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@rideadeuce If Bulldog does in fact send a replacement coupler, be sure to request the 2-5/16" coupler. Ask them to ship it to my house and I’ll buy you the beverage of your choice!😎 Mossey

Last summer project that has enabled me to carry bikes much easier. I got the aluminum 2x2s, T-slot material online and the 2x2 sleeves and hardware from Oliver. Local guy in Nashville welded up the tray and cut out the slots to slide into sleeves clearing the bolts. Install was harder than I thought (you have to be very careful drilling the rear hole both sides to go in between downward slats on bottom of frame). *** For transparency, I found this while going over things related to the front coupler failure. Got me thinking more about a WD system. Best, Mike

The mechanic at A and A hitch outside of Tampa has been working there since 1985 and said he had never seen it happen like that and they are a top tier BD installer. I suspect you are right and that the missing gusset is the primary suspect for me. Still, I am glad to have upgraded to the beefier coupler at the moment.

Just got off the phone with ALCAN, they do install Everyone I spoke with was very helpful including Randy, she’s the receptionist. Everything else I got from Tucker Here’s my report. ALCAN Springs 2242 US-6, Grand Junction, CO 81505 1 (970) 241-2655 https://www.alcanspring.com Randy (front desk) 2-3 weeks advance notice, should have no problem getting in Tucker (service) here’s the price breakdown: 2-3 hr labor @ $125/ hr $250.00 Springs x 4 $149.95 ea 599.80 +/- Wet Bolts x14 $13.99 ea 195.86 Lock Nuts x 14 99¢ ea 13.86 U Bolts, nuts & washers x8 $17.86 ea 142.88 +/-Shackles x 8 $5.99ea 47.92 (he said, they often see the holes rounding out in the old shackles) Mor ryde Eaqualizer $255 ea x2 510.00 ________________________________________________ Total $1,760.32 He will call Oliver to confirm it’s ok to have the 3” more of upward travel with the Mor ryde Equalize, that replaces the “flex suspension“. He noted that if Oliver says it’s OK that the upgrade in suspension will give a smoother ride and take out a lot more of the bumps if you hit a pothole for instance He also said that the Mor ryde Equalizer has Brass bushings that you can grease vs plastic bushings which is what we have. He said it’s not necessary, but that it will last a lot longer and will probably never wear out given the way we use them So you could reduce the price by $510 if you want to skip replacing the flex suspension. He said you can expect to Drop off @ 0730 & P/U early-mid afternoon the same day He said they’re stocking these things now so it should be no problem but by giving them the two weeks heads up, they can make sure they have everything in stock and if they have to, they can have a new set manufactured by the time you show up I told him I’d be there sometime in May or June after we leave Key West, I think I’m gonna go for the whole sh’bang (it’s only an hour and a half from the house) a

Our 2017 LEII #226 2" Bulldog has the gusset. It's interesting that Mike's 2018 OTT was equipped with a non-gusseted BD (?). We routinely check the torque values of the BD's 2 through-bolts and use the hitch scale to ensure our tongue weight is within limits. MAX tongue wt measured has been just north of 485lbs, FYI. This failure may have been a combination of several factors - older design w/o the welded gusset, metallurgical issues starting from manufacturing, excessive tongue wt., non-use of a weight distributing hitch connection between the Tundra and OTT, etc. Mike, we're looking forward to any additional information you may learn about the BD failure - there's likely to be some of us thinking about going with the 2-5/16" option after reading through this thread. Thanks for posting! Bottom line is everyone's safe, many owner's have yet again learned some important attributes of our respective rigs, and @rideadeuce has a clean upgraded 2-5/16" BD! Cheers, ALL - Stay Safe out there!

It’s difficult to tell from the pictures but the hitch doesn’t look like it has a gusset in the broken area. My 2 inch Bulldog hitch has a 3/16 thick gusset welded at an angle just behind the coupler and just in front of the tongue. The gusset is welded from side to side. If the broken hitch doesn’t have the gusset…that could make a difference. Either the hitch didn’t have the gusset and should have or it was older and maybe never had one in the design, which would mean that the design was changed at some point. Maybe because of weakness and some failures. If the broken hitch doesn’t have the gusset I’d start asking a lot of questions to the Bulldog folks to figure out why. Not necessarily pointing fingers but maybe finding out that you got an old design. If that’s the case, everyone should check that the gusset is in place. If not then replace the hitch with the newer upgraded version?

