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The highways in Kansas are nearly perfect, everywhere we drove! I had not driven on highways so smooth since what I remember of I-64 in VA during the 70s when that Interstate was a new road (moved to VA from the pothole city known as Chicago). The roads in AZ and NM are terrible, and even worse where Fed funds are needed as in US highways and Interstates! We headed to Manhattan Kansas, picked the location for some pickleball courts we found on the PicklePlay app. We made an inquiry on Harvests Hosts but after the courts listed were not to be found and the host site looked like a construction co lot, we drove north of town to stay the night a Tuttle Cove a ACOE campsite. $12 with the senior pass. Windy when we got there and perfectly calm the next morning, a very nice spot and what an amazing dam!

I was thinking about my pending annual service for the Dexter 3500 OEM axles. Later the next day while looking at the 5200 specifications, I came across two Dexter related videos of note from "The TrailerSmith". Under my father's watchful eye, I did my first trailer axle service sixty years ago. Have had many trailers in my life and just thought I knew something about troubleshooting this process. These two videos pretty much dispelled those notions. I now eagerly look forward to doing a full teardown and super clean and lube mine in July. The first video very well addresses their bearing and seal service: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uSou1kasBc The next video looks at the Auto Adjust system and gives some good tips worth note. It also explains why I am having to run my F-150 brake controller so high. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUqvxovZ164 I hope you find the videos interesting. If you do, kindly subscribe to his channel. GJ

With regards to this issue, specifically the jack making contact to the underside of the access panel, it is something I have seen in the past and was a result of the bracket welded to the side of the Barker Jack being mounted too high. I was just recently brought into the know on this issue and advised Mike because manufacturing had not provided him with an answer. The proper channel for issues that Mike or the new Jason do not fully know how to resolve, should be escalated to manufacturing so that the engineer & quality managers can review and see if there is specific information needed. I have a meeting scheduled between Service and Manufacturing on a weekly basis so that escalated issues can be resolved in a more timely manner or at least to request more pictures, more information or a service visit. I will address with the departments that this took a month as we should be in contact at minimum on a weekly basis. Regarding the warranty of the jack, if that is the actual issue as I am making an assumption of what I have seen before, then it would fall under the Barker Manufacturing warranty which is for a 1-year warranty period. If we can verify that the issue is due to an improper placement of the bracket, Barker may still cover it under warranty but it would be something we would have to reach out to them about once we have the definite cause of the issue. In an out of warranty situation I also recommend the customer also reaching out to the vendor, in this case Barker, as they are more apt to cover out of warranty items for customers rather than when we ask. Also, please note that most warranties are only extended to the original purchaser of the product and they may require proof of purchase.

Next we were heading to Dodge City Kansas. Being lifelong fans of Gunsmoke we had to see the town, even though the TV show was recorded outside of Kanab Utah! We found a city park with good reviews on Campendium, Davis Park in the nearby town of Greensburg KS. There was no charge to stay and 20A electrical hookups, fresh water adjacent to the baseball field. We stayed a couple nights so we could do a day trip to Dodge. We're generally not museum-goers but made an exception to visit the Boot Hill Museum, where they presented the real history of Dodge all the guns of the day and had the Gunsmoke city-scape with a walk-in Long Branch where you could order a whiskey and set a spell! We visited Dodge and then got the heck "outta Dodge." A bit too much in feed lots and meat processing plants for our taste. We thought not to eat a steak or even a burger in this town! What a shame. The real treasure was Kook's Meats in Greensburg, run by Andy and Georgina Kook (for short)! They cut us a few ribeye steaks to go and you got to get the blueberry cream cake! Had breakfast there the next morning too and what a huge muffin sandwich or breakfast burrito for only $5.25! The first night was perfect! The air was calm, perfect jeans and T-shirt weather and not a bug to bother us, bare feet in the soft trimmed grass. The second night a major plains thunderstorm came through. We were packed and hitched in case we had to get cover which was in a truck wash building just across the street (see last pic), but all that happened were heavy rains (a first for us in our Oliver). Next time I'll close my window, woke up to some wet bedding the next morning but all was good!

