Geronimo John

Geoff: I support your well written post above. Sadly, the change of direction was NOT communicated well to those of us who are also fully invested in the OTT System. Further clarifications for OTT have been slow to seep out and that has obviously been more than a bit disruptive as a result. I support our Monitor's insightful thoughts and suggestions. After all this group have been with the Oliver's from the beginning. I strongly believe that OTT is hearing our concerns and will address them more clearly in information sent to us all DIRCTLY. That way all of us get the message intended and a better understanding as to where this great organization is going. I too am in this for life, and I look forward to working with Jason on Tech Services issues, but hopefully never for major rebuild and frame issues..... But knowing that OTT is there for us for these major problems and the what I call Technical Services is a wonderful start. Again, well written. GJ

This thread has given me a serious headache! GJ

https://www.bestmaterials.com/detail.aspx?ID=20596&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=(ROI) PMax Shopping - Low/No AOV&utm_id=18030280001&utm_content=&utm_term=&gad_source=4 https://www.chemical-concepts.com/product/american-sealants-0240-cleaner-remover-14-oz-net-weight-can/?utm_source=googleshopping&utm_medium=cse&srsltid=AfmBOop8hPEz53xgukj9M1jJ5fHGXYcHM-KH_hwxWI5aSBtTGkVdMxnFYds Never tried to remove silicone....yet. So newbee question from an RoF: Will much less costly Goof Off adhesive remover work vs. the above $20/$30 per can options? BJ

More great info just keeps dribbling out. Thrilled for your sharing this key info. Thanks

Sorry that the "off brand" dealer's performance was subpar. By chance was it one of the dealerships that is now in the OTT program? Your comment about service "being ripe for process reengineering" is true especially for warranty work. Down the road as you get to know your trailer out of warranty, likely you will be much more comfortable to doing repairs DIY style as many of us do. For out of warranty owners especially, this forum can provide you with great details on how to do almost anything you can imagine with your rig. Just ask a question and our members are rarely shy about giving you options. Often we will encourage an owner to put in a service ticket if it is something that needs to be tracked for QC reasons or simply to get the Service Team's technical diagnosis or thoughts. I do believe that transitioning the Service Leadership Team to that of a Technical Services role for dealerships and with owners via this forum will serve all very well. Likewise having trusted dealerships out there, for both and routine service, will be very much more convenient that only the Mother Ship Option. I wish you well. GJ

Sherry: Thankyou for your response. I would like to tie together the discussions about the changes being undertaken by OTT and the feelings of many owners. Concerning documentation, June and I are lucky as our 2018 Owner’s Manual has a pretty good set of schematic drawings. The difficult part of technical record keeping and document production is the frequency of change. For OTT, each year more than a few individual components change and new features are added. So, the schematics and their supporting documentation have to be updated just about every year. This takes time and resources. Cumulatively over the years the changes creates a lot of data points that Service has to keep up with. Jason and his team do this exceptionally well. But at the dealership level it would be impossible to do so at the same level. So, in addition to the owners needing the info, the dealerships certainly will need it even more. So long as Jason and his team are employed by OTT with the mission to support the technical and diagnostic questions of BOTH the new dealerships and the DYI owners, we will ALL be fine. However, their departmental name likely would need to be changed from Service Department to maybe “Technical Services” to better reflect what OTT management is trying to do. I can think of no individual at OTT that would be more qualified than Jason to also supervise the individual that will be necessary to produce the technical documentation that is needed by both the dealerships and OTT trailer owners. Now if only OTT would come forward and state that they will continue to support this changed mission of the existing Service Department, and also the continued existence of this wonderful forum, I think the situation would be greatly defused. For me, that would erase all my concerns. Hoping and praying for the best outcome for OTT and all their customers. GJ

I'm not so sure of that. For the sake of example, let's assume that 90% of all RV's are not used year round. Those unused months, mostly in winter, are perfect times for the Service Department to do scheduled annual maintenance. I feel certain that Jason and Team can train up the dealership Techs to do annual service, and do it to the Mother Ship's high standards. For me that is not an issue. It is the diagnosing and trouble shooting of systems that is next to impossible to teach in a short period of time. This is the part of the OTT divestment plan I am most worried about. Followed closely of course is their continued support of that process and this forum. GJ

Sherry: In the military, and civilian life as well, when leadership does not keep their troops in the know; They begin to wander ever increasingly from the line of march. Ultimately the team will spiral down the drain tube of mission failure. From my perspective, that in the past has not ever been the OTT path. Training of tech teams who will be "Authorized" to maintain OTT's is certainly something that must be done for the whole dealership concept to work. And there is no one better than the OTT Service Department to do so. Is OTT obligated to tell us what their plans are. Of course not. But not doing so with respect to the changes being made is not logical. Why? Good will is built over years and many thousands of encounters. It can be destroyed 1,000 times quicker than it can be re-built. It is the Service Department that IMO is primarily responsible for the huge Good Will that is demonstrated to the world many dozens of times a day. Hence, having the Technical Resources at the Mother Ship and this forum to help filter out the work load they see is imperative to the continued success and growth of OTT and their dealerships as well. In some eyes, the Technical Advisory Role and Forum future are concerns by the owners that could continue to fester, or be put to rest in an excellent manner....It just takes communication. GJ

For each of the years various configurations and options. In hard and electronic copy. Not likely to happen in my lifetime.

