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Showing content with the highest reputation on 04/06/2026 in all areas
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Yep, this is exactly why I have learned to do all maintenance myself on our Oliver. Local shops around here charge $300 per hour too and have months wait to time get in. Not an option.3 points
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3 points
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Not all Oliver TTs use the same axle. Our older hull was fitted with a 50" bracket length and most others have 50.5" (note the 50.00 marking on my labels). Since the axles on our Oliver were unique, Alcan took a picture of my original axle label for the custom order, copied all the specs except went from D35 to D52 for 5200 LB axles. They only make Nev-R Adjust and Nev-R Lube axles now, so the rest is the same. So, the part numbers for our hull will NOT be what you need. Likely if a Forum member that upgraded recently with 50.50" axles posted a picture of their label, it would be what you need. But to be certain, take a picture of your axle label and then call Dexter Customer Service. They are not bad to talk to and they will give you a proper part number for your D52 upgraded axles. I'd want to be certain spending $2K plus shipping! HF stands for Hub Face, the measurement between hub faces. SC or Spring Center is the distance between leaf spring centers. These numbers must remain the same for the new D52 axles. Our before & after axle labels to follow:2 points
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I just picked up another new PD5110010Q to keep on-hand in parts list. I know I’ll come across another old style soon enough. It’s a quick change-out.1 point
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Our original PD ATS went out last year, a burnt wire or two. I decided to bypass the ATS. One cable now goes from the side 30A receptacle to the PI EMS and then to our Victron MP2 inverter and finally to the 120VAC breaker panel. We never use the 30A inlet up front, since we never use a generator. So no need for an ATS! We’ve had 3 RVs and the PD 5100 had failed in all three. If you must have an ATS, it’s time to upgrade to a better product!1 point
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Hello to the Oliver being towed by a black GMC that was behind us on I-81 South in northern Tennessee today! Beautiful travel day.1 point
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In addition to your awing decision. We would strongly recommend NOT TO INSTALL THE RAIN GUTTER ADHESIVE STRIP under the awing. We found its primary function is to capture debris that makes a big mess on your roof. We removed our gutters several years ago and let the water drain down the side of the trailer with no issues. If you wish, you can install gutters over the windows. We live in a rainy climate on the pacific coast and are much happier without any gutters. Without gutters, you will find it much easier to keep your trailer clean. And congratulation on your purchase. We hope you enjoy your Oliver as much as we have.1 point
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Sorry I checked my quote from Alcan and part # not there either. We ended up sticking with our original 3.5k’s as we had just put in new brakes and bearings. I suggest you ask Alcan when you order your springs as they’ll have that p/n for sure and it will need to match for the spring order. They also know the axles lead time by heart! Craig1 point
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We recently upgraded to the 5200 lb Dexter axles, purchased thru Alcan, and chose to use the 4 leaf Alcan springs to match the weight of the trailer. We also purchased the Dexter EZ flex and wet bolt kit from etrailer, replicating the stock setup, since we preferred to use step bolts. In addition, we replaced all four shocks with new factory style Monroe shock absorbers. We performed the installation ourselves. Our tire pressures are set at 45:psi which we monitor with our TST tire pressure monitor. We’ve had excellent results, the springs are noticeably firmer, both when towing and when set up for camping. We find that the ride is not unduly harsh and we haven’t had any issue with items coming loose or things falling off. Time will tell if the Monroe shocks will work well long term. We are very happy with the setup and our interactions with Alcan Spring.1 point
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We have the 3.5K axels I put the 5 leaf springs on the Oli. I have almost 11K miles on them. The first couple of days (750 miles) seemed a little rougher then they mellowed out. I do go on gravel, and some of the 2 lane roads in the nation are as bad or worst than gravel roads. I just got done doing a lub on the wet bolts and checking everything out. All seems fine. The Oli weighs about 6500 pounds when loaded. I haven't notice any problems in the interior, it was worse with the original springs. The trailer stays pretty mellow with movements of an inch or two after uneven pavement. Where it used to bob and weave like a drunken sailor before making it harder to control. After the leafs no control issues. I think you would be fine either way.1 point
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We have 3.5K Axles and used 4 leaf Alcan, had them do the install, they gave me the 5th leaf to carry with me if we wanted to install it later. After 5k miles with 4 leaves we're just fine. That said if you have the 5K axles on your trailer, then most folks use the 5 leaf version to match the axle rating.1 point
