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Thanks to our salesman (Colton Laidlaw) & the folks at Southland RV, Norcross, GA for making the purchase of our new trailer a seamless transaction. I’d also like to thank our neighbors Steve & Tallie (hull #50) for stopping by to say hello. 😊 IMG_3726.mov

On the last leg of our summer family vacation we stopped at my dad's in MI. Next morning, I drove down to Elkhart, IN and had SDG install the Atmos 4.4. Guys were on time, efficient and knowledgeable. Installation went great! Pics below: They now offer SoftStart as an option on their website but I brought my own SoftStart Breeze (smaller version) . Atmos 4.4 Pics Removed the old Dometic Penguin II, cut drain line and plugged. Cleaned surface, applied very small bead of Dicor self-leveling on the inside perimeter of fiberglass 14 x14 opening Removed interior shroud. Penguin shroud was screwed to fiberglass ceiling, the 2 holes on each side will barely show after Atmos plenum installed. Fixed mine with a couple of the small glow in the dark dots we use on the ceiling to amuse the kids. Kevin was able to use the wiring for the original thermostat location to power the Suburban propane heater control. I may change or remove this later. They used Molex connectors instead of JXN box additional pics The new unit is a good bit quieter (6-10db) depending on mode and has around 40% less draw on the battery. On high it was pulling 1200 W vs 1800 W for the PII. Fan only was under 300 watts. They were done with the install in 2 1/2 hrs. App and remote are working well but still figuring it all out. I know this is short but on our way home to TN. I did find out that the Atmos 4.4 is designed so that the fresh air coming in and the exiting conditioned air is in a sealed unit and does not contact the outside (humid air). So running the fan only does not introduce humid air, it only re-circulates cabin air. Still awaiting answer on how exactly AUTO mode works. From the manual, it only states that it senses ambient air and automatically heats and cools but nothing about a parameter. You actually cannot set the temperature in that mode at all as far as I can tell. I did notice this unit manufactured 3/24 is using R-32 refrigerant. Best, Mike

Where else would Ollie be but at Cracker Barrel for the night? Not the best CB location ever, but, the price is right.

We’re on our way to Colorado to escape the south Texas heat. Overnighting in Roswell, NM which does not get us out of the heat! It was 106 when we pulled in to our campground. No sitting outside, we’re enjoying 70s inside with our loud Dometic AC. We’re at the Red Barn RV Park, very small but clean and convenient. We’ve stayed here at least a dozen times on our way to/from Colorado. Yes, that’s a Red Barn. It’s the office, rec room, rest rooms. She keeps a cooler there with bagged ice, food, ice cream and drinks. Farm field behind us, there’s only about 12 sites total and several are long term folks.

When preparing our 2022 Elite II for a weekend outing, I found error code [20] displayed on the inverter remote panel. When an inverter reboot produced no change, I consulted the section of the Oliver Owner's Manual Optional features book which addresses our Xantrex Freedom XC Pro 3000 watt inverter. To my dismay, Error Code 20 does not appear in the table of error codes. Codes 1-19, and then 21 are listed, along with their respective meanings, but not Code 20! Since I was at home with good internet access, I checked the Oliver Knowledge Base. Sure enough, Xantrex Error Code 20 is covered in detail there. Included are instructions for resetting the inverter to clear Error Code 20. I followed those instructions. They worked. I hope this post helps someone else who encounters Error Code 20.

I've been following the number of broken springs for over three years. All were four leaf springs and all have broken in exactly the same place and manner. Being a moderator here on the forum and an admin on the primary FB page, I've heard about or seen probably 30-40 reports of broken leafs. But because only about 10% of the owners are active on either or both platforms, I suspect the number of spring failures that have occurred is actually much greater than has been reported. There are well over 1600 Oliver TT that have be built. Elite I's comprise about 16.5% of them. Since they have always had the heavier 5-leaf spring pack and the 5200 pound axles they are the least likely to fail. I've not heard of any so far. That leaves nearly 1400 trailers that have the weaker springs all of which are subject to failure. As everyone knows, all the Elite II's built since 2022 have come with 5200 pound axles BUT they are still built with the 1750 pound 4-leaf spring packs. The springs are the weakest link in your suspension systems. I can not tell you that you WILL have a spring failure. There are many that have not. But I will promise you that, if you do, it will NEVER be in a convenient, dry, warm or cool, flat, smooth place. It will be on the side of the road or in a parking lot somewhere. Replacing one at home with all the tools you need is a challenge. Replacing one while you are on the road with no help will be daunting, dangerous and all but impossible. You WILL need more tools than you likely brought along. And all that's assuming you have all the proper parts with you in the first place. I've replaced a bunch of springs in the last few years and have some owners coming to Tupelo in the next few weeks so I can help them replace theirs. It is not an easy job but it is easier to be pro-active rather that re-active. If you are so inclined and can afford a set of the Alcan's, I highly recommend them. If not, buy a pair of cheap replacements to take along with you and some extra $$ to pay someone to install them for you. Don't forget to have a full set of new U-Bolts also as they are a one-time use only item.

