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It would be hard to say that the Older Oliver's were "made better." They were certainly made more slowly, taking an average of about 3 months of actual construction time. This was partly because the company was in a state of constant flux. They were always coming up with better ways of building them but basically they were still built one at a time making each system as they went along. It took them over 3 years to make the first 49 trailers and there were no two exactly alike. There were also some major setbacks during that early 2007-2010 run that caused Oliver to make some tough financial decisions including one that involved a recall of every trailer they had built up until that time and another that shut their doors for four years. Find me at the rally for full details. And the owner's must of been a major pain in their ass as we were always changing our mind throughout our builds. Poor Robert Partee, the former sales manager and, to many of us, the face and voice of Oliver, it was he that had to field our numerous requests and then find a way to try and make them happen. But, to his credit, it seems like he always did. The one thing he balked at and staunchly refused to entertain was my request to have my first Oliver painted green. To paraphrase his response, "No frickin' way, Buddy..." The main thing that differentiates a brand new 2024 model and my 10 year old 2014 model is the amount of innovation and improvement Oliver has poured into the trailers through the years. Solar was a relative new frontier in 2014 and now there is hardly an Oliver sold without it. Who would have thought that in this short decade we'd go from choosing between Flooded Lead-Acid batteries or upgrading to AGMs to now trying to decide how many hundreds of amp hours of Lithium we can't live without. The new 2024 Oliver Elites and Elite II's are, by far, much slicker than those built even a couple of years ago let alone those built a decade or more ago. Many people have been very happy with their trailer and have kept them for many years. Proof of this is seen in the number of units that are still in the possession of their original Owners. For the past few years I have been assisting Anita compile as accurate a list as is possible on the provenance of the older trailers and the people who have owned them through the years. We have been using early company data as well as records I compiled myself with information gleaned during the early days. To date, the Oldest Trailer still in the Original Owner's possession we found to be Hull # 007, delivered in early January of 2008. It was delivered to some guy named Bond.... 😄 just kidding about the name.

OBTW: Our new USA-made steel 5-pack springs should arrive from ALCAN Springs (Grand Junction, CO) around MAR26-ish. $671 (incl. new U-bolts), no tax, plus shipping to NM from CO. FYI: Owners interested in this mod should note that according to Mike from ALCAN, U-bolts are a one-time use item. Once they're mounted and torqued to specification and re-torqued after 50 miles, they form a "stretch fit" and cannot be reused once originally fixed to an axle.

The most surprising thing about this story is the fact that a good ole boy from Montana would admit to owning, much less wearing, a pair of sandals. 😊

Leaving Jackson Hole to pick up hull 1491 “Carlotta” on Monday the 18th. Furthest east we’ve ever driven! Never had a truck - never had a trailer (actually had a Coleman pop-up many years ago, but was too busy to use it). Doug & Jill

This reminds me of trip, might have been our Oliver pick up trip, driving through Texas on the return. Gassed up in Lubbock where it was calm and quite warm but by the time we were on the north end of the city wind picked up noticeably and continued to get much worse. We knew 70-90 mph winds were supposed to be in west TX that day and sure enough it happened. Made it to Palo Duro State Park just outside of Amarillo, pitch dark and temps had gone from mid 80's in Lubbock to 40 ± degrees at Palo Duro and all I had on was a t-shirt, shorts and sandals freezing to death trying to get the gate unlocked in the dark, then setting up the Ollie. There might have been half a dozen locks on the gate chain. The amazing part was the second I shut the door as we were getting settled in you could hear a pin drop. Trudi and looked at each other WTH, howling wind outside but quiet as a church mouse inside. Opened the door again, sure enough still howling wind.

“Agree with @Ronbrink and @jd1923: "Old" is not necessarily a bad thing (sometimes).” I agree as well.

