Mountainman198
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Posts posted by Mountainman198
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7 minutes ago, Geronimo John said:
Is the comparison of a 1750 pound bushing to that of a 3000 pound bushing logical?
Which bushings do your 2,600 lb PR4 springs have?
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14 minutes ago, rideandfly said:
Question, are the Alcan wet pin bronze bushings (assume bronze) thicker (larger OD) than the Dexter EZ Flex bronze bushings? The Dexter bronze bushings are so delicate, during installation it's easy to damage them. I may have missed this point in this thread.
Installing the bronze bushing on a Dexter 5 leaf spring coated with castor oil:
Yes. While I.D. Remains the same as stock, the bushing wall thickness on the Alcan is greater than the dexter ( Alcan is bottom in attached photo while stock dexter-supplied spring is on top).
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1 hour ago, Cort said:
Thanks for the instructions. I actually carry all of that with me - I didn't envision a day long job though - darn!
I replaced two springs on the same axle at a campground after one broke and the other was failing. Took 4 hrs using the onboard rear “stabilizers” and a bottle jack. Found a pair of springs at a local rv shop. Once I made it home I replaced all four with Alcan 5-leafs and never looked back. 10,000+ trouble-free miles on the Alcans. It can be done if you have the tools.
PM me and I am happy to talk you thru the process.
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On 1/21/2025 at 8:59 AM, MAX Burner said:
OK - a random idea following @Steve Morris's impressive milestone....
Back in the day when flying aboard navy aircraft carriers, it was a big deal to celebrate every 100 landings on a specific carrier and especially every 100 NIGHT landings on that particular boat. Each air wing had its own flight jacket "Centurion Patch" with the number of landings 100, 200, 300, etc. including the name of the carrier (Nimitz, Constellation, Ranger, Oriskany, etc.).
The idea is we design a patch, coffee cup, hat, whatever that celebrates multiples of 100 nights in an OTT. The most coveted was the "Black Centurion" patch signifying 100 night landings.
Thoughts for coming up with and designing "Oliver Centurion" swag?
I like it, Art. Might I suggest the coveted patch series for Ollie owners would be the “Boondock Centurian” patch celebrating 100, 200, 500 nights spent without hookups?
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This interior shot was posted on the Oliver FB page for their new Bluetooth speaker. Could this be the interior view of the new windows?
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45 minutes ago, Geronimo John said:
Mountainman: Sorry for the off topic response.
GJ
No worries. I have a 1979 Husky 390WR that I would put on my tongue, balanced-out by a hitch-mounted Big Green Egg on the back
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7 hours ago, jdmmtx said:
We had the 4-leaf Alcan springs installed yesterday along with the 5200 axles. Not sure if we’re the first with this spring version but think we may be. We’ve only towed about 125 miles but so far so good. Will update in a week or so after we have traveled a much longer distance. GJ, one of the guys at Alcan said the 5-leaf spring weighs in at around 23 pounds, so, if that is accurate, I’d say the 4-leaf is more than 17. But I certainly don’t know for sure.
Glad you got what you wanted. Lew and his team are Great.
the springs you bought are just like the top one in the attached pic, minus the bottom most (short) leaf, correct?
Please keep us advised as you put more miles on the new suspension
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Interesting design, but the rear overhang is HUGE. Coupled with what appears to be low ground clearance, the departure angle would be really small.
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8 hours ago, John and Debbie said:
Hi Mountain Man, we just got the Alcan Springs in Tuesday. Lee said he has no competition in the USA. He said you were the first to get them, but he's done about 100 Oliver's since yours. How much stiffer are these 5 leaf springs versus the 4 leaf ones? We have about 10 miles on them so will be going under the trailer in 40 and 90 more miles. I have a big piece of cardboard to use when I torque them.
Initially, they are a bit stiffer but after 500 miles or so the ride softens. I dont notice much more stiffness now than stock ( judged by stuff falling off counters and beds while underway). There is less side to side movement of trailer going down the road than before. I am extremely happy with my Alcans after 10,000 miles.
Everyone has to come to their own conclusion about what is right for them. I have no idea if St Louis Spring makes a good product or not. It is merely an alternative to be investigated by those who want something other than stock or Alcan.
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11 hours ago, katanapilot said:
Has anyone been able to get leaf springs (like the ALCAN) in a slightly lower weight rating? I would like to do this modification, but like GJ, I am a little concerned about the additional stiffness of the ALCAN springs and the long term effects on the Oliver. I would prefer to do the ALCAN mod versus the PR4 Dexters, but I need to resolve my concerns first.
Try here. When doing my initial research for US made springs, they said they could re-create the 1,750 lb 4 leafs using US steel.
Saintloiusspring.com
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I do not believe Oliver offered a 2” receiver option again until just recently. Definitely not offered in 2021. If you bought yours used, perhaps prior owner had the smaller sleeve pressed out in hopes of using a 2” shank, however as I recall, there have been posts about owners trying this only to find out that the i.d. Was not large enough.
Please post pics so others can weigh-in.
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31 minutes ago, Rolind said:
This is what I use. I think I bought them at Home Depot or Lowe’s.
Exactly what I found at Lowes. I couldn't find my packaging. Thanks for posting
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19 minutes ago, topgun2 said:
Be a bit careful with these in that Oliver has used several different styles of these door retainers over the years. Before you buy - make sure that you are getting the correct grommets for your particular Ollie.
Bill
Exact match. I took the one from my door into Lowes before it rotted and fell off so I would know. Last one from Lowes lasted three years before falling off. Looks like I need to root thru the drawer for a replacement
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Bought a package of them at Lowes and keep in the junk drawer in the trailer. If I recall they were pretty reasonable
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10 minutes ago, MAX Burner said:A couple of Ollies spotted at a Cracker Barrel somewhere in NW Alabama last night -- they were both pointing to an eastbound destination.