I used one of these but after a couple of years the bolts started to deform. So, I upgraded to grade 8 bolts but then the bracing metal started to bend. So, Mossemi put me onto the "Hitch-Vice Anti-Rattle Clamp (available here). And, I added a couple of "silencer pads" (like these) for extra quiet. For the past 6 years I have enjoyed peace and quiet. Bill

Yes, it’s much easier to remove the streaks for sure. When not on the road, I park our Oliver in our “Ollie Hangar” here at home. It has really helped keep it clean and streak free and out of the UV.

Ceramic coating won’t prevent streaking but it does make it easier to clean.

The factory is pretty good at walking you through troubleshooting. (The fan mfg - not OTT). They gave me direction to troubleshoot my fan motor - and then sent me one gratis even though it was out of warranty. I -think- the control board should be a pretty easy R&R. Keyed connectors for both motors, pigtails for power. I imaginare that the circuit board and the membrane keypad are one piece - but don’t quote me. There’s also a temperature sensor. You can get up the circuit board by just removing the manual open/close knob (one screw) and the whole faceplate comes off with 4 more screws. Probably best to pull the bezel off as well so you can get to the power wires. Also 4 screws, but I found mine was helpfully (not) also glued on either white RTV and some butyl tape underneath. Just use a credit card to run around the perimeter to defeat the RTV.

It appears Mike may have one for you. I have the whole setup, not using it, but will not be back home 'til July.

You mean - like this?

Check under the street side bed for that switch - what you're looking for is a large red switch . Bill

I will send you a PM. Mossey

So far the Rhino has been working fine, but I don't have a ton of miles on it. I'll order these today. Thanks!

Our original 2019 Jensen tv cracked. We reported it to Oliver with no feedback given other than to adjust tire pressure down (which is set at 50psi) We then bought replacement of same size/brand Jensen that also cracked (yet the tV works fine). I McGivered together a solution on the road using a stiff thin cutting board and a bunch of JB Weld to beef up the back. Its ugly but has held for two years. I also use a chunk of foam between the arms when closed. Once I get back to my shop in July I plan to take the back off the original TV and fabricate a sandwich of stiffener inside and outside the back paying attention around the mount points. Happy travels.

Not what I expected either. Here is the response I received: I responded to Mike with my dissapointment and asked for a contact at Barker if OTT was pushing it off on them. I was also confused by the ask of measuring -- all LEII trailers are the same and I'm asking for a correctly welded one. Mike responded already with a contact at Barker, I forwarded the OTT service email chain and the photos. Still hopefull for a reasonable resolution....

Let's just go with Xantrex Customer Service is Excellent now

Looking good! Aside from the dirty back end, it looks great. We have an older (much older) sailboat that has been sitting in the Louisiana sun for 25+ years and the deck is very pasty/chalky. The gelcoat has worn completely away in a few places, but when it’s aggressively cleaned it regains a good bit of gloss. No idea how thick (or consistent) the gelcoat is on the Ollie, but I would imagine it could take several years of chalking and cutting before you’d run out of surface that would polish out. I’ve had several pressure washers. Judiciously used, they can be real time-savers. That said, they just plain don’t get ALL the dirt off. You need a sponge or rag or washing mitt to get down to the actual surface - even if you’re not trying to remove tree sap, bugs, or bird droppings. That’s takes good old, US made elbow grease!

