Mountainman198
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Posts posted by Mountainman198
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1 hour ago, SeaDawg said:
This one?
That’s it
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I am on my fourth (and hopefully last) mattress for my twin bed E2. Each version was a improvement over the prior and so far v.4 has all of the attributes I was looking for (easy to move mattress to access valves under bed, firm base so bed can be used for sitting during the day yet soft enough to be comfortable for a side sleeper).
If the deep memory foam mattresses work for you thats great. Consider this an option for those of us who want something firmer yet easy to move to access the hatches beneath the bed
v.1 was the standard cushions. Not comfortable for side sleeper
v.2 was a 4” thick air mattress on top of standard cushion. This was firm but with a dog and cat quickly sprung a leak and I was back to v.1
v.3 was a custom cut innerspring mattress with a 30” wide Hest foamy topper. This worked great but after two years of travel the mattress developed sagging tendencies and since it was radiused in only one corner it could not be flipped or rotatedv.4 is a hest sleep system (30” wide) which features a inflatable base made like a inflatable stand up paddleboard with chambering so that it inflates perfectly flat. The 2-3” thick memory foam topper is attached to the inflatable base, which once inflated in place is secure but is easily flipped-up as a single unit to access the hatches beneath the bed.
v.4 has only been tested a few nights but will soon be on the road for 2.5 months of daily/nightly use. Will report back with updates
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A strong move by Casita. I would still chose my E2 again over the larger Casita (for many reasons).
if their specs are accurate, I predict many suspension issues.
After adding options like A/C, cooktop, electric jack, larger capacity batteries, awning, furnace plus full propane and water tanks there will not be much buffer left for furnishings, food and personal items before going over capacity, especially if camping as a Family as it is marketed.
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Dry Weight: 4,250lbs (Before Options)
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GVWR 6,000lbs
I hope to see one at the fiberglas rally in Quartzsite this Winter.-
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5 hours ago, katanapilot said:
Contrary view here. I went with 4 leaf ALCAN springs and have had more "content shifting" than with the OEM Dexter springs. The 5 leafs are stiffer yet. Much like a 2500 or 3500 series truck will have a stiffer ride than a 1500 with the same cargo loading. Only makes sense.
I spoke with Lew at Alcan about the differences in ride between the 4 and 5 leaf versions of the springs he has sold to Oliver owners. His response was that the 4 and 5 leaf springs have the same ride and spring rate (amount of weight required to be exerted on a spring to deflect it 1”). This makes sense as the 4 leaf versions are merely the 5 leaf with the shortest leaf removed, leaving the identical top 4 leafs in place. Since the shortest leaf doesn’t go to work until the first four leafs reach their limits this makes sense.
So, my takeaway from my discussion with him is that both the 4 and 5 leaf versions of his springs have the same ride firmness when towing. The big differences are in lower unsprung weight (4leaf version has one fewer leafs) and higher load capability of the 5 leaf (due to the 5th leaf providing greater load capacity).
oh, and over 20,000 miles on my 5 leaf Alcans with no issue of ride harshness or things getting jostled around (tires @50 psi and speeds not in excess of 70mph)
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On 11/8/2025 at 10:17 PM, Jim and Chris Neuman said:
The butyl caulk / tape holding the window frame to the hull is your primary moisture barrier. The externally applied silicone caulk is secondary and is there primarily to keep dirt out of the joint and improve cosmetics.
I can confirm this, having removed and replaced a bathroom window. Proper (and judicious) application of butyl rope compressed between exterior window frame and hull is what keeps water out. A THIN application of caulk is all that is needed at the outside edge of the window frame.
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12 hours ago, ScottyGS said:
The ignitor not working is a useful feature of the Oliver.... It explains why you always need to keep a lighter in the kitchen drawer. If anyone has an explanation of why a cigar cutter needs to be in that drawer too... I would appreciate your passing the information along.
Scotty
I use mine to cut carrots for salads 🤣
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1 hour ago, katanapilot said:
Stop drilling is how aircraft mechanics deal with small cracks in sheet metal skins, as well as acrylic windows, etc. I assume the same would work for fiberglass. Sharp corners create stress risers which can lead to cracks.
