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We departed the ABQ area mid-morning and are now boon docking near Amarillo, FYI. Even saw another Oliver enroute, "Buck and Ollie"! This thread has been very informative for us regarding spring packs. Perhaps owners will become more attentive to the "dirty side" of their Olivers - as the undercarriage and specifically, the running gear, might be overlooked for some. It's definitely not as sexy as other areas of the OTT, for sure. But, it's where the rubber meets the road that concerns us. It would be good for everyone reading this thread to crawl underneath an learn what type of axles they may have. We learned that 3500# axles can be either 2-3/8" or 3" diameter at the same weight rating. Each takes a different size of U-bolt. As noted in an earlier post, each has a different torque specification as well. As responsible owners, we should know what U-bolts we're riding on and what the respective torque specs are. Here's a good one: During our spring-pack R&R, we noticed that on the last set of U-bolts, there weren't any washers! At some point in our Oliver's life, the U-bolt nuts were installed and torqued without them. You can't get an accurate torque value without washers. We never noticed this condition until just last weekend as we were finishing up. Just another thing to look for when you're crawling around under there... @Patriot's well thought out approach to have a spare spring pack/U-bolt kit on board is rock solid. Especially, considering the Dexter 5-year warranty implications. Good on you, brother. Please note: If U-bolts are replaced, either by emergency durning on the road conditions, or by modification/upgrade in controlled conditions - please mind the torque procedure. Specifically, re-torque after first 50 miles, then at 100 miles, finally at 500 miles. Check torque settings annually - easy enough to do at the same time you're servicing your EZ-Flex suspension, wheel bearings, and doing your shock absorber inspection. We completed the first 2 torque drills today while headed eastbound on I-40 towards Amarillo. New U-bolts actually stretch until finally torqued after the 500 mile check. We'll be doing the 500 mile check tomorrow. It's amazing how much additional tightening was needed to meet the torque specs on the first 2 inspections. Bottom line, loose U-bolts can cause spring failures. Very strong left to right wind conditions while towing today, the Casablanca was rock solid back there - like always. The peace of mind is well worth the effort we went through over the past several days performing this mod. Happy Campers all! Cheers...

Steve, Great job and thank you for the list! 👍🏻👏🏻 It sure will be helpful at the rally.

It’s all I’ve received to date. There will be about double those reported at the event, but not all attendees are on the forum or Facebook groups, or choose not to be included.

This thread is locked per OP request.

Jill took this as we arrived - Great Sand Dunes - sorry for the length - sort of IMG_2936.mov

It appears a lot of you are familiar with Valley of Fire State Park but thought I would upload a few images from that part of our recent trip. First two images are with my Nikon Z7 and the remainder with iPhone 13 Pro in RAW mode for anyone interested in the technicals White Domes Road view to the south White Domes Road view to the north White Domes Loop trail with remnants of old movie set Trudi taking a break on the hike Detail of sandstone geology One of the many petroglyphs found along the Mouses Tank trail. Fire Wave Trail Firewave trail and Pastel Canyon End of White Dome Loop trail

@jd1923 - Great story, brother! Thanks for sharing - you made family memories in the LeSabre just like we are doing today in Casablanca. Get your hands a little greasy, finish the job, test and inspect your work, wash your hands off - then start enjoying your efforts! Right? We'll get the 500-mile inspection completed today somewhere around Denton, TX - FYI. We'll be enjoying the trip just that much more after that torque inspection... Thanks to all...

Ok. Enough. I started this thread and I think it should end now. Everybody has a different level of comfort doing their own work, assessing cost/benefits, etc. Nobody seems to know for sure exactly what's going to happen. Nobody's been proven right, nobody's been proven wrong. We'll all just have to wait and see what comes next. There's no need for besmirching anyone's character or integrity. MODERATORS, can you lock this thread?

Great Park. The hike up to Zapata Falls and into the cave to the falls was amazing. Need waders, that water will be cold.