Could be. The forces I’m talking about would - I imagine - prevent much up-and-down movement, but might only make side-to-side movement a little less easy to make because of the greatly increased friction between the ball carrier and receiver. I would also guess that it has a lot to do with how much play or “slop” there is between the receiver and ball mount/carrier. With an older truck/receiver that’s seen a lot of towing - likely with non WD hitches that would move around more and create wear - I guess that clearance could open up. Though it’s really kinda hard to tell with a newer, well-insulated truck like our 2025 Sierra Denali (even with the radio off) the only sound I’ve ever heard from the hitch is an occasional, one-time “clunk” as the freshly tensioned WD system “settles in” when I first move the TV/RV combination. Like the ball and coupler figure out “OK - here’s where I’m gonna be for the next 300 miles. Carry on!” Once - before I had figured out how tight to make those Andersen WD chains, I would get a clunk when braking to a hard stop. That hasn’t happened since I ate my Wheaties and got those chains tight. If anything, I with there was a way to adjust the “pitch” of the Andersen WD assembly. Looking at it when coupled and adjusted, it seems the whale tail is higher at the rear edge than the front. But, lacking such a pitch adjustment, the only way to change that would be to lower the rear of the receiver - or the whole rear of the truck. Next time I hitch it up I’ll take a picture and post it to see if others see the same thing.

It was always up and locked when it happened. The cause was the cheap mounting bracket OTT used. When tightened during installation, the mounting bracket ears warped, pulling away from the back of the TV and stressing the plastic. We were still under warranty so OTT sent us another TV. Then I put the mounting bracket into a vice and bent it forward a bit so, when tightened, it sat flat against the back of the TV. Been fine ever since.

Fully understand what you're saying, but it did happen for me before the hitch tightener, and my chains are always tight enough to stand on with little rto no movement and it doesn't happen now. Maybe it was side to side movement inside the receiver?

Love the switch install, excellent work! 😂

As always, my friend GJ... You ask the hard questions! ❤️ Q1) There was an earlier post re the 5200 LB axles being just under $1K each. Q2) I would go with OEM bearings and consider the Timken upgrade 10K miles later. Q3) Yes, the Oliver with 6-bolt rims which from the start are spec'd to match 5200 axles, 3500 axles are usually mated to 5-bolt wheels with made in China tires. Q4) Factory upgrade! 🤣 Are you kiddin' me?! Let's say for example, I wanted to pay $1500 for my DC-to-DC charger installation after driving 2K miles to a sleepy town in TN and have the older Victron model installed (closeout special) instead of the Orion XS 50A and afterwards have somebody off the street wire my truck, the TV side of the install? Not, you get my meaning? Many members here have on their way to an amazing Rocky Mountain trip, stopped by Alcan to have their suspension upgraded. Our friend Ken and Mary Kay will be there next week. I will build mine at home, I'm thinking summer of 2026! Lastly, GJ! Given your OEM Ford brake controller is numbering up at the end of the gain setting, please consider replacing it! We do not have a factory option brake controller, though I just replaced a failing aftermarket component with new, it's a light-n-day difference! Your brake controller is failing and needs replacing. Two weeks ago I did not understand this, v\but true.

Just search the forum for "MaxxFan ." If memory serves me correctly, @Mike and Carol has a post on replacing the drive motor, I've read before. Others have replaced the board, several posts on this site through the years re this fan. BTW, on my post re hitting the fan with the pressure washer... Remove the screen first. Then use an Allen key and remove the fan. Clean these with good ol' Dawn dish detergent and then blast the opening. Start your hose at the base of the vent door, at the hinges where it has strongest connection and work you way out, forcing the dirt to expel out the natural opening. When I did mine, we barely had a damp towel below. 🤣

The only way this occurs if your Andersen chains are loose! When tight enough the ball of the hitch is pushed forward to the point of being tight. We get absolutely NO noise from the hitch at all when the Andersen is dialed in to the right tension. When coupled and adjusted. Push your foot down on both chains. They should flex a little and nothing else. We took our flatbed trailer out a few weeks ago. Simple hitch, no WDH. I opened the windows thinking, what os all that noise back there?

Definitely have to be careful, thoroughly wash with soap and water and then apply a spray of ceramic coating. Haven't had any that wouldn't come off with soap and water.