No disrespect intended, but I do not support the above statement line. The 2" BD is an excellent coupler for long long term use by our OE2's, unless we are exceeding the max gross weght of the trailer plackard (7,000 pounds). 1. The use of the 2 5/16" BD's came about from concern with the ball wear caused by the design of the Anderson WDH. Not out of concern for the need for additional safety margins. 2. BD likely has millions of their 2" couplers in service and has an impecable reputation as being one of the strongest couplers on the market. 3. Yours likely failed form one, or some combination, of these causes: a. Over Loading b. Exposure to salt environment(s) without extensive cleaning after such exposures c. Failure to control rust over long duration d. Factory defect You should contact BD and discuss. I suspect they will replace yours and want yours back for analysis. Gj

All Olivers that have the E-Z Flex have brass bushings. Only those Olivers without the E-Z Flex have plastic bushings. Further - unless an Oliver without the E-Z Flex hasn't been towed very many miles (about something less than 10,000 miles) it can be a virtual certainty that the original plastic bushings are "toast". That is the reason that many of us that bought our Olivers prior to the availability of the E-Z Flex converted/upgraded to the better suspension. Bill

As you know, I had OTT build our Ollie with the 2 5/16 BD. Glad I did. But if I had not, I would not toss a perfectly good 2" BD until it wore out. The corrosion failure for this 2017 BB had to have occurred over a long period of time. Could have been originated from a single salt exposure (Sea or salted roads) environment. Once the corrosion starts, you would not need such an environment for it to continue to propagate down the weld line. If ignored all the way to failure. Either way, CAREFULLY inspecting our BD's (As well as all other rustable running gear) every couple of years and mechanically eliminating any rust and recoating should be added to our long term maintenance inspections. Especially if our rigs are stored in a salt air environment or are ever used on salted roads. GJ

@mountainoliver, is this the gusset you're referring to? And, should I be concerned about that weld on the left side of this photo?

To @jd1923’s point, my 2020 OLEll has the 3500 LB axles with the described square pattern 4 bolt axle connection. D35 axle label confirmation.

Newbies now owners

Yep - it, indeed, is difficult to understand exactly why the manufacturers do not make this fact a bit more apparent. With Ford, unless you lay on your back with your head under the receiver hitch, you will never seen the label that gives you this 500 pound limit. I don't know where this information is located for the other brands - but - even though it may be stated in different ways, the bottom line is that the requirement is there. Again, I do not believe that there is much correlation between your Bulldog failure and not having a weight distribution hitch. However, @MAX Burner makes a good point about the increased safety margin that the Andersen just might provide. I seriously appreciate your bringing the situation with your Bulldog to everyone's attention. Hopefully your situation is a one off deal, but, by alerting us you just may have saved a bunch of trouble and even someone's life. Bill

There is a ton of discussion on this and related topics here on the Forum. Don't be fooled - in virtually any situation the Oliver Travel Trailers do NOT sway. But, this is NOT the purpose of the Andersen weight distribution hitch (for the most part) with regards to Olivers. ALL 1/2 ton trucks that I'm aware of REQUIRE a weight distribution hitch. Yes, I know, your Tundra pulls your Ollie without any problem. Well, so does my Ford F-150 and it has a rated towing capacity of north of 12,000 pounds. But, Ford requires the weight distribution hitch for any hitch ball load over 500 pounds. I'm no engineer but I'm certain that there are other factors involved like braking, frame construction, steering, etc.. And, if you drive without a weight distribution hitch and are in an accident then it is likely that some well paid lawyer will investigate to try to determine exactly what your tongue weight was when you had that accident regardless of it being a factor in the accident or not. Certainly I would not want to risk my financial stability on a bet of being 15 pounds under or (over) the general 500 pound weight on the hitch ball number. There are also additional benefits of the Andersen - reduced porpoising/bouncing for one, and, perhaps additional safety margins for another. Yes, the Andersen is not cheap nor is it always "easy" to hookup and it does take a couple of additional minutes to make sure that it is ready to go. I doubt that the lack of an Andersen had much to do with what happened to your Bulldog one way or the other. However, the Andersen is still worth very serious consideration. Bill

