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Hello to everyone and I'm glad to have this forum available

Just so everybody is on the same page, the bearing Kit shown above is for the 3500 pound axles used on the Elite II's through 2021. In 2022 Oliver started installing a 5200 pound axle on the Elite II models. This axle is the same size that has always been supplied on the Elite's except it is de-rated to a 3500 pound weight capacity due to using a 4 leaf spring pack (3500 lbs) instead of the normal 5 leaf spring pack (5200 lbs.) These new axles are now standard with Dexter's Nev-R-Lube Bearings. If you have a 2021 or earlier Elite II with the standard bearings they cannot be replaced by the Nev-R-Lube style. There were changes made to both the hub size and the spindle size. The complete axle would have to be replaced. If you have a 2021 or earlier Elite I it will require the standard bearings for a 5200 pound axle. If you have a 2021 or earlier Elite II it will require the standard bearings for a 3500 pound axle. Advantages with Dexter's Nev-R-Lube Bearings: * No need to pull the hubs to repack the bearings or replace the grease seals when checking the brakes. * No more inner and outer bearings. Just one sealed bearing cartridge. * Pre-set adjustment means installation is easy and human error is virtually eliminated in bearing adjustment. * Pre-lubricated at the bearing factory providing resistance to contamination. * Sealed for life which means increased durability and reliability and no more bearing maintenance. * 5 year or 100,000 mile warranty against defects in material and workmanship. I do want to emphasize if you do have a trailer that has the Nev-R- Lube bearings installed there are periodic checks that need to be performed to make sure they are in good working order. Nev-R-Lube Bearing maintenance needing performed every 12 months or 12,000 miles. 1. Elevate and support the trailer unit per manufactures instructions. Never jack the trailer up on any part of the axle. Always jack the trailer up on the main frame rails of the trailer. 2. Check for excessive wheel end clearance by pulling the tire assembly towards you and by pushing the assembly away from you. Slight end play is acceptable. 3. Rotate tire slowly forwards and backwards. The wheel should turn freely and smoothly. 4. Excessive wheel end play, restriction to rotation, noise, or bumpy rotation should be remedied by replacing the bearing unit. Note: A slight amount of grease weeping from the seal is normal. Excessive leakage may indicate abnormal bearing operation. The important thing to remember is that even though this bearing is sealed and does not need lubricated it still needs to have a yearly inspection for the end play. Having this checked will hopefully keep you from having wheel bearing issues on that next adventure you are planning. If there's a downside, it would be that if/when you need to replace them it will cost a lot more than the old style bearings and seals. A sealed Nev-R- Lube bearing Kit -42MM CARTRIGE & ATTACHING COMP, FITS 5,200 LB & 6,000 LB AXLES - Part #K71-997-00 will cost over $300 per wheel. I would be remiss to only replace one at a time.

The quality of posts on this forum, the quality performance history of Oliver's Service Department and the overall quality of Oliver travel trailers all persuaded my wife and me to pay the premium, and drive all the way to Tennessee, to acquire our Elite II last November. Our only "camping" experience in it so far has been the 2000+ mile "shakedown" drive back to home to Idaho. It remained stored during the longest winter experienced in central Idaho for many years. Yet so far, none of the three things mentioned above (the forum, the Service Department and the overall quality) have disappointed. Today we head out for the Oregon Coast for our first actual trailer camping experience with the Elite II. We expect it will perform well. Following in the footsteps of so many who have provided informative posts on this forum, I will report any issues that arise.

Happy "late" Easter Sunday from Elephant Butte Lake State Park - New Mexico.... 1st "official" camping trip with our new-to-us Hull #226...

Mark, Welcome to the forum and now is a great time to read all you can in the Oliver University. Take deep dives on various topics on the fourm and ask also questions. Have you taken the factory tour yet? Congrats ordering a new Oliver LEll. What do you plan on towing it with? Patriot 🇺🇸

happy Easter everyone 🙏

May the Blessing of Easter fill your heart with love. Happy Easter!

Congrats, Mark! Welcome to the forum - it is (as other's noted) an absolute wealth of knowledge, experience, and lessons-learned that will make owning your new Ollie a very pleasant and pleasurable chapter in your RV lifestyle! FYI: we just logged our 1st extended Easter weekend "shakedown trip" in our Ollie - only a few small/manageable issues; and we had a blast!

Happy Easter :)

Hi Mark and welcome! We are picking up our LE2 in just over a week. The time between ordering and delivery day seems like a long time, but it goes really fast. We ordered in late October and are so excited to get to "move in to our new home on wheels". If you need anything just let us know.

