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When Practical Sailor tested dozens of heavy duty marine multipurpose cleaners, they also tested pH, and wax removal. Virtually every one of the popular (and often pricey) streak and stain removers also removed wax from the test panel. Just important to re-wax after cleaning, as noted by OllieHaus. https://www.practical-sailor.com/boat-maintenance/marine-maintenance-multi-purpose-cleaners-test

I end up spending more time cleaning than wrenching, but that's me. it's got to be done right, fully restored and looking like new. I got the right side 100% done today and it will not take much longer to build the other side, since I have everything ready, parts and tools. I'll start with one pic, as-was and then the rebuild...

I have great results using Roll Off cleaner on black streaks. It also works well for removing grime and dust from the caulking at joints and around windows, returning it to a bright white https://www.amazon.com/Roll-ROQT-Amazing-Roll-Off-Quarts/dp/B00144CXY2/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?crid=3I1F6RTMQUKTO&keywords=rolloff+spray&qid=1693018634&sprefix=rolloff%2Caps%2C1355&sr=8-4

We got our LE2 with the bike rack mount and realized we will probably always carry our folding Ebikes in the back of the truck under cover. With that understanding we decided to add a cargo tray and locking box for general items needed for setup, and camp site necessities. Obviously weight is a critical factor so with the tray, box and gear inside we are shooting for less than 200# total. I'm sure we have succeeded after adding up the weigh of all items. The most difficult part is making the extended rails for the tray to mount on. I used the same T6061 aluminum that Oliver uses on their frame members. It's available in small sizes at local metal supply houses such as Metal Supermarket. The aluminum tubing drills and cuts easily with carbide woodworking tools. Use a little lite oil on the blade to keep the aluminum from fowling the blade. You must use good eye protection when cutting. I copied the way the bike rack rails were machined. Here's the results of the project: We have pulled the camper a couple times for local camp outs and the weight of the addition is completely unnoticeable while towing. The box is well made but light weight with locking double latch system. It has a double layer of aluminum in the lid and is foam filled to keep the contents from heating up too much in direct sun. The whole thing is very sturdy and at 220 pounds I can stand on the box lid to see the top of the camper with no effect to the box lid. Good traction and very solid. The softener tank is mounted with a tank wall mount and strap and is set up with quick connects and the standard hoses hook up in just a minute. The softener comes with a regeneration kit and it takes about an hour to perform a regeneration using a box of table salt. It will last up to 2000 gallons of water depending on the mineral content. No need to remove the tank for regeneration, just connect the kit to the external QD fittings and run the process. When done, you are good to go for a few more camping trips. No more hard water scale or rust on pluming fixtures. Remove the tank for winter storage inside the garage. I'm very pleased with the overall project. The box can be removed just as the bike mount is removed for spare tire access. You can actually access the spare without completely removing the tray assembly, Just slide it out about 6-8 inches and the cover and tire are removeable. I bought a self lit license frame and mounted to the back of the tray. I added a plug connection to the license light wire to power the new license plate light. I wanted a removable connection for obvious reasons. The connection is mounted on the lower part of the spare tire cover under the original license bracket. The old license plate bracket is still useable if the tray and box are removed. Tray: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0017H9N4E/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Box: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000MK4F68/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1 License Bracket: https://www.amazon.com/Car-License-Plate-Light-Chrome/dp/B00S1Y5TSK?pd_rd_w=jpDah&content-id=amzn1.sym.e8faeee7-63c9-4cb3-96e0-e50a41f3b35b&pf_rd_p=e8faeee7-63c9-4cb3-96e0-e50a41f3b35b&pf_rd_r=018MZ7KVYFFMGM0WSKBV&pd_rd_wg=mdsBW&pd_rd_r=eff79229-c9bb-45a5-8656-400649d9a361&pd_rd_i=B00S1Y5TSK&psc=1&ref_=pd_bap_d_grid_rp_0_1_ec_t Softener: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09Y2KNFFL/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1 Tank Bracket: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00208DY76/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It's that time of year again, for those of us in Florida. No sales tax on generators, tarps, flashlights, batteries, weather radios... even a bunch of pet supplies (dollar limits apply.) Since it's also the first weekend we are under threat of a strong weather system thus year, expect these supplies to fly off the shelves quickly.