topgun2, this is what happens when you stay in Cracker Barrel parking lots too often! Google maps cameras catch you. This location happens to be on our way most anywhere west of Virginia so we stay here often. Maybe too often! 🤪

So got the new U-bolts from ALCAN and put the new leaf springs on only to find out the HD 1/2 in. OEM shackles were too short. They are the HD 1/2 in width but 2 in long measured zerk to zerk. The 2nd leaf rides on the suspension arm. Talked with Lew, figured out the problem and he is sending out new 2 1/4in HD shackles to resolve the problem. Confirmed Key points: 3500 lb axles use 4 bolts on the backside of the hub and 1/2 in. U-bolts. They can have tube diameters of 2 1/2 or 3 in. Make sure to measure. 5200 lb axles use 5 bolts on the backside of the hub and 9/16 in U-bolts. They typically have tube diameters of 3 in. Make sure to measure. If you don't upgrade to the shackles Lew sells, make sure even if you have upgraded HD 1/2 in. shackles to measure the length. If it is 2 in they will not work, must be 2 1/4 in. Make sure to measure. Lew was great to deal with as always. @ScubaRx I did confirm that he does not want his 2/12 in U-bolts back. Hopefully, this adds to the conversation since both of these issues came up for me. Cheers, Mike

Life on the road sometimes requires stopping to do laundry! Here in Cody, WY the best laundry is the Cody Laundromat. Now that this chore is done and restocking at Walmart is done the regularly scheduled activity of fishing at a higher altitude is to be resumed. A special hello to the Ollie II that was headed east towards Cody last week after they left Yellowstone National. Bill

We spent last week at Ridgway State Park, just 20 minutes north of Ouray. We drove up from our son’s house in Durango but didn’t take 550 this time. We took the western route which is about 40 minutes longer but provides with some different scenery. It takes you by Telluride. It was a nice drive. This is just a few miles outside of Telluride on the way to Ridgway. Another stop on the way up to Ridgway. Our site at Ridgway State Park We did a walk around the town of Ridgway. This is the town park in the middle of town. Downtown Ouray. Downtown Ouray. Hiking around the Ridgway Reservoir. Nice hike, good views. More hiking.

Happy 4th of July to Everyone! Gunnison NF, Colorado -- dispersed camping with weather

A big shout out and huge thank you to the Sea Biscuit Team, and to owners Kristine Hess & David Hess for our hand crafted “ OLLIE HANGAR” custom S/S sign that we won at this years rally. We also have the Sea Biscuit front cargo box which completes our Oliver storage and we love it! Awesome metal craftsmanship made right here in the USA.

So after some time trying to sleep with 2--3 kids in the Ollie and not wanting to mess with taking down and setting up the dinette table. I thought there might be an easier, simpler way. First, we tried a solution that worked well once the base was setup but after some time it became clear it was too time consuming and cumbersome for us because we had to stuff it in the back of the Tundra. My search for something different was based mainly on the requirement that it could be stowed easily in the travel trailer. Finally, I decided to try something. I bought two 24x27 sheets of HDPE 3/4 thick and cut them to the width of the space between the mattresses and then routed a channel for them to sit on top of the rails firmly in place. This is how it turned. Please excuse my wood working skills. 20 in x 24in with 1/4 in. channels. Worked perfectly. Very sturdy and stows under the mattress on top of the moisture mat. If you have a router, the materials were less than $100. I used the color dolphin grey. Best, Mike

HD... I feel your pain. I too loved taking off on my motorcycle and just catching a hotel somewhere along the way... with little or no planning except a "general direction" in mind. That said... I've learned with the Ollie how to be nearly as spontaneous by becoming more and more aware of the Ollie's capabilities... AND I CAN SLEEP IN MY OWN BED EVERY NIGHT. It's also much cheaper than decent hotel rooms at today's prices! It's taken us a couple of years... and now with nearly 270 nights in our Oliver to get used to how to maximize all of it's strengths. As you learn how long your fresh, gray and black tanks last (the way you travel), you start to learn just how "free" you are. If you are just traveling, trying to get somewhere, a Walmart or Cracker Barrel work great because they are nearly everywhere. It's also very nice to have, besides your rolling hotel room... a rolling restaurant with great food and snacks, and a clean bathroom when the moment strikes. Let's not even talk about that quick nap! The Oliver is so self contained and easy to get in and out grocery store parking lots, fast food joints, gas stations, small towns and side streets, etc., that you will come to appreciate the amenities of your Oliver. It's also easy to get in to campsites that many would not be able to. Regarding planning; it takes a certain amount of planning to go see and spend time in those destination "hot spots" that we've always wanted to see. What we have found works best for us is to anchor your trip with reservations in those places that just require it... but allow time in between those hot spot reservations to be spontaneous (that place the locals told you you just can't miss!), time for medical or mechanical emergencies and to just allow time to shop for groceries and do the laundry. Of course I'm saying all of this and assuming that you don't have too many time constraints. If you are still working you can throw out everything I just said! 🙂 If you ever took Stephen Covey's class on "Seven Habits of Highly Effective People"... all of this reminds me of the "lesson" of putting in the big rocks in the jar first (the things that really matter) ... and then sprinkle in the little rocks (smaller things that are fun... but maybe not absolutely necessary). Travel is fun, but I don't like it to be so much like work. I'm done with schedules and self inflicted constraints to be somewhere at a certain time. Time to relax, enjoy, be surprised... and stop in at that store in the mountains that serves awesome huckleberry pie and ice-cream.

