Rivernerd
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Posts
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Joined
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Days Won
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Posts posted by Rivernerd
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4 hours ago, rideadeuce said:
SIDE NOTE: OTT did reimburse me for my coupler and hitch. Jason was very helpful.
This is solid evidence that Oliver continues to do the right thing. Regardless of how the 5K rated coupler got to Oliver, Oliver installed it on an Elite II, and took financial responsibility for replacement when it failed, even after expiration of the 1-year warranty. This confirms one of our reasons for choosing an Oliver: a culture of integrity.
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49 minutes ago, mossemi said:
I like to keep the grey tank closed so when I am ready to dump the black tank, I can use the grey water to flush the hose.
Same for us. We have found we do not need to dump the gray tank more often than every 2 days or so, even with showers, so it takes little time away from our camping adventures. We usually dump the black tank first regardless of its level, then flush with the gray tank contents.
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Love the Wera and Knipex tools. Your plan may not have yet worked out as well as you hoped, but you have been using quality tools!
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20 hours ago, SNY SD UP said:
Our (2) rear leaves broke on the 'eye leaf' at the point where the leaf below the eye ended. I believe I saw some similar break points on other pics posted above. We were in the NWT/TUK area so resources were limited.
Perhaps anyone planning to tow their Oliver Elite II to Alaska should invest in a set of ALCAN 5-leaf springs before the trip.
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1 hour ago, HDRider said:
I had looked at those. They used a 2" receiver. I want to stay with the stock 1 1/4"
There have been threads on this forum discussing the weight limitations of racks (bike, cargo, etc.) on the back of an Oliver. As I recall, the limitations result from the increased dynamic load exerted by anything cantilevered off the back of the trailer, far aft of the rear axle. These limitations, in turn, prompted Oliver to limit the bike rack mount to 1-1/4".
I recommend you carefully consider what you want to carry behind the trailer, and how that will impact the longevity of the aluminum frame.
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1 hour ago, routlaw said:
Its curious that all of the people who have had these weld breaks are at the same place, same brace and yet have nothing to do (directly) with the support of the heaviest item the water tank.
So, the welder who told you to never haul your Elite II with a full tank of water was wrong, since the fresh water tank is forward of the broken welds?
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6 hours ago, rideandfly said:
Question, would doubling the crossmember material create more stress on the welds due to less flexibility?
I am not a metallurgist, but it seems to me that less flexibility should=less stress on the welds, not more. And, intuitively, doubling the crossmember material should strengthen the entire assembly, reducing stress on the welds.
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1 hour ago, routlaw said:
Do not go down the road with a full fresh water tank ever, otherwise there will be more breaks in these crossbeams.
So, no boondocking? By definition, the places we boondock do not have potable water supplies, so we carry our fresh water in the tank from home.
Please include that advice from your welder in a service ticket. Oliver Service needs to know that at least one reputable welding establishment believes the Elite II cannot safely carry a loaded fresh water tank as designed.
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On 4/4/2024 at 9:34 AM, MAX Burner said:
When Alcan ran the dimensions of the Chinese-made AXLE TEK spring used on my Oliver, it was "quite a bit less than the rated 1,750# target", according to Mike.
This test result, when paired with the fact that a number of Elite II owners have experienced leaf spring failure within the first few years of ownership, is distressing to me as an owner of a 2022 LEGACY Elite II. We paid a premium price (over $80K) for a "Premium Luxury Travel" trailer, which I now know came with cheap, sub-standard Chinese 4-leaf springs that will likely fail soon. My ALCAN 5-leaf replacement springs have already been received, and will be installed soon, because I don't want the cheap OEM springs to fail on the road somewhere. Apparently the term "Legacy" is just marketing hype.
Oliver would be well advised to specify that higher-quality, 5-leaf springs be supplied by Dexter with its axles going forward, particularly now that the Elite II base price is over $95K. How Oliver addresses this issue will tell me a lot about the company. Perhaps when asked, I should describe it as a "premium-priced trailer with some cheap critical OEM components."
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2 hours ago, rich.dev said:
1) Had an issue with my solar panels not charging, I put a ticket in and within an hour received a call from Hannah, took her maybe 30min to diagnose the problem. Why, because she is familiar with everything a-z related to layout, ie electrical/gas/plumbing etc diagrams, components and component layout.
Access to the expertise of the Service team in Hohenwald is also critically important to me. Perhaps delegating "hands on" service work to dealer techs will free up more time for the excellent Service Team in Hohenwald to provide just the kind of expert help rich.dev describes above to more Oliver owners, as the number of hulls on the road continues to increase?
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5 hours ago, Steve Morris said:
[Paul Polk] is currently on travel around the US and has suddenly (but no altogether surprisingly) started to have some issues with [his] old, AGM batteries.
Battery replacement is not unique to Oliver travel trailers. Although it would be best if listed Oliver dealers were actually ready to service Olivers, dealer service (including service provided by Oliver in Hohenwald) is usually much more expensive than independent service. For "generic" RV issues, like batteries, it is not necessary to find dealer service.