I was getting clunking even before I started using the front jack to raise the TV. One of these fixed it right up. Rhino USA Hitch Tightener

It’s also good to be aware these products will not play well with wax and especially ceramic coatings.

Glad you got sorted out, but how did it take them almost 4 yrs to figure this out?

This is not the response I have come to expect from OTT when a manufacturing defect comes to light. Hmmm...

Yes, Fish Creek / Rollins Pond is a great campground. Been there many times with the tent & canoe, but have not yet been there with the Ollie. Its on the list! Enjoy your stay!

I had a similar issue once—ended up being air in the gas line after the tank ran dry. I had to light the stove first to bleed the line, then the furnace kicked on. Might be worth a try. Also check the fuse just in case.

Measure from bottom of each fender to center of wheel (or to the ground) on all 4 wheels. They should be the same left to right, but often the rear height is greater than the fronts in a truck that is weight balanced. Hitch your Oliver and take the same measurements. The numbers will usually be lower on the rears and taller up front. Tighten the Andersen chains until you have the same numbers measured when the truck was unhitched. The only way this method is not accurate would be from a worn suspension or being over capacity in the truck bed. Once you get it right, count the number of threads and go for this number. Also, it does not matter if left to right you are off a thread or two. The hitch will adjust to make chain pressure equal on both sides. If you look very closely at these pics, the first one is tongue weight loaded, about 2" or so drop in the rear of the truck. The second pic shows truck and trailer in a perfect level line after tightening the Andersen WDH! 😂

Barker did the welding. Problem could be there. OTT likely drilled the holes in their bracket. Problem could be there. .....Leaving you holding the bag. Seems like a joint discussion is between them. Regardless IF OTT Manufacturing has spare in stock, which they sometimes do not, they could ship you one. If not then they would have to send Barker the bracket, if they have a bracket in stock. Which last year they did not have as well. .......In which case you are still holding the bag. So ... OTT oh so rarely does not make things right. If there is going to be a delay, I would consider shimming up the hatch with a ring of 3/4" X 1" trim. If you have a foam pad over the OEM cushions you would not notice the difference while OTT/Barker sort it out. 🙂

That's the way to do it. We try to plan routes with Google-estimated 4 hour travel times or less. Much more relaxing.

Nice tailgate party you have there! While on my long "walkabouts" with The Wonder Egg, Bosker & I seldom make reservations in advance, unless I'm traveling on a holiday weekend, or near a huge tourist location. (I'm sorta burnt out on tourists, having lived in both Myrtle Beach and Orlando) Not being in any rush, with months for the sojourn, I don't usually get on the road until 9-11AM and usually stop between 3 - 4 PM. Most others are still on the road at that time and usually the campgrounds will have something available for 1 - 3 nights. When I come across a picture perfect, quiet location with great weather, we'll hang out for up to a few weeks before moving along. I may have a final destination in mind, (this year - Whitehorse YT) and meander a long a winding pathway, simply in the general direction, without detailed planning. As Patriot says, keep those great pics coming!

I do have one major gripe re New Mexico and you can keep all the National Parks with the word sand in them. Like White Sands NP and the Great Sands Dunes NP in CO (seen them once is enough)! Though you don't have to visit one of these parks to get caught in a New Mexico sand storm. I believe we've been caught in a half dozen of them over the last 20 years! It wasn't even that windy but from Gallup to well past Albuquerque the sky had a brown haze, not good air to breathe, both of us had sinus headaches by lunchtime, not fun. Years ago on our AZ move, with fully-packed 26' enclosed trailer we got caught in a full-scale July sand storm, being difficult to see just 100 yards ahead. Then the rear awning mount failed from heavy winds and it opened up like a large gull wing! Had to strap it down anyway possible to continue down the road. A long day stuck on I-40 to Tucumcari and then up to Ute Lake State Park. We booked via Reserve America for NM SPs while already parked on site #5 in their New Cottonwood section. Couple pictures of our site and the water pic is campsite #7 which was open but marked unavailable. Our plan is to do mostly 2-day stays on the way up to Minnesota and 3-day or longer stays on the way back. But we're not fisherman nor water-sports enthusiasts and it was going to be hot there the next day. This is my new definition of a “One-Night Stand!” The original one-night stand went out with the carelessness of the 80s! When we stay one night, we keep the trailer hitched if possible and why not a quick tail-gate? Overnight it just got cool enough to sleep, but humid cause of the lake. Thank goodness I had just installed the Sirocco II fan for Chris (or I certainly would have heard about it)!

