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Were it me, I'd be carefully inspecting springs, and shocks. Yours are 7 years old. We've had no issues with springs, but did replace shocks some years back, in our 2008. We've never seen a cracked weld in our 2008, and we do inspect regularly. Not saying someone couldn't have had a bad day welding, which could be the case, but previous owner, running 80 psi, on rough travel, "could" have created your issues. Which could translate to other issues, with shocks and springs . When we picked up our 2008 Elite, it was also set to maximum psi on the tires. We didn't think much about it til the microwave tried to commit suicide, almost jumping out of the cabinet, on a rough, snaking mountain road. (And contents of drawers spewed everywhere.) We have an Elite, st tires, so I have no recommendations for your elite ii with lt tires,,except that max pressure isn't it. Everthing has to work in harmony. If you look back, there are dozens (probably) of posts on ideal tire pressure for the Elite II. I'm very glad you inspected, and got timely repair. Good on you, for inspection. .

We've just returned from a wonderful trip to the cooler climates of northern NM - Eagle Nest Lake State Park to be exact. As expected, the higher elevation of the Rockies produce predictable afternoon T-Storms. We received the typical on-again/off-again 25-30 minute rain every afternoon through mid-evening, FRI - SUN. Laying in the rack Friday night while listening to light and sometimes heavier squalls pass through the area, we hear a rather loud "BANG" - believe me, if I could hear it; it must have been loud! The sound was similar to an RV door slamming shut, but much louder. Grabbing the high-power LED hand-held and self-defense protection, I go out to carefully investigate.... All is cool in and about Casablanca, however, looking to the 5th Wheel nearby, it's clear the couple neglected to either "tip" their awning or retract it all together. Thought that this would go without saying, but leaving a level awning deployed after hours is asking for a Big Problem. The 20-foot canopy collect enough water during the evening to snap the drive-control rod freeing it at the forward edge, destroying the forward/rear support arms, and collapsing the awning. We had an interesting chat with the couple over some coffee in the morning. They're new to RV'ing and mentioned that the awning caper is just another example of "how they roll." Wow. There was no way the awning would be retracted with so much damage to the support arms, not to mention the broken control rod in order to get the rig back to TX. We explained they would need to remove both control arms and slide the awning from its track (about 15' off the ground). So, we offered to help since they had no tools or a ladder. We got them road-worthy after about 45 minutes of effort. But now what to do with the 20-foot awning roller? He decided to cut it into thirds with my hacksaw and drove it to a local landfill. The awning was salvageable, but they mentioned they've found one on Amazon along with a couple new control arms. Oh, well... at least there were no injuries! Pay attention to WX and Awning positioning, right? A & D

Set from “Random Passage” of life in Newfoundland in a fishing village in the early 1800s

I doubt running max psi down level and clean highways does "that" much. Yours is the first post I know of, that has had weld cracks. I'm sorry for that, and I'm glad to encourage folks to inspect, as you have, and we do. Running high psi down sh#t roads, at too high speed, can definitely result in some issues. Something prudent folks avoid. Reduce pressure, take it slowly, etc. A poor weld, in the first place, could also cause issues. Since your trailer was at Oliver several times, I think that would have been discovered. They found minor stuff I didn't even think about, on our few visits. There's also a balance with LT tires-- sidewall flex and roll vs softer ride. Another reason I like st tires, with stiffer sidewalls. We all make our choices, and live with the results. Your trailer will be fine. You're doing all the prudent inspections, and repairs as necessary. You (nor I) can not possibly know all the history, with two previous owners, but we all do know this is one of the most rugged little trailers out there. And, you're not likely to go nuts on speed on crappy roads. The grime behind two year old blinds has a story to tell, on its own, imo.

For sure! GJ

Your suspension has at most 2” of upward travel before the ubolts smash into the subframe. Your early hull did not come with upgraded suspension, was that added at any time? Rock hard tires and no EZ Flex will really stress the frame, hull and your belongings. The first line of defense against road vibrations and impacts is flexible compliant sidewalls! Try 45 psi. John Davie Spokane WA

Make your battery cables look like the diagram below by removing the cables with the red X's. Mossey

(Apologies in advance - not trying to HiJack the thread). UPDATE: After a wonderful short trip to the cool WX of northern NM, we returned yesterday after a 335-mile round trip. The maintenance done on the Bull Dog last week appears to have remedied the issue of it rotating on the rear through-bolt as described earlier. The Bull Dog position remains unchanged relative to the Sharpie mark after the trip. We'll pay attention to this by double checking the torque values on the two attachment bolts. Cheers, all!

