Leaderboard

I always thought that it we had a blackout or local crisis, God forbid a forest fire (we live in the Prescott NF) that we could get in the Oliver and relatively quickly get to safety! Those of you in hurricane climates should certainly understand the idea! We keep ours as many of you do, 95% ready for the next trip. We start the fridge, stock the pantry, pack clothes, fill the TV with grill and lawn chairs, all kept in one area of a shed, and we're ready to go in little time. So we just got back from a 5-week trip, washed and parked the Oliver Saturday. Were out for the day yesterday and when we returned the house felt hot. Later is was apparent our home A/C was not cooling, thermostat set at 77F was 83F actual. We didn't sleep well last night, opened the windows where at our elevation we got down to 75 hours after the blazing Arizona sun had set! Called for service and the best they could do is Wednesday afternoon. We plugged in the Ollie this afternoon. We are back to camping the next two nights on the edge of our property! 😂

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. Mike

We’re in Grand Junction this morning with the guys at Alcan installing new 5200 pound axles and new springs! I also noticed that heavier bronze bushings are used in the Alcan springs. The Dexter bushings are sintered bronze AKA Oilite bearings. These thin wall type bearings are the wrong application for use in a rough bore because they are so brittle. Typically they should be pressed into a finished bore then final reamed to correct final diameter. Anyway, the Alcan bushings are machined from bronze bar stock and are the correct application.

Yes. While I.D. Remains the same as stock, the bushing wall thickness on the Alcan is greater than the dexter ( Alcan is bottom in attached photo while stock dexter-supplied spring is on top).

Yes they are. Thankfully the squabbles are congenial and so will probably continue. I’m over it… I have the Alcan springs (installed by Oliver) and am very happy with their performance. Mike

@Jim and Frances, you are right, the charge line is from TV alternator (Pin-7 of the 7-Pin harness). I'm not sure where that B4 breaker is, it looks like it must be under the bathroom sink or in the propane house. B5 would be under the bed on the street side. As JD noted, Pin-7 is not connected for lithium batteries. This is because lithiums have specific charging parameters that are different from lead acid/AGM batteries, and they could be damaged by normal alternator charging. So if you have factory lithiums, then you probably don't have the B4 and B5 breakers. If your trailer came equipped with lead acid/AGM batteries, then Pin-7 is probably connected through the B4 an B5 breakers. It’s a comparatively low amperage charge and not very efficient to charge the house batteries. But any trailer with electric brakes must have a battery and Pin-7 charging, or equivalent, for the “breakaway brake switch,” which I believe is a DOT requirement. Two breakers are definitely needed because there is current potential at both ends of the this circuit, from the battery on one end, and from the alternator on the other end. The breakers are polarized, meaning they only protect the wire on the “load” side of the breaker, and the “line” side is connected to the current potential. So if you had only one breaker, it can only protect the circuit from the battery on one end, or the alternator on the other end. . . but not both. Now if a fuse was used, only one would be needed because they are not polarized. But I'm not saying a fuse would be better because I fully believe Oliver observes sound electrical engineering practices and there is good reason to use breakers in this configuration and others. Hope that helps explain things. Cheers, Geoff

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 & Kathy

I give up GJ

I agree that the back and forth on the merits/drawbacks of the ALCANS has run its course so lets just let that horse head out to pasture. There may be owners who still have genuine questions and to serve them best I think we should keep this open. Mike

Our Oliver has been an escape pod for two hurricane evacuations and a winter storm retreat when power was out for several days. Times like these is when our COW (Condo-On-Wheels) and the Westinghouse iGen4500DF are put to good use in survival mode!

‘Very entertaining the squabbles they are’, as Yoda may have said it!

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.

Let it be said, let it be written, let it be etched in stone! 😂

Thanks, this is another plus for Alcan over Dexter springs. When I installed the Dexter EZ-Flex system on Ollie several years ago, I did not like how delicate the Dexter bronze bushings were in the springs.

You were the first to get the Alcan springs. Lew also said his wet bolts are specially made and have more space for the grease with no taper inside. Something like that. John

Similar to “moochdocking” but in your own driveway.

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! 🤣

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.

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. Mike

Hi Tideline77....the first and only time it happened to me I didn't know what to do so I called and talked to Hannah in service. She said run the nose jack all the way down. I did and nothing happened. So she said to run the nose jack all the way up and be prepared for a loud pop. And sure enough the shackle popped back into place. Of course raise the rear jacks when you raise the nose so no binding. Good luck, John

We’ve had to figure out quite a bit over the years. I’m glad documentation is now more complete.

Thank you Jim, yes this is great. Won't the same wirings for our hull, but the 2016 OTT User Manual did not have any of these drawings. Looking at the full page, the B5 is under the curbside bed as Geoff and I expected.