Awesome photos Mike! We are sure thinking about a Colorado trip soon! We had a ball in Telluride last fall. Ouray is such a cool little slanted town. Found a perfect parking spot right on Main Street.

Santa came today, Christmas in July! Never received such beautiful batteries 600AH total. They came just before I started teaching my class today, got the FedEx guy to get them in my garage. On a break, I had to open one! Measures 13.12V in the box. Got to buy my new inverter ASAP. Love it!

I live in Duluth if you need a hand with anything! Happy to run up with some tools, beer, and/or moral support!

When installing bronze bushings in Ollie's spring eye, I coat the outside of the bushing and inside of the spring eye with castor oil to help the soft bronze slide into the spring eye easier, attempting to prevent damage to the soft bronze bushing. The last bronze bushings I installed used a piece of threaded rod from a local Lowes with flat washers and nuts.

Hull #113 now being 8 years old has needed a lot of upgrades and M&R our first year of ownership. A point of contention as always been the manual stairs, the back-breaking effort it takes to pull them down, metal on metal, and more so to put them up. I had greased the moving parts, and it did not seem to help much. Pressure washing it last time, an edge of the slip-resistant tape came off. Prior owner had wrapped the steps with some kind of rubber cushion and that dirtied the steps where it laid. They looked awful. It was time for proper restoration! I disassembled all components of the stairs so they could be cleaned and reconditioned in my shop. If you do this, make sure you have everything you need out of the Oliver as it is very difficult to get inside afterwards! First, I used a heat gun to loosen the glue on the tape and scraped it off. The glue residue was intense. I used 3M General Purpose Adhesive Cleaner, and it barely budged it. The rest I sanded off using a cordless Dewalt orbital sander and near a dozen sanding discs. There are better sanding tools, but this is what I had. After more and more detail sanding the aluminum started to look pretty good. The key detail work to getting the stairs to operate easier was to file the groove the axle slides within (see pic 2). I used a small hand file and spent an hour working it in the direction of the movement. Most of the machining marks were 90 degrees the wrong direction. I only sanded this groove on the base as I did not want to detail that whole frame, just the steps. I used this product for the stair surfaces: Amazon.com: 3M Safety-Walk Slip Resistant Tape, 4 in x 15 ft, Anti Slip Tape, Adhere Without Wrinkling, Curling, Tearing, Shrinking or Lifting, Self-Adhesive Backing For Quick & Easy Application (610B-R4X180) : Industrial & Scientific After sanding and placement of the anti-slip tape, I applied an automotive ceramic coating to all the sanded aluminum to slow oxidation. Got to this point today. Friday I will have time to remount. The frame is held on with 4 standard carriage bolts and nylon locknuts. The two stairs are connected to each other with a short, geared press-fit specialty bolt with a Torx-55 head, that are not easy to remove. Pictures were taken before applying the ceramic coating. It should look great when mounted. Boy, I hate sanding and polishing work! 🤣

1st Road test: spoiler alert, I am quite impressed after 1st night with the fan running and the first trip with the AC set on AUTO AC at 70 degrees F. When we left my dad's house in SW MI the temp was 66 degrees. Epoch batteries 99% By Mid day temps had climbed to 84. Pulling into our house south Nashville 8 hrs later it was 91 degrees outside and the Epoch batteries showed 75% with a 87.5 amperage draw on high AC output. I know it is a lot different than coming up from FL but still pretty happy with the results. Cabin temperature never got above 72. Experience so far inside has been pleasant. Slept a lot better the first night. Temps and humidity stayed more constant. I didn't wake up hot and have to turn down the temperature. The fan did stay on all night but relatively quiet and I actually really liked the circulating air without the worry of using up too much battery. Turned off my other fans I usually use. The FULL AUTO mode is still somewhat of a mystery to me as of yet. I intuitively feel like once I get some clear answers it will be positive. Everything else is thought out well. The Auto AC and heat work as expected. Still not enough experience with dehumidifying and sleep modes. The fan does not continuously bring in fresh non-conditioned, it re-circulates the cabin air. IF so, it is well designed. Sealed unit is the way it was explained to me. I am not sure how that works but it did feel that way during the night. We had a lot of rain a couple of days. Condensate dripping off the Oliver does not bother me. The highest amperage draw on high that I have seen is still under 90 amps I like the way it has 3 different options to send air directly out to the cabin in both directions. I can feel it sitting at dinette while typing on the computer. It has a dump switch so that air comes straight down to the bed area. And the rotating vents mode actually changes up the air flow nicely. Thought I have kept it off mostly. I don't necessarily need the AC on all the time but I really like the air circulating quietly. Happy with keeping the Suburban propane for back up heat. Also, glad to have 12k heat pump available to use on Auto mode. Took off the back plate for T-stat. Looks better. Plenty of head room. The remote is nice but still figuring it out. Comes with a mount. I forgot to mention earlier Kevin at SDG said it would be $1800 for install at his shop which includes Suburban thermostat wiring/placment. For the DIYer it is $1350 shipped without SoftStart, $1650 with the SoftStart. The SoftStart is basically $300 either way. You can get a little bit of a discount (-$20) on SoftStart website. All for now. Best, Mike Screen shots riding down the road at different times during the drive home.

