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OK, we can agree to disagree. All I can say is our 2014 trailer is the first EII sold after the 5 year hiatus. Fully loaded and ready to camp it has always weighed more than 7000 pounds. It has been on the road for over 100,000 miles most of it on tires set at 80psi. It has had five-leaf 5200 pound spring packs and 5200 pound axles since it was built over 10 years ago. A year or so into its life I switched to twelve inch disk brakes. Admittedly, nobody rides back there so I can't attest to what it might feel like. But, during the past decade the trailer has never complained and I've not seen any evidence of all this devastation that is predicted to happen. No broken drawers, no blinds constantly falling off while under way, no cabinet doors coming open, nothing. Apparently, in my case at least, Jim Oliver was correct when he recommended the heavier duty suspension for our trailer. I have been preaching that the four-leaf OEM springs are way under rated for these trailers for years and have had more than one discussion with Oliver about it. They did move forward and make the 5200 pound axles standard, but I think that was just to be able to give folks the Nev-R-Lube (not Nev-R-Fail) hubs that many had asked for. Whether they follow with an upgrade to the springs, only time will tell. Whether owners decide to upgrade their springs is up to them. I predict no slow down in the number of springs that will eventually fail. And, I promise when it happens, it will never be in a convenient place. At least buy some cheap springs to carry as spares against the possibility. In the past week we have gotten new springs, shocks, and tires. I'm happy with my decisions. And, by the way, only a fool would pick a suit of armor to fall three stories in. Seriously though, I see the point you were trying to make.

Good Morning from Watsadler COE CG on Lake Hartwell. Site 17 will always be very memorable. A cool 52 breezy degrees here last night which made for a perfect nights sleep. Something special about the lake front camping. We are early risers and caught this new day beginning. We will depart this beautiful spot shortly and make our to Lake Guntersville SP on roads much less traveled. Onward &Safe Travels!🇺🇸🇺🇸 Hull #634 “XPLOR”

And a ""Good "Starlink" Morning"" from Casablanca at Primitive Site # 8 in Mousetail Landing SP along the TN River... Happy feet enjoying mid-60's temps this AM with a couple Knuckleheads and some Blackbeard's Delight Black Rifle in the mug: Headed to Nashville tomorrow to collect my bride and VFR-direct to Guntersville on Tuesday... Safe travels, All!

Yes agreed, and yes pics would be appreciated! I haven't yet touched any exterior lighting. It kills me to see 3-4 screws into the fiberglass to mount something that weighs just ounces! I'm thinking, fill the holes with an epoxy or whatever plays well with fiberglass (to which I have no idea). These trim pieces can simply be mounted with a circle of 3M VHB tape, no holes in the fiberglass required, except for an 1/8" hole for the wiring. OTT should redesign the exterior thinking minimal fiberglass intrusion. Believe it or not, your antennas, solar panels and evening your awning can be mounted to the surface without drilling screw holes. Adhesives today are stronger than screws into fiberglass, certainly.

The Fresh Jet is next on my list of mods. I would also like to hear about any reports on how well it works in an Oliver. Mike

For SL users and potential users - there's literally a dozen or so ways to convert SL to a 12vDC kit. Pick one that meets your camping style and you're comfortable with - you'll never look back. We converted ours earlier this year and still have the capability of using the original SL router and cable should we need to use it at home or elsewhere on 120vAC - just left us with another option. We didn't have to take any OEM equipment apart, except for cutting the ethernet cable and installing CAT V plugs on either end (piece of cake, BTW). There's definitely a power saving advantage by converting over to DC - we figured 20 - 25% less power than running it on AC. FYI: this message is coming to you via our kit running directly off our Battle Borns from the middle of TN somewhere! Roll-On, regardless...

Got this specifically for boon-docking/backup. It will pull from 100 ft away and uphill 20 ft. The best thing is you can use it as a general systems water filter all the time without the pump turned on. Not the smallest or the lightest but well built and should help us with better tasting water and carrying less on trips. Runs off 12V from SAE solar port. This was me just trying it out, not the home for it on the TT.

I think 2 have. There are something's that were different during installs. One person opted not to reuse the condensate lines. They didn't want to break a seal and add another gasket. One reused the inner portion, while another replaced the upper (outside) and inner.

