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Showing content with the highest reputation on 07/07/2025 in all areas
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Mike, Good to hear you and your family are OK. We have been following this tragic storm aftermath closely. So sad to hear about this after our recent hurricane in NC. One of the charities we like are normally on the ground quickly in disaster situations like this one. Will do on the thoughts and prayers for everyone in the area.6 points
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The Hill country holds a special place in our hearts. It is one of our Texas home away from home places. My wife just found a picture from age 6-7 (late '50's) in Hunt for the Brewmaster Convention. Our fathers were in the brewery industry and met at Brewmaster School in Chicago in 1948. Inks Lake State Park closed, but it refered to Day use, but there site was confusing and didn't mention campground. There was no access from Hwy 29, US 281, or FM1431 due to serve flooding. The lake was closed to swimming and boating due to debris. Guadalupe SP had closed trails, and one campground loop was closed.4 points
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I carry a bottle jack from Harbor Freight and some "dunnage" boards to stack up for height adjustment as bottle jacks are short. If you have room one of these is great as it also has a catch mechanism that make it lock in place for safety. With this near the front lift point, and the rear jack and dunnage for the rear you can lift one whole side of the trailer if needed. Here's the link to the jack on Oliver Outfitters Guide in amazon. https://amzn.to/3Tm07XU I also have the ramps for quick tire change. Craig4 points
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I’m sure everyone is aware of the flash flood we experienced here over the weekend. We’re soggy but okay. Our neighbors north in Comfort, Kerrville and Hunt didn’t fare as well. You’ve heard about the children’s camps along the Guadalupe River that were affected, there were also homes and a couple of RV Parks. I’ve learned that one RV park had all RV’s washed away, some campers got to higher ground, some didn’t. July 4 weekend, everything was full and the river came up so fast there was little time to react. There is a huge first responder turn out, church’s, and private companies also. Our local grocery store chain, HEB, was one of the first on site with disaster recovery products, supplies and food. HEB was founded in Kerrville. I know some fellow Oliver owners have camped at Guadalupe River State Park just 9 miles from our house. I don’t have a status on the park. Please keep this area in your thoughts and prayers. There are still a lot of missing people so the death toll will continue to rise. Mike3 points
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The $1700 cited included new HD shackles and wet bolts, tax on parts and reasonable installation labor. The cost of 4 Alcan leaf springs alone is $600 (plus tax in CO or shipping out of state). Made-in-USA is priceless! Personally, I must buy Made-in-USA, never China if there is ANY possible alternative, even when double the cost. We were T-shirt shopping in SW CO recently. If the label stated made in China, nope not a possibility (any other country OK). Wondering do the PR4s have the same "sheer point" as the PR4Bs? You get for what you pay for. GJ, love ya buddy, but you are alone in your purchase decision vs reports say near 100 Oliver owners have gone with Alcan. It's good to be different though. It's usually me, but not this time! 🤣3 points
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I just didn't want to risk them failing. It might be overkill, but after talking to Lew at Alcan Springs, he said the four leaf springs are designed to break. Three inches out from the eye is the sheer point he explained. In looking at what we have and what he makes, it reassured me that we made the right decision. If the roads we travel never had potholes and we were always on great roads, then I might have chosen to not replace them. John3 points
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These days it is. When we ordered our trailer it was a selling point. There were legal considerations for Oliver to change their policy on the onboard jack use. I’ve used the back jacks numerous times to remove wheels for various reasons. I even used them at Discount Tire when they were putting on new tires. If you do use the onboard jacks, keep the trailer hitched to the truck. Keep the front jack down. If it’s for any lengthy work, use an additional jack to increase the margin of safety. Common sense goes a long way. Mike3 points