Not as pretty as those western vistas. We’re in far western New York, just across the boarder from Erie, PA at Lake Erie State Park. Water, wine, a light breeze, clear skies, and comfortable temperatures for a change. And kazoos!

24” TV and dinette are no more, replaced with 32” TV and permanent “day bed”—dare I say, living room vibes?

Loving these Colorado temps - Reset 2.0 #1364 at Eleven Mile Lake State Park Colorado. If you stay here do take time to do the Canyon. (What am I saying, most people with Olivers will be in the dispersed camping in the Canyon 🙂 )

Tent camped since I was 16 with a 1956 VW to collect fossil vertebrates in the Badlands of Nebraska in 1966. Sometimes three of us using an Army pup tent or sleeping under the stars for days or a week. Sun sets and the Sun rises. No clock... if you can see... time to get moving. Walk and discover fossils washing out after the Rain washes them out. Ahhh... the Hunting Days are great memories... Gone. Married we tent camped and bought a 23 foot Airstream in 2006 off the Dealer's Lot. They attached the trailer and waved... The adventure began. A 25 foot and then a 27 foot and then... kept the 2019 27 foot Airstream and the 2019 Oliver Elite II... was a chance sighting at a Boondocking site in Colorado. A go anywhere travel trailer, four season, double axle and built well. Found one in Las Vegas, Nevada in February 2022. Both travel trailers had ALL of the Propane, Solar, Batteries and plug in options. Most buyers are RV Park travelers and do not need what the 2019's offered. Generators and then Plug In. Times change and so do the Buyer's who want different travel trailers. We have been everywhere. This spring we went to our favorite New Mexico 'Off the Grid Boondocking National Forests and BLM'...and we have been going since 2006 trailer camping and before in a tent. Then came home and... been there, done it all, now what? We saw all of the western National Parks tent camping. Before the... crowds. You drive up, pay a fee and go anywhere. Not any longer... times change. ...and we changed. Not because of our current choices in 2019 Airstream and 2019 Oliver Elite II... but we been there, once, twice, twenty... times. We are western Rocky Mountain rock, fossil, mineral and hiking campers. In our 70's and sat down, sell which, keep one, sell both... discussions. Pristine, clean and shopped out with hardware (Airstreams three of them... you know where to begin)... and decided it is time to... reconsider why we need one or both travel trailers. Been there. Done it. Saw it. Seen everything and even now some areas are closed to camping, Ranches have gone to Corporate Ranches and NO Visitors Allowed on the Properties. The Ranchers we knew died or the kids sold out as it is hard work. We would even volunteer time to 'pay our way' to collect fossils in the Badlands of Nebraska. All gone today... and gone commercial leasing. Not the trailers fault... there is a time when change is coming. Done it All. Been there Often. I pull out a DeLorme Atlas... and on some pages the GPS locations and comments fill the blank borders. Some with 20 campsites with comments. Even the guides for Wagon Trains leaving Independence, Missouri in the 19th Century... once the Union Pacific laid track... it was over. The double Axle Oliver Elite II can go anywhere. Same clearance as our 27 foot Airstream, 3 inch lift and upgraded to 16 inch Michelin tires. All standard on the Oliver Elite II and had the Airstream add two Solar Panels and both are perfect for OTG camping... and built to go anywhere. The Oliver is the Go Anywhere Travel Trailer. The Airstreams took us time to discover the weak points... and when purchasing a new Airstream... tweaked it to be Solid... as the Oliver Elites are...from the Factory. Time to move on an there are lots of Airstreams for sale... most we would not want at any price... but Olivers are scarce and few are familiar with them. Some travel to travel. We travel to walk, hike, hunt and enjoy the solitude outside the City. Stepping out of our Oliver is ahhhhhh fully nice. We wil always remember fondly. The Oliver hunt. Owning an Oliver. ...and time to sit back and recall we did it ALL.. and content.