The campground (Piñon Flats) is nice. No hookups and some sites are a little tight. We were on the edge facing the dunes, a really great view out of the back window. We really enjoyed our time there. Mike

I asked service what was being used and the response was ASI 335.

Scuba Rx, that ASI 0240 sounds pretty good. Especially interesting it can be used as a tooling lubricant. I will try that. What I have been using with great success is Debond, and it is even more expensive! So I think it's going to cost you Geronimo John! Debond The big problem with silicone from a refinishing point of view are the oils it contains. You can clean it off with solvents and plastic razors to where the gelcoat looks pristine, but when you spray the surface with water, it still beads up all over. This is caused by the silicone oils having penetrated the pores of the gelcoat. Not completely removing these oils will interfere with the full bonding of any sealant you want to use, including silicone! You have to break out some 1000 grit automotive sandpaper and wet sand it out with the solvent of your choice (in my case, Debond). When it's all gone, I hit it with some finer grit (1200-1500), then a good polishing cleaner. The gelcoat will then look great, and be ready to be sealed, and most importantly, the sealant will adhere to the gelcoat! All this work is why I never use silicones to begin with, except in some rare instances. Also, if you do any finishing in your shop, be extremely careful to keep any rags, pads, sandpaper, or anything that was used cleaning your silicone problem separate and away from your regular shop supplies. Silicone contamination in your shop can be a total disaster for the finisher. Good luck! Dave

Spent 4 nights there summer before last early in September. Really enjoyed the hiking and the relative quiet once off the main road. Many of the sites are too small for even smaller trailers - we lucked into a great pull through but they were few. Choose your site carefully and well in advance.

Please see the note in the first post. This is just my informal collection of attendees sites so that I know who’s where. I did this last year, and it was well received, so doing it again. This list has nothing to do with whether you reserved a site through the park or made a reservation through Oliver. I hope that helps clarify what this list is and isn’t. I’ll add you when I get on my desktop computer.

My bride at the great sand dunes last Oct 23rd. If you think people look really close while visiting the dunes..well they are not. Don’t ask me how I know. 😄

Steve, looking forward to seeing you again. Mossey

Get over yourself "engineer". Your condescending intros always prefacing with your "credentials" that make you smarter than the rest are overbearing. I'm no engineer and this is all very elementary to me. And I think the large majority are taking it all in stride. There's probably well over a thousand who have not chimed in on the topic because they are level headed folks that are just rolling with the process, or just don't care. The sky's not falling and the Oliver managers are still running the company with the same integrity they always have. What's up in the air right now is the character and integrity of a few people that are throwing a hissy fit cause they aren't getting their way. Oliver management could choose to fold the company and cash it all in, and they would still be within their rights to do so. Either way I would still shake their hands and thank them for making me one of the best campers ever built.

............ and all of that was stated in Jason's message to the owners. I must be missing something. "Our customer support team will still be available to assist with any questions and work with you and our dealer partners to get any services you need resolved." "However, we will continue doing major repairs, including fiberglass and aluminum, at our Plant Facility." "If you have any questions or require further information regarding this update, please do not hesitate to contact us or call us at 1-888-526-3978. We are always here to assist you."

But what I, and I bet 90%+ of the owners need to hear from OTT Leadership, not our moderators, is that OTT pledges to continue supporting this forum as well as our and dealership access to Jason and his Tech Services team. Communication is of the essence for any quality organization.