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Bob, Any time your weep holes are blocked by felt or debris, water cannot flow and escape/drain. My weep holes are not blocked by felt and are clear. We have never had an issue with water intrusion on our 2020. I am meticulous about keeping the window tracks clean after every trip. I use compressed air from a can on trips or my air compressor at home. On much longer trips I will still periodically check my window tracks for dirt and debris to prevent this exact issue. Along with window gutters which do a good job of redirecting light rain off our windows, I have found it’s really critical to have our Oliver dead level when set up. When level even in a hard rain I have watched my window tracks slowly fill up with water and drain out the weep holes as designed, but the trailer must be level. We have been through some really hard “car wash” side way rain type thunder storms as recently as the last Oliver Rally and have not had any water intrusion. I attribute this to clean windows tracks and a level rig. I am not sure you can replace the felt, I think not. The exterior rubber seal covering your window track should be snug tight against the window glass and seated in the window track. When I reinstall the seal after cleaning the tracks, I install it with a slight angle from the glass to the edge of the frame. You also do not want any gap in this exterior seal along the track. A gap in the seal will allow in more water than the window track can handle and this will result in a trickle or overflow into your interior wall. Not the best window design IMO as it requires regular inspection and cleaning. Hopefully Oliver has addressed the window design with new tilt out windows which hopefully completely eliminate this issue. Others will surely chime in with their thoughts and suggestions. The above process has worked for me since we purchased our Oliver new in 2020. Patriot 🇺🇸3 points
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Come on, we all have 3 onboard jacks! (yes, use them). I'm with GJ, in the carry what I need category. 1 bottle jack, 1 jack stand is what I carry. Use the onboard jacks for a simple tire change. Use the bottle jack to lift and jack stand to hold an axle. Also have the required 1/2"-drive socket sizes for U-bolts, wet bolts, etc., 1/2" breaker bar and HD cheater for disassembly! If you have 1750 rated springs, don't be without a spare pair of leaf springs and a 4-pack of U-bolts. This what I carry, nothing more or less. Ken has all the tools, but soon he won't have to work on that Oliver suspension for a long, long time! 🤣3 points
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Looks like you have the 5200lb axles with 3500lb springs just like @ScubaRx said all the 22 and newer LE2's have been built with.3 points
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Mike, Kathy and I have been following this terrible tragedy. Please know our thoughts and prayers are with ALL Texans who have been impacted by this disaster. We are so glad you and Carol are ok. We are also happy to hear HEB was first to step up and is doing all they can to assist those in need. Thank you for the post and update. Prayers will continue to be lifted up. David & Kathy2 points
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Bad bridge seams and potholes towing over 60+ MPH are harder on springs vs. washboard roads at 15 MPH. We run 45 PSI in the Oliver tires for highway and if we're just going local on dirt roads I reduce to 40 PSI. 2022 and newer means 3 years or less use, so it makes sense less known failures. Also, many owners are not on these forums. There are likely more. The other factor is that the D52 axle, proving a more substantial base may help to cushion the lighter springs. I'm riding our original 10-year-old 3500 LB rated springs, so ever since March of 2024 when this thread started, I purchased and carry a spare pair of leaf springs and 4 new U-bolts. I was not ready at the time to work an upgrade. It's one thing to have a roadside failure that any trailer shop can service for you, but they won't have the correct parts in stock! I just made the upgrade choice. Visited Alcan on our trip 2 weeks ago. I purchased new leaf springs, rated at 2750 LBS each, 5500 per axle. Also purchased and their HP parts, HD shackles and new wet bolts, under $1100 in parts (plus tax or ship costs). Our axles were the shorter 50" one some older hulls vs. the common 50.5" which they stock. They special ordered axles for me, cost about $2000. No idea on labor since I do all of our auto service work. I'll have a backup pair of the new 3500 LB axles for sale and given how expensive trailers are, the high demand here in Arizona, and that many people out here build home-made trailers, I figure I can sell the entire dual-axle setup for near $1000 locally. It's a great setup for a flatbed ATV trailer! My net cost should come out pretty good, doing the work myself and selling the used parts. Alcan has a whole pile, a dedicated boneyard, of Oliver axles on their property! 🤣 Once I have the HD Alcan set installed on brand new 5200 LB axles, I will not worry about maintenance given the Nev-R Lube bearings, lube the wet bolts every year or two. No need to carry spare leaf springs anymore, given how they are over-engineered. I am looking into a pair of spare hubs/drums with Nev-R Lube bearings installed which could be changed on the road as easy as changing a flat tire!2 points
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Thanks @Patriot. I have limited room on the side to work on maintenance efforts as well. I have been using a little giant to do the work so far. I love that ladder but did not know they had planks. This looks like the solution for me.2 points