For anyone interested in purchasing one, Home Depot has the Maxxfan with LED on sale for $73 at the moment. MaxxFan Dome Plus with 12-Volt Fan and LED Light

Back in 2018, Anita had called me and wanted to know if I'd show our trailer to a couple from Tupelo. Johnny, his wife Juanita and their daughter came to visit us the next day. After talking with them for a couple of hours, Johnny stated that when he retires he's going to buy an Oliver. Today, six years later ... Tali called me and exclaimed that "...there's a brand new Oliver parked at a house right around the corner from us..." So naturally, I went to investigate. Today was his last day of work. A few days ago while visiting with his daughter (who is now a Nurse Practitioner that lives and works near Atlanta), he realized that about 2 miles from her house was Southland RV in Norcross, GA, one of the new Oliver dealers. They apparently took a ride, went in, fulfilled their six year old dream and are now the proud owners of Hull # 1525. I could not be happier for them. Welcome to the club @josmith68, Johnny and Juanita Smith.

Forgot to add the picture

On a 2-year-old jack adding grease has nothing to do with this. Don't think it's about maintenance you could have done. Many run these VP-3000 jacks for many years ignoring maintenance. I would check the switch. Given it works to lift the trailer, the mechanics of the jack are working. As it takes much more work on the motor to lift vs. lower. If you are in a fix while traveling, you can pull the switch to find three wires. Connect the center wire to one to lift and the other to lower. Hope this helps!

theOrca, The Dometic FreshJet comes with a very nice factory seal where it makes contact with the Oliver. It also comes with four additional factory installed blocks at each corner that help distribute the weight of the unit over a larger area. In addition the FreshJet weighs less than the Penguin. The bolt pattern is inside of the opening, the same as the old noisy Penguin. I hope this answers some of your concerns, you are welcome to message me if you have any questions about my AC installation.

I replied to someone on Facebook, I figure I would post here too for coverage. I use 13 points of interest to check before rolling out on a trip and anytime before I move the camper. Even if parked along in a shopping area. Just to ensure someone is not "mucking" with stuff. I don't always get "13", so I'll start again! LOL I've seen both Oliver and non-Oliver folks with twisted chains using Andersens. Very easy to correct by "flipping the wing" one direction or another.

All of you were lots of help! I disappeared for awhile because, honestly, I needed to back up and learn some basics to even understand some of the terms y’all used. @Steve and MA, that was exactly the info I needed for our rooftop panels; I copied that to Renogy. @mossemi, I wasn’t able to easily access the specs for the rooftop panels without removing the panels - and I didn’t want to do that! @rich.dev, I, too, don’t know why Renogy thought they needed the specs of the rooftop panels.🤔 Their website did reveal, however, that it is no problem connecting two 100 watt suitcases and having the controller on only one. As @SeaDawg and many others have stated, yep, the polarity on our Zamp port was reversed, and we used an adapter. @jd1923, figuring all this out was quite a challenge, so thanks for the encouragement saying we have a GREAT setup. In the end, we have the option of using either one or both of our Renogy 100 watt suitcases. I am grateful to @Geronimo John who originally (on a different thread) suggested we purchase two 100w suitcases rather than one heavy and bulky 200w suitcase. Time to go boondock!

Finally got around to upgrading the 12v sockets to USB-C 65W for charging iPads and MacBook. This socket also has an On/OFF button so you don't have to stare at blue lights with the cap off. Cap also closes securely much easier. It is the little things. Amazon link: https://a.co/d/01MrDdX7

Final Travel Summary -- Day-18, Monday, 01JUL24: 2,424.4 Odometer miles, 12.7MPG (from Tundra computer). But actual consumed gallons from re-fueling receipts was 163.8 gallons or 14.8MPG. Not sure of the reason for the discrepancy. Anyhow: Moab, UT: We linked-up with our friends from NM last Thursday here at Spanish Trails campground for a weekend of sightseeing, hiking, and general frivolity... Our original plan was to tour Arches Nat'l Park on Friday, then hit Dead Horse SP and Canyonlands NP Saturday. But... there weren't any "timed entry reservations" available for us on Friday for Arches so we switched the plan for those two days. NOTE: For those of you planning to visit Arches - the NP Service is requiring visitors to obtain a $2 timed entry reservation online that assigns a 60-minute window for entry in addition to the park entry fee (or Senior/Military Lifetime NP Pass). Our timed reservation was for 9-10AM on Saturday. This keeps the traffic flow through the park manageable in both directions. It actually worked out real well - just we wish we knew about it in advance. So, onward to Deadhorse SP... Magnus wants mom to let him out so he can get out and go exploring - Oscar wanted to stay back at Casablanca: Magnus in his "explorer" mode: Deadhorse entry gate - beautiful weather for sightseeing with our friends: Very cool vistas here at Deadhorse: Twisty Colorado River below: Back at the Campground, the Knuckleheads and their buddy, Heinrich are re-united - do we plan around our puppies? Ah, YES! 2-legged and 4-legged friends loving to camp out together... Getting ready for dad to throw together some evening kibble for everyone: Noth'n wrong with a little "surf and turf": Fast forward to Arches NP: For our style of sightseeing - Arches was the favorite: Notice a puppy head out the window and a tail out the back: Just having a great time: Arches everywhere: Walking up to the Big Window: Under the arch: Just amazing sights here: Back in the Tundra and headed to Red Cliffs Lodge near Moab on the CO River, Knuckleheads sharing the cool AC from their puppy hammock in the back seat: Very cool place where dozens of westerns were produced - with an interesting museum capturing pix of many of the movies made there: Red cliffs above the CO River: We've driven by the "Hole in the Wall" dozens of times over the years on US-191, but on the way home, we took a few minutes and actually walked through the "Tour of the 5,000 sqft House" inside the rock! Got home safe and sound around 5pm - unpacked Casablanca and realized how nice it is to "come home." Cheers, All! A & D

Got everything done today on the air fryer installation. I put quarter-round along the base and 3M 3350 to seal all the edges and seams. Found a decent piece of angle aluminum as a trim piece to make the bottom opening look better and remounted the faceplate.