When you look into the toilet bowl you should see a black "ring/gasket" around the outside of the rounded part that moves when you step down on the pedal to flush. This gasket can get "stuff" stuck to it. "Stuff" can be all sorts of things to include mineral buildup. After cleaning the toilet you should gently wipe that gasket feeling for any deposits. If you can't get those deposits off and/or if the gasket is brittle then it can be replaced. On the other hand - if it seems to come clean you can then put a small amount of plumber's grease on it to keep it mineral free. Bill

So I think I have fixed 99.9% of my issues. After cleaning the flow restrictors/pressure regulators that helped a lot but I decided to replace them with a hollow pipe (got it at Home Depot, I'm sure there were other ways to do this but this was simplest for me) so there is no restriction. I purchased an external pressure regulator and have that set to 55psi and will use that going forward. I also replaced the faucet head in the bathroom and I have great flow/pressure almost everywhere now. The one place I think the flow/pressure could be better still is the toile. I did try cleaning the filter/screen as was suggested in an earlier post, but I couldn't figure out how to get the filter/screen out so I poured vinegar down the tube and let it sit for a few hours but it didn't seem to help. It's good enough though. The bowl doesn't hold water for very long so have to look into that. The last thing I found which I am sure contributed to a lot of my problems was the anode rod was way overdue to be replaced and water heater was full of scale/buildup. I flushed out the hot water heater, which took a while for stuff to stop coming out and the water to be clear then put in the new anode rod and tested the system and everything is working like new again. So what I have learned from all of this is it's very important to use a water softener and/or flush the lines regularly to avoid buildup. As I said earlier, I do think the cleaning the flow restrictors/pressure regulators made the most difference, when on city water, but I think its best to just replace them. That's probably why they don't have them in the 2018 and newer units. Be sure to use an adjustable external regulator just to be sure. When using the internal water pump cleaning/replacing the screens on the faucets or the faucet head itself made the difference. I did start with the faucets before moving onto anything else and that's what you need to do when diagnosing this kind of problem and remember to confirm you have the same problem on city water and you do with the water pump. I hope this helps someone who finds themselves in a similar situation.

I would like to add that the value of this forum is as great as factory service in helping me solve occasional problems. For example, this past weekend I ran into what I thought was a serious issue but quickly found that someone else had experienced the same issue and provided the solution on this forum....and poof! Problem solved. Interestingly, the original problem while reported to factory service was only solved by the owner himself. Given the outstanding expertise of our factory service folks, this was a rarity but proved once again the value of this forum. Do we have RV tech shortages? Yes. Are RV techs typically paid poorly by dealerships with lack of training? Yes. Are there risks with the new service model? Yes. But, do we still have each other and this forum? YES!

I’m new to the Oliver community, just 7 months into my new-to-me LE1, so take my thoughts with a grain of salt. I offer them with some humility, honestly. Here’s my thought: I'm surprised at the negativity about the developing Oliver sales and service model. My own service experience is quite limited to a week in Hohenwald a month ago - we’d timed it to launch our current 5 week camping trip. Our planning went back to a service request 4 months ago. When the date came, we traveled 2 days to get to Hohenwald, and then had to find accommodations for 4 nights for me, my spouse and our dog to wait out the 3.5 days our upgrades and annual servicing would take. We were happy with the results and the knowledgeable team we met, but would have been much happier if a regional Oliver dealer was available for a “drop it off and come back in a few days to pick it up” kind of servicing last winter. The jobs we had done (lithium & Truma AC upgrades & annual servicing) would have been well within the ability of a competent and well trained regional dealership. When the dealership expansion was announced, I did contact such a regional Oliver dealer in lower Va. They told me they had not yet been trained for servicing, so I kept my March appt at Hohenwald in place. I thought, “Training dealerships has got to take some time. Check back with the regional dealer in a year and they should be up to speed.” That seems (to me) a reasonable expectation for the Oliver community, with widespread benefits for Oliver owners like me in the years ahead. From what you all are repeatedly saying about the Oliver family and team, I’d have a high confidence that they share that goal. If everyone’s experience with the Oliver team in the past has been so widely appreciated, why not give them the benefit of the doubt? In the meantime, I feel confident that I have a backstop if I get caught - you all. I’ve been a regular reader (if an infrequent poster) in the Oliver forums over the last half year. I’ve seen you all step in again and again to help people like me, who are trying to make something work better, or fix something broken. The generosity, creativity, competence, and enthusiasm of the Oliver owners was a factor in my purchase. Were I in Oliver management, I would hope for your partnership in making this expansion as seamless and fruitful as possible. i suspect as a newcomer to the Oliver community I’m missing something here - maybe it’s the longstanding friendships that have developed in the Oliver community. Maybe it’s something else. I just hate to see a much loved team with a first class product and a devoted family of owners fracture like this when some (well deserved) trust and some months of patience and a “let’s do what we can to make this work” attitude could make a good thing even better.