I’m glad I already have most of the stuff listed, it gives me a chance to avoid the crowds! And hopefully we only get some rain.🙏 Mossey

As some of you know, we had an Oliver LE2 for about two years. We put on about 20,000 miles and went to the Oliver Rally twice with it from Nevada. John Davies sent me a picture of the suspension system on an Australian style Caravan, a Black Series. I started looking into that style trailer and ended up buying a Black Series HQ19. We had it for a couple of years too and I did a lot of work on it. A very capable trailer, but with quality issues and a lot heavier than the Oliver. Next Iwent to an Xplore X22 which was a nice compromise between the earlier two. About the same weight as the Oliver, very comfortable and durable. An interesting design with an aluminum skeleton and V nose, with thick fiberglass panels for the exterior. It also had a large lithium battery bank and I installed 660 watts of solar on the roof. This trailer was very practical with a three burner stove, oven, a 12 volt, 10 cu ft compressor fridge, a dry bath with tankless water heater and a full sized bed. It towed easily. It also had hydraulic suspension that raised and lowered about 8" with a remote control, large off-road tires, 12" brakes and independent torsion suspension. I did 50 modifications to it and RVs of America did a video about the whole project and posted it on Youtube. We also went to the OliverRally in 2021. Well now, we've done it again and switched to a Roamer1 from RVs of America (ROA). This is an Explore X195 with some upgrades to make it into an R1. It has Cruisemater independent air suspension from Australia. Raises and lowers or tilts side to side for leveling. No external piping, heavily insulated walls, ceiling and floor made from fiberglass insulation panels glued into large aluminum extrusions. Large aluminum storage boxes front and rear, Isotherm compressor fridge/freezer, Truma combi heat and hot water system, 1080 amp hours of Expion 360 lithium batteries in a heated area under the bed, 1200 watts of glass solar panels on the roof, an electric induction cookstove, 60 gallons of fresh water, waterless toilet with no black tank, north/south walkaround full bed, 12 volt air conditioner that runs fine from the batteries and solar system and a McHitch articulating hitch for any off-road conditions and super easy hookup. All in just under 7' width and overall length, hitch to bumper of about 25.5'. This is a true, all season trailer rated to withstand -40 degrees. Under normal conditions it may never need to be plugged in. We've been out camping, but not as much as previously. I've been in a cancer treatment program for over a year and am now cancer free. So we are heading out in a couple of weeks for an extended trip to Utah, Colorado and possibly Pennsylvania and Maine, depending on how the first leg goes. Hoping to cross paths with some of you. Leavitt lake.mp4

303 Black Streak Remover. Used 303 products for ten years and they do the job.

@Steph and Dud B: Congrats on your new build project, guarantee that you'll love your new Ollie-dedicated garage! We have a 30'x30'-er as well and it serves as our workshop and general "Man-cave". Gone are those days of winterizing! Consider an exterior 30AMP plug, soft water, and septic access for that occasional visitor... Please keep us posted regarding your build project progress... Cheers!

Thanks , that’s pretty much what I plan on doing too. I have the AGM batteries but I was curious about lithium and the high price. I can plug into the truck bed outlets if needed and I might buy a generator as well.

Very likely does. But so does everything else that's effective at removing the very tough black stains. There really isn't any way to get away from regular waxing. As a side comment we've used this on fiberglass showers for years and they look quite nice after decades. Of course they don't get exposed to UV rays, but they don't get waxed regularly either.