Just so happens, SDG is only 45 min from my dad's house in MI. So I have made an appt for the Atmos 4.4 to be installed July 17th. I am hoping to get some good pictures of installation since it will be the first install for them in an Oliver. Things I already know: No condensation pump or lines No need to use wall mounted thermostat due to Plenum, remote and app controls. If you keep the suburban propane heater, they will mount a simple thermostat for it under the street side twin or elsewhere that is convenient. May or may not use the propane heater any more since the Atmos has a 12k heat pump. They can re-use my SoftStartRV from the PII. The Atmos is almost the same footprint. 2.5 in longer and an 1 in taller. Much quieter and more efficient. I will update as things progress. Best, Mike

There are zerk fitting repair/extractor tools available at most auto stores & Tractor Supply. It’s a combination wrench/tap/extractor. I’ve used one in the past. If the fitting is broken off but the threaded part remains in the wet bolt, the extractor (the pointy tool) should allow you to unscrew the threaded portion. https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/workforce-all-in-one-grease-fitting-repair-tool-for-1-4-in-28-fittings

All the U-Bolts supplied by Alcan have been 9/16". The OEM's (at least on mine) were 1/2". It is very important, if you buy the Alcans, to know before placing your order the diameter of the axles on your trailer. Most will be 3". Some of the earlier builds will have 2-1/2". One owner told me his (used) trailer had one of each. This, most likely, was from one having been replaced prior to his acquiring it. I'm not totally confident in the report that one owner said his axles were 2-3/8", but who knows? Measure them to know for sure. If you don't have a caliper or a micrometer or don't know what these are then you may have to result to the string method (but this does require some math.) You could use a C-Clamp as a poor man's micrometer. Just tighten it up on the axle just loose enough so it slides off, then measure between the jaw faces of the clamp.

Your passport gets you in, and back out. If you are traveling with pet(s), make sure vaccinations are up to date, and carry a copy of their record(s). Don't carry weapons (or ammo) of any kind, as Canadian border patrol asks a lot of questions, and weapons are very restricted. Easier to leave them home. Check the latest rules on foods you can bring in, and amount of wine/beer/alcohol. (This is also true on re-entry to US.) We've done the crossings many times, and only once been searched (I think the border patrol had never seen a trailer like ours.) But, be prepared to be honest, and stay within published limits. There are still "random" checks at times that can take awhile. Usually, after a few questions, you'll quickly be welcomed to Canada by professional and courteous border agents . The folks around Montreal drive pretty fast, in my experience, but quite safely. Don't miss Quebec City. Camp somewhere nearby, and spend at least a day. It's historic, beautiful, and elegant. Like going to Europe for the day. https://inspection.canada.ca/en/food-safety-consumers/bringing-food-canada-personal-use

Thank you to everyone who has shared their thoughts in this thread. I'll admit that I knew very little about leaf springs until one of ours failed last week on our 2019 LEII. What can I say? I'm the wife and am not too interested in discussing the mechanical operation of things but I am also the detail-oriented and "let's make sure we have all the information before making a decision" half of this team. You all educated me on this topic and I appreciate the knowledge as we decide what springs to go with moving forward. For the record, ours broke in the same trouble spot as many of the other Dexter 1750# 4-leaf ones and we have done mostly highway driving. I would venture to say, since there were 5 of us in the span of a few days who reported broken springs, that this is likely more common than some may have thought. I'll be submitting a ticket to Oliver just so they'll have record of the break. Mindy

John, if you haven’t already, contact Dexter and request a spec/build sheet of your axle/spring assy. You will have to provide them with your axle serial number. Attached is a copy of my build sheet with all the info on the axles and springs, under “shop order notes and options” you can see my axles are 3” diameter. The axles and springs are supplied from Dexter as an assembly, D52 = 5200lbs capacity and the springs are 1750lbs capacity.

I would remove the air filter and check the condensation drains. They pass through the air conditioner to roof seal on each side. There should be some sticky caulk around each tube. Also I would check the four hold down bolts. There’s one in each corner. To access these you’ll need to remove the inside cover/trim. I think that there’s six screws holding the cover. Don’t over tighten the bolts, just make sure that they are snug.

John there are many videos on YouTube on how to calibrate it yourself, here’s one.

