Wineries and Distilleries we decided we would forfiet Hope and Vancouver because of the steep fees for the ETOH. If fact we still have not drank everything we bought last year crossing most of the USA.

The Pines of Kabetogama! The other Oliver! Charlie 1607 2025 LEII 2021 Landcruiser 200

Glad I didn’t disappoint 😅 Not a problem anymore but we’ve been over that. But it’s all good, whatever rocks your boat. Actually that too - 2024/25 Silverado EV’s (same platform different front end) are coming off lease and rentals, people are getting them at great prices. But yeah apples to apples you’ll pay an extra 4-6k or something. You’ll save in fuel/service total cost of ownership pretty quickly with gas prices as they are, but granted people tend to be more sensitive to sticker price.

Problem solved. I hoped (but didn’t expect) that maybe when I did the other side it would settle in, but it did and looking good! All four done, wheels torqued but I’ll save the final torque suspension for tomorrow when I’m rested, then take it for a few test drives. Street side started going really fast but then ran into some drama, an axel slipped off its jack (why didn’t I strap that to the jack?) then the very last bolt was a troublemaker. The Dexter bolts are sized down at the very end for a smaller nut. Weakest link in a chain kind of thing, but it does make it much easier to mount - the Alcan are same size throughout so alignment is more critical. Anyhow after moving the jacks a million times taking pressure off here and there finally got it done. A lot of work! Definitely a job where the right tools make the difference. Having a lot more jacks would have helped (also working on pavement, at my brother in law’s in the dirt as I can easily keep it hitched and work in peace.) Oh and guess what? One of the old shocks is dead. Bought this in March so only six months old 🙄

Ya, I like the cord is 3.2 ft (1meter). I did find 1 couple of Dewalt adapters that have Low Volt Cutoff they cut off around 15V. That might help to not torch a battery. Some adapters also have other features as SOC or voltage display, and on/off switch alarm, etc.... That might help to not torch a battery. I just looked at prices they are little pricy, but you're paying for twice the Ah. Just read some complaint with the Dewalt 10Ah batteries shipped with their mowers. Very short life. one guy dropped back to the 6Ah batteries and liked those had a better longevity they just have to spend more time charging to get lawn mowed.

The Pines of Kabetogama, Kabetogama MN. We were surprised to see another Oliver here when we pulled in. Bill 313

I see you opted for the dual awnings. We love ours. Happy travels.

Yes, yes, yes. We have a composting toilet and actually carry 35 gallons of extra water. Preferred camping times are spring before school is out and fall after school is in session. We do about 7 trips per year now but are rarely out more than 5 nights. Short trips keep it simple.

Hi all. Finally signed up in the forum. Looking forward to traveling more and meeting Oliver owners. 😃 Hope everyone had a wonderful day. 😃 Tim & Courtney. East Albany Vermont.

I’ve been using Starlink in the Northwest for years, since being a beta tester for the first generation round dishy. Iv’e found that a pole mounted dish often get better sky-view angle over trees. I have a simple pole mount using a 10' stick of Electrical Metallic Tubing (EMT) that I carry under the trailer frame (see Tacky Starlink Dishy Mast). It was an easy and inexpensive mod, quick to set up, and it doubles as a flagpole if you're feeling patriotic. I stopped using a tripod stand a long time ago. When not using the pole, I just lay the Mini on whatever is near by, or even on the ground. A permanent mount is not optimal in tree county. We don’t use a dedicated carry case either, we just toss it on the bed or on the back seat. I’m all for having less stuff to pack up and carry. The Mini is watertight and robust, and you would be hard pressed to damage it. I prefer running the Mini from DC power over using the inverter for AC power. It's more power-efficient, especially if you leave it on 24/7 like us. The wattage losses from converting DC to AC, then back to DC add up. So I use a Victron DC voltage booster and it’s been a popular solution that has worked flawlessly for years. See: Starlink Mini installation, cracking the 12 Vdc barrier . . . or not! It’s nice having a portable battery pack for backup at times when there is no sky-view at camp, or to share internet with your buddies. I made a bunch of the “Everlanders” designed rechargeable slim packs that last several hours, but commercial options are also available. We depend on the internet for cell service, so battery packs or inverter AC power is not a good permanent solution for us. The bargain priced Mini router is usually not needed... until it is. Keep in mind that the farther you get from the dish, the weaker the WiFi signal, and the slower the internet. Weak WiFi can be mistaken for poor satellite reception, so try the router if you're seeing the spinning wheel of frustration! These can also be powered by 12 volts DC. See: The new Starlink Mini Router, for what ails you! for power options. So anyway, that's my two cents. Have fun in BC, but watch out for cell phone roaming charges, and don’t bring any produce back! We just got detained on the USA side last week because we declared a couple ears of BC of corn. They could have just taken the corn, but instead they made us maneuver the trailer into the humiliation parking area, then kept us waiting in the detention facility for an hour while they searched our stuff and freaked out the dog! But I have to say, the lab did a nice job at de-lousing and folding our shopping bag! Cheers! Geoff