It is really beautiful- the ranger said that it’s the nicest day of the year. The water is starting to run. A small patch right off the campground just appeared. We went into Alamosa a little after going out into the dunes and the truck thermometer said 61F at 1:30. The air is fresh and clear. All of the surrounding mountains have a respectable amount of snow. Clouds in the southwest style started appearing around noon.

I just had to post this, when i seen leaking under bolt.. last year coming back from Banff,AL. It was leaking at the bolt.. stopped using bath sink. It stopped.. when i got home , i removed the bath vanity. To my regard the leak was at the faucet hose. Just needed to tighten the nut.. lesson leraned ..check that first!!! I might do that mod with the hatch , cinch i took it off already.. Very Senior moment..

I've been using SIKAFLEX 291 on my Ollie. It has a very good reputation in the marine world. I have experienced no yellowing or mildewing in the years I have used it. The world of sealants is a tough one. There is a lot of chemistry involved that is far beyond my knowledge for sure. Everyone is going to have their favorite based on their use and experience. Not sure why Oliver went to silicone, I'm sure they had their reasons. Although the ASI 335 seems to be a very good product, inevitable future resealing efforts may be compromised unless a very thorough cleaning protocol is adhered to. Not sure what is happening with the yellowing issues some folks are having. It could be quite a few things, part of the mysterious chemical peculiarities of sealants. THIS article may shed some light on that. Since the ASI 335 is neutral cure, it may be susceptible to yellowing from chemical vapor contamination from the butyl tape (or whatever Oliver is using now) around their windows. Don't know how widespread this issue is, or if this is indeed the issue at all. It's just part of the puzzle. The thing about sealants, and all materials really, is that they are part of an ecosystem where everyone has to get along or bad things happen. One needs to consider how multiple materials will interact with each other, both in the short and long term, for good work to be done. Dave

Yes - and until you subscribe to the Reno paper that will keep popping up. Above under my post is basically what the Reno article says. Bill

Haven’t been to the dunes yet. Am up in Pinion camp. Maybe 40% full. Completely blue skies, 35 degrees now, 25 last night. Just learned that it is a dog friendly park - I think everywhere.

Thanks @Townesw I just saw this and I keep a tube of ASI 335 handy especially while traveling. 👍🏻

We had the same issue with our rear window caulk being a yellow color. I re-caulked all our exterior windows last fall, removing the caulk with a plastic razor blade and replacing with ASI 335. I don't know where I found this information, whether it was somewhere here on the forum, or in a discussion with Oliver directly, but there is a black butyl sealant they use on the windows that will react with the caulk and turn it a yellow color. I have actually done our back window twice, and each time, it stays white or just not as yellow as before. This is only on our back window, haven't seen it anywhere else!

I didn't see an answer to the question of what is the sealant to use on our Olivers? I just inspected the various sealant places on the roof of our Ollie while washing and waxing after we got home. It doesn't look like it needs it yet but I want to be prepared. I have noted and recorded the above recommendations for both the cleaner and sealant. Which brings me to my next point. When we picked up our Oliver in May of 2022... we noticed a poor bead of seal around the rear window and asked them to touch it up. They did, but what they used (there in the pre-delivery bay) dried very yellow and to this day, stands out like a sore thumb on our pristine white Oliver. It is completely different than what was used when building the Oliver. Then a couple of months later we had a service ticket for the bathroom window to be replaced and I agreed to let them send me the parts and materials to replace it. I did so... but evidently got the same "yellow" sealant! When time and UV rays do their damage.... I want to be sure to have a replacement sealant that is "bright white"! For those that have done this, what was your experience?