After lugging around my old heavy Gen-1 Starlink for a few years, I was thrilled to get the new Starlink Mini. It’s small and light, and the router is built into the dishy. It speed tested at 202 Mbps, a very respectable speed, although not as fast as the Gen-3 which typically runs over 300 Mbps. The Mini comes with a 50’ x ~1/8” diameter power cord that has 5.5 mm barrel connectors on each end. It also comes with a 120 volt AC wall transformer that puts out 30 volts dc (vdc.) The Mini is rated to run on 12 to 48 volts vdc, and 25 to 40 watts. It peaks at 60 watts with snow melt on. The 12 Vdc rating is an attractive feature, particularly for Boondockers who don’t have inverters. However, when I first hooked it up to the Oliver’s 12 Vdc battery… it would’t work?? After some investigation, it turns out that it’s not so simple and I’ll try to explain why: Given that the AC transformer puts out 30 volts, and the power is about 40 watts, then it would be drawing 1.3 amps per Ohms law (40w/30v = 1.3 amps.) With the same calculation at 12 volts, the amperage increases to 3.3 amps. The resistance of the long thin power cord can’t handle this higher amperage and the resulting voltage drop puts it below the minimum 12 volts operating range. In fact, I did some bench testing and found it would only work at voltages over 18 volts. There are solutions to this issue including cutting the cable shorter, using a larger gauge cable, or increasing the voltage. Without a better option, I chose to increase the voltage. I looked at cheapie power converters that would probably work, but I wanted something more robust and higher quality. I found a Victron Orion TR 12/24-5, isolated, DC to DC Converter, and it was perfect for the job. It has a 12 Vdc (+/-) input and an adjustable output of 20 to 30 Vdc at 5 amps. Standby power is under 80 mA, and it has remote on/off switching capability. It comes factory set at 24 Vdc, but I adjusted it to 30 Vdc output with the potentiometer on the front. To connect the Mini to the trailer’s 12 Vdc power system, I installed a 5.5 mm female panel mount socket into the Satellite TV inlet. I removed the Coax connector and the 5.5 mm socket and nut fits perfectly in it’s place. Oliver conveniently labeled it “Satellite.” If you need the satellite TV, then install a third “Furrion” inlet as I did for my old starlink RJ45 connector. I mounted the Victron under the rear seat on the street side. The socket wiring was sheathed and routed along the ceiling of the outside storage garage. There are a number of options to pick-up 12 volts in that area, I took power off one of the circuit breakers. I ran the negative wire to the ground bus under the rear dinette seat. The Mini comes with both a snap-in kick-stand and a 2” pole mount, and they’re both necessary for optimum RV use. I prefer having it on a pole, but we often have to move the dishy away from the trailer for a clear sky view. That’s why it’s a bad idea to shorten the cord. It also has an RJ45 port that I suppose is for hardwiring without WIFI, but I probably won’t ever use that feature. I built-up some PVC fittings on my 10’ Electrical Metallic Tubing (EMT) mast to fit the Mini’s pole adapter. (See the post for Tacky Starlink Dishy Mast). A little sanding was involved, and the starlink mount uses a thumb screw to hold it in place. It’s better to turn the Victron off when not in use, so I recommend using the remote switching feature with a switch installed in an easily accessible location. I’m too forgetful to switch the Victron off every time, so I came up with a way to turn it on & off when the Mini’s power cord is plugged in & out. Read on if your interested in that part of the installation: The “three pin” 5.5 mm female socket sold by Amazon has a built-in switch that’s designed for appliances that use either batteries or a 120v transformer supply. When the transformer is plugged in, the pin-3 switch opens to disconnect the batteries. This is opposite of what’s needed for the Victron remote switch, but it can be used to trigger a digital relay and it’s actually easier than it sounds. Amazon carries fun little programable 5 &10 amp timer/relays for under $20. I already had the 10 amp version in the Oliver for a hot water recirculation pump timer, and it works great! The 5 amp is adequate for this application, and you will also need the $20 dollar re-usable Bluetooth programer. They use 50 μA of idle current, which is nothing, and they can be programed for delay-on, delay-off, flashers, dimmers, duck decoys, and more. But for our application, we’re just interested in the trigger functions, specifically the “ground-open” trigger. Before installation, the relay has to be programed from a smart phone or computer. It’ links by WiFi to flash the program into the relays memory. Use wire nuts to connect the timer and programer together, and power them from a USB port. Follow the well written and simple programing instructions using the settings shown in the screenshot below. The relay requires a timing function, so I arbitrarily used function #12, which is “delay-on.” I set it randomly to 1.5 seconds. The trigger is programed to use the “Trig Blue” set at #5, which corresponds to the blue wire used as a “grounded trigger.” The green wire trigger is disabled. My wiring sketch shows that the timer is powered with 12 volts from the Victron’s positive and negative inputs. The relay’s yellow output wire feeds the positive side of the Victron’s remote switch (the negative side is not connected). The Victron’s output feeds the 5.5 mm power socket, and the blue trigger wire goes to the 5.5mm socket’s pin-3. Use a continuity tester to identify pin-3, it’s normally shorted to the negative lead of the socket and it “opens” when the male connecter is plugged in. The socket barrel is negative, or ground, and the center pin is positive 12 vdc. There is one other step to make this work. This Victron model is “Isolated,” meaning that the input and output “negative” terminals are isolated from each other. It needs to be “non-isolated” because the timer is grounded to the Victron input, and the socket is grounded to the output, and the trigger needs continuity between the two. So remove the jumper wire that comes on the Victron’s remote switch, and use it to jump across the two negative terminals. Victron support confirmed that shorting the grounds is not a problem, it just un-isolates it. This works satisfyingly well! I checked out the power draw with the solar turned off, and while streaming a video. It was 2 amps, 27 watts (after subtracting the parasite load). That’s a huge improvement over my previous Starlink, and I don’t have to worry about running the inverter and draining down the batteries anymore. I hope someone finds this useful Cheers! Geoff