Honestly, Oliver should redesign the entire top back. Remove the Oliver sign, move the three red clearance lights to the top of that area, and mount the rearview camera below the clearance lights. The way it's set up now, the red glow from the trolley sign and clearance lights prevents the camera from switching into night mode, basically making it useless after dark. I've had the same camera in previous trailers and it works pretty well in night mode, but not on the Oliver.

Agree with @Ronbrink and @jd1923: "Old" is not necessarily a bad thing (sometimes). Here's my '84 R90, just north of 35k miles (my son and I literally took it to bare metal and brought it back to life in '06):

I just had a similar problem in that the pump was running, never shut off and no water. Connected the city water and no leaks. I found that the connection to the filter before the pump was loose and the pump was therefore sucking in air rather than water. Tightened it and the pump is now working fine.

I agree but it means a lot of maintenance.

Hi Oliver Owners, I am the Kentucky Correspondent for the RV Atlas Podcast (hosted by Jeremy and Stephanie Puglisi). Jeremy recently interviewed Aaron Wolters of Oliver Travel Trailers and a link was provided to access the podcast. Here it is again: https://thervatlas.com/podcast/say-hello-to-oliver-travel-trailers/ . In the past, Jeremy has worked with GoRVing to produce a YouTube series entitled “6 Things I Love About My RV..” Jeremy would like to follow up his interview with Aaron and Oliver Travel Trailers with a YouTube episode featuring an owner and an Oliver travel trailer. Jeremy lives in New Jersey and is willing to travel up to two hours to record “6 Things I Love About My RV” with an Oliver owner. Laura and I know lots of Oliver owners, but no one close to New Jersey. We are Oliver fans that currently own a Casita but have toured the plant, attended two Oliver rallies, and met Phil (and Aaron) at fiberglass rallies where Oliver would be showing their trailer(s). I am trying to assist Jeremy in finding an Oliver owner to interview. The YouTube episodes are less than 10 minutes long. I think you would enjoy meeting Jeremy and showcasing your Oliver on YouTube. If you are interested, please let me know; I will follow up with contact information. By the way, Jeremy and I just finished a two-part podcast episode on “24 Tiny Trailers That We Love in 2024.” One of my picks was the Oliver Legacy Elite I (highlighted in Part 2) if you would like to check out that episode as well. Thanks, Dean

Gracious sakes alive, we got us a convoy....

Hey Scuba, your Olivers (yes, plural case) are so, soooooo old! Weren't they just made better, back in the day! (you have always had a special connection to OTT to make yours one of the BEST). Most of us who have endured a long hard lifetime, working hard every day. That has made us better! I have found that our older Hull #113 has very few of the problems cited at length in this forum. Older is better IMHO, reason why I have an older OTT and an older TV too! I can see why @SeaDawg has relished hers, for what now 16 years? My street bike is a 1984 GL1200, just hit it's 40th anniversary! I know y'all are biased, thinking nothing prettier than a kept Oliver, right? This old classic looks pretty good for 40, right! I'd say older, mo' better! The main thing I enjoy (relish) re this forum, is us like-minded individuals. Those of us wanting to work hard to make this very important OTT investment, better and better!

Example of the great silencing of Oliver. Recorded this at a campground next to I-90 near Seattle. audio file here…about 1:34 Quiet%20Oliver.wav Craig

Organ Pipe, January 2017. #50 and #135.

