Leaderboard

Here ya go, eye candy!

@xdr Welcome to the Oliver owners family! Enjoy your new trailer! The quality is second to none. I've had mine for 5 years now and buying it was one of the best decisions I've made. As you've already experienced, the folks on this forum are an amazing, collective wealth of knowledge and experience --- and always interested to help others. It's another true benefit of owning an Oliver! Congrats and Welcome ! Dan

Episode 19:

Thank you all! We are so pleased with our purchase and are looking forward to many years of enjoying it.

Only if you needed them to work..... 🙂

Actually, this whole thread has been very helpful and we are very grateful for all the information. Thank you all! We just got home late last night with Hull#1665 right behind us. Lots of learning to do but we are enjoying g the resources here and on YouTube.

We spotted an Ollie in Tampa yesterday, heading north on I-275. Safe travels! Mossey

Barb and I have had our LE I for about 18 months now. We fancy ourselves minimalists, but truth be told, we viewed the LE I as a bit of an experiment knowing that it would be a challenge getting all of our gear in the trailer and the Pathfinder. What helps is that we are both perpetual organizers and efficiency nuts so we welcomed the challenge. The game changer for us has been connecting with the folks at Sea Biscuit. Knowing we needed a little more storage one of the first accessories we added was the rear basket from Sea Biscuit. We weren't quite sure what types of containers we could put in the basket, but we knew it gave us lots of options for adding storage. After looking at the myriad options of storage containers, boxes, etc. that could go in that rear basket, we settled on the rear storage box from Sea Biscuit. The locking rear box is home for our hookups, a large tool bag, our outdoor carpet for under the awning, and several other items that immediately come out when we land at a destination. Our sewer hose for draining the gray tank (we have a composting toilet, so no black tank hose) is still in the bumper and it is surprisingly easy to store and deploy when needed even with the box over top. The expanded storage we gained from the rear basket and box combo was our first game changing moment. It allowed us to move several items out of the Pathfinder permanently. Shortly thereafter we noticed the front box that many of the LE II owners had added. To our disappointment, the box was not compatible with the LE I, but we started a conversation with Dave and Kristine at Sea Biscuit about our options. Fast forward several more months and we are one of the first to acquire a front box unit designed specifically for the LE I. The front box is deeper than the rear box and fits neatly between the front jack post and the bull dog coupler. It sits on a steel platform making it super stable, and when opened leaves plenty of clearance for the jack post. The front box now holds our DC to DC charging cables, wheel chocks, and several other necessities that also formerly rode in the back of the Pathfinder. This was game changing moment number 2. One of the final accessories we added to compliment our storage accessories from Sea Biscuit was the rooftop basket from Rhino Rack. The rack holds our chairs and camp table that were also - yes, you guessed it - in the back of the Pathfinder. (Low and behold, I can now see out of the back window.) Barb and I are huge fans of the little Ollie having put over 15,000 miles on it, visiting 21 states in 2025. Our travel style is such that we rarely spend more than a couple of days in one spot so the flexibility of the smaller LE I, and smaller tow vehicle (17 mpg with the Pathfinder) is the perfect combination for us. For anyone who is considering an LE I, or who has an LE I and is looking for quality accessories to expand your storage, we cannot recommend the folks at Sea Biscuit highly enough. The products are top notch and the Hess's are awesome folks. See you on the road!

Spot on Bill. Couldn't have been laid out any clearer.👍

Time to add a Forum Signature and update your location! 😎

We had a real adventure last night eating at the Boiling Pot.😊

Yes with a minor edit. I copied this axle below: It IS the desired D52 axle which is designed for 5200 or 6,000 pounds of load depending on use. But it is also showing that it was derated for this use with the Dextre 3500 spring rating. With two per axle that tells us that it has the Dexter 1750 springs on each end. GJ

Very kind of you @Geronimo John, thanks! @xdr I'm not sure how the previous postings have been interpreted by you, but well I hope. Personally, as someone who JUST upgraded his ancient 2016 original lesser springs with Alcan springs, I don't think you will have to worry about leaf springs for several years to come - if you purchase a new trailer. Those newer heavy springs and axles will do very well for you with, "hopefully", worry-free travels. And please do travel. There's really no better travel trailer on the market. Is it perfect? No, it's a rolling earthquake. Things will break. This is the place to get help & answers when needed, and Oliver Support of course. 😉 For those folks purchasing used trailers, like I did in 2021, there were some upgrades to be done. Good luck and let this awesome group of enthusiasts know if you have any further questions. Cheers,

Aransas Bay, Rockport, TX Goose Island State Park, Rockport, TX Top picture sunrise, middle picture Aransas Bay, and bottom picture sunset over the causeway bridge.