Here is the replacement spring info Oliver Service sent me for my 2021 E2. They can be found on Amazon in pairs for $68. Note that the springs on Amazon appear to have nylon bushings rather than bronze, but they would serve to get you back on the road and home where you can figure out your final solution Please open a service ticket with Oliver so they are aware of the issue and can advise for your exact hull#

This is what we use, and a small can and a couple of small brushes.

@ZLarryb - if you still are not able to get grease into some of your wet bolts after trying @Ronbrink's suggestions, you may wish to consider removing those wet bolts that aren't behaving and check for correct grease journal orientation: 1. Carefully jack up the affected side 2. Use a floor jack under the closest axle to adjust its height to completely neutralize the load on the affected wet bolt 3. Stabilized the Zerk end of the wet bolt with a wrench and remove its nut. It's important to stabilize the wet bolt so its splines (on the Zerk end) do not strip-out in the hanger when you're un-tightening it. The splines are intended to keep the wet bolt in place such that the grease journal remains oriented either at the 3 or 9 o'clock position - this is the position of slightly less pressure which allows the grease to flow easier when trailer weight is on the wheels. 4. Tap the wet bolt partially out of the hanger with a brass punch - as the bolt slides out a bit more than half-way from the leaf spring hanger, look for the grease journal at the mid-point of the we bolt. It's a small hole allowing the grease to lubricate the brass (sometimes plastic) leaf spring bushing. Attach your LockNLube and give it a squirt - this will test the Zerk and remove old grease from the wet bolt. 5. Rotate the bolt until it's oriented at the 3 or 9 o'clock position. Clean the Zerk end of the bolt and mark it with white paint in line with the hole. This way you'll know during future lube jobs that the grease journal is oriented correctly or if the wet bolt rotated after you've corrected the issue. 6. Carefully tap the wet bolt back into place, stabilize the Zerk end and torque to specs (45 - 50 lb-feet) 7. Grease the Zerk Hope this helps.

Good news, I just solved the electrical mystery about 1-hour ago. It turns out that one of the electrical connectors going to the master light switch had fractured and when I pulled on the wire the female end remained connected to the switch. I replaced the connector, reattached the wire and all lights are now functioning. I am so glade it was not a problem with a wire in the wall. Thanks to all who provided thoughts and recommendations. I am sure it is not the last challenge I will face given the Ollie basically experiences a 4 or 5 on the Richter scale each time it gets towed. Also, I have added a multimeter to my Ollie tool box. The forum is a great place to go to learn and find support.

You can find some that have a mounting plate => [Upgraded Version] 12V USB Outlet Qidoe 78W 3 Port USB C 12V Outlet Dual PD 30W & 18W USB A Port with Voltmeter Lengthened Aluminum Body Switch Waterproof USB Car Charger Socket for Car Boat Marine RV https://a.co/d/07mCzHx6 The most I have seen using the ones I installed to charge an iPad is 4.5 amp or around 52 watts. I really just wanted USB-C connections since everything has switched over to that and to be able to fast charge my phone, iPad, etc. Of course the MacBook can charge easily from 50w as well. But I am not an electrician and routinely do things that are above my experience level so I will be the first to say don’t do what I do without doing your own homework.

Each year prior to heading out to the Rockies to fish for a couple of months, I treat several changes of cloths with THIS STUFF. It lasts through washings and helps keep the bugs off for about 6 weeks. Have a great trip! Bill

We’re in Clear Lake near Galveston, I ‘m a mosquito magnet! We carry Thermacells, one handheld and three latern style. The handheld is kept near me and the laterns are positioned around the immediate camp. I have a dropper bottle containing Pyrethrin to recharge the scent pads, very cost efficient and very effective! I really don’t like to spray down with harsh insect repellant, but find the Repel Lemon Eucalyptus (Deet-Free) product pleasent for skin and clothing applications and effective. Inside the Oliver I hang a couple of bug zappers for the occasional pesty invaders. If anywhere for a length of time, the screened Clam is deployed. Although I don’t like using, sometimes there’s a need to sweep camp with Cutter Backyard Bug Control.