As mentioned in an earlier rant, we did the "ride-along" test before and after replacing the spring packs... Over a 3+mile course over improved but rutty country roads, there was no "felt" difference at speeds up to 25mph, before/after. Higher speeds may show different results. Riding back there wasn't anything like the difference riding in our 2016 (stock) RAM 3500 and our 2022 (almost stock) TUNDRA. Huge difference between the two. Although the RAM rode like a "buckboard" (I don't think it would scramble eggs) but the TUNDRA rides like a car, soft yet sure footed. Actually, I was somewhat impressed how stiff the ride felt before changing spring packs. DBo (Dusten Bowden, an 18-yr OTT Veteran) has concluded that OTTs are way under sprung for their construction. JFTR: He was very impressed with the Alcan upgrade and would recommend them for any owner, especially for those that have experienced 4-pack spring failure - as its a perfect time for upgrading. Someone correct me if I'm mistaken, but I believe Mr. Oliver insisted on 5-packs and 5.2k# axles on both his rigs... FYI and as it may be known, OTT is no longer installing 3.5k# axles on their new LE2 rigs (LE1's have alway had 5.2k# Dexters) - so, like Steve mentioned above, perhaps 5-packs may come in the future. We believe that will be an overall improvement to what we consider an already well engineered product. At the end of the day, the "spring-pack/axle" discussion boils down to individual camping style and personal preference, IMO. The probability of us breaking one or more of our previous 4-pack leaf springs, I'm sure, is a low one. However, I know how we roll - I'm the guy that would break a Chinese 4-pack halfway out on the 14-mile washboard road to Chaco Canyon or on the way to "Moving Rocks" near Furnace Springs, Death Valley. I'd have a spare 4-pack with me, of course - but another one would break on me on the way back after swapping! The discussion does not have a "go/no-go" solution set - it's an "it depends" solution, IMO. Like @Patriot sez, "Roll-ON", regardless... Cheers, All!

Well, this one probably doesn't count then:

One lesson to be learned is the impact of a strong 5 stack spring vs. the far more compliant 4 leaf. Certainly the strong stack will transmit forces to the trailer frame much more than a wimpy 4 stack. With stronger axles the same effect will take place. So, with super spring and super axles, super shocks will likely be needed to contain those forces. To visualize, consider the ride of a F-150 vs. a F-350 dual axle, both unloaded. Put a dozen eggs in the bed of a F-150 and a F-350. Likely the eggs in the F-350 will be scrambled for you. Ditto with Ollie and stiff suspensions. This is likely why Mr. Oliver went with the 4 leaf. Suspension compliancy when hitting obstructions is a way for the energy to be ameliorated. The parts that do this are the tires, springs. EZ Flex, and shock "Team". Reduce the compliance by having 50 PSI tires, strong springs and axles.... and the extra energy is transmitted to the load. Remember you WANT to have the axle moving up and down within the range of our suspension system clearance ... and for our OTT's that is not a lot of headroom..... Knowing the amount of impact our rigs can handle and not imprint witness marks on the frame for both the cases is really important. Also to understand that the damping(I.E. energy to be absorbed) that is necessary to slow down and stop the rebounding of a heavier suspension is substantially greater than to do so with a lighter one. It will be interesting to see how all this plays out with this grand experiment in suspension design. I recommend that you start out using the Michelin Tire Pressure Table (Sub 30 PSI if I recall for our weights) and then move up to higher tire pressures as you gain experience with how the new design will perform. Go slow and safe and observe performance before trying it out at hammer down. I know I will be in July when I get my rig upgraded. GJ

Looks the same in Mississippi...

And now we know the reason for the Made in USA Leaf Spring thread, now 15 pages and counting! 🤣 Thank you, and I truly mean it.

Actually, I'd consider a Honda Trail 90 or 110 for that rack.... How cool would that be on the dirt with that insanely low gear? It's probably about the same weight as a couple Ebikes, right?

Can you send some pix of your challenging issue - it's not quite clear what the fix might be without more information/photo to ponder. Thanks! Art

That's awesome! We're packed up and ready to head south in the morning. This will be are first test of the SL on the road but I'm sure we'll have no issues. See ya!