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Up early this morning while it was still cool here in Western NC and decided to “walk the plank” and wash our Oliver. It’s a total game changer for sure and much safer and easier than as mentioned a (3 point contact rule) hanging off a ladder. The aluminum plank is actually grooved and nonslip which is a plus. Based on my first use of this plank system I give high marks and would purchase again. It use to take me 1.5 hrs to fully wash XPLOR, now it takes about 50 min which includes drying with my electric blower. Set up and take down of the plank is approx 10 min. 👍🏻🇺🇸2 points
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I bought a Safe Jack 6-Ton RV Bottle Jack Kit before we picked up our Hull #1291 in Hohenwald. I carry it in our tow vehicle whenever towing our Elite II. https://safejacks.com/products/6-ton-rv-jack-kitsrsltid=AfmBOopBQgN9ggcFSaXvjvqjQnAZ-QT8Yj9wNnfyNFYXMuqHtDAhhDW6 That said, I wish I had known to buy one or two of the 3-ton Unijacks referenced by Galway Girl above. I believe they are better designed for roadside repair of an Elite II. They take up more cargo space in the tow vehicle, but I would gladly give up that extra space for the jackstand feature. It is what I would buy if I were buying now.2 points
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If memory serves me, our Alcan springs were about $1700 for the five leaf springs, new shackles, wet bolts and labor. Lew at Alcan Springs can give you a quote very quickly as he has done about 100 Oliver's so far. When we talked to him he wanted about six weeks to build the sets and put us on the schedule. John2 points
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My #110 had different check valves than suggested by Lee on FB. But I was easily able to make them work without issue. The camper originally had Valterra P23402LF 1/2" (with male & female threads), with a male-to-male extender. This was a super quick job and tested for leaks with 65-70 PSI on the newly connected valves. I used the ones I ordered anyways (Valterra P23415LF 1/2"), which were shorter without an extender. The pipes had plenty of "play" to have the ends come closer together to make the P23415LF work just fine. Some trailers are naturally (and always) a bit different. There was no "gunk" whatsoever inside either of the old check valves, but I'm sure the old rubber seals inside dried up. So, maybe change these too every eight years or so. And the parts list grows. Some pics as always.2 points
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My hoist is a basic Ultra-Tow 1000# capacity hydraulic truck crane from Northern Tool, to which I added a strap hand crank winch and modified the arm end with rollers for ease of lifting. I think a strap, rather than wire rope, would serve you better; less abrasive and more user friendly. Whether looping around the handles on my 75L Dometic DZ cooler fully loaded, frames of our expensive ebikes, handle/valve guards on 30# propane tanks or the plastic molded generator handles; worry of marring is completely eliminated. However, lifting straps could be used in conjunction with a wire rope setup, and that product you linked may meet needs you have other than just camping. Proper reach from the truck bed to a point directly over the propane tank housing is important, but the post height could definitely be reduced, as you eluded. No regrets installing my hoist within months after Oliver ownership, its been a real back saver! And now it is proving to be even more useful in lifting the cargo boxes in and out of the Savana van. Here’s a few pics to ponder:2 points
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Wow. I guess my "Only Carry What I Use" philosophy would be lost awash in 6 jacks! LOL2 points
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I concur with CRM. Lucky you and owners of newer hulls (OTT finally) and given you took this pic of your axles, you have the D52, 5200 LB-rated axles with 12” brakes. The 3500 rating is the spring weight rating. Many of these have failed, but for $1K in parts costs you can upgrade to Alcan 5500 LB (2750 each) 4 new leaf springs and all HD shackles and wet bolts required. Wish we were so lucky. Many older hull hulls have the 3500 axles AND the 2 x 1750 LB springs. I just spent $3K+ to upgrade all, yet there are other viable opinions to leave well enough alone. I’ve done that for 2 years but have a new pair of 3500 springs on board for possible roadside repair. Best wishes, JD2 points
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Good observation and thinking here! Your are correct. Use a few greased washers too, so not to deform the nut. Our Oliver makes all kinds of noises just leveling, Been meaning to ask about that. Regardless, READ the OTT Manual I quoted above and forget what the OTT Legal Department states in writing! All lawyers and politicians lie, that’s what they’re paid for. Also, an 8-lug 9/16” or 14mm lug may take 140 lb-ft, I prefer 120 is enough! Your 6-bolt rims, studs 1/2” or 13mm take 90, not 100 lb-ft, so not to break the stud! 🤣2 points
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2 points
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Though I’m new to trailers and trailering, I’ve replaced wheel studs before. Though they may be pressed in at the factory - replacement ones can be “pulled” in using the lug nuts. I didn’t pull the brake drums when I had the wheels off. Duh. I should have, but it was hot and just jacking the damn thing up had me ready to be done. Next time. Next time I check the lug nuts for tightness, I’ll back them off and re-torque them to 100ft/lbs. The torque specs for our tow vehicle (2025 GMC Sierra 1500) is 140ft/lbs. so I’m giving my muscles and torque wrench a workout. Was the same for the previous TV…2 points
