Leaderboard

I use “The Collar” lock with a 2” ball with the shank cut off locked in the hitch. When gone for more than a week I also park my rusty K20 in front of it. With the threat of tetanus and the added bonus of a manual transmission I feel as though most bases are covered

We and many Oliver Owners use the Proven Industries Puck Lock for the 2" Bulldog Hitch, 2178B. The other items mention are all deterrents. If someone wants something bad enough they will get it. We just want to make it hard or direct them to move on to another target.

Any or all of the measures you mentioned, but at minimum a hitch lock and securing the safety chains. Some owners also remove the stabilizer jack fuses, when deployed they serve as an anchor.

A Double Ender can turn my head as fast as a beautiful lady can turn my head. God had a great day when he created Double Enders. Take a critical look at the Oliver from several feet above. Clearly looks like a double ender.

The shipment was delayed, I decided to have SDG install the SoftStartRV; should ship this coming week.

@Heather and Eric You can also use a hair dryer to help loosen the double sided tape to get the adhesive to warm up and release from the gelcoat. If you warm it up enough you may not need to use Goof Off.

In May before the rally, Oliver service replaced my springs, shocks, bearings and brakes. Jason did not mention any issues fitting the ALCAN springs I brought. I’m sure they used the stock Monroe shocks. I don’t notice my trailer sitting any higher, although I’m not sure I’d be able to discern a .5-.75” difference. After our summer trip through Colorado and Utah we didn’t notice any significant difference in the ride either. This should be a good setup as we start our second 100,000 miles. Mike

My wife and I are hoping to use our Oliver as a home base, setting up in one location for a few days, unhitching and enjoying day trips from there. Curious to know what most are doing to ensure that the trailer is not stolen when left behind. I was thinking of both a tongue lock and a wheel chock lock, but also kicking around the idea of a hidden GPS tracker, in the event that the trailer was ever taken. Looking forward to hearing your feedback when time permits. TIA, Mike.

NO. I wrap them around the tongue and use a heavy duty lock.

3 weeks old. 3 boys and a girl.

It is a true Michigan classic in that while it only has 55k orig miles, MI road salt has gotten to it.

Lance, that truck is a classic, the rust is just an added feature! Mike

@Mike Spies The search window is your friend here on the forum. 😊 There are lots of topics that have been discussed previously which you may find helpful. Here is a link from a previous older post on locking down an Oliver. I agree with @John Dorrer the proven lock is likely the best in the industry as far as securing your hitch. Fortunately there have not been many reports of stolen Olivers. 👍🏻

Thanks, Ronbrink- appreciate the feedback and the idea of pulling the jack fuses is not something I would have considered.

Who doesn't love puppies?

That sounds like my kind of logic! Having happily sold our last sailboat several years ago, I recently came across a cool double-ender at a state park lake in Ohio. In trying to identify it, I ended up on a pocket yacht and trailer sailor Facebook group, and looking through Great Lakes brokerages... 😜

I wouldn't do that on the valve set screws. They require adjustments, if Oliver is doing service, that would be very hard to break the bond. Anything that requires adjustment should not be using locktite red for sure, and probably not at all. Things like the attic storage hinge screws for sure.

Yes, I’ve got adapters for both 50a and 15a. Hull 135 doesn’t have an on board surge protector so I’ve always used one at the power pole. I’m using a Progressive like @Patriot posted above. Mike

I'd use blue. But it's up to you Red is quite difficult to remove, when you have the need

Here is the update: I did the vinegar treatment to my water system today with great success!. The bathroom faucet is working perfectly now. I was amazed how fast the treatment solved the problem, the vinegar was only running through the faucet for about 15 seconds when the pressure started improving. However the toilet valve remained stuck open. I changed it out and all is good. The toilet valve was filled with debris...but it was easy and cheap to replace.

That surge protector will not protect you. You get what you pay for. If you want the proper protection,then you need a good EMS portable surge protector, such as the the Hughes Watchdog 30 amp EPO that will shut off power to the Oliver if there is an issue. South Wire Surge Guard 30 amp, or Progressive 30 amp, all EMS protectors, that cost $325+/-. I suggest you see what the guru of RV Electronics, Mike Sokol says about portable surge protectors. Link to a Mike Sokol article on surge protectors is in one of my earlier comments. He would tell you not to waste your money on the cheap ones You of course should do what you want Just saying.

Agree. I choose to allow my external shore power portable EMS take the “sacrificial” ⚡️spike, surge or lighting strike ⚡️vs replacing my Oliver onboard EMS several thousand miles from home potentially interrupting a planned trip. No overthink needed here. 🤔😄 Onward!

Texas is not a boondocking state, unless you like Walmart. My preference out of SA going west is Balmoreah State Park past Ft. Stockton, then one of the Arizona state parks the next night. I've done a straight run to Arizona State Park for night one, but you have to enjoy 12 hour driving days. El Paso is 500 miles, slightly uphill and usually into the wind. Watch your gas levels. Even on I-10 it can be lonely out there..