I feel your pain! I made the novice mistake of using the rear stabilizers to lift all four tires off the ground to level the trailer for a night’s stay, still connected to the TV. Slept great, other than being awakened once to a loud thud. When getting ready to depart, the realization hit me like a ton of bricks. All four shackles had flipped at the Dexter E-Z Flex equalizers, no bueno! With jack in hand and hours later, toiling in the Texas summer heat, all was back to normal. We learn by our mistakes and that of others.

@Jim and Frances, thanks for providing this picture, I had not seen it before. I'd wish Oliver would not use "Loose fuses." Better to install a larger panel for all DC fuses, labeled and easily found in one location. They don't do this in automotive manufacturing. Instead modern automobiles have 2-3 fuse panels. What is really troublesome is two fuses on the same circuit, though I have argued with others here to their value. IMO it's a bad design where you can check a fuse, find it's good and unbeknownst to you, they hid another fuse somewhere down the circuit. I believe you are correct in that the "Charge Line" is the Black wire from the 7-pin hitch harness. The graphic shows the B4 location, meaning there should be a fuse up front likely outside under the doghouse. Your picture does not show the B5 location which I would guess is under the streetside bed where the charge line connects to the rear +bus. So as I mentioned this line looks to be fused on both sides. BTW, Oliver disconnects this charge line for LiFePO4 installations. I believe the only valid purpose for the Black wire on this harness is for cargo trailers that do not onboard batteries needing 12V+ to power accessories, mainly interior lighting. Unless you're one of the cool guys who jump that line to power the trailer marker lights when off hitch. 🤣 If you have the full PDF file of this graphic, could you please attach it here. I save every Oliver schematic and drawing that others have posted. Thanks

And you are correct the cost of the Alcon's is beyond what they would do. Especially when they are married to Dexter. So I guess I should consider my wager won by default. Drats, the jig is up now! On the other hand, the spring failures have from my count always been with years and miles on then. Said differently the failures appear to be well out of OTT or Dexter warranty. So we could say bye-bye to the moon and all the MFG's would give us the same single finger salute. Oliver's window to step up and own the spring issue, as well as Dexter's was a long time ago legally for the majority of us. But their opportunity to "Do the Right Thing" never expires.... in my ole eyeballs anyway......But they could at least reimburse us for the cost of replacement 2400 pounder Dexter's.. Maybe even give us a OTT Towel to cry on for our labor for us DIYers. Ok silly says silly goes bye bye! LOL GJ

When changing a tire lift ONLY the side needing changing. First have the jack up as high to the body as possible and have the space filled with blocks of some type. Doing this, you should be able to get both tires on one side several inches off the ground but only go high enough to remove the wheel. I remember John E Davies wrote a post on the shackle flip years ago which made me aware of it. I believe he had a way to flip it back in the shop, but the simple way is to slowly on an angle tow your Oliver up a curb on the affected side. The other side can just go up the driveway. Service station entrances work well for this. The flipped shackle should flip back. If it doesn't, try again. The one time it happened to me it flipped right back first try. You will hear it and see the leaf springs sitting straight again.

CHINA

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🤣

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. 👍🏻🇺🇸

The unimaginable has once again, tragically, become a reality. A large number of those lost were children. I cannot imagine the grief of their surviving families. Here's how you can help, at least monetarily. Click on any one of the links. They all need your support. The needs are immediate, but I can tell you from experience, the needs will be long, for many organizations. If you feel you can afford it, click on a monthly donation. Or, just remember to contribute from time to time. My first is always Salvation Army. They were first on site, according to my mom, when our home was destroyed by a tornado when I was a few years old. And, they do so much good, in so many ways, in every community they serve. If you're still working, some generous companies do matching funds. Sometimes, for retirees, too. You can help, outside of Texas, by giving blood, as well. May God wrap his arms around the survivors, and give them solace, and peace.. Here's where you can donate to help Central Texas flood recovery - CBS Texas https://share.google/mLDD7AfFVtWQ5fajI

The pair of PR4 springs I got to replace my failed stock springs and limp home last year had the same size bushings as my old 1,750 stock springs. Perhaps yours are different?

Question, are the Alcan wet pin bronze bushings (assume bronze) thicker (larger OD) than the Dexter bronze bushings? The Dexter bronze bushings are so delicate, during installation in the springs, it was easy to damage them. I may have missed this point in this thread. Installing the bronze bushing on a Dexter 5 leaf spring coated with castor oil:

For sure, soon to be 28 pages! We cannot make purchase decisions for OTT. But we can make our personal choices. 😂 Made in USA products are scarce, due to decades of bad politics. I'll do what I can within our means to "put our money where my mouth is!" Gonna love my Alcan springs when I received the D52 axles and work the installation. To bad Alcan doesn't make axles. I'd pay 50% more for theirs over Dexter! I observed care and respect at Alcan Springs, in their efficient operation, local following and now a national customer base, a family-oriented business. Hard to say that about Dexter and Dometic, Lippert, Camco... and the many large RV suppliers. I've never been one to care about warranties. I buy used and with the money saved, I'm self-insured. I purchase what I need in parts and make my own repairs. Why do some think OTT owes us something more than a few years after purchase? They don't. I have all I'll ever need from them. They built a good travel trailer which keeps getting better in well considered mods and sweat-equity. Anybody here ever have fun with a warranty claim? Isn't it a lot like working with an insurance adjuster and as painful as a root canal! 🤣

I think it is about time to bring back the dead horse again. This thread is run it's course at 27 pages.