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If you do not have these tools, just buy the one our friend David has recommended, time and time again. Wish I had one, but I have countless old jacks and jack stands. Instead, I carry a bottle jack and jack stand in the TV and every truck I've ever owned. If it was me, somebody needing a jack, I'd buy one of these for safety purposes and go ahead and buy two if you ever plan to work maintenance on your Oliver! This combo tool was not available when we were younger. Enough said! 🤣2 points
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Very well said, my friend Ron. Me too, that's our style! It creates the best final outcomes when doing a personal one-off design. You have laid out so much great information in this thread to which many of us can learn. I had a Dodge Van 2500 Series back in the 90s. No way the Van-life thing, but we took it on great family trips to Florida and Colorado (from IL). We had so much fun and a 2500 series van drives well down the road! When we met at the Texas Rally, I looked at your hoist and I didn't see that I would not need one. Not anymore! I'm thinking of a truck mounted crane-hoist, mine got to be 12VDC vs. the piston hand crank. Mounted in the back of the truck bed, I would use it to lift the 30# LP tanks and also the HD fire ring I have constructed. First I added 10# of egg-shaped lava rocks that truly hold heat, not the cr@p that comes with these products. Then I added a fire-rated surround that focuses the heat and protects again the Winds of the West. Love this great campsite tool (see pic) and with the low grate pictured, and a taller stand for slow-cooking, using skillet or Lodge Dutch Oven, you can cook almost anything that does not splatter grease. Needless to say, this thing is heavy! On our recent 5-week trip, it was a bee-ach to lift out of the basket! Looking for your advice. Looking at products on Amazon which seem to be overkill, but maybe not. Perhaps this is right product as-is or with some modification in height and arm length. Let me know what you think. 😂 https://www.amazon.com/Folding-Truck-Mounted-Wireless-Electric-Painted/dp/B0899QCBP7/?th=12 points
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I actually carry two jacks along with various 2X10’s and 6X6’s and three sets of plastic stacking blocks. The two jacks, one is a 3 ton hydraulic jack and the other is a several ton (don't remember the exact capacity but it’s very ample!) surplus scissor jack/kit designed for the Hummer. Probably designed for a fully loaded Hummer, anyway very ample. Not to mention the screw jack that came with my 2500 truck. So technically I carry three jacks. Oh and not to mention the three screw jacks that came mounted to the trailer. So yet again, technically I carry six jacks!2 points
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First, most TV's come with a similar jack as shown below. If yours does not, then I would purchase something like the below. But for our use, I use the onboard OTT rear jack with a stack of dunnage. As do many other owners. And yes we know what OTT and the lawyers have to say about this practice. Regardless of what jack you use, only do so for service purposes on hard FLAT ground and please never put yourself in a position of getting crushed if it goes badly. GJ2 points
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This seems like a good thread to reinforce a certain logic when it comes to tow vehicles with regard to the LE2. Like a few others here have stated here, I have extensive prior experience towing trailers, to the tune of close to 50 years. This includes rather large livestock trailers and twin engine boat trailers, enclosed and flat bed cargo trailers all the way down to small motorcycle trailers. They all introduce significant challenges depending on the tow vehicle used. Over the years my overall observation in learning from the seasoned veterans along the way is that just enough truck is never enough and there’s no such thing as too much truck, within reason. I’ve pulled trailers that were on the margin of overloading trucks at times and know what that feels like. When people mention white knuckles and pucker factor as it applies to trailering, I’ve experienced firsthand understanding I was at risk on a few occasions. Similar to previous comments once you’ve been there, you always make a point to never let that happen again. When we began formulating our plan to purchase the Oliver, the choice of truck capacity was of little debate. Our previous camper was a 34’ standard with a super slide on one side. I chose a diesel crew cab dually for that rig, and it performed perfectly. For the Oliver I would be towing a couple thousand pounds less and significantly shorter, but I still wanted plenty of truck and decided to downsize to 350 crew cab short bed with a 7.3L gas engine. Still far above the margin of capacity, so a significant safety factor built into the choice. Best part is like others have mentioned, I don’t have the worry about what cargo I want to load into the truck. No white knuckles and no pucker factor. But most of all with the Oliver, we’re way below the need for a WD hitch and that’s important to me. A WD hitch is a way to