rideadeuce

For me and everyone who owns an OTT E2, the issue is the 2 in BD coupler comes in 5k and 7k versions. They look identical except for a small gusset at the neck welded internally. During the build of Hull 308, a 5k coupler was used on my E2 by mistake and it failed while on vacation with my family. Again, they look identical but the rating is shown on top of the ball end of the coupler. Everyone with an E2 needs to check theirs to make sure it is a 7k version and not a 5K. Best, Mike

I just submitted a ticket through service online to make them aware. I explained what happened with pics. I will post when I hear from them.

Hey guys, I think I may have just figured out why this happened. If I am thinking about this correctly, looks like to me the wrong coupler was installed from the factory. 5k instead of the 7k coupler. Maybe one from the Elite I got put into the Elite II pile, they look identical, except for the notorious gusset. Just noticed this when I was looking it over again.

Got an awesome Glidecoat applied by GCI in Murfreesboro before our trip. Not cheap but looks better than the day I picked it up 6 years ago. I know there is already a lot of posts about them, just wanted to give them another thumbs up! Great job guys. Link: https://www.cgidetailing.com/olivertraveltrailers

DEAL!

I forgot to mention that I have the Timbren SES suspension enhancement installed my Tundra as well. Link: https://timbren.com/products/torttn-toyota-tacoma-tundra-2000-2023-rear-kit This and the Anderson Rapid hitch make leveling the TT easy and work great to help eliminate: squat, roll and sway on the Tundra. I seldom have any porpoising, so I have not really looked at changing anything like the gen in the front basket or the two bikes I usually carry in the back. The Oliver pulls amazingly down the road and off-road (My real frustration with a WDS). But saying all that, I have heard WDS enough times during these discussions to where I am seriously looking into getting one. I wanted to say thank you again for everyone's input and a healthy dialogue. Best, Mike PS. I did submit a report to the NHTSA and have sent an email to BD.

This was put in to use our last trip and we loved it, especially the kids. No more picking up heavy 3 gallon containers for drinking water. Faucet magnetically attaches to base and can be turned or moved. Easy 1, 2 tap On/Off. Easy to clean and store easier than other water containers we have used. As much as I would like to just use on board storage H20 it never seems to taste great despite keeping it clean and tank treated. We added a 10 ft tube to make it easier to place where we want it. It came with a very short one. You can just use the connector from it for the new, longer tubing. Links below: https://a.co/d/8Toxx09 https://a.co/d/iH6ZA6w https://a.co/d/gpyMZqu

2018 Hull #308

I have never heard of this. My understanding has alway been that you don't need to start thinking about a WDS until what you are pulling begins to outweigh the PV. I know that WDS does not increase the trucks towing capacity or reduce tongue weight and that if your truck and trailer are level and the weight is evenly distributed over the axles everything handles well. Sway bars and WDS are dealbreakers for me, not needing them is one of the reasons I love my Oliver so much and stay away from single axle and longer TTs Thanks for the discussion. It is necessary to remain vigilant about safely. Best, Mike

The mechanic at A and A hitch outside of Tampa has been working there since 1985 and said he had never seen it happen like that and they are a top tier BD installer. I suspect you are right and that the missing gusset is the primary suspect for me. Still, I am glad to have upgraded to the beefier coupler at the moment.

@jd1923 It is a heavily modified Talaria. Sur-ron is another sister brand and unfortunately if it has a chip or an electric motor or both it is most likely made in Asia. But it is a ton of fun. Link for a stock bike: https://lunacycle.com/talaria-sting-r-mx4/ Link for some fun upgrades: https://www.ko-moto.com/ko-talaria-upgrade-motor @topgun2 Need to probably do both but haven't got to it yet. 3rd brake light with blinkers for sure! @MAX Burner As far as departure angle. I have a pretty steep start to my driveway and the Ollie frame will hit occasionally but not the bike rack.

@mountainoliver @Steph and Dud B That is very interesting. Mine definitely did not have that gusseted welded section where the break occurred. I wonder when they made the change and why they didn't put out a recall if that is the case. Or mine was just defective from the factory. More pics of others pre-2018 might be interesting. @Geronimo John I didn't see any signs of galvanic corrosion. Bolts, aluminum and steel around bolt sleeves looked good to me. @MAX Burner I am just curious. How can the max tongue wt max be 485 lbs when the TT dry is 4900 lbs. A basic rule of thumb is tongue wt max 10% of total wt. Through various online sources, I have always considered the V-8 Tundra's to be in the 600-700 lb range. I would appreciate any input on this. I mean if you can overload your max tongue wt with a 55lb generator in the front basket I would be shocked again. And correct me if I am wrong, the Tundra pulls the Ollie incredibly well without a sway bar or WDS. SO why not just OEM the 2-5/16th coupler instead of the marginal 2 in. Lots of variables here to think about for me personally and fellow owners as well. BTW, we are back home safe and sound in good ol' Tennessee!