I will likely do this upgrade too; this fall or early next year. Tempting when I see this unit at a good price, and I'll bet we can find an even better price online: Amazon.com: Dometic FreshJet 3 Series, RV Standard Mechanical Rooftop Air Conditioner, 13.5K BTU, White : Automotive Mike, it appears this is a plug-n-play install that you and a strong guy (for me that's my son Adam) could do in a comfortable afternoon, a couple beers, ... BTW, when we did a like install on a Class-C, Adam went up on the roof, after I disconnected the mounting bolts from inside. Ours was an old jammed unit, so I told Adam, just throw it off the roof but don't hit anything but the gravel drive. WE hauled the new one up using an extension ladder and a simple pull cable.

Yeah, the one's I got from DBo are the older yellow ones. But hey, I'm checking those bad boys every 2,500 miles just to see how they're behaving. Looking forward to hearing from @rideandfly about the Bulldogs... Good point, JD, about the heavier springs taking more load off the shocks - these may work OK after all, we'll see when the jury comes back...

A bit off topic, but the spring-mounted LED whip alerted me to a broken leaf spring when it started swaying from side to side. A bonus, unintended consequence of its installation

I am using the trio flatmount converter and am very happy with it. Starlink has a mount for the router that easily screws into the upper cabinet and it snaps right in. It has held the router during travel with no issues.

Someone posted this in another thread: https://www.trioflatmount.com/shop/p/gen3-12vconversion I ordered one to give it a shot since it plugs into the Starlink router and you either hardwire it or wire on a 12v cigarette lighter plug. Pricey little bugger but I really hate soldering electronic stuff and it seemed more reasonable than other options.

Thanks Bill, I'm certain many of us would like to see this. You'll know as soon as you pull one Monroe if they are the same, or something new, hopefully better. Too bad with heavier replacement springs we cannot source a replacement shock with the same ends, same stroke but larger diameter cylinders and pistons. When I replaced mine last year (same Monroes but in black), the old yellow ones where all flat, meaning that when compressed they would not return on their own. Service receipts from prior owners also show mine were replaced once. I guess a few years back they still painted them yellow.

John Going to install Bulldog shocks on Ollie next week. Will do on the side by side comparison photo, both shocks are built in China, Monroe and Bulldog shocks. https://www.4statetrucks.com/bulldog-hd-shock-absorber-replaces-555001-19-050000007 Bill

So, here's an interesting data point... While installing the 5.2k# Dexter Nev-R-Lubes yesterday, we discovered all but one of the Monroe 550001 Shocks (installed new 11APR23) were INOP. What a bummer. Fortunately, "DBo" had 4 new-in-the-box Monroe's which he gave me after buttoning everything up on the axle job... I'll be installing them today at Mouse Tail Landing SP on the TN River in middle TN. The point being, for those owners that R&R'd shocks last APR/MAY timeframe, strongly suggest removing that upper nut and testing each one. Doesn't take long, and just for the peace of mind - well worth the effort. We may have bought a bad lot of Monroe's last year, but I'm thinking they should have lasted more than the 14,000+ miles we've logged since installing them! Roll-On, regardless...

We’re camping at David Crockett Birthplace State Park until we head to the rally. This is a small park near Johnson City and is the childhood homestead of Davy Crockett. Only about a third full right now. It’s a nice park and a good location to explore East Tennessee. Campground Store The Nolichucky River runs right by the campground and it is running very high. The camp hosts warned everyone this afternoon to be ready to evacuate if the storms continue.

We left Hohenwald yesterday morning. They got our new brakes, bearings, shocks and ALCAN springs done early and we rolled out at about 10. We’re in East Tennessee at David Crockett Birthplace State Park. Rain all day and a big storm forecasted for tonight!

I think it really depends upon how secure you want your bikes and what the weight capacity is of the rack. I'm not sure how that one actually attaches. My heaviest bike is an emtb that weighs 39 pounds and is well within the capacity of the rack I'm building. However, I love to see things overbuilt and I don't want a bike falling off going down the interstate. I've seen it happen and it does horrible things to carbon fiber frames! Bottom line is I wouldn't trust it with my bikes but that doesn't mean it won't work. There's lots of movement on the back end of a trailer.