compensate for when a trailer connects behind the rear axle and weighs in at near or more than the tow vehicle. It’s acceptably effective at restoring controllability to the tow vehicle, but introduces compromises in articulation and can add significant stresses to both vehicles when moving through uneven terrain. I really wanted to avoid the need to manage the rig through situations where I could be risking damage to vehicles or equipment during remote camping/ boon-docking destinations, etc. plus I just didn’t want the added complexity of hitching and unhitching. These kind of threads always generate “lively debate” and I guess that’s fine so that the inexperienced can read the many views people have and hopefully learn the key factors to consider regarding TV choice and safety considerations. If you choose plenty of truck, most of the discussion is just good general knowledge that you won’t have to worry much about. Long winded way of saying that I f someone is asking for my advice, always choose plenty of truck with an abundance of safety margin. Nobody ever complains about having too much truck, but many have learned through any number of experiences that just enough is often never enough. Cheers!😎2 points
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Well we just hit 26 pages. I remember asking the Mods to close this thread after 12 pages, but it was not my thread to close. Most of the additions I've read here in the last 10-15 pages are slight variations of the comments and questions made in the many pages before. I just reviewed pages 1-2. And yep, that's all you need to know on this subject. Except that a few pages later we learned that the Alcan springs are actually rated at 2750 vs. 2000 lbs. There was the same concern on page 2 about this rating being too much. I had that concern early but no anymore. We're on a long road trip where we have not before towed so many highway miles. Our OEM springs are in very good condition, no sag, still nicely arced and perhaps Dexter used better steel in 2015 than more recently. Who knows but htey're in excellent shape and no rust given where we live. When the other day, I crossed railroad tracks that were on about a 30 degree angle to the road, I watched our Oliver in the side view mirror. The Oliver waddled like a duck going over those tracks, side-to-side, the top of the Oliver swayed a good 1 1/2 ft like a pendulum both ways! These springs are under-rated, as the Alcan rep stated. It's crazy that this is our 2nd longest thread, just behind "Where's Ollie" at 28 pages! This truly means not enough of you are posting travel pics! 🤣2 points
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I would need to mount it in the bed over a frame segment so it can be properly secured. Agreed, thinking of distance to the LP tanks, it would require good arm reach which this product has. Yes, truck mounted I can use this for other needs and the strap you suggested would help for some cargo. Got this on my later this summer list (I got D52 axles and Alcan springs coming soon which is a first priority)!1 point
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First, the Dexter suspension comes with Dexter springs. The suspension comes with a warranty. Dexter isn't going to approve or warranty their suspension with Alcan Springs or anybody else's spring. Maybe Oliver goes to Dexter 5-leaf. The moment Oliver switched out the Dexter Springs with Alcan's, everyone's warranty goes bye-bye. Bet would be pointless🤣1 point
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No, I had not read that question earlier. It should function fine either direction. The only negative would be if the weld that holds the tube to the plate were to fail, the collar wouldn’t capture the cross pin, allowing the rack to become lost. But I’m pretty confident that the Reese receiver is far better than the no-name options available, and have not seen a review with a weld failure. Ours has been fine for over 12,000 miles now.1 point
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We have the old 6.0 GMC gasser and 4.10 rear axle in our 3500. It handles our LE2 easily.1 point
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Good info. My router arrives this afternoon and I’ll be testing it out. Thanks!1 point
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90 lbs is the better number. Generally a stud will snap from over-torquing. Studs should also be clean and dry. If that single stud happened to have some grease or oil on it plus the 100#, that would do! To repair, remove the drum. On a workbench hammer out broken stud with a HD center punch. Line up the splines from back side and hammer in place. If you have the old-school bearings, removing the drum means repacking the bearings, not necessary with Nev-R Lube of course. Thought I would also copy instructions from the 2016-OTT-Owners-Manual.pdf here, where it states to use the stabilizer jacks to change a tire and provides the 90# torque spec (Oliver jacks and 6-bolt studs have not changed, from the first hull to the last). Loosen the lug nuts on the tire you want to remove. Check for a stable footing under the jack and place an ABS footing pad or block of wood about 4” in height below the jack foot plate. Raise the jack until the tire clears the ground, then finish loosening and removing them. Pull off the old tire, slide the hubcap out backwards and insert it on spare. Set spare tire evenly on the lug nuts and hand tighten lug nuts. Retract jack back to travel position. Now tighten lug nuts completely. Lug nuts should be torqued to 90 ft lbs. Place the flat tire in the spare location.1 point