Last summer project that has enabled me to carry bikes much easier. I got the aluminum 2x2s, T-slot material online and the 2x2 sleeves and hardware from Oliver. Local guy in Nashville welded up the tray and cut out the slots to slide into sleeves clearing the bolts. Install was harder than I thought (you have to be very careful drilling the rear hole both sides to go in between downward slats on bottom of frame). *** For transparency, I found this while going over things related to the front coupler failure. Got me thinking more about a WD system. Best, Mike

duplicate

"On the road again!". Ramblers, I do feel fortunate that nothing serious happened to my family or anyone else on the road. When saner minds prevailed and after a few hours of sleep. I got out the tools and took off the broken coupler and headed to a Bulldog dealer (A and A Hitch) in Bradenton, FL. Mechanic/welder since 1985, said he had never seen one do that. Upgraded to the 2- 5/16 in coupler. 12,500 lb pull capacity and 1875 lb tongue load. A and A Hitch drilled the holes for me. Weight distribution device was never used (not needed?) pulls like and sits like an arrow, tongue weight always within spec (Yamaha 2200 gen since day 1 in basket), maybe 20K on frame, 2018 Tundra pulled without incident since day 1, mostly beach, MI and CO trips. Special thanks to @Mossemi and others for feedback and willingness to help. It really made me feel better and helped me make a better decision on how to rectify. Also, when looking at the broken coupler you can see where there was a seminal break that is rusted and then the subsequent clean fracture. The only thing holding it together was the top plate that was bent up. Check proximal to the neck for cracks. This happed without warning and I did not see the cracks from the outside. Side note: I like the gray paint. It may help someone see cracks vs. the standard black. Best, Mike

Coming back from a beautiful trip to West Key, FL. pulled into camp outside of Tampa and found this... Hopefully we can limp into town and get it replaced with a 2-5/16 in coupler rated for 12,500lbs. Saw a members post a while back and almost upgraded then but decided to wait. Luckily, the family is okay. Best to everyone, safe travels. Mike

We have a Cradlepoint and their omnidirectional roof top antenna that was installed by the service department since 2018. Love the wifi and reception in and out of the Ollie but have to agree with Snowball not sure I would recommend at this point. It has been a pain at times not having the subscription nor computer savvy to fix simple issues easily. One good thing, there are finally some decently priced unlimited data plans from the big 3 which makes a cellular modem more useful. We recently got a 100GB un-throttled data plan through ATT for $55/month prepaid. A lot of times cellular companies do not want to give you unlimited or fast data for hotspot usage without charging an arm and a leg. It has been the real issue for me trying to save money and switching plans only to find out the data didn't work as advertised. I do feel like their should be a simpler option that would work just fine like some of the mobile hotspots, satellite, etc. but saying that there are some very cool features like better reception than from a cell phone due to better technology combined with stronger antenna, better GPS signal, Wifi outside of the camper ( good for when in TV), can have 2 SIMs installed for switching between services, nice being able to keep Ollie connected to the internet and for wifi connected devices like alarms, cameras, door bells, temp sensors (main cab and fridge), Victron energy, etc.

I have been there a couple of times in a lifted Jeep but never stayed at the campground. The area is very interesting. Lots of 14ers. I think it would be a fabulous place to go with the Oliver but like someone mentioned it really matters more what you are driving for a pull vehicle. The Falls are cool to see plus the dunes and if you have time the Huerfano valley is amazing (you can take a shortcut and go through Medano pass if you have a 4x4 straight from the dunes) to gain a beautiful view of the North side of Blanca and Ellingwood if you are into hiking/trekking. The Valley and lots of roads in that area would not be for the Ollie but you could definitely go and have a blast sticking to the main roads. Entrance to the Falls

I would settle for a steel one! ;). Thanks to this forum I now have a 1UP (which is awesome) bike rack and would love to have a solution like this vs. the factory design to carry our bikes. Can we get a vote on who would order one and if enough people pledged might it be possible to get some made? I would be in for sure!

Finally! Going down to the service center in a couple weeks hope to maybe take a peek.

Any pics of the black installed?

Any chance of getting this made in the aluminum and selling it on this forum for self-install?

I use the Yeti 1400 to power my ARB fridge in my truck to supplement cold food storage and I usually keep it charged while driving with the TV alternator or I use portable solar panels to charge it while camped. The only time I need a propane generator for is to run the air conditioner... which is the only thing the Yeti 1400 or 3000 can't do I believe. So unless you install a larger inverter and bigger battery bank the propane gen is still needed for my use. I live in TN and AC is a must 24/7/365. I love the Yeti and Goal Zero products in general but they have very specific uses at home and on the road, although it could always be used for backup to run everything else. And for $3000 you could be well on your way to upgrading to a LFP battery bank. SO many options! I am sure you will get more feedback from the site, which is what makes this site so helpful.

Oliver connected it directly to the batteries during the build.

@Mossemi, I like the Zamp SAE port just fine. The only drawback is they reverse the polarity so that it is opposite than the rest of the industry. So you have to buy a reverse polarity adapter (cheap on Amazon) or reverse the wiring on the MC4 to SAE connection on the Renogy. But then you can’t use the renogy panel to charge anything else like a solar generator without again using polarity reversal adapter. Hope that makes sense... because it does get confusing in actual use.