Wishing you all a very Happy Easter!🐰

OK, here are some answers to your questions GJ. They are in no particular order. We bought this trailer used in January. The awning worked properly when I was inspecting the trailer before the purchase. It worked properly once I got it home, primarily to demo it to my wife and friends. My trailer is stored inside and sat for a few days prior to my next attempt revealed the problem. I do not know how many times it had been used previously. I have not tested the current draw on the motor since I was told by the Girard rep that if it was retracting properly the motor should be fine. He is also the one who told me the motor was just unspooling the awning during deployment thus very little load on the motor. I do not detect that the mounting bolts on the arms are now loose. There are no scratch marks or other evidence that they have ever slid on the mounting track. There is some slight "barber poling" when the awning is retracted. If looking at the spool, the barber pole spiral is from right to left and is about 1.25" in length. Having said that, there is still over an inch of space on the other end of the roller so there doesn't appear to be any binding. Girard does have a couple videos online about changing the arms and they make it pretty clear that there is tremendous tension on the springs. They ship their new arms with multiple layers of shrink-wrap holding them together. Unfortunately, the manual doesn't cover my issue in the trouble shooting section. Thanks for your suggestions and I'd appreciate any other thoughts. James

Hey Mark, welcome to the group! Mike

Welcome, Mark :)

Welcome to the forum. You may have a number of questions, before, and after delivery . Ask away. Lots of folks here with answers. I'd second @Patriot's suggestion to acquaint yourself with oliver university. Invaluable.

I dissected the coil section out in my back yard using my Dewalt saw. All the pieces except that section have gone into the trash or recycle bin. I need to find a place that will accept it. The county Hazardous Waste site won’t. If I lived in a remote area I would use it for target practice… John Davies Spokane WA

Certainly just one of the many reason that I have to work harder to make anything near me look good.😁 Besides - someone has Bosker's cuteness to draw attention away from a lack of altitude.😇

Thank you, Happy Easter to you as well! "If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep." 1 Cor. 15: 19-20

Indeed HE HAS RISEN! Happy Easter!

He is risen!

Happy Easter to all! A special day! Mike

Happy Easter/Resurrection Day, Grace, mercy and blessings to all. 🙏🙏🙏

If noticed some members on the forum have colored maps in their signatures. You may be asking yourself "How do you do that?". Start by visiting this website: http://visitedstatesmap.com Select the states you have visited and choose the size you wish and click DRAW MAP. *Please be considerate to others views on the forums by keeping the image around medium size* Next you will be taken to a new page and underneath the map where it says "Copy and Paste Image URL:" Copy the url, for example mine is: http://visitedstatesmap.com/image/xlg.jpg - this is not your map unless you have been to zero states. This is an example. Now go to your forum Signature to edit and put in the url: It should now look like: If you need help please discuss below. Credits: @SeaDawg, @KarenLukens

Certainly that looks the same and the part number is the same. I've had tow sets of these in my Oliver since day one - over 7 years ago - and thankfully have never needed either set. They look exactly the same today as they did then. Good insurance. Bill

Hello Mark, and welcome! As a new owner myself (12 days), I appreciate your interest and enthusiasm. There's a wealth of knowledge and support here on the forum. It really is way above the norm, from my experience.

That shouldn’t happen due to tilt, make sure you don’t have a nest in the outside. Do you have covers on them? Check the 12 volt fuses, all of them, to make sure the “ears” are gripping tightly, a loose connection can cause intermittent issues. John Davies Spokane WA

Howdy Mark, Welcome to the Oliver Trailer family! Don't ever hesitate to ask questions on this forum as there is a wealth of information that is freely shared by all. Mark and Cyndi

Welcome to the Family, Mark. Normally I'd strongly suggest that you seriously consider attending the upcoming Oliver Owner's Rally, but, I see that you are located in California. That's a bit of a distance to travel even though it does provide an opportunity to see a bunch of Olivers and talk to their owners. In years past, shortly after the Rally pictures and sometimes even brief shots of some of the presentations will show up here on the Forum. This many spur questions on your part and if it does then be sure to ask while these things are still fresh in the minds of those that were fortunate enough to be there in person. Bill

I sure made it sound like that didn't I. No we will travel seasonally for longer stays and probably do lot of local camping in Indiana and the surrounding states for shorter durations. We are finishing up a total remodel on an 1100 sq ft house to retire to out in the country, with the hopes we will free up a lot more time to travel with less home to tend to. Keep us posted on your progress and your time line, and enjoy the anticipation!

Oh the anticipation !1 Are you going to live in it full time?