New Mexico is a wonderful state in its hidden treasures from the area NE of ABQ (where Art lives) up to Santa Fe and to Taos NM, then further up to Raton NM for the Santa Fe Trail Balloon Rally (we just happened by this rally when moving from VA to AZ back in 2005)! Then there is Ruidoso! It's Gods Country in Lincoln County NM of Billy-the-Kid and Smokey-the-Bear fame. Don't travel across southern NM without spending some time here. The area is named the White Mountains of NM, wild elk and feral horses walking the city streets daily and so many cute carvings Smokey is shops everywhere. If you're ever traveling through Albuquerque and need breakfast, lunch or dinner, or just great sides to go, like their amazing salsa and beans, Mexican meats and stews and much more, you've got to stop at the Frontier Restaurant. Just one exit S on I-25 of I-40, head a few blocks east on Central. This is my 4th visit here but the first time I parallel parked with an Oliver! (There was a car behind me when I parked and just a narrow alley in front). It worked out great and we could even keep an eye on our rig from the window seat! Chris had the Taco Salad and I enjoyed the Frontier Burrito, pints of salsa and beans to go for upcoming campsite dinners!

The only huge issue I would have with acrylic windows is how easy they scratch. Polishing scratches out of acrylic windows is a non starter for me. Let’s hope for future owners that the windows will be tilt out and glass and insulated.

We did our spring trip to the southeast central US this year without reservations more than 1 or 2 days in advance. Mix of Harvest Hosts, state, federal, and a few commercial campgrounds. Worked out fine.

Rock Solid. Wish I had the same with disk brakes too! GJ

On 30 May 2025 at 9:15 AM I spoke with Tim at ALCON. He responded with shipping weights. So I asked him to actually weigh the naked springs we are using. Here is his verified statement: 4 Leaf 2,000 Pound Rated Spring with 19 1/2 pounds of USA made Steel 5 Leaf 2,700 Pound Rated Spring with 23 pounds of USA made Steel As I stated a couple of times above, the ALCON 4 leaf clearly has the Rating (2,000#), weight (19#+), and compliance (4-Leaf) to make it very well suited for use by most OTT owners. As such, it is my recommendation for likely +/- 85% of the fleet to use as replacements. If price point is of concern, then the Dexter PR4 springs fits the bill as well. Also as indicated in a few places in this mile long thread, if you are heavy and/or do a lot of boondocking with questionable roads/paths or hiking trails with your Ollie, you are part of the +/- 15% of the fleet and should consider the USA made Alcon 5 leaf spring. GJ

I think I will be thinking the same. It rained yesterday and the water coming down the side didn’t bother me. The junk that collected on top and was almost permanently imbedded into the seal, brackets and fiberglass concerned me more.

I gave it some more thought this weekend:

I'm fishing for some ideas on a direction to go. Some scoundrel grabbed the voyager rear view camera monitor out of our truck. I need to decide if I should: A) replace the monitor with like and kind, B) replace the rear camera that will also come with a new monitor, or C) go without. First, does anyone have a Voyager monitor that they want to part with? Do any of you have any recommendations for a better camera and monitor than what came with our 2019 Oliver?

Here's the slop I'm dealing with... b0ab04c9-bdd0-40b2-9d67-d2a3d061489d.mp4