FEDERAL INCOME TAX CREDIT FOR QUALIFIED SOLAR ELECTRIC EXPENDITURES The Residential Clean Energy Credit (“CEC”) provides taxpayers with a credit in an amount equal to 30% of the costs of new, qualified clean energy property installed anytime from 2022 through 2032.1 The CEC applies to costs towards the purchase of property which which uses solar energy to generate electricity for use in a dwelling unit located in the United States and used as a primary or secondary residence.2 As relevant to the CEC, a “dwelling unit” generally includes mobile homes having basic living accommodations such as sleeping space, toilet, and cooking facilities (as are included with each Oliver Travel Trailers model).3 Property eligible for the CEC includes new solar panels, qualifying batteries having a capacity of at least 3 kilowatt hours, and related storage components (e.g., inverters, wiring, and monitoring equipment). If applicable, the CEC will reduce, on a dollar-for-dollar basis, the consumer’s federal income tax liability in the year of purchase. Excess unused credits can be forward to future years. ILLUSTRATIVE TAX BENEFITS Solar Package Lithium Pro Lithium Platinum Legacy Elite $5,330 N/A Tax Credit (At 30%) $1,599 N/A Legacy Elite II $7,120 $12,425 Tax Credit (At 30%) $7,120 $3,728 CLAIMING THE CREDIT After purchasing your Oliver Travel Trailers camper with solar package, keep your receipts for the total price paid to document your eligibility for the CEC. Include Form 5695, Residential Energy Credits, with your tax return to claim the credit. When filing, include the tax credit calculated on Form 5695 onto your IRS Form 1040 and file your tax return with the IRS to receive the credit. Depending on your state of residence, additional state tax credits may be available. The information contained in this summary is informational in nature, is not a warranty or certification as to applicability of any tax credits to the products described herein and should not be construed as tax advice to any specific individual or entity. Customers should consult with their own tax advisor with respect to your eligibility for the credit. 1 IRC § 25D(g)(3). 2 IRC §§ 25D(d)(2); 280A(f)(1)(A); IRS Notice 2013-70, 2013-47 I.R.B. 528 (11/1/2013). 3 Prop. Reg. 1.280A-1(c)(1) https://olivertraveltrailers.com/tax-credit-information/

We rolled into LGSP this afternoon and got XPLOR set up. We have never seen this place so packed wowzer! The weather is perfect and we are looking forward to seeing everyone. Safe Travels All!

Me thinks your sales agent was not informed on the Houghton sound levels. We run ours on low fan speed the vast majority of the time. It is ULTRA quiet. I believe that the FreshJet is Competitor A. This is from their web site: That said, until Houghton series we purchased has some specific disadvantages to some others: No internal drainage system. Fan runs continuously with adverse humidity control. The thermostat is not remotely located so it also contributes to cycling/humidity issues. Granted, a handy DIY owner can: Add a relay to fix the fan issue fairly easily if electrically inclined Reroute the thermostat function by getting a longer thermistor. Installation is tedious for an Oliver. After a couple of years effort, I and others have not posted a fix for the drain issue. So the condensate drains overboard the roof. There is some indication that this may be resolved by a remote electric condensate pump, but I have not found any info on it yet. So, from a sound perspective the Houghton appears to be a quieter unit. But without having to rework the Houghton, I would not recommend it to owners that are not DIY inclined. On the other hand, the above problems are well known to Houghton and when they have provided the American market with an internal condensate capability, remote T-stat and fan off when compressor is off program it will be a blockbuster unit. As a DIYer, yes I would purchase a Houghton in a heart beat. But may owners would not want the hassle of having to update/mod a brand new unit. Hopefully another reader will have updates to my dated info. GJ

Steve if you update the list, we have moved to site E30, as someone canceled. F44 is now available See you, Mark and Claudia

Same here, Steve - looking forward to the rally and putting faces to the names! TKX again for the time consuming effort with the roster... Keep your head on a swivel and travel safe! Cheers! A

For anyone interested, got the cover in from Covarsandall.com. Strong elastic cord around the button to keep it secure and has velcro flaps 6 in from the top front and back for access. Lighter material than my last from from them but seems durable and waterproof. Welcome20 will get you 20% off. Mike