Mountainman198, Just to reinforce what you said above, I also spoke to Mike this morning on the subject of center bolt concern and he advised that his own production department had brought this to his attention after I sent him a picture of my axle and springs late last week. They in fact noted that our trailers had an underspring set up which would require a change in the bolt application. (Apparently, most TTs have oversprung setups.) They had already changed the product production protocols for our trailers before anyone on our side contacted them on the issue. Any YES, anyone ordering springs should specifically mention that they are being put on an Oliver TT. He also provided that "yes, they use a much thicker brass sleeve in their springs than the industry standard. This in no way affects the reuse of our existing bolts. It's just beefier, stronger, and longer lasting than what most use in their products. Relative to "other sources" for springs, he stated that there are no other manufactures of springs in the US that use the quality of metal that they use. (Take that comment for whatever it's worth). I will say this however, If you want the "best" of something, then it is by definition is a "sole source" acquisition (Oliver trailers are a good example of that. ) Finally, Mike commented several times about how impressed he is with the Oliver TT owner community. Thus far, I am very impressed with ALCAN's attention to detail and their customer service. My springs should be installed by the first of next week [18th(ish)] so I'll report back. Paul (2 HOBOS), hull 414 ON A SIDE NOTE: The reason I sent him a picture of our axle assembly last week was that he suggested that perhaps I wanted to consider upgrading the equalizer (point where front and rear springs attach just between the tires) to a MorRyde equalizer which considerably improves the ride. At that juncture I informed him that I had already been in contact with MorRyde and after much back-and-forth data swapping with them, MorRyde determined that their product was not applicable to our trailers since we have an undersprung leaf setup which doesn't allow enough clearance between the top of the axle and the trailer frame for their product use. Mike was confused by that until I sent him a picture of our assembly so he could see what I was talking about. This is the pic that their production folks looked at and immediately realized our trailers were an "underslung" design which caused them to change the bolt setup. Hope this was enlightening.

Mike from ALCAN just called to let me know that all future orders of springs for Olivers will have the centering pins in the correct orientation for our trailers. He asked that I alert those who have ordered and who may order in the future to state the springs are for a Oliver E2. I had sent him an email asking about my understanding of how to flip the centering pins on my springs. He confirmed that flipping the pins is as simple as MountainOliver explains with a couple of C clamps, wrench, and hammer. Hopefully, I am the only Oliver owner to have to perform this step moving forward.

I agree. But I just don't generally like sole source procurements. For most of us, there is plenty of time to run down some quotes from other USA Spring Manufacturers, who use the same steel, and have a great reputation as well. Also, we have not heard a peep out of OTT about this topic. Nor has Dexter been brought into the discussion either. So I caution rushing into such purchases too early. Now if you have a trip on the near horizon, then by all means buy now. I certainly would based on what we think we know now. GJ

Like I suggested, how important is the warranty? Just buy what you need.

Given that the Dexter (EMCO, TexTrail) springs are only $70/pr, I felt my time better spent playing guitar and drinking coffee than documenting and substantiating the claim to Dexter only to possibly be rewarded with another set of their springs.

That’s my younger looking me. 😂

Congrats and Welcome from Hull 1182!! We took our IPAD and recorded the delivery for reference because I am lucky to remember last week let alone all the information we went over. Still refer back to it from time to time. You also have the wonderful folks on here who can answer just about any questions or problems that might come up. Safe Travels

Woo-Hoo! Its all downhill from here - kind of. Enjoy the trip and the delivery. Be safe, get plenty of rest, have fun. Ask a bunch of questions but don't worry about remembering it all - not possible. Take a bunch of pics - for your own use and for posting here. RELAX - you've got this. Just take your time and don't let anyone rush you. Did I say - "Relax"? Congrats! Bill p.s. the weather is forecast to get a bit damp over the weekend starting Friday. Monday it will be cooler (highs in the 50's to low 60's) but dry and that should be the same for most of the week.

@Patriot Where’s the Santa Claus beard!😜

I tend to agree, the key word is ‘classic’! This is my ‘82 CJ-8 Scrambler, less than 70,000 made in the 1980-1985 model years.

I kind soul over on the AirForums has brought to my attention a discrepancy in the original PDF document I shared about the fan mod that I did on the RecPro/Houghton AC unit. Steps 5 & 6 are correct when viewing the pictures but the narrative I added was incorrect. I've updated the narrative and I will try to post the v2 document here. RecPro Houghton Interior Fan Mod v2.pdf

I think for a variety of reasons, I will be dropping my PSI in the tires down from the 60 PSI (probably too much anyway) that I have been using down to somewhere between 45/50 PSI. I don't think the 14% stiffer springs will even be noticeable. I also have to keep in mind that Mike at ALCAN stated that (in his opinion), regardless of the spring quality issue, the 3500 lb springs used on the Olivers are too light. I'll have 5300 miles in the next 6 weeks to see if we notice any weird stuff going on in the trailer with the new springs.

