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UPDATE: The 500-mile torque inspection was actually a 527-mile torque inspection at a QT in Wichita Falls. The process is now taking only a couple minutes longer than it takes to fill up our 30+gallon tank in the Tundra. Still amazed how the new U-bolts stretch - each nut took several quarter turns to reach the target torque value! We'll be check them every 1k miles for a while. Interesting Side Note: Speaking with Mike/Alcan yesterday on a particular boring stretch of HWY 287 somewhere near Electra, TX, we learned how springs are "weight rated." Evidently, there are several algorithms used by spring manufacturers that rate springs once several parameters are uploaded. Keep in mind that ll algorithms are not exactly the same - some are more accurate than others. Values for steel type, width, thickness, alignment pin size, eye-to-eye length, etc., all determine the weight rating. Alcan uses a highly rated program with a reputation in the industry as being very accurate. Turns out that virtually all RV manufacturers, industry-wide, use spring packs that either just barely meet RVIA standards or don't meet them at all (depending on the algorithm program used to rate the springs). When Alcan ran the dimensions of the Chinese-made AXLE TEK spring used on my Oliver, it was "quite a bit less than the rated 1,750# target", according to Mike. IMO, this issue goes back to DEXTER and not necessarily Oliver - because, as I understand - but could be wrong, the axle kit (including the spring packs) are supplied by DEXTER. But even if the AXLE TEK spring packs were tested to and achieved the 1,750# target at manufacturing, after some time (not necessarily road miles, but age) - those springs will flatten (all 4 of our's did) and they will not be able to meet the target rating going forward. This is due largely to the low quality metallurgy of Chinese steel. Labor costs, environmental regulations, and manufacturing standards in China are much less, if exist at all, as compared to the US steel industry. With a suspension travel of barely 2" (just measured it) before the top of the U-bolts smack into the my Oliver's aluminum frame, I want to be sure the springs are doing what they are there to do. So owners that find themselves crawling around underneath their rigs, this is another inspection point - if your suspension ever "bottomed-out" it will leave an imprint on the frame from the top of the U-bolt. That's a good indicator your spring-packs have flattened and need attention. Also IMO, the choice between Chinese-made and US-made leaf springs for travel trailers depends on the specific needs and priorities of the manufacturer or end-user, including considerations of cost, quality, and supply chain reliability. For businesses emphasizing cost control, the Chinese-made springs may be appealing, whereas for those prioritizing quality, safety, and supporting domestic industries, US-made spring packs might be the preferred option. So, mindful owners should think about: (1) having their running gear/suspension inspected, and/or (2) upgrading their suspensions if needed, or (3) never approaching their 7k# OTT max GVWR, or (4) towing slowly only on pristine roads, or (5) not worrying about it and see what happens down the road. Sorry in advance for my rant, it's just my $0.02...

Looks like you have two bolts on each panel, so it would be a tough change up to allow you any way to lift one side of the panel. Our earlier mounts were from am solar. You could send them a pic in an email, and discuss other options. Great folks. Always helpful. We have one bolt (on a threaded knob) on each short side of our panels. If it's any comfort to you, we rarely adjust the panels. Too much ladder work, unless we're in a spot for a very long time. Adding in some portable solar is a much easier, and safer/ground level, alternative. That's our solution, anyway.