We echo @Mike and Carol's comments above. As reported in another thread, we replaced our 12-month old Monroe shocks after we replaced the axles & leaf springs last May. I was surprised that 3 of the 4 Monroes were toast after only 8k miles - but we were not in a position to acquire a set of Bulldogs (in Hohenwald at the time) so we replaced them with OEM Monroes. We've logged just north of 6k miles since May and we function-checked the OEMs at the 5k-mile point - all good. We also checked axle U-bolt nut torques at the same time - all within specs. I'm thinking with the max travel of the axle set being approximately 4-1/4" (2-1/8" up and 2-1/8" down) that the longer stroked Bulldog (4.69") option would be fine given the slightly higher lift with the Alcans. Also, I believe that any higher rated leaf spring will tend to dampen the OTT load at a lower frequency and shorter stroke when under tow as compared to the OEM 4-pack 1,750# springs. This may allow the shock absorbers to last longer, IMO. Regarding towing the Casablanca with upgraded running gear: Like Mike mentioned, no appreciable difference observed in towing during this last 6k+ miles - other than a general overall "solid" feel and less "porpoising" at slower speeds over rougher roads. We reduced the electrical trailer brake gain from 6.0 down to 4.5 due largely to the 12" drums' greater braking action. The OTT always pulled like a champ, anyway - its, quantitatively, a more "confident" towing experience and a "peace of mind" in the overall running gear with the upgrade. Bulldogs are definitely on our radar screen for a swap-out probably when the 10k-mile point is reached on the existing Monroes, FYI. Cheers, All!

I realize I'm probably in the minority, but I didn't find that the Redline CV2 lasted any longer than the Mystic or Lucas. I just repacked my bearings last week and the grease looked a bit lacking after only 9000 miles. Much like DewDev, I couldn't find the CV2 readily available locally and it's become a bit expensive online. This go around, I'm trying the Valvoline Extreme on the bearings and zerks.

Seemed to have plenty of available up/down travel with the stock monroes after installing the Alcan springs. I plan to look long and hard at the Bulldog shocks when the monroes wear out

I have several recommendations, having spent weeks in that region this year: North Rim of GCNP is very nice, less congested, less commercial and there are plenty of NF boondocking sites that are within reach. From the Kaibab NF near the North Rim, you can also take day trips to places like Vermillion Cliffs, White Pocket (if you have OHV or hire a guide with capability), "The Wave" (be aware that tickets are required in advance -- for many of these highly desirable locations) and other places. Kanab UT is a great central location for camping before heading to Zion, as there are many things to see and do in that area: Pipe Spring NM, Dinosaur Tracks, Coral Pink Sand Dunes SP (where you could camp if you want hookups), as well as day trips from Kanab to Zion, Bryce, Red Cliffs and other sites. St George is much larger, and in my opinion it isn't as walkable as a city, whereas Kanab is entirely walkable. If you stay in Kanab, they have farmers markets two days a week, a great library, some interesting museums, good groceries, free fresh water and a very friendly Post Office where you can receive mail General Delivery (not all USPS will do that). I concur with others on trekking poles; take at least one with you. Learn and understand about driving in sand. Understand how the weather impacts the "dirt" (sand) roads. Plan your timing accordingly. As Spring marches on, and the dry weather extends into early summer, the sand becomes more treacherous. One Park Ranger warned me about trying to drive through the western section of GCNP (the section that is southwest of Pipe Spring NM) because "it's so dry that it's easy to get stuck and it can cost you $3,000 to get towed out". Don't pull over on the side of the road unless it's paved or you know that it's going to support your vehicle. I saw many 4WD vehicles mired in the sand, in late May and the first week of June. One area where I walked, the sand would rise up over the tops of my shoes with each footstep. It was like quicksand, but thankfully not quicksand. Once the monsoons hit, I was told, some areas of sand turn into mud that can be equally treacherous. This condition depends on the area, of course. You might call USFS offices in the region and ask -- I found them very helpful on information. You might switch around the order of your itinerary, to plan the sandy places earlier in your trip. That's my two cents. Have fun!

Some pictures of your hinge would be helpful here. I believe these are rivetted in using aluminum rivets, if I'm not mistaken. Those are prone to breakage.

Dave, Thanks for the recommendations. It is amazing that fiberglass (key word glass) cuts through rivets. I need to do the project again I'll implement your suggestions. I'l also discuss your ideas with the factory when we close the ticket. Close ups of how the rivet failed. The factory had asked for these pix below. I'd be interested in your thoughts on the failure mechanism of rivets in the pix.

got the latch fixed and on the list will be repairing the battery slide out box which is coming loose too thank you all for the information on repairs.

FYI. Bulldog has not made a run of these shocks in quite some time. If you order them from somewhere, make sure they actually have them in stock. Some places hit your card and then you wait until Bulldog makes a run and then Bulldog sends them direct. I was told my shocks should come this week. I ordered them a couple of months ago.