@jd1923: We couldn't agree more with @Mike and Carol, FYI. We do a top/bottom, port/stbd, fore/aft cleaning inside and out after (and many times during) our trips. It's a good way to mentally keep track of gelcoat issues, general conditions and anomalies that our OTT's acquire after/during use. Like Mike mentions, such attention keeps our "older" Ollies looking and feeling like new.... You know you're doing it right when random comments by Ollie admirers say stuff like, "We can't believe your trailer isn't brand new!". Just say'n.... "Ravel'n On!" A & D

I tried to edit the battery configuration diagram from the OTT manual and the result looks like first grade art work, sorry. Mossey

The first thing welder said was, "That wouldn't be an LP line, would it?" I said, "Yeah, the tanks are off and I released the gas in the line." and he proceeded without worry. There is a little kink in the line, as you can see front of the T, but it holds pressure, so I left it as-is. Yes John, good observation. The vertical line is right there, going up to the kitchen (edit: Furnace and HWH) which could have been damaged. We camped 3 days, just after fixing this and if there was an interior leak, I certainly would have smelled it. I would think it would be difficult to eyeball/follow that line along its entire length. No sag, no fiberglass damage visible. CRM and rideandfly, thanks for your comments. I'll bet there will be a couple hundred OTT owners getting under their frames this week!

Couple years ago, while working on a friend’s 2015 Legacy Elite, found some cracked welds. He took his Ollie to Oliver to inspect and re-weld. Inspected our Ollie’s welds several times and at 5 years old during a service visit to Oliver, they inspected the frame, too. So far no frame weld issues.

View out our back window at Bellevue Beach campground

It’s nice to know that you are getting #113 back in to shape. Regular cleaning and maintenance goes a long way with an Oliver, some 2016’s still look and feel new. Mike

St John the Evangelist Church built in 1923

Tickle cove

I can split this topic, if you like, so that your question gets more attention. I looked up your profile, so others know: Elite 2, 2022, hull #998, picked up a month ago. So, you bought a pre-owned trailer, correct? What other loads were on in the trailer? Microwave? Fan (what speed?) Or, just lights. And, were there any other loads on the 15 amp circuit from the home, or is it a dedicated outlet for the trailer? (Meaning, nothing else in the home or garage can be plugged into this circuit., and the circuit breaker only controls that single 15a outlet.) I don't have your gear, but I do have an older xantrex on our boat. With only 15 amps to work with, if there is much of any draw on that circuit, I think your xantrex would direct those amps to other draws, and not to charging. Hence, the initial show of charge, then switch to no charge. Have your batteries ever shown "full 100 per cent charge" since you've owned the trailer? Our batteries, even agm, need to reach 100 per cent from time to time, to "reset" the algorithms of the monitor. Others with your gear will have better suggestions. With my limited knowledge, I'll leave it to you to explain the situation further, and let current /newer owners answer.

What were the tire pressures when you first checked them? John Davies Spokane WA

Most RVs come with 2 lead acid batteries, less AH per battery and no solar. You should be fine, as long as you do not plan on consecutive days of boondocking.

One battery should do it providing your TV can recharge your battery as you drive and you do not use any high demand appliances such as your AC.

I think it is very good that the sagging crossmember did not break the gas line. If you haven’t already, take a very close look at all the propane lines you can get to inside the trailer. Was there any damage to the fiberglass belly from hanging down unsupported? Even Ollies can have bad problems. I am glad yours was relatively easy to correct. John Davies Spokane WA

Hi Ralph, you need to provide details of what type of 4 lead acid batteries you have (6 volt or 12 volt) before you start changing jumper wires into a series or parallel arrangement if you only keep 2 batteries. You didn’t specify in your original post, and you mentioned possibly cutting back to using only 1 battery, so that implies a single 12 volt battery. There are Olivers with FOUR 12 volt lead acid wet cell batteries in parallel (I have this setup. It was offered by Oliver as an option, maybe you have the same setup as this?). See photos below.

John, you and others reading might be interested in this. Your question got me looking at the old maintenance records. Our Hull 113 made its way back to OTT twice, April 2018 and May 2021. In 2018 it received the EZ FLEX upgrade, new Atwood furnace and another page shows "Replaced gas line to furnace and performed yellow jacket gas and function test." The LP line is wrapped in an automotive plastic wire loom. Our Oliver received major upgrades for 2018 (pic below). I imagine the welds broke in the year after OTT serviced the trailer May 2021, because certainly they would have seen it. The breaks looked 1-2 years old and it must have come from the rigid tires at 80 PSI. The 2018 receipt also shows new Monroe shocks, the ones on the trailer are yellow, looking like Bilstein from a glance, but perhaps Monroe also used yellow paint. I will know when I service them and will remove the shocks to bench test, replace if worn. I imagine prices would be 2x today! (Tried 3 times to get this photo right-side up.)

