ScubaRx

I wanted to let everybody know that Anita has had an accident inside her home. She fell while descending a flight of stairs to her basement and has sustained a hip fracture. She endured a 10 hour procedure to remove hardware placed during a (years ago) surgery after car accident before her hip could be repaired. She states she is currently in a lot of pain. I know she is facing months of rehab and recovery. She is hopeful she will be well enough and her doctors will allow her to come to Guntersville in May. Please keep Anita in your thoughts and prayers as she works her way through this difficult time.

I’ve never known Oliver to purposely select an inferior product in order to save a few dollars.

If your water heater has had water in it all this time, pull the anode and check it out, allow the tank to drain and flush water through your entire system for several, several minutes. Sanitize the water tanks and lines. While doing all this, check for leaks. Check out each system to make sure it works properly: fans, water pump, refrigerator (both 120V and propane, A/C, wheel bearings should be repacked and Dexter EZ-Flex greased, tires inflated properly, furnace, cooktop and batteries fully charged (I assume they have been maintained all this time). Change out batteries in any devices that used them. If the entire weight of the trailer has been on the tires, they will, most likely, have developed a flat spot where they contacted the surface under them. This may or may not come out after you have driven it for a number of miles.

Welcome to the forum. All Ford F-150’s will require the Andersen, as do all the light duty trucks.

I noticed that the awning on our 2014 Elite II sometimes takes a while to get it fully retracted. On closer inspection, I’ve discovered that Tali’s arm was giving out at about half way and she was having to rest a while before finishing winding it completely in. Glad it wasn’t something more serious.

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.

He is risen!

Are you guys planning on coming to the OTTOR in May? Edit: Sorry, I remembered just now that you're the keeper of the list.

Jason Essary asked me to please poll the group here to see if there are any particular topics we might want him to specifically focus on for his presentation at the rally. Please name a topic such as "Bearing Care and Lubrication" or "leveling the trailer in quicksand", anything that you're curious about and might be of general interest to the group attending. Be specific, I will send him the link to this thread and he can pick from your suggestions.

We travel with two (formerly three) dogs. One, a 104 pound Doberman Pincher and two, a 10 pound mix. Reacher (104 pounder) sleeps on the dinette bed which must be made down for him on demand. Rocky, at 10 pounds sleeps wherever he wants to, usually with one of us. We keep their water dish in the bathroom (Reacher will drink a quart of water at a time and make a big mess in the process.) We usually carry a forty pound sack of dog food in the closet. Everybody loves their dogs and many folks travel with them. You make it work because you can't imagine traveling without them with you. Ours have been to every state, lots of Canada and Alaska. "Wanna go for a ride?" "Wanna get in the truck?" "Wanna go camping?"

You actually need to replace the existing SPST switch with two SPDT switches wired as a 3-way setup with one of the switches inside the cabin. I mounted mine down beside the basement access door.

Another Oliver owner taught me this. You're about to merge or change lanes, activate your blinker, assume the attitude that you're not asking for permission but rather you're indicating your intentions, don't try this with anything bigger than you.

Just open the bathroom window and turn on the Maxxfan.

Welcome to the club, from Hull #050...

I've not checked my tongue weight in a while. I had my Sherline out earlier today to weigh the tongue weight on our daughter's new trailer, It was less than 100 pounds,

I always just open the existing drain valve when we are 25 miles or so from home and let it go. Our valve is very easy to get to.

We have carried our Yamaha EF3000iSEB 3000 Watt Generator in the front basket for the past 15 years. It weighs well over 150 pounds when fueled. I can easily lift it by myself and place it into the basket! 😊

That box is where all the connections for the 7-pin cable and the trailer are located.

In a side note, we will be coming thru your area in June and I would be happy to hear your ideas on what you think would be needed. I've done many extensive mods on our trailer thru the years and if I could offer you any assistance, I would be glad to.

If I were someone that actually enjoyed being out in weather that cold and had purchased a travel trailer for the express purpose of being able to do it, I would make whatever modifications I felt were necessary to enable me to be able to safely and comfortably enjoy my passion.

My research into the capacities of PEX have netted similar info as you have stated above. Although there have been times where we were caught by bad weather, I too, reside in the group of folks that would never purposely camp in sub freezing temps. There have been mountains of how-to information posted here and all over the internet concerning cold weather (at freezing or above) camping and, since you've probably already read it all, I won't go into it again here. So, in answer to your question "Am I being overly confident in the ability of the trailer to withstand a little cold?" ... Absolutely not.

That's the same price I paid (out the door, no tax) at the Big Tent in Quartzsite last month. I bought an extra 100 amp hour battery to put into the truck to run the Dometic fridge/freezer.

Looks just like you, Lance. I’d get the artist to sign the original. It might be worth a fortune some day.

Weight distribution works to distribute the tongue weight of a trailer up to the front axle of the tow vehicle so that it will sit more level and handle/brake better. That being said the weight distribution systems do not "reduce or mitigate” tongue weight or allow you to tow beyond the capacities of the vehicle.

You would need some kind of weight distribution and since Andersen is your only option, we’ll go with that one. Take another 65 pounds out of your cargo capacity. Assuming your current vehicle has all the stuff that JD listed above: Three average passengers, 450 pounds. Gear for three, who knows. Technically, you’re within the limits. Realistically, it will be a mediocre experience at best. I would expect this experiment to last a year at most before you trade for a more capable tow vehicle.