So @MAX Burner installed all new performance leaf springs last week, likely other maintenance included, and is already 100s of miles from home today. Love you brother! Reminds me of when I first met my wife, was spring of 1992 and I was restoring a 1967 Buick LeSabre, loved that car! She wanted to do Spring Break in Florida to visit her mom and brothers (was 2 years before we got married). I promised her, I would drive her and her kids down (Chicago to Ft Laud) in the Buick! It was a week out from our trip and the LeSabre was up on blocks, finishing a suspension/brake system rebuild, wheels off, new stereo system installed, yet the interior was still laying in the second garage stall... We left on our Florida trip as planned. One of the memories that founded our new family through the years! God Speed Art & D and the pups! Keep us posted! JD

We actually ended up camping on BLM land from the east side closer to Las Vegas but considered the Poverty Flats area you mention too. I knew there wouldn't be any available spots at the VOF campgrounds since we made the decision to go there as a spur of the moment affair. We enjoyed some great views and it was only a few miles out of the park and not nearly as crowded as Poverty Flats or Lake Mead area. Thanks for the heads up info though.

Thanks so much Bill! We have 3 nights booked at Snow Canyon campground to end our St. George stay. We go to St. George every year for the Red Rock PPA Tournament (pickleball). Chris and I play in the mixed seniors on one day and then we watch the pros play over the weekend. Past trips not enough time, this time we planned 8-nights in St. George alone! MUST SEE a performance at the Tuacahn Amphitheatre. What a place! Homepage - Tuacahn Center for the Arts (OFFICIAL) Last year we watched this spectacular show: The Redeemer by Jenny Oaks Baker - Tuacahn Center for the Arts (OFFICIAL) Imagine we have time to follow your course and see the Dino Tracks too!

My "Engineer" comment was to frame my perspective, never to be condescending to you or anybody, nor or to offend. For that please accept my sincere apologies. I have no special part to play in any decision OTT makes. Your comments are well intended and worthy of note. GJ

Correction to my previous comment. My axles are 3500 pound rated and 1750 pound rated springs. Sorry for the confusion.

The ring in the toilet is easy to replace and is available on Amazon. We use a little Vaseline on both sides of it after we dump and clean. Keeps it operating smoothly and helps it from drying out. I’ve only replaced it once. Mike

To add to my previous response. Oliver mixed and matched axle components in an effort to create an axle that was more durable than the standard version. No other camper manufacturer that I know of provides beefed up axle assemblies. They just use something standard and that’s why other campers experience more failures than the Oliver.

If anyone is in the St George area and has a little time - Look for the water tower that is located northeast of the center of town. Find a way to get to that water tower. Just prior (200 yards or so) to reaching the water tower there should be parking on the left side of the road. Park there, get out of the vehicle and start walking north (another 200 to 300 yards) - down a gentle slope to what is the bottom of an old stream bed. Walk the stream bed back to the east looking for tracks - big ones! Dino was here! Bill p.s. if it is anything like the last time I was there - do not take your Ollie. Both parking and turning around would be difficult. p.p.s. Snow Canyon (just west of St. George) is also a place to visit. p.p.p.s. GPS for the dino prints - 37.15604, -113.50169

I’ve been quiet about this issue, I don’t like it and wish it wasn’t the path forward. I don’t know of any of the moderators that thinks this is “good for Oliver owners”. I’ve missed the “many” favorable comments by my fellow moderator team. I think it’s being blown out of proportion by some. In 8 years I’ve been back to Hohenwald for service work just once, a two day drive. Everything else was done by me or a local RV repair shop. We’ll still have technical expertise that we can access from Oliver. I’m going to watch and see how this plays out. Oliver management is not abandoning owners, my experience over the years is that they go out of their way to ensure owners are taken care of. Mike