We just got back from a couple of months in Colorado. No matter what the weather forecast is, never leave your site with the awning out or go to bed with the awning out. Wind and storms can pop up any time, even if not forecasted! It’s a general rule for us that the awning is in when we’re gone or in bed. Same thing for west Texas and parts of AZ and NM. Mike

Nice work, John! Too bad that you couldn't find a 12V monitor, but I'm not sure they make such a thing. We've only had our trailer since March, and have used the TV maybe three times, and only for streaming. I added a cellular-embedded router and an Apple TV, so I don't need a "smart TV". A monitor would work except for when we eventually get somewhere without cellular service and I can use the omni-directional antenna for terrestrial TV. At some point I'd like to swap for a 12V TV, and then I'll convert the Apple TV to 12V, too. I've only used the inbuilt audio a couple of times, but it sounds like low-end car audio to me. I've used the TV's speaker when streaming. I did notice that the speaker over the closet booms a lot, using the entire closet as a speaker box. I'd imagine that a foam speaker cover over the back would do wonders for the mediocre sound. I'm using a Sonos Move for streaming audio, inside and out. It has almost too much bass for that big reflective interior. It's probably a good thing that my hearing isn't as discerning as it used to be... One of our better financial moves was subscribing to XM Radio back when they had a lifetime subscription for $485. We got two licenses in 2008, and have transferred them to each new vehicle, plus using the streaming app on the phone. As of now, we are at an average subscription cost of $2.69/month and dropping! (The router is still using the stub antennas, and not permanently mounted. I have an external antenna, but haven't yet convinced myself to drill a big hole in the roof!)

Paging @Katjo George, where in Michigan are you located? That'll help anyone looking to show theirs. Worst case; we are 25 miles west of Cleveland, and you'd be welcome to visit the Buckeye State for a look.

This is great advice -- I've never heard of a vehicle or trailer creasing. Nothing like witnessing an event to drive it home. I watched a (poorly loaded?) travel trailer sway on the interstate and roll, taking the TV into the ditch. I'll never forget that. Winds are curious because they do unexpected things around static objects (buildings, other vehicles). I have some great straps for tie-down, and lots of big rocks, and they're necessary for daily living here. In spite of that, I've noticed very little blown debris on the roadsides. I had forgotten what it was like to drive down a highway and see pristine landscape, whether farm field, forest or rolling plain.

Yes the Xantrex should charge the batteries from 15A of shore power as long as there are "extra" amps around for the inverter to use. It looks like you have checked for other loads on the battery and you have none since your EMS is showing 1 or 2 amps and good (125) voltage. There is another setting many of us use to turn off the charger when we don't want or need charging - it's setting #26 (charger ignition control). If #26 is set to OFF the charger will work and charge the batteries. If #26 is set to ON it will not charge the batteries. So, make sure the setting #26 is set to OFF on your inverter. One other quick check comes to mind... make sure the connections to your batteries are tight. If the ground is loose some things may work and others may not. This is a long shot given your symptoms but maybe worth a quick check as well. Good luck and keep us posted!

Thanks again, John, SeaDawg and Geromino John and you're welcome Boudicca908. It's the reason I posted this. We did a 3-day trip, just to check things out, but I'll be working a whole lot of maintenance next few months. We travel mainly Jan-Apr and it will be in excellent shape by then! In fact, we just had a monsoon, temps dropped 20 degrees and I pulled my TV in the garage for new headlights and a suspension/brakes check. Next job will be on the Oliver, pull the wheels, pressure-wash all the old grease away and whatever I can hit on the underbelly. Then remove all the Dexter parts I can for cleaning, pack bearings with new hi-temp grease, open the brakes, full M&R on everything! And I will certainly review the appropriate JD posts, yes. The other thing I did today was to yank all the interior blinds off, OMG how dirty behind, and OTT installed new ones just 2 years ago. I brought them indoors and Chris will detail them and clean the inside of the Oliver windows, with the AC running of course, as I'm working other maintenance. Yes John, I do have the Dexter EZ Flex, so I guess by your account it must have been upgraded. We are fortunate that two prior owners, brought this Hull in to OTT a total of 3 times. One spent $4K just 2 years ago, including the new blinds. I already have them down to 60, and I'm thinking 48 PSI. I like that number. I agree that the load tables state 45 PSI is enough. I wonder, how many miles are on this trailer? All at 80 PSI, ugh.