For our OE2 purchase, and I suspect for a lot of other OTT trailer owners, a significant part of the premium price we willingly paid included access to the outstanding benefit of this forum and access to the top Service Team in the country. Should they go the way I have now predicted twice, frankly there will be many owners feeling abandoned by a company we trusted to be there for us. No service team, no forum.... those would have serious implications.

I read the above with more than a little bit of anger and sadness. Recall that on Dec 2, 2023 In the "Oliver Dealerships Now Active" thread, I posted the below: QUOTE: For some firms, the logical business next steps are what worry this owner: Likely down side for existing owners is that the next step could be to reduce their Service Team. That would over time impact our access to the Service Team's tremendous amount of institutional knowledge that Jason and his staff have garnered Doing so will reduce the feedback loop that they provide to the firm in general. Just one aspect of this is the warranty and service info requests likely will have to be routed through the "local" dealers. Feedback filters generally are not real productive.. UNQUOTE If an inhouse Service Team is not actively be engaged with one's customers problems is so sad. They certainly will lose their technical edge. Then it is easy to cut them all off the Payroll. GJ

Maybe you could just make the front center bracket triangular shaped at the top and add aluminum tubing behind the leading edge of the panel to keep it clean looking as it is now.

Art: Excellent write up. Will greatly ease the worry factor by those who have not messed with springs before. Couple of thoughts/questions: Step 10: "Dexter Center Shackle": Are these the EZ Flex spring shackle connections? Step 16: "We oriented them so th grease ole on the wet-bolt faced "UP". In the forum "Remove Wet Bolt", GAP replied " After talking to Dexter, my conclusion is that the nut had been installed incorrectly. The little hole that the grease comes out is supposed to be at 3:00 or 9:00 and, turned facing say 6:00 or 12:00, will not dispense grease. Step 19: "Torque all nuts to Specs". What are the spec's? I for sure will be using your procedure! Many many thanks! GJ

I think a call to the mothership is in order ASAP. And would you please add a signature line so we all know you have hull 70 and other pertinent info. It's the Pono thing to do brother! GJ

I like Art's (MaxBurner) dual roving security systems. ARF! ARF! 🙂 GJ

I don't know what the hitch vice is made from, but if the Grade 8's don't work, possibly you could drill it out to a larger bolt size and re-tap it? GJ

Can you use Nylocks or double nutting?

Art: Did the new AlCAN springs change the OE2 clearance height any? Could be critical for storage clearance for some of us. GJ

Ditto on my life. Last year we lost a paraglider pilot out in the desert. He did not have a Satellite Tracker. He died out there, over 100 miles off of the expected route. There were way over 200 S&R folks involved. That said, we do not need to be very far from people to not be easily found. In his case, his injuries were severe, but had we known where to look he certainly would have survived. Expensive? Not in the least. So especially if you are a pilot, travel alone, hike in mountains, or mountain bike (Just to name a few ways) remember you can cover some ground. If you get hurt the S&R folks will not have a good chance of finding you in time. GJ

Your questions are good ones for ANY TV with airbags. With airbags and Anderson: The chain tension can cause structural issues with the the TV and Ollie, as well as with headlight aim. They can be set for towing to eliminate rear TV squat, and that may require less of a drop in your TV receiver. My Firestone AB's don't auto adjust, but they do require that I adjust their pressure each time I hook up or unhook Ollie. GJ

Labeling would be the gift of a lifetime for DYI owners. Liability? No it would be a liability defense for OTT. After all if I had known what that big red 1" diameter wire was, I would not have licked it to see if it was energized.......

Darn it Sherry, I had not ever noticed the off center. Now that's all I see! DRATS! 🙂 GJ

The flow reduction may be caused by the pressure in the accumulator depleting down to the pressure of the activated pump. Worth a consideration. GJ

Just keep in mind that Art has exquisite tastes when it comes to beer! GJ

Wow you must be photography buff. You are correct. I try to keep them "simplized" (Yea that is another GJ concocted new word) as: The Keystone effect is when lines converge with distance. Parallax on the other hand is when an object appears differently when viewed from two different points when in motion. The picture of the cabinet door has a bit of the former as you astutely observed. But, if I am inside Ollie, and my wife is driving down the highway, would Parallasium, not to be confused with paralaxium, end up being Keystoning when viewed from an infinite distance? Think on that one for a while. GJ: PS: I can't as it gives me a brain circuit trip.