With the front box installed on your trailer, does the box interfere with dropping the tailgate of your F150?

I would phrase this D35 good, upgrade to heavier springs better; D52 better, Allan springs even better!

Thank you all for the information, it’s really good to know the axles are highly recommended and what the potential weak points are down the road. The pic I took above is on a brand new 2026. Hopefully we will be taking it home.

XDR: This axle is rated at 5200 pounds. It is an excellent axle that well over 200 OE2 owners have upgraded to in the past couple of years. We specifically like it's 12" brakes and the long life maintenance free bearings. Better stopping power, especially in mountains and way easier maintenance! The only down side is that with a lot of miles (And typically 6+ years of sevice), we have had some of the 1750-pound springs flaten out. Those owners, myself included, were looking at spring replacement and the cost of upgrading to your 5200 Dexter axles to 100% renew our entire suspension system. The huge discussion was to go with the Dexter 2400-pound rated or the American made Alcon heavier duty rated springs. The vast majority of the cost to do so is the axle, not the springs. By comparison the springs are cheap. Should that happen down the road to your trailer, the good news is that you would already have the higher rated axles. So I echo Patriot's thoughts, and that OTT is moving in the right direction by exclusively using the higher rated axles on all their trailers, and that the Oliver Trailers are the best on the road. Geronimo John

Thanks for all the replies. We are looking at one right now. BTW, it does have the Dexter D52 nevrlube axles.

Welcome to the forum and at some point if you can, try take advantage of the Oliver TT factory tour in Hohenwald, Tenn. You will see why Olivers are the best fiberglass TT made. There is a ton of great information that Oliver provides in Oliver University, digital manuals and their great online DYI videos. There are lots of mods and great information here as well as the Oliver Owners FB fourm. As far as the suspension being underrated, this has been a subject debated by many on this forum to the point of ad nauseam. This said, we never had any issues with our stock OEM dexter running gear. We like many others decided to have the 5200# never lube axle upgrade installed and also the Alcan 5 leaf pack, HD wet-bolts and HD shackles. There have been a few leaf spring failures. It’s my understanding not enough failures for a recall. All the best should you decide to purchase a new Oliver. We could not be happier with XPLOR Hull# 634! Welcome!

On Ollie Elite II. D35 bad. D52 good, with Alcan springs even better. 🙂

I use both types depending on the application. Here’s a pic of the DC-DC connection at the rear bumper illustrating the waterproof plug covers mated.

So far zero moisture issues with these covers. Inverter Services highly recommended them and claim they have in all their installs have never had any issues with moisture in their Marine or RV installation/applications. There are always lots of options out there. 😊

I like these better than the covers. You need a male and female pair and they're completely waterproof whether connected or not! https://powerwerx.com/anderson-36037p1-sb175-environmental-boot-load

Lot's of good replies here already! Am I correct in thinking new Oliver TTs now come with the Dexter D52 (5200 LB) Nev-R Lube axles? Some of us with older hulls had D35 axles installed and like Mike mentioned, have upgraded. So, you should be good here. Either way, OTT installs Dexter Chinese made leaf springs rated at 1750 LBS each. Although, we've heard rumors OTT is talking with Alcan Springs for USA made springs. Given you're buying new in 2026, you could ask them about this! Search for keyword 'Alcan' for more information. Many of us think 1750 LB springs are under-sprung (200 Oliver owners have installed Alcan Springs rated at 2750 LBS each), and there have been several failures of these springs documented. Our Oliver used to waddle like a duck when crossing bridge seams, gas station entrances, or speed bumps on an angle. Not anymore, and since our Oliver suspension is now handling itself, the truck tows better and I was able to remove the Andersen WDH. The Alcan Spring upgrade is a little over $1K plus labor.

I'm sure that you will receive a bunch of differing views on this subject and your question. As is covered in the many posts related to this subject, there are those members that believe that the stock suspension is underrated and there are those members that believe that at least some of the issues you might read about are due to things wearing out. There are other opinions that Dexter (the main suspension parts supplier to Oliver) had a run of "bad" or "defective" or "weak" or .... parts from China that caused at least some of the issues. And, of course, there is the manner in which and individual trailer was used - a bunch of rough off-road activity, hitting curbs, etc. Happy reading! Bill

Thank you for the kind words. Yes, the Texas was our first Oliver rally. Inks Lake was beautiful and we met a lot of great folks there, had some great barbecue, and learned a ton about our LE I. I agree with your comments about the Sea Biscuit accessories. The white powder coat finish and the diamond plate lid are a great match.