Were this to happen to my trailer this is most likely how I would address
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22 minutes ago, Galway Girl said:
Just had Alcan redo our Hull 505 with new springs.
Here's a video showing how they make the springs...starting at 1:14 mark for about 2 minutes.
Thanks for posting. One thing Lew mentions in the video which we have not yet touched on in this thread is that mass-produced springs often have gaps between leafs which can lead to failure. Attached is a pic I took of a nearly-new Dexter PR4 (2,400 lb) spring which I installed (in a pair) on my rear axle to limp home a year ago after experiencing a broken stock spring. This PR4 only has 125 miles on it so I consider it to be like new. Notice the daylight showing between the leafs. Not good testament to Dexter build quality and a potential for failure down the road. Something to check during annual inspection.
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9 hours ago, TimD said:
We replaced the OEM springs on our 2019 LE2 (hull 701) with Alcan HD springs a couple of weeks back. Certified RV in Holliston, MA did the work and, other than having a drop link flip as we lowered the trailer off the jacks, the work was done without drama and to our satisfaction.
We then did a 650-mile round trip to the Lehigh Valley to meet up with some friends from Pittsburgh. I re-tightened the bolts after 300 miles and will check them again now that we're home.
Not long after leaving home we felt the HD springs have caused a significant increase in "jounce" (pitch) of the TV, which is a 2019 F-150 SuperCrew, 145" WB, 5'7" bed, FX4 off-road suspension. The TV bed was lightly loaded, perhaps 125 lbs total, with another 50 lbs in the cabin rear seat area. The effect is that the rear of the TV is accelerated upwards when the Ollie hits a large bump, more than we remembered.
Anyone else experience this? Mechanically it makes sense: the Ollie suspension is less compliant, so the hull moves more and transmits this motion to the TV. Something to consider when changing springs... Improved corrosion protection is one thing, increasing stiffness is an entirely different thing.
As a postscript, we recently spoke with a guy at a campground in Morrisville, VT who was pulling a 30' Airstream with a Ford Expedition (not a Max). He insisted that bigger / heavier / more stiffly sprung tow vehicles were not obviously better and mentioned a Canadian YouTuber (name? Too lazy to look) who espoused this view...
We did not change the axles nor replace the equalizers.
Tim
My new springs took about 1-2,000 miles to fully break-in, becoming more compliant and soften-up as newly formed steel and freshly painted mating surfaces get to know one another). Hoping you will notice this too after getting a few more miles under your springs
I noticed no additional jounce after the Alcan install but then again I had previously installed firestone airbags on the Tundra to address this issue experienced with stock dexter springs.
What tire pressure are you running in your trailer tires? 50 psi seems good for me. Others like something within the 45-55 psi range.
Happy travels!
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“Lottie”, inspired by the Deming, NM gambler Carlotta Thurmond whose nickname was Lottie Deno (self-stylized from the moniker “Lotta Dinero” given to her by another gambler). Carlotta is thought to have been the inspiration for Miss Kitty of the Gunsmoke TV series
the nickname performs double duty for my Ollie as I commonly refer to her as Lottie Frickin’ Da due to her being frequently found camping “down by the river”. Lottie sounds a lot better than calling her Matt Foley. IYKYK
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16 minutes ago, Bradt said:
Check out the hitch. Either the stock hitch broke during the accident or it was changed prior. Where is this located?
Montana
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Saw this 2025 E2 in a salvage yard. Hoping everyone is ok. Hard to imagine a SOB trailer surviving a roll-over as well is this Oliver did. The Solo Stove in the tongue basket did not fare so well.
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1 hour ago, jd1923 said:
If anybody would like to buy an OEM 2” receiver, at a reasonable cost, I have one removed from ours. Shipping would not be reasonable, so keep it in mind for anybody visiting AZ, going to Quartzsite this winter, etc.
John, I am interested but wont be able to pick up until this Winter when I am back in AZ. Please PM me the details along with measurements between the legs going back into the bumper brackets and the square tube o.d. I doubt they changed over the years but best to be safe).