Give your friend the "kidney" of two 6 v batteries, and you'll be fine. You can't camp anyway on 4 6v, and run ac. 2 6v will operate everything else, overnight. (You have solar, right? It's freaking hot everywhere but at elevation, so you'll get some charge from hookups, running the ac. You're very kind to donate to your friend. You're the best.

Yes, you do have crazy winds in the Dakotas. We've driven through ND and SD in motorhomes, and felt like the wind could overturn us at times. Steely knuckles. Same in other windy locations. Never open more than one door at a time. Try to park where the door opens on the leeward (downwind) side. Especially those days when it's blowing like crazy. You can crease, fold back, or lose a door. I've seen it. Fortunately, not let it happen to us.

Another important lesson learned through the forum. I sure do appreciate all the questions and answers here. I'm glad that you discovered and fixed the issue before too much damage, and that you were able to fix it for a reasonable fee.

Yep, they were 80 and I believe all former owners ran this trailer at 80 PSI. Do you think that alone could cause alum welds to fail? This does make good sense! And let's say the habit was to leave home or campsite, black and gray empty, fresh and HWH full, making the right-rear heavier and that's where the welds failed!

The nightstand drawer is a great catch-all until you need to find something. The drawer is deep, long, and can hold a lot of stuff, but finding something is always, a dig until you find it. My two-piece organizer solves that problem by dividing the lower part of the drawer into a larger back compartment and two smaller front compartments. Sitting on top of these lower compartments is a sliding half drawer that provides quick access to the most needed items – remotes, keys, glasses, etc. And with a simple push, you can get to the items below. Crafted from mahogany with birch plywood bottoms, it is assembled using miter and dado joints for years of use. To this, a hand-rubbed oil finish is applied to show off the beautiful mahogany and make it a fantastic upgrade to your nightstand. I charge $115 + UPS shipping. I do not require a deposit as I like my clients to see my craft before they compensate me. I accept checks and Zelle for payments. Lead time is one week. PM me if you would like me to craft one for your Oliver.

Did you measure to the top of the Bulldog? Actually to the top, inside, where the ball rests. Your measurements are so far off that I have to think there is a basic human error. Those Andersen instructions are very ballpark, don’t be afraid to play with nut tightness and ball height. Your tundra should be loaded for travel, with moderate tension on the chains, the Ollie should ideally be close to level. John Davies Spokane WA

Ellison area

Dungeon Provincial Park

Trinity historical sites

Eagle Nest Lake State Park, NM... Where's Magnus? He's love'n the 60F temps (so are we for that matter)! His FAV spot - right under the Ollie steps! Red River, NM - 8,600' near Eagle Nest - great weekend romp! He's spent... Oh, well... charge up his batteries and go again in the morning. Cheers, A&D

Oliver only provides names of Oliver owners who participates in the program to prospective persons who want to purchase a NEW Oliver.. I chatted with the folks at Oliver and they validated that they only provide names of owners who participate in the new purchase program.. I am retired on a Fixed Income and clearly can not afford a new Oliver.. I have found the Oliver trailer for me, however since I have never actually seen an Oliver, I must see one to validate that the trailer meets my needs. Thank you for the response.. George

Hi everyone, I just got the fresh jet installed at an RV place. Total cost was $1600. It is indeed very quiet and uses the existing ADC and thermostat and they are going to sell the old penguin for me. They take 10% which is totally reasonable and means I don’t have to haul it back home. It was 108 here and I’ve been outside all afternoon so I won’t do a decibel check just yet but I will at some point. But it works fine and it is indeed very quiet.

MAX Burner, unfortunately I did not take pictures of my friends AC install. I am planning to take pictures of my install next week. My friends old AC unit had the manual controls on the bottom of the air distribution/return cover, which we were able to reuse. On my AC swap next week, I should be able to use the thermostat control box from the old Penguin AC, that would allow me to use my existing wall thermostat. I hope it all goes as planned. I will keep everyone posted. Alan

In all fairness, it is a bit of a pita to get under the small dinette table (in ours), but when and how often does it happen? A handful of times, for us, in 16 seasons. In rentals we've delivered, and other rvs we've owned, the panel was in equally awkward and inconvenient locations. (Often, under the bed.) You could always move it, but fuses and breakers should logically be located as close to the power source (batteries) as possible, imo. For us, in our 2008, that's that not so fun spot, under the small dinette. Do I enjoy getting down on the floor to check? No. But, it's a rare occurrence. I'll live with it, and we have for 16 seasons.