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Please, please, please just use your stabilizer jacks! It’s safer and easier, recommended in the OTT 2016 Owners Manual, later OTT lawyers changed their recommendation. “What do you call a thousand lawyers at the bottom of the ocean?” a good start. 🤣 i suggest using a jack stand close as possible or on bottom-center of leaf springs for safety except for a quick tire change. Yes, connected to TV is always safer, yet not possible in my driveway or other locations. I wrote all this up in another post last week and quoted the 2016 OTT manual. Floor jacks don’t fit and bottle jacks can slip. Do it the easy way, takes just 2 min!1 point
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GJ - Would lowering tire pressure a few lbs work to get you parked in storage? 🤔1 point
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In the recent thread, "2 broken leaf springs / shocks" the discussion of Alcan springs came up again. Then I realized we would travel right through Grand Junction CO on our way home, so it got me thinking. Is now the right time to upgrade? So, I called Alcan yesterday and thought I would be connected to Lew, the name I read on our forum many times, but instead talked to Tim who was fully versed in Oliver needs. We talked about the leaf springs and upgrading to 5200 lb axles. I cannot see doing one without the other. I sure wish they had run out of 3500 axles, like some others, when they built our hull! The 5200 axles and Alcan springs would allow carrying more weight. I don't see much in other limiting factors, the wheels, tires, frame and steel sub-frame should all handle more weight. Not that we would ever carry much more weight being at about 6500 lbs today, but nothing wrong with over-engineering overall strength. My only worry about new axles are the mixed reviews on the Nev-R-Lube bearings. I want 5200 lb axles to have 12" vs" 10" drum brakes. This is a big deal/difference for mountain towing. I was contemplating having them do the work, biting the bullet on this large $$$$ ticket item, but in the end I got off the hook! Alcan stocks the Dexter 50.5" 5200 lb axles but not the older 50" model that only a couple of us have. Tim put a set of 5-leaf Alcan springs on hold for me including their HD shackles and new wet-bolts. I will hold off on new u-bolts until I purchase new axles. The Alcan leafs will like sit on the shelf in my shed for a while. Our original leafs are still in like new condition, not a spot of corrosion and nicely arced. I also have a new pair of leaf springs and new u-bolts under the tool box of our TV, with the necessary tools, for any roadside emergency. I'll spend close to $1,000 next week and then another $2,000+ at the time we purchase new axles...1 point
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In concept I agree with both points...to a point. I very rarely use ours for backing up Ollie. The vast majority of our miles are solo. So I prefer to get out and access the situation, some times two or three times for a difficult back in site. Generally speaking I travel with Ollie during daylight. 99.9% of the time my parking lights are off. So, I chose to power up our rear view camera from the parking light circuit in the attic. On a few rare occasions it was also helpful to flip on the parking lights just to see what was going on behind me. One example is there was an erratic driver behind, then to the side of us. He came within 6" of the side of Ollie twice. I slowed down, and kept doing so until he got the message and passed us. The dummy was was reading a road map while drinking coffee at 65 MPH. Accident avoided. Another was to see if my son was still back there after a fuel stop. So in addition to backing up, they can be handy at times for other purposes.1 point
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Back to last months swing rack builds with Phase 2 of that project; custom swing away racks for my two Wavian Jerry Cans and spare 30# propane tank. Had some supply delays, but now finding time seems to be an issue and thus, I will report as the builds progress. I completed fabrication of the primary driver side swing out carrier hinge and tack welds on the passenger side assemblies. Here’s a few pics:1 point
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I did the same as Scotty. The back side of that outlet should have two spade connectors, male connectors on the outlet and female on the wiring. Oliver uses yellow for negative DC wiring and my other wire was purple for positive. The male spades have a small hole in the center, so all I did was to remove about one inch+ of the insulation off the fan wiring, twist it and poke the wire through that hole, wrap it over the top an push the female connector on the wiring over it. They held tight that way and I did not have to splice the existing wiring. @Jason Foster you could use that center hole for TV wiring for both fans but then you will have lengths of wiring showing across your back area. You could also drill a small hole for each wire, center to the fan mount. I measured the wiring pair at 1/8", so any small drill bit just larger would work. Either way you prefer. Also, I'm sure I used too much tape. If you use two strips, line them up to the outer edges front and back and trim them oval it will be enough for sure. Don't use the mounting tape they include with the fan. included tape in these kits are always subpar! Too much tape just makes it a bigger job to remove the mount if need be in the future. However taped this way, if a fan fails it can be replaced with same fan model reusing the original taped mounting plate by loosening the two screws that hold the fan to the plate.1 point