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I prepped both surfaces by sanding then cleaning with alcohol, used two-part epoxy and has stayed put for 3yrs and 30k miles
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The Collar, ABUS lock with 2” de-shanked hitch ball locked in the jaw. If leaving for extended period, will remove safety chains. If they want it, they will find a way to take it, merely deterring honest and lazy thieves is the goal. Buddy had SOB trailer stolen from his drive by thief merely wrapping safety chains around hitch and dragging it off, sparks flying down the road.
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8 hours ago, jd1923 said:
First @Mountainman198, Lance get the cat OFF the dinner table! 🤣
You tell him! 🤪. That’s what a daily wipedown with disinfectant is for. Still trying to train him (it’s only been ten yrs). I am delusional that I am making progress.
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Covered litter box goes underneath dinette, against the hull. My cat loves to travel.
Here is a picture of Tommy Lee attentively watching Sandhill cranes in Willcox, AZ
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10 hours ago, Rivernerd said:
We left a bottle of Dawn dish soap, stuffed in a plastic shopping bag, in the sink while on the road. The soap bottle leaked, and we didn't catch it before winter storage. We didn't know that Dawn can be corrosive, if allowed to sit fully concentrated on steel for too long. Lesson learned! The pitting is just unsightly enough to land sink replacement on my "some day" to-do list, maybe in the winter.
Does anyone know where to source a replacement galley sink? My preliminary research suggests it is not a stock size available from etrailer or Lippert. I submitted a "low priority" ticket to Oliver, but they have not yet gotten back to me.
You may find success by re-graining the stainless finish on your existing sink using red and/or gray scotch brite hand pads. I did this with great success on a stainless oven door which had been heavily scuffed during transport. Looked like new after application of some elbow grease.
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11 hours ago, Ronbrink said:
Where do you store the Lagun table and swing arm, in the Pelican case as well? I see the upright leg is securely bolted.
Lagun mount
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52 minutes ago, Ronbrink said:
Where do you store the Lagun table and swing arm, in the Pelican case as well? I see the upright leg is securely bolted.
Table and swingarm get stored in truck. Upright mounting plate is bolted to pelican case so it can be adjusted up and down.
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V.2
Updated outdoor Hitchen to house my camp stove and propane hose as well as attach a Lagun table. Like several of us, I prefer to cook outside and digging my camp stove and table out of the back of the truck can be a pain. Hoping this latest version will work well.
The use of a Pelican case as a outdoor kitchen is popular in the overlanding community and should be easier to setup and stow than pulling cooking gear from the back of the truck. A pair of cables will be installed on the lid of the case so it rests parallel to the ground and can act as a surface upon which the stove can sit while cooking.
Last image is the from a overlanding site.
For those wondering why I don’t use the rear receiver to haul bikes, well I did this in the past but found that with a dog I would rather be on foot with her than on wheels without her.
I also prefer not to cook inside the trailer as I detest cleanup of cooking residue (yes, I am lazy).
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No drinking or cooking from on board water tank. Wont even use it for filling pet water dishes.
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Perhaps you have already tried hooking up the Oliver to your Ram or a friend’s tow vehicle that has a known, working brake controller? It may be too late to try this as a definitive test as you have made several changes to the trailer wiring.
I had a similar issue when hooking my Dodge Ram to my car hauler and the brakes would not work, yet worked when hooked-up to another trailer. Brakes on both subject trailers worked when hooked-up to my Toyota Tundra. I put a new brake controller on the Ram and the issue has not returned.
It’s worth a try. Hate to see you fire sale your Ollie if the problem might be with your tow vehicle.
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Saw a grey/white E2 heading West on I80 in Nebraska today (grey top/white bottom). Best-looking E2 I have ever seen. If this was you, how did you achieve the solid grey on the top clamshell (wrap, paint, gel coat)?
Quartzsite 2026
in Events & Rallies
Posted
See you there for a few days during Big Tent then off to CA for a bit then back thru for a few days during the fiberglas rally. Looking forward to seeing the usual suspects again and meeting some new folks
Lance