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We purchased a used trailer in 2019 that has two awnings. We spend a lot of time in the remote high deserts boon-docking in the western states. Over the last six years we have yet to use the awning on the back side of the trailer. The good news: we have been able to use the second awning for spare parts on a couple of occations to keep our front awning operational. Based on our experience, we would not recommend investing in a secound awning.1 point
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We love our second awning and use it all the time when camping in Connecticut. We do a lot of dry camping at the beach, where there's plenty of sun for our solar. I often park the trailer oriented north/south and we put one awning out in the morning, then the other out in the afternoon when the sun crosses over the trailer. Gives us shade to sit in all day and keeps the trailer cooler inside. If you plan dry camping frequently in sunny, open spaces, even up north, it might be worth it for you.1 point
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I'm a bit like Bill, but certainly camp much more in the SW. With almost 3 years of ownership, 2 full years of travel, 17K miles and 150+ nights out, we've only used our entry awning 4 times. Mainly to check it out. I only remember one summer day in SD on the Missouri where it made a difference in temp camping on grass in high humidity. It felt like a 20 degree drop! We do not have a streetside awning. Though if we had dual power awnings, I would likely use them often. But we would not spend $,$$$ on them! 🤣 We live in the SW and still rarely use our entry awning. Though we do not summer camp and prefer to camp at elevation. The Oliver dual-hulls and dual-pain windows (are they still?) are very well insulated, so keeping sun off the body doesn't help much. You likely not sitting on that side. If you plan to summer camp often, that could make a difference. Also, some Oliver owners I know park at the same campsite for 1-2 months (I would have to shoot myself after a week!). We move every few days and erecting the manual awning is a bit of a pain. Dual power awnings? If money is easy for you, then why not! Trying to trim total cost, this should be the first to go IMO, The symmetry must look cool! 😎1 point
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We also have just 1 awning. True we don't use it very often but are happy we have it. We probably would use it a little more if the fabric was not black. BTW...I recently (2 weeks ago) got a quote from Mike at Oliver and at $4600 for adding another, we will be happy with just the 1 we have. Congrats on your future new Oliver John1 point
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We did not get the second awning either and have not regretted it - in fact happy we didn't. We travel out of Wisconsin so shading the "other side" of the trailer is rarely important to us where if you are always in full sun in hotter climates then maybe it is worth it. We use the curbside awning about half the time and often extended only about halfway. I am glad we have the curbside awning but also glad we don't have the streetside awning.1 point
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In my 11th year of Ollie ownership I doubt that I've used the single awning more than 10 times TOTAL. Yes, there was one time when I could have used both awnings - if I actually had them, but, certainly that one time is not worth the cost. For what its worth - I generally camp high in the mountains. Good news is that at elevation (usually above 7500 feet) it always cools way down when the sun goes over the mountains. Bad news is that the wind is very unpredictable in the mountains and I don't want to have that wind damage a fairly expensive "sail". If there is a fairly good chance that you will spend a fair amount of time in the southwest - think about a lack of trees and a reasonably fierce sun - then I'd suggest giving that second awning serious thought. Or, if you are the type to set up camp and then sit under the awning for considerable periods of time, you might want to consider that second awning. Other than that - spend the money on something that you will use more often. Bill p.s. welcome to the Forum and soon to the Family.1 point
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We are also Michiganders (trolls 😁). We opted not to get the second awning and do not regret the decision at all. We have spent a lot of time in sounthwest US and find the trailer stays cool up even in 80+ temps. In fact we don't use the primary awning that much when wind is high due to damage concerns. I know some owners have developed anchoring options to help with this.1 point
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Agree. They are pretty quick. I don’t know which fridge you have, we left ours on propane. Probably should have switched to 12v, but the ALCAN guys didn’t seem to care. It was an open bay and they were done in a couple of hours. We drove over from James Robb State Park, dropped off at about 7:50, went to breakfast, walked around Bass Pro Shop and got a text just before 10:00 that they were done. We then drove down to Ridgway State Park near Ouray for a relaxing stay before heading down Highway 550 to Durango. Mike1 point
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The idea was great, but the implementation by the suits of Howenwald leaves a lot to be desired. I had work done at the Salem, Oregon "Oliver Dealer." they eventually did a good job, but I did have to do TWO round trips between Salem and Whidbey Island, Washington to get it done right. They stood behind their work, and all ended well (But TWO trips through Seattle traffic!) Turns out that NO ONE from their service department had been to Howenwald for training, nor had anyone from Howenwald been to Salem. Qualified for Oliver service? I think not.0 points
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