Thank you for doing the right thing! I encourage all owners that have had a spring failure to do the same. Even if it was reported years ago. With a dozen or so first hand reports. OTT would have the ammo they need to "dance" with Dexter. OWNERS: If you have had a spring failure, please follow Mountainman's lead. and report it. Even if it was yeas ago. If you know an owner who has had such a failure, please reach out to them and encourage them to also report the incident. If they can not do a first hand report, please consider submitting one on their behalf with full disclosure. Thanks GJ

This has been answered theoretically, but sure we all want to know what @Mountainman198 and @hobo experience. The 5200 LB axle makes no difference, except to be very happy they ran out of 3500 stock, and you got better bearings and brakes. 2000 LB rated 5-leaf springs vs. 1750 LB, like I wrote before is 14% stiffer, maybe a little more bang on occasion and less up and down.

Great job. It is nice to have the list in hand while walking around the campground.

Wow! Didn't even notice that!

I thought this was a thread about Steve's Road Trip Chronicles. @shhQuiet 😂

The wet bolts from my Oliver are 9/16" O.D. and from my measurement of the ALCAN springs I received I am re-using my existing wet bolts as the I.D of the bronze bushings in the ALCAN springs I received are 9/16". Let me know if this does not make sense. I chose NOT to buy new wet bolts from ALCAN.

Yes, my trailer is only 10 months old and my springs are still good, did have cracked shock bushings that Oliver replaced with 4 new shocks and bushings. Agree sounds like (so far) a very small amount of spring issues, just hope it doesn’t snow ball into like the Lippert frame flex/broken frame issue.

In looking at this and keeping all things in perspective, Oliver has now produced 1500 plus trailers and a smaller percentage of these being Elite 1 models. If my quick math is correct it tells me that the leaf spring failure rate of let’s say (10 trailers) as noted by @ScubaRx is approximately less than 1% or 0.67%. Of course no one wants this type of failure ever. I will wait and see what Oliver recommends or if they put out a safety bulletin. I feel sure Oliver will address this issue given the safety concerns. Following.

I don't know about the other owners who have experienced a broken spring(s) but I opened a ticket the day after it broke and remained in contact with them until I sourced new springs.

I can confirm that these measurements match the OEM brand/model spring specs for Hull #898 as well as match the published specs for the replacements spring brand/model provided by Oliver Service for my trailer. I encourage owners to confirm the specs of their OEM springs to know what they are replacing before proceeding with replacement of any part as we know certain differences exist between out trailers based in hull# and date produced. My OEM Spring make/model was conveniently stamped into the retainer band towards the end of each of my leaf springs (see pic). From this info I did a google search and found the specs. The springs installed at the factory on Hull #898 were made by EMCO and are model #PR-4B. The specs match what Steve provided above. Added to the specs Steve provided is the bushing spec provided by Oliver. The bushing is inserted into the spring eye and our wet bolts ride inside of them. The specs for these bushings (whether plastic or bronze) is 1.75”L, 11/16 O.D.(outside diameter) and 9/16”I.D.(inside diameter). It should be noted that the bronze bushing on the ALCAN springs is thicker walled than standard such that while it still has a 9/16”I.D., the spring eye into which it is pressed is larger than 11/16”. The 9/16”I.D. Of the bushing is important on these metrics as our wet bolts (which are 9/16” must fit inside the bushing eye) I hope this makes sense. I have attached a pic for comparison OEM spring in top, ALCAN on bottom.