I would advise Paul Polk to find a Batteries Plus location in LA and ask them to replace his AGM batteries. Batteries Plus does installation.
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I can't see any photos. Did you upload them?
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On 3/27/2024 at 12:12 PM, Wandering Sagebrush said:
Thought I’d ask if anyone has a better solution.
Wicking Loctite (Green). You can put a drop on the bolt threads and it will wick into the threaded connection.
https://www.amazon.com/Loctite-29031-Green-Wicking-Threadlockers/dp/B004FCH82C
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16 hours ago, ChrisMI said:
The Oliver family would be wise to hold on to Jason with both hands to keep him at headquarters doing what he does best.
When I met with Operations Manager Rodney Lomax on November 14, 2022 (while the few issues we found with our Hull #1291 after delivery were being promptly addressed by the Service Department), I told him: "Whatever you pay Jason Essary, it's not enough."
One year+ later, my view has not changed.
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On 3/27/2024 at 4:17 PM, JEssary said:
Whether on the road or at home, we are working to ensure owners receive the same excellent customer service you have come to trust here at Oliver Travel Trailers.
I expect it is not realistic to believe that our closest dealer (in Orem, Utah) will employ a Service Manager of as high a caliber as Jason Essary.
The only thing constant is change......
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1 hour ago, Steph and Dud B said:
We feel it is prudent to discontinue most service work here at our location in Tennessee.
The best part of buying an Oliver has been the Service Department. Will owners still be able to submit service tickets online, and get a response from the team in Hohenwald? I hope the response to service tickets is not: "See your local dealer."
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1 hour ago, MAX Burner said:
You can remove the screen at the faucet where the water comes out -
Also known as an aerator, when referring to faucets.
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7 hours ago, Lisa Rae said:
I was wondering if the length of the plumbing run to the bathroom is what is causing the pressure/flow to be low and the pump surge
For what it's worth, the extra length of the plumbing run to our Elite II bath does not noticeably affect the flow volume or pressure vs. the kitchen.
In your shoes, I would be looking for some kind of blockage in the bath supply line, starting with possible calcium buildup over the past 8 years since Hull # 158 was built.
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3 hours ago, Lisa Rae said:
I did that [remove the bath faucet/shower head] but have no frame of reference if the flow was good or not but I guess if the pump stays on constantly and doesn't surge that might tell me if the faucet/shower head is the problem.
The flow to our bath faucet/shower head in Hull #1291 is about the same as the flow to the kitchen sink. If the flow from your flexible bath faucet/shower head hose (with the faucet/shower head removed) is not about the same as the robust flow into the kitchen sink shown in your video, then you likely have flow restriction somewhere between the kitchen and bath.
If so, my next step would be to try the decalcification process referenced by Jason Foster above.
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37 minutes ago, Jim and Frances said:
Not sure about running any generator in the rain that isn't specifically designed for it.
That is why I put my pair of dual-fuel Champion generators in the bed of my pickup, under the truck canopy, when it is raining. Even though I don't have the optional front 30A power connection, I have a 50-ft. 30A power cord that will reach the 30A connection on the driver's side of the Elite II.
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4 hours ago, rideadeuce said:
So this begs the question, How did a 5k coupler get put on a 2018 Elite II. Is my EII the only one that was equipped with the wrong coupler.
As I recall, Oliver has been sent a link to this thread. Given the gravity of the error, it would be appropriate customer care, in my judgment, for Oliver to provide an answer to this question.
I also recommend that all Elite II owners with 2" couplers verify that their Bulldog couplers are rated for 7K lbs.
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6 hours ago, Rivernerd said:
I find it easier to attach the Andersen with the turnbuckles loose, then tighten the turnbuckles to make the chain assembly taut.
I carry a pair of Robogrips in the bed of my Tundra for this purpose.
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5 hours ago, Dennis and Melissa said:
may end up doing this. What are the downsides if the 2 sides aren’t set perfectly?
I have towed our Elite II about 3K miles with an Andersen WD hitch. In my experience, so long as both chains feel taut, the Andersen hitch works just fine. "Perfect" is not required; close is good enough.
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15 minutes ago, Dennis and Melissa said:
I hope to figure out the procedure that makes this trivial.
You might consider replacing some of the extra chain links required to connect the Andersen WD hitch to your Oliver with turnbuckles. If the truck changes height on you, you may be able to simply adjust the turnbuckles to compensate. Although I tow with a Tundra that does not have an airbag suspension, I find it easier to attach the Andersen with the turnbuckles loose, then tighten the turnbuckles to make the chain assembly taut.
See this thread:
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Unhitching
in General Discussion
Posted
Been there, done that, "got the T-shirt." I learned that my ability to accurately determine which way the campsite slopes is limited. So, I the started carrying chocks for both the front and back of each set of wheels. Before disconnecting the coupler, I ensure that the wheels are chocked both front and back, and rubber-hammered into place. So far, this has prevented unwanted movement.