So, if you want to charge your batteries, at a site with 30 amp, you need to remember to change setting 28? I don't have your gear. Asking, because undoubtedly, someone will change settings, forget to change them back, and may have issues charging. (My guess.)

Steve, back in April we camped in our son's driveway. It was cool and we didn't need AC. However, When I plugged into his outside outlet, I was tripping his breaker. I called Oliver and they had me lower a setting on the inverter. We weren't really using anything, but still had to adjust the inverter. Re-set it when we got ready to leave.

As do I, but I do have a Micro-Air EasyStart installed on my Dometic air conditioner. @Steve Morris Do you have the Truma air conditioner? If so, what is the starting amperage draw? Have you tried the air conditioner on a 20A circuit? Mossey

If I were alone, I'd still go for the LE2 because: I like my truck Dual Axle gives an added margin of safety - but the LE(1) still seems stable with a blowout More Solar Inside height (6'1" vs 6'6") (remember there is other stuff hanging down) Extra sleeping length Love the pantry - I like to eat. I do wish the LE2 came with bigger tanks than the LE(1)

The idea of the shorter Elite is intriguing . . . . . My thoughts: For two people, foul weather camping would be crowded. For solo use, can you manage with the smaller galley (no counter between the sink and stove) and without the large pantry between the dinette and the bed?". Those would be huge trade-offs for me. However, as has been said before, it all depends on your style. If you haven't yet, my best advice is to see each in person. Oliver helped us arrange a visit with a locally owned Elite II Twin, which is the model we are considering. We had some idea of the interior space, since it is similar in size to the cabin of our small motor home. We mainly wanted to "try on" the twin beds, since they are 4" narrower than ours, check the bathroom size, and evaluate interior storage. Our reaction: The interior is more open than our MH which has the bathroom situated in the middle. The narrower beds are still roomy enough to be comfortable; I like that you can sleep with your head at either end (can't in our MH with wardrobes at the foot of each bed with a TV attached to one. The bathroom is larger than the MH's split configuration (toilet and sink in one small space and stand-alone shower across the center aisle), discounted for the separate shower that we don't use much as a shower, but as a storage area, especially for wet items. I was amazed at the interior storage. The upper cabinets are much larger than I envisioned; the large galley drawers are easier to access than the under sink storage in our MH which has very small drawers; the pantry is much larger than our pull-out; and the hanging closet larger than our two small wardrobes situated at the foot of each bed. Our MH has 10x the exterior storage, but the tow vehicle will replace that. Since you are considering another make of trailer, it is imperative that you see both, in person. If you can't manage a tour of the Oliver plant, watch the video. Look at an Escape before you see an Oliver. The differences are amazing.

What I've found over the last two years is our EII lives much larger than it would appear given its sqft. The EI would most likely feel similar with 1 person or 2 folks that don't need lots of space for comfort. For my money, about the only advantage of the smaller O - other than price, is the ability to tow with a smaller vehicle. Both are very nimble in smaller spots. Ditto on the fan - works fine as a vent hood.

Not really. We store extra stuff in the big truck bed. Leave the back dinette set up as a bed, and have room for three large crates of coats, bedding, etc, under the bed. We often travel with some empty cupboards. And we are two. Plus one or two small dogs . It really depends on lifestyle, and, what you feel you have to have. Not as much roof space on the Elite. But, we'll have 400 watts (non factory) on the roof soon. We've had 200 for 12 years. Battery compartment is indeed smaller. But, we have room under the bed for extra lithium. Someday. . In the meantime, we've managed primarily without hookups for 12 plus years, with two group 27 agms. Upside? Wider selection of tow vehicles. Smaller footprint. Smaller campsites. 3 tires to maintain, instead of 5. No Anderson. The places we fit are tiny. And, we're really happy with that. If I were camping solo, the Elite would definitely be my choice. As a couple, I would truly love to have a bigger bed. But, that's ok. We camp shoulder seasons, for the most part. The warmth of the slightly smaller bed is often welcome. Height could be an issue, as the Elite allows less headroom. People of average height are ok, but over 6'1" or 6' 2" might have issues . The side dinette is small as an extra bed. 24 or 25 inches wide, by 6' long. That could also be an issue, as an extra bunk. Just my thoughts. There are a number of solo campers here with Elites. I hope they will see this thread, and chime in. Sherry