John, good to hear from you! Glad to hear your health is now on track. I watched all the videos you made with Shane and your Black Series. Enjoy that Explore! Here we are at Quartzsite years ago - Mike

The Oliver can be a very good off-road, rough-road or boondocking trailer. But there are different kinds of rough roads. Steep rocky trails are fine if traveled very slowly because the Oliver has good clearance, is narrow and is not too heavy. I towed mine as far back in as my Ram 3500 would pull it, with all four wheels clawing for traction. Never a problem. But on higher speed dirt, with washboard, the suspension struggles and the interior suffers. I had my window coverings fall off, cabinets open and the microwave try to escape from its alcove, repeatedly. Lowering tire pressure to about 25 lbs seems to really help, but the vibration should be avoided. Hard suspension hits at speed are also a no-no. With only about 2" of suspension travel, metal to metal stops, and minimal shocks, the pounding can be brutal. Just take it slow, pick your path and don't be afraid to venture off the highway. The best camp spots are out there beyond where trailers usually go.

I use 3M light polish with wax to remove the black streaks. Doesn't do as good a job protecting as their straight wax does but protects good enough to get me to the next whole Ollie waxing. I will try the scrubbing bubbles on the window weather stripping, though.. The only way I've been able to remove mold from them so far is to soak overnight in a bleach/water solution.

I use Meguires One Step Marine compound. Works great on those black streaks.

@Nan, we have an older trailer with a furnace only thermostat, so did not affect us. If you read through the replacement posts by newer owners in @katanapilot's thread, you'll see that the dometic thermostat you newer owners have requires a relay box (either a replacement part, or salvaged from the Dometic install), to operate the furnace from your thermostat. It might be simpler to ditch the dometic thermostat (since it won't operate your houghton, anyway), and replace it with a simpler single purpose thermostat for the furnace. Who is doing your install? it's all quite thoroughly discussed here:

Old thread pulled forward with another suggestion. “Scrubbing Bubbles” by SC Johnson is made for cleaning grimy fiberglass tubs and showers. It was formerly known as Dow Bathroom Cleaner before the consumer brands division was spun off. Our Oliver has been outside continuously for around 16 weeks and had built up a considerable amount of black grunge on the roof and streaks down the sides. Needless to say just washing with soap and water does nothing to remove the black stains. Digging through my tote full of cleaners the Scrubbing bubbles caught my eye and my little light bulb instantly lit up. “Bathroom cleaner, fiberglass shower stalls for the past 30 years, fiberglass campers, Oliver makes both!” It had to be worth a try. Needless to say it worked fabulously and fast. Even cleaned the weather tripping around the inside of the window frames and the impossible to clean caulking all over the camper like new. Now our Ollie-Haus looks better than the day we picked her up. This doesn’t reduce the need for regular waxing, but it makes the cleaning part of maintenance much less labor intensive. one can did the whole camper.

Decided to work on the rear end today, as I didn't feel ambitious enough to clean up the front end. Worked on three tasks on the rear; install new shocks, replace rear sway bar bushings and links, and changing the differential gear oil. The oil in the rear was BLACK, with black sticking to the back cover (maybe limited slip additive). Wondering if this had ever been changed. It had no gasket, just gray RTV, looking like factory original. I pulled and cleaned the tags to see I have a 3.54 limited slip diff, nice! Installed the shocks too and waiting on special aftermarket HD rear sway bar links. Rear end all clean and back together. I purchased a Fel-Pro gasket, as I cannot stand RTV in any color! I use Permatex High Tack Sealant on the gasket. Since the gear oil and cover were so black (magnet not too bad, nice), I'm going to drain and fill again soon. With this gasket and sealer, I will be able to loosen the nuts to drain and then just torque down again. The Permatex will stay tacky and seal again. I've bought Triax lubricants before and I'm going with this gear oil: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07QPPTG5N/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Many of you have a new or late model tow vehicle, so this post may not be of interest to you. I always buy older vehicles, love the classics, and as the builder in me, enjoy my time restoring them. Every time I buy another truck or car, Chris says, “when are you going to start taking it apart?” The usual answer is as soon as I can clear a stall in my garage! This beauty, our Gen2 Dodge Ram 2500 HD Cummins, has only 161K miles at 22 years (that’s 7300 miles/year), with like-new body and interior, and it just needs some mechanical love. I will rebuild everything under the truck! Lol 😊 So, she’s up on HD jack stands and here are a few pics of the as-is condition and initial disassembly!