First thing I would do is call up the new owners of hull #359 and get her back! A quick search on RV trader shows 7 Olivers for sale from $46.5K to $74K. Buy at the low range if you are the DIY type to have money left over for your upgrades. This was my plan and with a whole lot of work hull #113 is more capable than most of them out there. If you’re not the DIY type or not wanting to do the work to upgrade, RV labor cost a lot, and “professional installations” are rarely what they’re cracked up to be! 😉 If so, then get one at the high range in EC with options you could live with. Or just dive in and buy new! Yes, they’re now $100K min plus new vehicle sales taxes. I've fought to avoid crowds most of my life, being raised in Chicagoland when my heart was always in the mountains. I don't wait in lines, period. You won't find me at a theme park, my last stadium concert was back in the 80s, gave up on airports, I could go on and on! Prescott is the Yavapai County AZ seat. It’s the size of New Jersey in area with only 250K people. Why did we move here? Think about that (though people are moving here in droves). There was recently a Where's Ollie post on Glacier. Yes, it’s truly a one-of-a-kind beautiful place! It's so unique that almost everybody wants to go there, like Yellowstone, the Tetons and Yosemite to name just one of the great NPs in CA. I went to Glacier in 1986, the 100th anniversary of the state of Montana. There were so many tour buses, Chinese tourists many and others, after a quick chase up a trail to try to catch up to a mountain goat, we left asap and tent-camped after hiking into the Bob Marshall Wilderness. There we didn’t observe another human all week. The NF and Lake Flathead were great! I lived East most of my life, besides IL 10 years in VA (both Tidewater and NoVa). Eastern Tennessee is beautiful but the entire east coast is so highly populated. It's certainly more difficult to boondock somewhere East vs. West. BLM land is only in western states and I believe there are about 8 National Forests in Arizona alone. Then we have Utah and SW CO within a days drive. Just finishing a 10 day trip to SW Colorado. Last night we arrived at a boondocking site off I-40 in Winona AZ, two hours from home. I found it using the Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM) for the Coconino NF and then I use OnX Offroad to navigate the FS roads. We are on a ranch road, so there’s ranch traffic which I mind less than tourist traffic. You can tell when at 5 PM 6-8 work trucks were heading out and this morning at 4:45 AM they all returned to work. I got back to sleep. Take a look at our campsite, not bad with views of the San Francisco Peaks! Last night I walked down the short dirt road next to us. There was a Casita pull by a Honda SUV. They are 200 yards behind us but we haven’t talked, each keeping to ourselves (behind where I took the second picture). After a few nights boondocking in another great spot north of Dolores CO, we tried some locations east of Mancos, west of Durango. We found too many modern homeless types. Those who camp in their vans, trucks or cars. It was Labor Day weekend making campsites busier. Not feeling good about camping there, we stayed at Target Tree a US FS campgrounds. Check in on Labor Day and the grounds were about 2/3 full. The next morning everybody left except us, the very nice host and one other. Yeah, a view of the Grand Tetons would be great, but don’t go in season unless you want the traffic and the lines. This place is not bad to have to ourselves. What a site the Casita guy has, far enough off the road. We’ll come back here again. There is a huge network of roads with literally 100s of boondocking sites. If you want this kind of experience don’t cheap out on batteries/inverter/solar and install a new efficient A/C (yay Chill Cube)! We just finished 10 days without hookups. Our 900 Ah batteries are now down to 30% SOC. We ran the A/C for 2 full days plus lunches on the road and a couple days just late afternoon. We ran the fridge and hot water heater on LP when camped. Our DC-DC charger is always attached when towing. By the time we get home, SOC should be up to 45%. Keep in mind that these numbers are % of 900 and if they are to get done to 25% our reserve would be equal to 4 large AGMs. Yeah, for us having an Oliver is worth it. It’s what you make it to be. We love ours!

I went with suggesting the diesel and exhaust brake, knowing full well Dan would chime in with the EV truck. 🤣 I imagine he’s right about power and downhill braking. Still not sure I’d want to be looking for charge stations while camping though. The main issue may come down to cost. You can’t buy an older EV and they are quite costly compared to the 1500 series gas truck.

Girard uses #3 Phillips screws to secure the end caps to the awning, over time these screws can oxidize and become difficult to remove which may result in cam-out of the screws. Additionally the location of the bottom end cap screw closest to the hull prevents a normal sized screwdriver from positively engaging the screw head due to its proximity to hull roof. To aide in removing the screws a short right-angle screw driver or a #3 Phillips bit with a 1/4" socket wrench allows sufficient force to be applied and clearance to break the screws loose. Once out a coating of anti-seize on the screws will prevent future problems. My awning has only a single limit adjustment screw which is quite different than the illustration included in my Girard manual. I'll include a picture for reference. A little prevention goes a long way when your batteries in the remote go dead or the remote fails and you have no other choice than to pull the end cap off the awning and manually retract the awning. Notes: The limit screw requires a 4mm Allen wrench ( 1/4 turn = 1" of travel ) The retraction bolt requires a 13mm wrench