When I was looking for replacements for the 555001, I did find a Monroe 555025 RV shock which had a higher rating. The only problem was the minimal compression length was 3/4 of and inch longer and I did not know if it would still work in our application so I opted for the Bull Dog 555001 replacement instead. I had found on another site where someone had used the 555025 to replace a 555001 without problems, but it was not for an Oliver

Excellent point, brother! I'm thinking why not turn the OEM crossbar upside down so the receiver is on the bottom - that way one could access the spare w/o taking apart the rear assy. But then the bumper may not clear the receiver - need to look into this.

... @Half Fast Hugo - I'm thinking I could get my '85 Beemer on that bad boy and nary a wobble going down the roadway!

I mounted a led light whip to the front storage basket for “flair” but most importantly for ease of finding my way back to the Ollie in the desert at night. The whip is only 4’ tall but it displays strobing multi-colors so it makes for a nice homing beacon. To power its 12v power needs I built a 12v power source inside a small Harbor Freight “Pelican” case using a female 7 pin plug into which I plug my trailer’s male 7 pin plug (I wired the 12v and ground to a fused 12v female lighter socket and female usb combo). Works great for powering 12v devices and the led whip from outside and at the front of the Ollie.

The new leaf springs with higher weight rating may be easier on the shocks. Your axles will also be more solid, keeping squarely on the ground more often. The sway of the body with the lighter springs certainly put more sway and stress on the shocks. There was a suggestion earlier for perhaps a better replacement brand (or they could be the same part rebranded). Anybody getting the new brand should show a side-by-side picture of the two. If the new brand has the same casting marks, it's the same manufacturer.

I mounted the short roof mount Starlink mount which has the same hole pattern as the Girard Awning. Plan is to also have a location to place my Harbor Freight flag pole (Starlink mount) adjacent to the trailer tongue (mount still to be fabricated). I fished the cable from the attic to the basement following the AC drain hose as noted in another's previous post, then using the paddle bit provided by Starlink in their house mounting kit, I drilled through the rear of the outside hull while still within the confines of the spare tire cover. I used marine caulk/adhesive (5200) to glue the included Starlink plug (that the cable runs through) to the hole drilled in the hull. Next I determined that I would need a max of about 50 feet of cable -- if I were to run out the rear, to the front of the trailer then up a 25' pole -- and coiled up the excess, zip tying (the excess) to the spare tire, the remaining 50 feet was then coiled and zip tied separately and marked at about the 8' mark which is the length needed to go from the exit hole in the tire cover to the dishey now on top of the rear-most awning attachments. Next was cutting a 4 inch hole in the spare tire cover and mounting a marine deck port cover, again using the 5200 adhesive. The next day after the adhesive had hardened sufficiently I drilled a hole at about 5 o'clock on the base of the port and then cut to the hole forming a "U" shaped hole to allow the cable to exit and still be able to replace the port cover. The cover-base has a small diameter o-ring that contacts the cover which of course was cut when I made the "U" shaped hole, I put a drop or two of super glue in the o-ring's channel and pressed the cut ends of the o-ring in place so it doesn't fall out and still provides adequate protection for water intrusion as well as helping assure a tight fit when the cover is screwed in place for travel. The 8' of cable just gets pushed up inside the tire cover for travel, however if I need to use the flag-pole for the dishey then I'll have to remove the cover, cut the zip ties and uncoil the 50' length, then recoil and zip tie it when done. Initially I tried just pushing the entire 50 feet of cable up through the new port hole in the tire cover which worked moderately well...but only one time. When I pulled it out and hooked it up the Starlink no longer worked. Upon closer investigation I discovered that I had kinked the cable enough to cause it to stop working. $85 and a couple of weeks later after the new cable was delivered I hooked it up and it worked fine, so then, after pulling the new (non-kinked) cable from the attic to the basement and all the enjoyment associated with removing the marine adhesive holding in the cable plug, I was again up and running. My plan in the off-season is to drop off the spare tire cover to my favorite fiberglass boat repair shop and have them add a mount inside the tire cover that will allow me to coil the unused cable on to the inside of the cover instead of being zip tied to the tire. It will basically be in the same location but attached to the cover making it easier to access the spare tire by not having to cut and later re-coil and mount the cable to the spare.