An issue that Oliver must address is what John describes. We’ve had doors open, window frames fall off and TV drop. We don’t do much off-roading, this was on crappy interstates and rough backroads. Mike

Very clean looking modification, BRAVO ZULU!

That was nice of you, Nan. Your friend can read the thread if you forward it to them, even if not a forum member. Hope it helps. Take care of that ankle.

Thank you very much Sherry. I am going to use someone in Gunterville, Ala. I was hoping to do it at the last rally, but my ankle got in the way and I have not been able to camp at all. They are holding the Houghton for me. The problem I was asking about was from someone that owns an Oliver and just changed the ac out to a Houghton. They are not able to get the furnace to work so I told them I would put it on the forum for them...I bought a Heat only thermostat that I will replace the existing one with when I am able to get the ac changed out. Thanks again!

Well done!!!😍

Very nicely done! 👍🏻👍🏻

Me too. Me three!

I really wanted to maintain the OEM look. With the diamond plate on the bumper assembly and the use of the bike rack style mounting bracket I think we got it.

Nice thing is, if you have axle capacity and keep every thing correct, this will offset a little bit of tongue weight. You could theoretically add something like this, add a tongue mounted bike rack as others have done and end up with a net zero in added tongue weight to the tow vehicle. With this basket, I'm using the Oliver tongue basket for heavy items, such as fire wood. I have a WeighSafe hitch so I always monitor my tongue weight when loading. I prefer to be a little on the heavy side up front.

Me too.

But, wait - there's more! It also "kills 99.9% of viruses and bacteria" . I wonder what it might do to ceramic coatings and even regular wax. As Ollie-Haus mentions -concerning regular waxing is certainly still necessary but does this take what wax there might be still on the Ollie off? Bill

A great find Chris! Thanks for posting! David

I would be lying if I didn’t say I am so jealous, a 30x30 garage! Good luck

Well, construction has finally started on our 30x30' garage. Unfortunately those excavators are blocking access to our yard so "Eggcelsior" is homeless for the moment and living in a campground nearby. Cement work is supposed to be next week. After that Eggcelsior can come home again.

For sure Steve, I sweat all day in the garage and the same when we play pickleball!

Another day, another dollar, as they say! And I got the other side done... Both sides now have ball joints removed, parts cleaned, and new parts installed. I will get a lot more work done this weekend, so more progress to report soon. 🙂

The fact that you experienced that difficulty removing the old rivets attests to the robustness (is that a word?) of the OEM construction.

I was going to make a fall project out of this, but Monsoon rains have brought us a cool August after many 100 degree days in July. The control arm bushings were in decent shape. I could have left them alone, but now that I‘m into it, I will replace all serviceable parts. The ball joints are another story, with quite a lot of slop. The real fun on 2WD models are the riveted ball joints. I have never seen such an odd design, OMG! The first picture shows a steel cutting blade in my compound miter saw. You see the heads of 3 rivets removed and the 4th shows one cut of the saw blade. I cut and folded the head over with a chisel, cut again and again… After you remove the heads, they still cannot be punched through! I hit it with all I had, various punches with a heavy hammer. I had to drill the back side deep to weaken the side walls of these ½” dia steel rivets and they finally punched out. The second picture shows the remains of 2 rivets from the lowers and 2 heads from the upper control arms, which thankfully came out much easier. The final picture shows a finished lower control arm, new Moog ball joints and bushings. Nice and clean, using Gojo hand cleaner and a toothbrush.

Yes, I wash and wax the roof. When I was experiencing the black streaks waxing removed them if I recall correctly. Mike