ScubaRx

I really like the WAGO style connectors. They are so expensive that I buy a generic version off Amazon. I have never had one to fail. Examining your photo and reading your post, it is my opinion that there was an installation problem. The connectors in the photo are not WAGO brand. I too had problems when I first started using them. It appears that the installer did not know that you have to pull the levers up to 90 degrees for them to stay open. He or she appears to have not known this and just slightly opened them and crammed the stranded wire into the receiver holes. Their crumpled strands indicate to me that they were never properly connected. Tinning the ends of the wires is absolutely best practice with stranded wire, solid wire doesn't really need that done. Soldering above an open circuit board is probably not the best idea though. This is a product I use when soldering is too difficult or I'm too lazy to drag out my soldering equipment.

Airstream also built an Argosy motorhome and Argosy fifth-wheel.

Bryan, I do believe you are correct that these are indeed 5-leaf springs. I could not imagine that Jim would ever have outfitted any of his personal trailers with anything but the absolute heaviest duty components.

Tali and I currently tow with a Silverado 3500 HD. We did tow with a Silverado 2500 HD and before that, a Sierra 1500 SLT 6.2L gasser. Both the Silverado's have be diesel. We found the 2500 HD to have a minimal payload of just over 2000 pounds. As many of you have pointed out, we carry a lot of gear, too much according to some (I have a list.) The poor Sierra was seriously overloaded, probably by about a ton (literally). It's no wonder it got a dismal fuel mileage of around 10.5mpg. Moving up to the 2500 HD was great for fuel mileage coming in around 13.5-14 mpg right out of the gate. Unfortunately, I discovered that I was still 7-8 hundred pounds overloaded so we moved up to the 3500 HD. The engine and transmission in both the Silverado's are the same. I was pleasantly surprised to get exactly the same fuel mileage from the 3500 HD. With the exception of driving the 3500 HD around town, it is always a tow vehicle. We've had it nearly three years and it doesn't even have 30K miles on it. Our trips are always at least 4500 miles so the mileage we've racked up are virtually all highway towing miles. We have only ever made a single one-way trip to Huntsville not towing the Oliver. We went there to pick up another trailer to tow back to Tupelo. I can say that in the 2500 HD we made a few non towing trips in. It got 22 mpg on the open highway. Mileage around town seems to be the same as towing mileage.

Lesson 4: There's also a battery inside the awning. It's for the wind sensor. It does have an audable warning when it's going low. The problem is if you don't know about it in advance I've heard one will actually become a total loser due to the incessant beeping that you can't locate..

In another thread, the topic of a winter trip to Quartzsite came up. Since it was a thread hijack there, I've started this one here. Sometime in January next, we'll leave for Q. As usual, we'll be camped out at Dome Rock about 4 miles west of town. This is BLM and is free. There are zero facilities except what you bring with you so you will be totally boondocking. Solar is obviously necessary, without it you will have to have a generator. There is water and dumping available in town. There will be a fiberglass rally (of such) that usually occurs the first week or so of February. Calling this a rally is quite a stretch as there are no organizers or agenda. There will be a mix of all different brands of FG trailers. We've made many friends through the years while attending. January 18th-26th will feature the Quartzsite Sports, Vacation & RV Show. Death Valley NP is an easy drive and that time of the year is the PERFECT time to go. Joshua Tree NP is also close enough to drop in there. Both NP's have free camping and there is never a crowd that time of year. If this type of atmosphere floats your boat, Vegas is north of there as is Hoover dam. Lake Havasu City sports the London Bridge having been disassembled in London, shipped across the pond and reassembled there. Since there was no river for it to cross, they diverted the Colorado River to restore it as a functioning bridge across water. This will be a lazy time with plenty of opportunities to do nothing, sitting around talking to old friends and making new ones. I've started a list of folks who said they would be there. Join us, won't you? Quartzsite 2025 roster: 1 - Steve and Tali Landrum Hull #050 Tupelo, MS (scubarx) 2 - Art and Diane FLYNN Hull #226 Placitas, NM (maxburner) 3 - Lance Smeltekop Hull #898 Nederland,CO and Traverse City, MI (mountainman198) 4 - Richard De Villiers Hull #1368 Guelph, Ontario (rich.dev) 5 - John and Wendy Register - Hull #996 Full Timers (johnwen) 6 - John and Chris Dokos - Hull #113, Prescott, AZ (jd1923) 7 - Robert and Ying Eckerle - Hull #1218, Perdido Beach, AL (Tideline77)

That black trailer (Hull #011) was during their learning stage and were toying with the idea of painting the trailers different colors. It sits abandoned in Nevada from what I've heard. The Red one (Hull #10) 'Jellybean' is owned by Winston and Brandi Shaffer and is still on the road. They are at least the third owners. Here they both are in early 2008 bound for an RV show in Las Vegas.

I really like it down on the lower flat better than up on Oliver Ridge. The ridge got its name because all the Oliver's formerly parked up there. The last few years there's been some a$$hole redneck in a motor home parked on the lower flat across the way and harasses all the other campers with threats. @Mountainman198 went over and spoke with him and he calmed down somewhat. When you find out what the '198' means you'll understand. (It's not his weight). All in all, it makes no real difference to me. If we're all parked near each other, it will be a great time. For those that haven't been, I have the GPS coordinates for Dome Rock where we will be camping. I'll start a Quartzsite 2025 roster: 1 - Steve and Tali Landrum Hull #050 Tupelo, MS 2 - Art and Diane FLYNN Hull #226 Placitas, NM 3 - I’ll be back. Lance Smeltekop Hull #898 Nederland,CO and Traverse City, MI

Since you (or at least myself) would never try to press the wet bolts into the shackle straps while under the trailer, I can't see this being an issue or a useful tool. If you own a vise and a hammer, you have all the tools you need. If not, this job is probably beyond your capabilities.