Jim and Pat, along with Pippa and Hairy Potter, will be in site G5. We are from Micanopy, FL. Hull 260

@Mountainman198 you are correct, when I saw the 3500lbs rating I just assumed its the axle rating. But I googled it and yes D52 means 5200lbs, thanks for the clarification! 😉

I will be interested to hear what you learn Chris.

I agree about the axles. I don't think I could recommend putting these springs on a 3500 pound axle. Then the weakest link would be the axles rather than the springs!

He said they were just not appropriate for the weight of the Oliver trailer. Basically the 5 spring version should be the standard for our trailers, not the 4 spring 3500 lbs springs.

Just how long is that wish list?🤑

Best to call them and ask. Their specialty is custom leaf springs, based upon owner provided specs. You will need to provide them with msmts, loaded weight, likely gvwr and perhaps more details. I would be surprised if they would be unwilling to make something custom to meet your specs

Those are the same reasons I plan to replace my springs, now that I know there have been a number of failures with the cheap Chinese 4-leaf springs. I had a leaf spring fail on my raft trailer many years ago in the "middle of nowhere," and it caused a logistical nightmare. Even after spring upgrade, the amount we load onto the trailer will not change. But I will have greater peace of mind when towing Hull #1291 far from home!

I am sure there are other US Spring manufacturers that use US made 5160 spring steel. I encourage people to do their own research and let the group know if you find other sources. In my week-long search I found only two manufacturers that returned my inquiries. I knew previously of ALCAN and their offroad spring Creds and they had the springs in stock so I went with them. St. Louis Spring also replied to my inquiry but required that I purchase a new replacement spring of the specs I wanted and send it to them to replicate. I have included their response below in case there are owners local to St. Louis and for whom this requirement would not be such a obstacle. Note in their response they also recommend adding a fifth leaf. Best of luck in your own sourcing. Please post any concrete updates on places which meet the "made in USA with USA 51560 steel" criteria. It is always good to have multiiple sources from which to choose. Also, perhaps Oliver may wish to follow this path for suspension on future trailers. Our legwork may help facilitate this as a future upgrade, placing Oliver even farther up the quality metric amongst the pool of RV mediocrity. As far as running a set of 8,000 springs vs. 7,000 I am prepared to run even lower tire pressures to smooth out the ride in order to avoid the roadside PITA of a broken spring, instead having a potential trade-off of quicker tire wear and lower towing mpg. I was lucky that my issue was noticed at a Love's with a newly built, adjacent RV Stop RV park which featured large, newly poured cement pads, new luxury showers, power and quiet sleep. Also, a local, Good-Ole Boy RV shop/contractor who had the pair of springs to get me home and did not bend me over the cash register. Your mileage may vary should this happen to you. I am doing everything I can to make sure I do not end up in this predicament again. At minimum, I recommend buying a spare spring (or two) to carry with you on every trip. Ironically, ScubaRX and I had this exact discussion not more than two weeks earlier (after meeting another E2 owner in Quartzsite who had broken a spring) and I was planning to order a pair of springs to carry as spares once I got home...UGH. Best wishes, Lance Spring Team <springteam@saintlouisspring.com> Fri, Mar 1, 9:06 AM (6 days ago) to me We can definitely makes this for you and would be made here with American steel, however we would need a sample to duplicate and a lot of times on these travel trailers we make them heavier by adding a leaf to each. Thanks The Spring Team St. Louis Spring Company Tel: 314-533-2132 Email: springteam@saintlouisspring.com Web: https://saintlouisspring.com

Keep in mind that four wheel alignment becomes a periodic maintenance requirement with independent suspension. There's always trade offs so depending on your style of camping. Also there are a lot of other possible fail points with that system. It's a very complex system. I wander what the cost of a conversion would be? Edit: PS - The beauty of the current suspension is you can pick up replacement parts rather cheap, albeit not lifetime quality, at any local farm store and be back on the road in hours. The high end suspension would likely require sourcing parts long distance that would have at least a few days lead time. I think I would be hard pressed to consider this type of upgrade.