I used a number of sika products, building our house. I don't think I'd try 221 on an Oliver, as I "think" it's greatest use is metal to metal. I'm sure sika has an appropriate product in their lineup. It's a great company. 291 would probably work, but it's an adhesive/sealant, possibly close to 3m 4200. Requires extensive mechanical removal. Polyurethane , elastic. So good for movement. But, replacement, if and when necessary, could be a lot of work. We went with a polyether product, loctite marine fast cure, several years ago, for boats and the Ollie. So far, so good. I think we're 4 years in. Stays white. Decent flex. If you buy from Lowe's or Depot, make sure you read the date code. And, use it all up. It doesn't last long. Not cheap, either, but longevity vs initial price is important to us. The Loctite bonds to everything in our usual realm... teak, aluminum, fiberglass, plastic, etc., as it's polyether based. Whatever you choose, I'd choose something that says "marine" or "for use above and below waterline". I know we don't drive our Ollies on the water, but some of the gulley washers we've experienced make me appreciate marine sealant quality. We use synthetic butyl tape as bedding, whenever possible. Old school, tried and true, eternally flexible. Windows, fans, boat ports, etc. Rooftop appertanences take a beating in Florida sun. After a few days of allowing butyl to set up, we (I should say,usually Paul) trim the edge with a fine bead of loctite, to block uv. Maybe unnecessary, but, it looks good, especially when Paul does it,instead of me. I'm not bad, but he's better. (Give credit where due, right?) Butyl is ONLY a sealant, not an adhesive, so requires mechanical fasteners to keep everything in place. As far as removing silicon residue, I'm not your person. I don't think it has a place in the fiberglass world. We don't use silicon. It seeps into the pores, and is very difficult to remove. Sika makes many fine products. If you find one appropriate for the Ollie (fiberglass, plastic, and metal compatible, decent elasticity/flex, uv resistant), I'd love to hear about it. They're not inexpensive, either, but we've had great experience with some of their products in our home.

Here is a photo:

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.

First side is swapped. Old Chinese Dexters will go to the recycler and bring scrap value…maybe enough for a soda pop. A few observations: 1) I put a set of calipers to my 3500# Dexter axles and they are 3” dia. Ubolts provided by Alcan are for 3” dia axles fit perfect 2) Alcan ubolts are 9/16” rod vs. the smaller (1/2”?) that were stock on my trailer. No worries installing as the holes in the spring retainer plate are large enough to accommodate the larger bolt diameter 3) Alcan ubolts are longer to accommodate increased spring pack height (5 vs. 4 leafs). About 1-1.5” of thread extend below nuts. I plan to leave but you could cut the excess off if it bothers you 4) Torque specs from Alcan for 9/16 ubolts is 90 foot lbs. See attachment 5) Two of my shocks were blown so I am replacing them A Irwin squeeze clamp works wonders for compressing and installing the shocks after the springs have been bolted in 6)reversed the wet bolts so that the zerks point inward even with a 90 degree lock-n-lube fitting it was a PITA before hoping this will be easier 7) the front springs were still in “ok” shape but starting to flatten. one rear spring had snapped and the other was bent 8)the parts for my trailer were sourced during COVID and at the height of demand for RVs. I cannot help but ponder if the RV frenzy and skilled labor shortage during this time played some role in my broken spring and the quality of the other one that was bending. Oh well, just glad to be safe and be replacing the stock springs before heading out in a month for another Season of seeing this great Country Very straight forward swap. Heck, I did it on a tarp in melting CO permafrost. Cannot imagine doing the swap inside on concrete. 🤪 That would be Lux.

Adding more solar panels either on the roof or the ground is a more expensive solution, but probably the most practical. Mossey

When we visited the Great Sand Dunes there was a really neat 30 minute movie talking all about the natural phenomenon that occurs in this part of CO. I did not commit all the information to memory, but here is the explanation of how Mother Nature created the Dunes which we both thought was pretty cool. 😊 In a snap shot - Wind from the northeast funnels through the Sangre de Christo Mountains and pushes against the opposing southwestern winds, which erodes additional sand from the mountain sides and brings it into the dune system. Wait there is more- https://www.usgs.gov/index.php/geology-and-ecology-of-national-parks/great-sand-dunes-national-park-and-preserve#:~:text=Wind from the northeast funnels,it into the dune system.

We share some of the same surprises of perception

It was a huge sand deposit from the glaciation process in the surrounding mountains. Winds eventually pushed a fraction of the sand into the mountains you see behind. They are always changing on a small scale, but one photo taken in the 1850s (?) looks nearly identical to today.

Hey, John: If you're only talking a couple inches of height - air-down your 4 tires enough to get that clearance. Roll the rig into position in the barn. This shouldn't damage the tires. Air them back up once in position. Problem solved.

The Dunes are about a 90-minute drive northeast of our cabin near Mogote, CO; we go there often... Never get tired of that location - very cool. Thanks for posting @Doug S! Cheers!