CLARIFICATION: The "485-lbs" mentioned earlier was the MAX we've measured since we've had the tongue scale (purchased it 9 months ago). My understanding of the "rule of thumb" for tongue weight is that it should be in the range of 9-11% of the actual weight of the TT - not the dry weight. Could be wrong, though. We weigh ours a couple times a year using CAT scales at a local truck stop, usually at the beginning of the winter season (about 6800-lbs) and the beginning of the spring season (about 6600-lbs)-ish. We do this because our load outs are different for the two seasons. So, under the rule of thumb", our target tongue weight is in the 660-680 range. We've got a 50-lb bike rack and 75-lbs of bikes in the back which lowers our tongue weight somewhat. We still only get a measured 485-lb tongue weight in this configuration (full water heater, full 30-lb LPG tanks, full fresh water tank, empty gray/black tanks, full fridge, clothes, etc.). Have yet to figure out how to increase the TW to achieve the target - or if it's even necessary to do so. Like your Tundra, ours tows the OTT without effort (we use an Anderson WDH, however). Actually, the 485-lb TW is what we use to calculate our (rather light) cargo load for the Tundra which is 1400-lbs. If we ever get the TW in the target range, that's 200-lbs of "stuff" that can no longer be hauled in the truck bed (assuming we've MAX'd out the cargo load). Here's an example of our current TW right at 500-lbs without the bike rack/bikes (adds about 15lbs): @Geronimo John - do you remember your measured TW from last AUG? Hope this helps...

I had the E-Z Flex installed a year after we bought our trailer. Jason said the bushings that were replaced were “shot”. That was after a year and something between 7-10,000 miles. Mike

@mountainoliver @Steph and Dud B That is very interesting. Mine definitely did not have that gusseted welded section where the break occurred. I wonder when they made the change and why they didn't put out a recall if that is the case. Or mine was just defective from the factory. More pics of others pre-2018 might be interesting. @Geronimo John I didn't see any signs of galvanic corrosion. Bolts, aluminum and steel around bolt sleeves looked good to me. @MAX Burner I am just curious. How can the max tongue wt max be 485 lbs when the TT dry is 4900 lbs. A basic rule of thumb is tongue wt max 10% of total wt. Through various online sources, I have always considered the V-8 Tundra's to be in the 600-700 lb range. I would appreciate any input on this. I mean if you can overload your max tongue wt with a 55lb generator in the front basket I would be shocked again. And correct me if I am wrong, the Tundra pulls the Ollie incredibly well without a sway bar or WDS. SO why not just OEM the 2-5/16th coupler instead of the marginal 2 in. Lots of variables here to think about for me personally and fellow owners as well. BTW, we are back home safe and sound in good ol' Tennessee!

Would you post a picture of the gusset on your coupler. We should all be on the same page concerning this equipment failure. Mossey

I'm reading here the D52 code means 5200 LB axle and the 3500 LB means total leaf spring capacity. Wish mine were the 5200 axles for 12" brakes vs the 10" mounted on the lighter axles. This is good news for you! If you still want to check the backside of one of your wheels, just look right where the axle connects, closest to the wheel, to the brake backing plate. In a circle close to and around the axle, you should see 5 bolts in a pentagon shape (given yours are 5200 LB) or 4 bolts in a small square pattern for the 3500s. Or post a pic here if you want a dozen more opinions! 🤣

Looking at the second picture the tear in the side of the hitch shows a rusty fracture except for the last half inch. This tells me it was disaster in the making for awhile and it's another area to pay attention to in our walk around inspection. Will be interesting to hear the official analysis of the cause of the failure. I believe you have guardian angels looking out for you and your family for it could have been a much worse outcome then just a breakdown in the middle of a camping trip.