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I wonder, though. Wouldn’t true boondocking, with regard to the EV lifestyle of “lets save the planet”, not use gas of any kind? In this regard, the trailer would need to be completely electric. No refined gas of any type, including propane. No generator to recharge the batteries and in the extreme case, no reliance on the electric power grid that more than likely uses some sort of coal/ nuclear power generation even though a percentage of it is solar and/or wind generation. We could go further and adopt the planet saving lifestyle of plastic elimination, since plastic pollution and microplastics are arguably more harmful to us and the environment than the carbon emissions that are driving the EV market. However, EVs wouldn’t work without plastics, neither would our electronics, solar and wind power, water delivery or modern medicine. Even the clothes we wear include some kind of plastic and are produced in factories overseas with a horrible carbon footprint. Then we have the ocean transportation from those countries that use massive amounts of heavy crude. With planet saving practices in mind, perhaps the Amish lifestyle is preferable but even they have adopted modern methods in their farming and business practices to stay relevant. But, wait. Don’t they live in wooden houses? We can’t do that either, because that would require us to cut down multiple trees, and the axe has a metal blade, made using a smelting process and formed with heat using coal. We are now living pre industrial AND pre bronze. In fact, true “save the planet boondocking” would be living in a cave, drinking unpurified lake water, wearing animal skins and whacking the ground with rocks. Welcome to the stone age. This is my interpretation of EVs and boondocking as a whole. Yes, I like the complexity of using batteries and the sun for power generation, but I don’t believe for a second that I am saving the planet doing this. I enjoy this lifestyle because it is quiet, until I start up my deleted Cummins and scare bambi out of the woods.1 point
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What you have there is an incomplete receiver. Remove it and install the one @Steve Morrisrecommended. That is what I am going to do.1 point
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No. Haha right back at ya No, Tesla sucks IMO. I’ve been driving GM EV’s for seven, eight years. Full stop. I’ll put it out there - I’m done trying to discuss EV’s with people who haven’t driven them, don’t know anything about them, and refuse to entertain them, but just want to reinforce their beliefs. I don’t know where you are on this - not trying to paint you one way or another - but FYI I’ll answer any reasonable questions but that’s it On this one? I think you’re responding here to another thread? If there’s anything here about EV’s I must have missed it. There’s another thread where it came up but I haven’t been following that one, life is short … I’m wondering how you can believe that it’s not possible to charge across the country, with the tens of thousands of DCFC that are going in? It’s clear you’re not aware of the Ionna consortium which is going to have more charging than Tesla in a few years, they’re blasting them in at a furious rate as we speak. Or every single Pilot/Flying-J will have them with another GM effort - how many are there of those? You ever gassed up at a Flying-J? Not to mention the existing Tesla, EA, EVgo and others. Maybe you’re not aware that wherever people go, there is electricity? Everything you said there is incorrect, people are making real world trips of 200+ miles before needing a charge, towing, today, with the latest GM EV’s. You can use V2V to charge in extremis, or just a generator or portable DCFC. And nobody ever is in that situation, charging is ubiquitous. Actually it was a mistake for me to ever mention EV’s on this forum, sorry folks my fault, I changed my sig, please ignore …1 point
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Here’s my adaptation in mounting the two Sirocco ll fans back in 2020 shortly after our OLEll purchase. By chance, my setup has worked really well, thus far! Rather than a permanent mount and hardwiring, I used Velcro for attachment and installed ports in the fan base for a detachable power cable. The fans and cables are stowed in the attic when not in use and can be deployed, as needed. The two primary locations are above each bed and an alternate in the galley to direct air flow toward the dinette. I like that the fans are multi-directional both forward and downward facing. The white Velcro is not very noticeable at the three attachment points and excess cable is simply wrapped around the base for a clean appearance.1 point
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