Patriot, Haven’t done the factory tour but I did go to an Oliver owners house to tour his. I’ll be pulling with the f-150 hybrid. It will be interesting

In advance of having the Truma Aventa retro fit/install on our Oliver a month from now I decided to order this digital thermometer/ hygrometer. It has a push to touch back lit screen which others did not, nice large numbers, time and day of the week settings. I will be interested to see how well the new Truma maintains temp as well as how well it reduces humidity in our Oliver. The TP358 as stated will sync up via Bluetooth on an iPhone to view the data for a short range. This particular model has fairly strong reviews. Mounting location is TBD. Patriot🇺🇸

Fortunately our carrier Blue Cross Blue Shield (Federal Employee Program) provides coverage during overseas travel with Geo Blue. It’s still a really good idea to call and understand exactly what is covered while traveling. 👍🏻 https://www.bcbs.com/articles/coverage-goes-where-you-go-travel-worry-free-blue-cross-blue-shield Patriot🇺🇸

I've used a family member's Toyota Highlander (2008) recently. Really nice ride, though much more suv than truck. The one I've driven had a 5k tow rating, but I wouldn't be confident with it beyond local , flat land camping, even with our smaller Elite. I'd probably look for something with a higher tow rating, if you want to get out of Florida/Georgia flatlands. More power equals less stress, imo. In contrast, my 2005 1500 Siverado, and my husband's 2008 ram 1500 4x4, tow the Elite like it isn't there. Both get "decent" around town and (reduced) towing mpg.

Pete, glad it went well! They will be here Friday and Saturday to make ours look new…. Mike

You'll be very pleased with the outcome. The Wonder Egg's owner isn't nearly as old as Twist's owner, and he looks much better. 🙂

Twist will be subjected to the CGI treatment at their home base in TN the week before the Rally. While Twist isn't as old as the Wonder Egg I'm sure that it will look just as good. See ya soon!

I haven’t read the whole thread yet, but addressing the original subject: hull #1330 picked up in January 2023 was 5623 on delivery. 2023 Legacy Elite 2 Lithium Platinum Package Both Awnings 30-lb propane tank upgrade Composting toilet Truma AC/water heater upgrades I think thats the weight-affecting options we have

I concur! CGI is currently in Texas and yesterday they applied 2 ceramic coatings to The Wonder Egg after a very impressive prep. I've maintained #14 rather well over the last 15 years, with a semiannual wash and wax / polish. It stays in its protective barn when not out traveling. Seeing the CGI 4 man crew work over the exterior for 5 hours with their professional detailing tools was a sight to behold. And all of that was simply to prepare The Wonder Egg for meticulously applying 2 complete coatings of Glidecoat Marine Ceramic Coating specifically formulated for gelcoat surfaces. CGI members have a passion for creating a perfect mirror finish and the results are phenomenal. A high quality work and product for a high quality trailer is a great way to go. CGI Detailing will be at the 2023 Oliver rally. I recommend you stop by and check them out and take a look at all attending Olivers which have received their services. My 15 year old "Wonder Egg" looks better than its first day out of the factory and into the wild. Thanks, guys!

James some question for understanding: When you look at the rolled up canopy, is it cleanly stacked or is it "barber poling". (I.E. not cleanly stacked by walking up/down the roller as it retracts?) When rolled up, is the canopy evenly rolled on the roll? I.E. the roller is longer than the width of the canopy. There should be some unused roller space as a result and it should be equally split on each end of the roller. Do you have a way to check the amp draw and voltage at the Motor? How does this compare with the O&M specifications? About how many times have you used the canopy? Did it work well each of those times? Are each of the arm bolts secure and not slipping? One end will have adjustment and if that bolt on one of the arms is slipping, it could prevent the canopy from keeping "Square" and bind the effort to extend. This would not be a problem on retract though. GJ

We've found Florida mosquitoes to be small , slower, and annoying, but nothing like the larger and faster Minnesota state bird... (I'm from Minnesota. )

This is a little off subject, but I have certainly felt this way when camping. The pic is from the bike park at Virginia Key in Miami.

Camping season in Michigan is coming soon and so are the mosquitos. Off spray, keeps mosquitos off! Not. 😂 I’ll stick to Thermacell.

I have the CareFree unit and as others have previously stated "It for sure isn't". That awning is THE most time intensive frustrating bugger I have worked on Ollie. I hope that your Girard 750 is much less so. Three cautions: Awning arms have tremendous torque and if not very securely roped down when doing service can get away from you in an instant. If it does, it will "Break it's back". I made this mistake and have one new arm. Be sure to read the owners manual and hopefully Girard has videos as well. I watched all the Carefree video's except one. See Item 1 above. All awnings stretch. So don't lower the back corner to cause rain to avoid falling off the awning near the entry door. Over a couple of seasons It will stretch the fabric and then it will not roll up square on the tube. When that happens you'll have a problem rolling up the tarp. I found out that this is a great way to have an opportunity to buy a new awning tarp. And also to learn about Item 2 and then Item 1 above. Needless to say, I really dislike working on my awning! As John D. says "Lots of bad words"......... GJ

Once upon a time, in our F150, I was pulling our Ollie solo downhill in the rain & needed to brake, hard. That's all it took. When I got home we ordered an F250. Chris