I have never heard of this. My understanding has alway been that you don't need to start thinking about a WDS until what you are pulling begins to outweigh the PV. I know that WDS does not increase the trucks towing capacity or reduce tongue weight and that if your truck and trailer are level and the weight is evenly distributed over the axles everything handles well. Sway bars and WDS are dealbreakers for me, not needing them is one of the reasons I love my Oliver so much and stay away from single axle and longer TTs Thanks for the discussion. It is necessary to remain vigilant about safely. Best, Mike

@jd1923 It is a heavily modified Talaria. Sur-ron is another sister brand and unfortunately if it has a chip or an electric motor or both it is most likely made in Asia. But it is a ton of fun. Link for a stock bike: https://lunacycle.com/talaria-sting-r-mx4/ Link for some fun upgrades: https://www.ko-moto.com/ko-talaria-upgrade-motor @topgun2 Need to probably do both but haven't got to it yet. 3rd brake light with blinkers for sure! @MAX Burner As far as departure angle. I have a pretty steep start to my driveway and the Ollie frame will hit occasionally but not the bike rack.

Probably the MORryde 3000 system, but yes please post the part# for the Morryde Equalizer they install. Here's a nice video explaining/comparing the most popular RV and trailer suspensions, ie Morryde, Lippert and Dexter.

We’re out of town right now so can’t get a photo of mine but, yes that is the gusset that I was referring to. The 2 5/16 hitch however doesn’t have a gusset but instead has a tube that extends into the formed steel section and is heavily welded around.

Is there a plan for adding rear lighting (i.e. brake and turn signals)? And license plate location?

Sounds like you only have the two axle trailer rather than the four.

Thank you very much! Good information to have!

John, yes it’s confusing I agree. it’s because how Dexter label the axle/spring combo. Like @Mountainman198 explained in this post, the suspension arrives to Oliver as an assembly (axle and springs), which is then rated on the lower of the two axle rating or spring rating. I googled it and D52 axles are indeed rated at 5200lbs, but since the springs are only rated at 3500lbs that’s the rating for the axle/spring assy, per the Dexter label. If your label shows D52 then yours is the same as mine, ie 3500lbs springs and 5200lbs axles. I think Dexter should clarify in this label what the capacity is based on.

@rideadeuce Thank you for the follow up and closure on your Bulldog coupler failure. Safe travels home! Mossey

@rideadeuce Very glad you and your family are ok! If you haven't already, I would strongly suggest you take your fully loaded setup (Tv and trailer) through a CAT scale. I will be surprised if you're not very close to or exceeding the payload/cargo capacity of your 1/2 truck, and possibly your rear gross axle weight rating (GAWR). That will also give you an indication of your tongue weight. I have a very nice excel spread sheet (if you don't have one) that will show you what your loads are in relation to your axles, cargo capacity etc. Let me know if you want me to PM it to you. Anyway, just a suggestion, but again, very glad you and your family are ok! 🙏

It had nothing to do with your failure but I’d seriously consider adding a WD hitch to your trailer. You have a lot of tongue weight with your front storage box loaded, well above what’s recommended for a 1/2 ton.

I think I would still file a report with the NHTSA. This is probably just a one-off, but on the odd chance this has happened to other Bulldog hitches, maybe NHTSA will see a pattern and initiate a recall. There was a reasonable chance that failure could have led to injury.

"On the road again!". Ramblers, I do feel fortunate that nothing serious happened to my family or anyone else on the road. When saner minds prevailed and after a few hours of sleep. I got out the tools and took off the broken coupler and headed to a Bulldog dealer (A and A Hitch) in Bradenton, FL. Mechanic/welder since 1985, said he had never seen one do that. Upgraded to the 2- 5/16 in coupler. 12,500 lb pull capacity and 1875 lb tongue load. A and A Hitch drilled the holes for me. Weight distribution device was never used (not needed?) pulls like and sits like an arrow, tongue weight always within spec (Yamaha 2200 gen since day 1 in basket), maybe 20K on frame, 2018 Tundra pulled without incident since day 1, mostly beach, MI and CO trips. Special thanks to @Mossemi and others for feedback and willingness to help. It really made me feel better and helped me make a better decision on how to rectify. Also, when looking at the broken coupler you can see where there was a seminal break that is rusted and then the subsequent clean fracture. The only thing holding it together was the top plate that was bent up. Check proximal to the neck for cracks. This happed without warning and I did not see the cracks from the outside. Side note: I like the gray paint. It may help someone see cracks vs. the standard black. Best, Mike

I agree that the weld on the left looks a little sparse. Might have been the last one on a Friday and he was anxious to go buy a couple of six-packs! It would, however, be easy to strengthen it up.