I've had front I have had a front hitch on every vehicle I've owned since 1992. Some I made myself, but I've bought the last three. None I've bought are rated greater than 500 pounds of hitch weight. I just don't worry about it. My tongue weight on The Outlaw Oliver is probably in the 650 pound range, I've not measured it lately. But I am only moving the trailer about 100 feet to get it into its garage and, as everybody always says when describing their tow vehicle, it does just fine.

I have no idea what this means.

Are you guys coming to Quartzsite next Jan/Feb?

The wet bolt is only pressed into the shackle strap. I don't have a hydraulic press either but I do have a vise and a big ole hammer. Remove the zerk fitting from the end and drop it into the shackle strap orienting the grease exit hole 90 degrees to the strap. Loosely clamp the bolt into the vise and using your big ole hammer tap it down until the backside of the bolt head makes solid contact with the strap. Replace the zerk, or leave it out for now because you're probably gonna have to hit it again to make the shoulder seat against the strap on the other side. DO NOT use tightening the nut in an effort to pull it into place, you will only strip the nut and could damage the threads on the bolt. FYI: In American English, a vice is an immoral habit or practice (or the second in command after the President) and a vise is a tool with closable jaws for clamping things. But in British English, the tool is spelled like the sin: vice.

Edit: @CRM has located a photo of the underside of Jim's "The Beast." It had four leaf spring packs rather than five so now I wonder if the axles were 5200 pounds when originally built.

Chris, does your trailer have a basement door on both sides?

This trailer is Hull #004 and was the second 2008 Elite sold. The trailer went to two partners Andrew and Lisa in Lake Havasu City, AZ where Jim and Evon Oliver have a home. The drawers were not original to the trailer at the time of delivery. Jim had a 2008 trailer built for himself, Hull #030 and had his son Daniel design and build some under belly drawers for extra cargo. It appears that these are copies Oliver built for this trailer. After Jim had Hull # 046 "The Beast" built (originally designated a 22 footer, but now identifies as an Elite II 23-1/2 footer) he had larger under belly drawers added to it. My old records show that this was the only trailer built and labeled as a 2010 model, but I believe I remember @CRM stating his was sold as a 2010 model. All this was happening either during or after Oliver officially stopped trailer production in 2009, so this information was gathered during hectic times and is unclear and subject to error. As far as I know these were the only examples of trailers with the exterior drawers. If anyone knows of others let me know, I'll add this to my master list of Oliver Ephemera.

As you are the fourth owner, that may well be the case. I have pictures of yours and another being built for Jim Oliver in 2009. Jim was adamant about there being no such thing as overkill and I know he put 5200 pound axles and the larger five leaf springs under his. Being as all the current models were Elites (at that time) and the only axles and springs they would have had on hand would have been the HD's, I just assumed that yours were too. Jim named that trailer "The Beast" and it had full extension drawers mounted under the hull between the steps and the front axle. Edit: @CRM has located a photo of the underside of Jim's "The Beast." It had four leaf spring packs rather than five so now I wonder if the axles were 5200 pounds when originally built.

Yes...I assume you're actually referring to the welded on U-shaped hangers rather than the shackle.

Your Hull #045 does not have 5 leaf springs?

43 pound/feet. The shoulder of the bolt will bottom out on the hanger, make sure it has done that then tighten. DO NOT attempt to use the nut to pull the bolt into place. It will strip the nut and ruin the wet bolt.

Bite the bullet, and buy the one with the charger, battery and case. Especially if you plan to carry it with you on trips. Exchange the coupler for a LockNLube and you are better than good to go. All neat and tidy in a case that won't allow the grease that will inevitably ooze out, collect dirt to get onto everything else you will be carrying. This would not be an issue if all your trips are short and you're always back home before it's time to grease up again. Our average trip is >5K miles, so our GG usually makes the trip with us.

This would be unacceptable to me. When I decide I want/need something, I want it today or, at most, Amazon Prime quick. While installing our Alcan Springs, I discovered that two of my last set of Monroe's (bought from Amazon, about $40 each) had lasted less than two years. Needing to replace them that day, I went in search of a new set. I was unable to locate a full set locally but O'Reilly Auto Parts told me they could have a full set by the next morning. I decided that was quick enough. The only downside was they were about $60 each. After checking with Oliver, I was told that they charge $68 each, so I figured that was OK. When I went to pick them up the next day, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that a life time replacement warranty was included in the price. It is available to the Original purchaser as long as they own the vehicle. Additionally, you do not have to keep up with your receipt or proof of purchase if you have a (free) online account with them. Just bring the old shock back and it is replaced at no cost. I called around to the other local auto part players and they all stated the warranty was the Monroe provided two years.

After updating our tow vehicle from a 1500 to a 2500 and now a 3500 HD truck, I changed out the old 2"-7000 pound Bulldog coupler to the 2-5/16"-12000 pound version. Like Mountainman 198, I sawed off the shank of a 2" ball. I inserted the ball into the old coupler and welded it in place. I also welded down the locking lever. Just leave this hitch attached to your unattended trailer to slow down any potential thieves.

Nobody was ever sorry he bought the best there is.

Yes , you need a truck, a real truck. Not a SUV. The bigger the truck, the better. For most people, a 3/4 ton (2500) is enough. Personally, I’d want the diesel. You said money was not an issue. If you need/want more cargo capacity, get a 1 ton. Then, you can take almost anything with you and it’s not a whole lot of money difference between the 3/4 ton and the 1 ton any way.