Great pictures! Ya gotta bring more water! Besides the small OTT Fresh Tank, we have 35 gallons in the truck bed: Norwesco 35 gal. Horizontal Leg Tank at Tractor Supply Co. Fill up at home with enough water for boondocking 7-8 days, 1-2 more if conservative. Lot of areas in the NF and BLM where you can legally let a little grey go at a time. I special ordered tank straps which work great, and we have a canvas cover (not yet installed in the picture). Always a full case of bottled spring drinking water, and a couple of gallons for coffee. Not running out of good food or adult beverages either!

https://www.bestmaterials.com/detail.aspx?ID=20596&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=(ROI) PMax Shopping - Low/No AOV&utm_id=18030280001&utm_content=&utm_term=&gad_source=4 https://www.chemical-concepts.com/product/american-sealants-0240-cleaner-remover-14-oz-net-weight-can/?utm_source=googleshopping&utm_medium=cse&srsltid=AfmBOop8hPEz53xgukj9M1jJ5fHGXYcHM-KH_hwxWI5aSBtTGkVdMxnFYds (states on back order)

I realize this post has nothing to do with the direction this thread has taken, but I think this part is what was originally used for the bathroom sink drain. I submitted a service request asking for the correct part but the factory was unable to provide that information. You won’t find this in most hardware stores. https://www.lasallebristol.com/product/metal-c-o-plug-without-overflow/

I spent a couple hours taping both sides of every seem on a shower floor we did a couple years ago. I'll put myself with @Geronimo John as I fall short on anything that needs the artist touch. Using the blue painters' tape, it came out pretty nice. I can fix anything automotive mechanical, though tried bodywork once in the late 70s, and never again. The one thing I will contract on the Oliver is anything fiberglass gelcoat work. After our next outing, I need to clean off all that "gnarly" crude on every exterior seam. Readers here would likely be interested in your choice of "silicone finishing tools." Thanks again.

That's a keeper. Thank you! GJ

Rob, thanks for a great trip report! Valley of Fire used to be one of our favorite parks, but since the explosion of COVID camping, the crowds have made it not as pleasant a stay. The good news is that Nevada now has a reservation system that removes the uncertainty of finding a place in the park. The Mesa near Overton is another place to spend the night boondocking, as is the BLM land around Lake Mead. Buying a season pass is another way to reduce hassle.

I had to take a step back, to better see this from your point of view. For me, I bought an older hull, half of new, thinking I could get all M&R up to date, add a few mods, and given sweat equity and a few more dollars we'd have a really nice TT! I had no expectation of warranty or dealer service. Just like the 40+ used cars and trucks I've bought in my life. In fact, on the many other forums where I am a member (Goldwing, Toyota, Cummins, etc.) we call them Stealerships which we only frequent at last resort. You just made a considerable purchase, less than one year ago. You still have warranty, and you made the purchase based on the ideals set by OTT, being a custom shop, building TTs to order, personal factory service not offered through dealers, making your new OTT purchase rather special in the RV industry. Seven hours from home was also a great benefit that I imagine played into your purchase decision. If I were in your shoes, I would place a call or two into OTT management. Best wishes, JD

File this under the "you never know category." We are currently in Catalina State Park in Arizona. Park host came by today to inform us that the wash was running and the road out and in from the park is closed until further notice. Some folks went for it and left. We took it as a sign and are waiting it out , comfy and cozy with plenty of food and water.🤓

How could Oliver think that anyone is going to spend $100,00.00 for a trailer without a service center in place? How could Oliver think that any Dealer could provide timely, efficient service without a minimal parts inventory, and trained mechanics, in place? When the manufacturing plant, and the service facility are arms length apart, there is never a parts, or technical know how issue. This is the type of transformation that should have been phased in over time, in sections of the country.