We're departing in less than two weeks for a six week, 5300+ mile trip around the US which is what is driving us to make the spring change NOW. I noted when I was doing my spring maintenance that the leading spring on the street side seemed to be flattening out slightly which, I am told, is the first sign of imminent leaf failure. Knowing my time constraints, Mike (at ALCAN) is expediting the production of a spring set for me to have them shipped in time for me to have my RV tech install them prior to our departure. (Yes, I could install them myself but I have a thousand other things I'm doing to prepare for this trip). As an aside: I'll be talking to Mike today (Monday the 11th) about the center bolt on his springs and ensure that they are appropriately applied for the Oliver "underslung" setup. (I'll report back on this). Cost of springs (4 sets), 4 new U bolts, and shipping is somewhere in the $750 - $800 range. He initially suggested 4 new HD shackles and 8 new shackle bolts but when I informed him the existing shackles on the Olivers have 1/2" thick side plates (which are already HD) he was pleasantly surprised and waived off the need for new ones which is a $200(ish) savings. Expecting (hoping) no surprises and I'll keep everyone informed of results. 2 HOBOS (hull 414) 2018 LEII

First Question: GJ response: Remains to be seen. We are assured that the new springs will fit and do their job much better than the OEM 4 leaf ones. But one hitch in the game plan has already surfaced, and we don't know yet that they will be a Direct Replacement until they are installed and a few miles gets put upon them. Best wait just a tad and see how this plays out. But the odds are for sure with a successful deployment of the new product. With much greater safety margins as well I believe. Second Question: GJ Response: No. Good quality springs that are not abused or overloaded have a VERY long life span. With the new 5 leaf springs it would not be necessary to have a spare. If you were thinking of keeping your old springs, you would need to buy a 4 leaf spring as a spare. No point in spending money on what appears to be a bad product for our use. GJ

I will be interested to hear what you learn Chris.

John, The springs ARE 25-1/4" on center to the spring eyes. The spring eyes are 11/16" ID. They ARE 4-leaf springs, 1.75" wide steel and they should have distinct bow to them about 3 inches deep as measured on a long bow, string to grip. They should NOT appear as "very straight leaf spring assemblies". This would indicate to me that they have flattened and are failing.

John, I don’t think there’s any rhyme or reason to why, or when the springs are breaking. They are breaking due to metal fatigue, and or the quality of the steel that they were originally made from.

Here are photos of the bottom corners of the sign where the water was coming in

Always liked the idea of having Legacy Elite 5200 pound capacity axles and 5 leaf spring packs on our 2015 LE2 because Oliver ran out of 3500 pound axles during manufacture installing larger Legacy Elite axles & spring packs like ScubaRX mentioned earlier. The 5200 pound axles have larger bearings and brakes, too. I'm currently running 45PSI in the 225/75R16 tires on our Ollie with the idea of smoothing out the ride with higher capacity springs, like Mountainman198 mentioned, too. Someone on this forum posted this air pressure chart in another thread. This chart is not very large, sorry about that.

I agree and wrote a comment similar to this in one of the furnace duct threads. It appears for those that want to camp, temps in the teens and below have to do something to get heat where the water lines are in the basement between the hulls. We don't go out in that cold, so getting the overnight heat away from our beds and more up front to the bathroom and closet is what we need. I imagine you can go through a 30 LB LP tank in 2 nights when heating between the hulls when it's 10F outside!

Toby - Perhaps the "issue" is as simple as a problem with the Shark Bite fitting. There are a number of ways to remove these fittings with THIS being one of the simplest and cheapest. Good luck! Bill

Nice setup. I like how you can stow away enough cable for both the roof top mount and the flag pole option. I am thinking of a similar setup for my Starlink and also mounting cellular antenna.

This is the one that I used: https://a.co/d/ceHt1sT. That's a suspicious looking link but I guess that's how Amazon creates them so that they're short. I followed the link and it does go to the correct place. Or search for this item in the picture.

I vacuum the blinds with my dyson, and the brush fabrics tool. I do have one mosquito spot that I've not tried to get rid of. I left it, to remind my husband to not kill mosquitos on the shades. Maybe someday I'll try, but it's been there over ten years....

Perhaps a nice bottle of wine might help?😁