I bought my Rapid Jack prior to taking Oliver ownership and soon learned afterwards about the shackle flip issue. I’ve since had opportunities to try it out, but the stabilizer jacks were less troublesome and thus, the preferred method for lift to change a tire. Not one to let good money go to waste, started using it for the front stabilizer support.

I have to agree with you. All monetary reasons. It is much cheaper, to upgrade to the strong leafs, it only cost is the difference between the 2 leaf packs. And as also mentioned it would most likely void Dexters warranty leaving Oliver holding the bag if there are problems. They would probably charge their customer several thousand more for the Alcans vs a $500 more for the extra $120 it will cost them to upsize to the PR4. They are in business to make a decent trailer for a niche market at a profit.

Are we are going to keep this thread alive, with near continuous advertisements for Alcan's? If so, for "equal time", there is the quite suitable 2400 pound Dexter PR4 exact fit set for the OE2's. Dexter PR4's with all new hardware and brass shackle inserts with shipping cost me $392 in April 2024. I would wager that these springs will end up being the OTT OEM spring for OE2's down the road. Not the Alcan's. Anybody want to wager on that? GJ

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. John

Let's consider the Ollie Frame as a loaded beam running to the hitch ball. The front jack is between the hitch ball and the back jacks. Raising the back jacks then shifts load to the front jack witch is retarded somewhat by the TV suspension. The higher you raise the back of the trailer, the more load the pivit point (Front jack) receives from the back jacks. But it also compresses the springs on the TV resulting in additional load as well. Can this place over 3,000 pounds of load? Not likely in my eyes, but is something to consider. So in addition to your well stated comments: I only lightly plant the front jack. Set the parking brake of the TV. Tie a red/pink flag to the steering wheel as a reminder NO GO. Collect up all copies of the TV key sets if others are around who may not be tuned in to the situtation. GJ

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!

For those interested, the new Hughes Power Center has finally been released. They've combined all the features of their Watchdog surge protector line and the Autoformer into one unit. Looks very interesting, though the retail price is pretty steep at $819. They also eliminated the "Autoformer" lable, probably due to confusion with it being an "Autotransformer", which it is not. https://www.powerwatchdog.com/voltage-boosters

I'm unaware of any 2022's that have had broken springs. There may have been one that happened on washboard roads. If you stay off washboard roads, don't live near the coast, and don't drive on winter treated roads you should be OK We have our springs and shocks checked every 3,000 miles when getting our Zerks greased, and check them before each trip. It is a personal choice. I suppose it is peace of mind to upgrade. I don't think it is necessary on 2022 and newer trailers. I suggest you do what Patriot did and that was to have Alcan install heavy duty hardware, shackles and bolts, for extra security. If you keep an eye on your springs, either yourself or a truck service place to make sure the springs aren't flattening, you should be good. Another important thing is tire pressure We run ours under 55 lbs. (53-54 lbs.)

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 🇺🇸

Wow. I guess my "Only Carry What I Use" philosophy would be lost awash in 6 jacks! LOL

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…

Looks like yours is bit taller than mine but I can still reach to the middle of my Oliver as well. Sometimes I use a microfiber wash mitt on a short pole. Nice thing about this is the setup is minimal - roll into place and go. The limitation is that you need to go up and down to move it.

This one - https://www.amazon.com/Powerbuilt-620471-6000Lb-Unijack Appears to be similar if not identical to @Galway Girl jack.

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. Craig

That’s awesome! I like the integrated stairs. Looks too big to fit under a standard garage door though, but would be great for those with a BIG Ollie Barn! Me too! @Ronbrink also mention keeping the MetalTech together as a rolling unit. I keep one 6-ft-tall section always assembled as shown in my picture above. The way I setup this one it fits tightly around the Oliver doghouse and I could reach everything in front of the solar panels. In my garage, I can park the nose of a smaller vehicle inside of it, so it takes up little extra room. I purchased a second setup which can add to make a 12 ft height. At that height, mount guard rails squared at the top and add outriggers for the security of a wider stance. I will do this when I finally take the plunge to replace our A/C! I also purchased the $40 shelf Ron showed. Haven't needed a fan up there but it holds tools nicely too! We now have 3 viable options for a variety of needs!

Harbor Freight solid wheel chocks! Bullet proof.... litterally!