Trusting that RVIA has the consumers interest and safety at forefront is akin to expecting that NADA (North American Automotive Dealers Association) has the end consumers interest at heart. Prepping to finally install my Alcan springs today now that the snow has melted. 😀

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. 😄

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

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

Here is the response I received from Jason in July 2019 regarding faucet model number used in Hull 313. Here’s the cartridge I used. Get a couple of spares. I ordered one from Amazon and Dura sent me one under warranty. I need to replace mine again. https://www.amazon.com/Dura-Faucet-DF-RK601-Cartridge-Replacement/dp/B072BVH7KB Don’t forget the socket wrench. Mine came from a set that I bought at a Menards in Marquette MI. It’ll make the job real easy. You may have to clock the faucet base if it has been twisted out of position. See my write up in this thread.

Dave: Your quote is amazing. It certainly can apply to many other situations as well. Even our forum. GJ

Awesome! Please keep us posted as to what you've learned about your project, specifically, the condition of the old spring packs....

Is this the Loctite product you're using? https://www.loctiteproducts.com/en/products/build/sealants/loctite_pl_marinefastcureadhesivesealant.html Going to try ASI 0240 for caulk removal, too. I'm like some others here and have much to be desired in the artistic application skills. But with Ollie, learning daily. 🙂 Like always, appreciate the knowledge folks share here. Really appreciated the information shared on fiberglass surface preparation for belly band installation, too.

We've considered a tilt modification on our 2022 LE2 but decided it's not worth the hassle for our type of camping. 4 Way Solar has a guide discussing the pros/cons for a RV roof panel tilt system. You might be able to set up a similar system to work on an Oliver. Their design is simple, but you'd still need an easy way to reach the roof brackets to tilt the panels.

The panels on the earlier models were more narrow than the ones they currently use. The newer panels have more watts than the older ones. I’ve not had the opportunity to examine the new mounting brackets, but judging from what I can see in your photos there is no way for those panels to tilt.

Really BIG levelers on one side? 😇

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.

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..

Sherry: Your post would make a great thread starter! Likely it boils down to your camping style and frequency. GJ

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

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

Are they still using ASI 335? This stuff works well for removing old caulk

Make sure you read the date code.

Is this the Loctite product you're using? https://www.loctiteproducts.com/en/products/build/sealants/loctite_pl_marinefastcureadhesivesealant.html Yes, it is.

We keep 2 1-gallon containers of DampRid in our trailer. We also have Eva-Dry charcoal packets. I don't like leaving things plugged in as our storage place is 1 hour away.

Bill, I don't know why it posted as an ".heic". Since they all look the same, I just took a picture and added it directly. John

John - I assume that the attachments in your post above are pics of your windows. Please repost those in that I do not believe that the ".heic" extension on those files is an acceptable format in the platform we are using for the Forum. Surely your location does not help given all the moisture you probably have. The solutions will all have to do with keeping those tracks clean and drained and a bit of moisture control. Bill

Very good read, thanks Steve.

Yup, that’s probably what I’ll end up doing.

Certainly an ambitious undertaking and I look forward to what you come up with. With over 20,000 miles on our Oliver I have never seen the need to tilt our panels. They have always kept our AGMs topped off and working great. That said, Mod On! 😊

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

We plan to move to Geocel GC28100 Pro Flex RV Flexible Sealant when the original silicone needs replacing. Our rear window is getting close. @DavePhelps outlined the one-time challenge of getting rid of the silicone residue prior to going non-silicone. For those going with silicone-on-silicone to avoid the nasty prep work, be careful of the chemical basis of the silicone being used as it apparently needs to match the original. I found an interesting article on silicone-to-silicone bonding here. Way above my chemistry paygrade!

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.

HERE'S a nice list of Marine quality sealants. I like Sikaflex products, have used 221 on our Airstream with good results. Has anybody used some of these on their Ollie?

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

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 visited the park in 2018, but was not equipped to camp that time. I hope to visit again -- and I'm also interested in the conditions you found. It's lovely scenery!

@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...

We really enjoy Catalina SP, @DaveAndBecky_NorthernMI - beautiful area!

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

We've been using a loctite marine product, with good results, for a number of years.

We also bought one of these. Good to know it will fit in this compartment. I was always worried about someone taking it in a campground.

Amazon of course! Mossey