Sorry this happened and glad your family are safe. What year trailer? We have the 2" on LE2, 2022. Will inspect ours . Keep us posted.

Our 2010 has the gusset and I can take a pic for you, if you would like. I'm guessing yours was a defect right from the factory.

Great information, @AlbertNTerri! It’s good to know they also do installation. I’m having Oliver replace my shocks, bearings and brakes in May. I’ve asked how much to replace the springs if I bring my own. No answer yet. My son’s business is in Grand Junction and we’re going to be camping at Ridgway State Park in June, so I could wait and have ALCAN do the install. Mike

FYI: Our experience shows these low-current draw fans allows the fridge a higher efficiency for any given ambient conditions - also makes me wonder why the heck they're not included as OEM from Dometic and Norcold back in the day....(?)

It's sooooo nice having a couple bikes when traveling - regardless of how you're hauling them. Regarding @topgun2's comment, we like having the LED strip light across the back of our rack. It gives red "running lights", yellow turn signals, and yellow emergency flashers - makes us a bit more visible when hauling our bikes at night. Some models are now offering white "back-up" lighting - like this one: @rideadeuce - very clean mod! How's the departure angle when maneuvering through a parking entrance from the road? Just curious...

As @SeaDawg mentioned earlier, an interior fan can be installed, as well. I have the Norcold 3 way, which does not have a refrigerator light to access power for this fan; thus the wire will need to connect to a constant power source behind the fridge. Thanks to @MAX Burner for pointing that out. Hopefully there will be a convenient routing path without having to drill a hole to gain access for power. Mounting this fan is easy, alligator clips to the evaporator fins. My combo:

Please post any future findings about this break. Has anyone tried bending the hitch back together to see if the break closes cleanly? I am seeing some things in the pics that are a little disturbing. Like in the above pics where there is rust in the center of the fracture and clean bright metal at the top and bottom. Maybe someone else can explain how this can happen. The rust edges also appear to be radiused. I'm no metallurgist so can only comment to what I am seeing. Hopefully, there will be a good explanation in the future on how this happened. Again, very glad you are all safe and back on the road with the new and larger Bulldog. Dave

Confirmed by Mile Sharp, this should be sealed.

@johnwen, The fans on our LEII mount to the inner edge of the flange around the vent opening. Not to the slanted panel inside the vent opening. There was no cutting of the fiberglass. In the three photos below you should be able to see the screw heads which clamp onto the edge of the fiberglass. There are also small metal "ears" fastened with hex screws to the fan frame. The combination of the "ears" and the large screw head serve as a clamp. The fans are quite secure using this mounting mechanism. Regards, Don

I stopped the guy who was skijoring down the street behind a Subaru and he agrees with your assessment.

I, too, am stunned to see your photos. Kudos to you for thinking to unbolt the original coupler and locate a replacement. Your report makes me glad we upgraded to the 2-5/16" coupler when we bought Hull #1291!

It's pretty obvious from the photo. You're at the wrong angle to the sun. Problem solved.

Whoa! I would not try and drive that anywhere. At the least, get a mobile welder to come out to weld it back together so you can safely and carefully get to a shop where a new hitch can be installed. Unless you are able to install the new hitch where you are. It looks like there's rust where the hitch broke apart? Could have been cracked for a while. Never thought this could happen to a Bulldog Hitch. Thank heavens you weren't cruising down the freeway when that happened, that would have been pretty ugly. Glad you are all safe and sound. 🙏 Dave

Update for the Oct 21-24 Texas Oliver Rally. Princess craft and approved dealer for oliver, has agreed to sponsor BBQ dinner for our rally the night of October 23rd. They also plan to have a service tech there to answer any questions. Hopefully we will have good weather but I will be reserving a covered pavilion. Princess Craft has been in contact with Phil from Oliver and he has offered to provide giveaway items for our event as well.

Go to YouTube and type RV furnace maintenance into the search bar. You will get suggestions like THIS ONE. Have a safe trip. I just read this morning that TX officials are now recommending that visitors bring extra food with them due to the expected crowds. Bill

I agree. We learn more from our failures then our successes.