Nothing good can come from this meet-up! Have fun at the Rally!
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4 hours ago, rideadeuce said:
I believe what he stated in the video is out of the 90 kWh battery only 69.7 kWh is available to maintain a huge buffer for those times when it is needed for increased demand when towing uphill, etc.
The example he gave for testing was Davis Dam. The truck towing 14, 000 lbs (2,650 lbs payload) could go up 3000 feet over 11 miles on a depleted battery.
Pretty sure these statements are directly from Ram as I have seen the exact quotes elsewhere in their announce media. Assume these quotes are for when vehicle is operating in Tow mode. Battery reserve would have much lower “floor” in normal mode.
Looking forward the TFL Truck test run towing the Ike Gauntlet. Hopefully they address the normal vs tow mode battery reserve issue when towing.
I love the series PHEV model for “EV” towing. I just wish they would make tow mode automatic when a trailer is attached (maybe this will be the case at launch).
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8 hours ago, SeaDawg said:
@Galileo, you may want to see the new 2026 ramcharger when it (finally) goes on sale later this year. It's a phev, but the gasser 3.6 pentastar V6 engine is strictly an onboard generator, not part of the drivetrain. Although it is gas vs diesel, it's a bit like what you described, and makes a lot of sense, to me. Charge while driving from the fossil fuel motor, and reduce the range anxiety.
I'll be interested in seeing talks towing test when they finally get their hands on one. Even if range is cut in half by towing, you'd still get 300 miles or so between charging (or, just filling the gas tank). Best of both worlds, if it works as stated.
https://www.ramtrucks.com/electric/ram-1500-ramcharger.html#overview
The Ramcharger appears to be a series hybrid which means that the onboard gas generator provides electricity to the batteries to drive the wheels when the drive battery charge goes below the predetermined lower threshold and stops discharging. This feature is great when you deplete your battery and then the generator kicks on to provide electricity. From what I understand the generator can only provide a diminished, set amount of electric to run the drivetrain. This is all fine for driving on flat land at moderate speed and not towing. But what about when you are towing up a significant incline and the battery has gone below its lower limit and the electricity output from the onboard generator is not enough to meet the heavy power demands of towing uphill? It appears the Ram engineers have thought of this and included a “Tow” mode which reserves a preset amount of battery reserve to be engaged along with the generator output in high demand situations. Good thinking. This is very similar to the “Mountain”mode in my Chevrolet Volt (which reserves electric for climbing when using the onboard gas generator.
But, what if someone forgets to engage towing mode and depletes their battery before starting to climb a long steep grade while towing? If the Ramcharger behaves like my Volt in similar conditions, you can quickly reach a point where energy demand outpaces the capability of the onboard gas generator, forcing the vehicle into reduced propulsion mode. I know with my volt the accelerator response and power is greatly diminished, placing the car into a sort of enhanced limp mode. Will the Ramcharger do the same? Will the reduced propulsion mode on the Ram be enough energy to tow a heavy trailer up a grade slowly or at all? Will the tow vehicle come to a stop leaving you stranded on incline? Who will be first to test this out and report back?
my point above is stated perhaps more clearly in this article, however it is still not clear whether the enhanced battery reserve is available in standard drive mode or only when the driver manually engages tow mode before heading out with a fully charged battery.
https://insideevs.com/news/751670/ramcharger-battery-size-usa-towing/
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I have Firestone airbags installed on my Tundra and have liked the way they perform (25,000 miles towing to date). Adjustability is key for my uses. 25 psi when towing eliminates jouncing in rear of truck. Happy Camper. Adjustability, price point (approx $400 at time of install) and ease of install were selling points for me. Very little leakage over 3 yrs.
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7 minutes ago, topgun2 said:
A very quick and easy "security" item is to simply purchase a stainless steel nut for the threaded post coming out of the back of the Ollie.
Still using the "wheel" nut that came stock, just double nut it with the new stainless nut. Not too many crooks out there carry a wrench big enough for that nut.
Bill
I did something similar by merely double stacking a nylon lock nut on top of the standard wingnut. All you are trying to do is slow down a thief since a serious one will merely use a big screwdriver or wrench and pry the spanner up 1/4” between the two tanks to free them to be pulled out.
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10,000 mile update on Alcan springs:
A year had passed since my dreaded roadside leaf spring break and 10,000 miles are on the Ollie with Alcan springs underneath so I thought I would provide my update.
Ride height - rear bumper rides approx 1/2” higher than stock
Ride performance - first 500 miles seemed a bit stiffer than stock with a few more items from counter and beds on the floor but the springs settled-in after that and there is no observed difference inside the trailer now (no additional stuff found fallen to the floor). Trailer tracks the same as stock, however visible jouncing (up and down) and side to side (roll) are observed to be less pronounced than stock. I also noticed when doing annual bearing maintenance that the spring shackles no longer invert when both wheels on the same side are jacked off the ground.
Overall impression - had I known that a heavier capacity, 5-leaf spring, made in the US with US steel and featuring a design with the second leaf which extended all the way under each spring eye was available sooner I would have swapped sooner, just as I had previously done with solid stainless lug nuts and US made Timken bearings. No regrets on the upgrade from stock springs.
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Never tire of this campground. Aguirre Springs, site #18. Campground was nearly empty so finally got what I consider to be the best site. Organ Mtns, NM. White Sands on plains below to left
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For those who are not on the Fiberglass Rally Facebook page. Oliver camp shown both at the beginning and at end of the video.
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We are turned up to Eleven (Ollies, total count) currently. Good to see old friends and make new ones.
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Made in USA leaf springs
in Mechanical & Technical Tips
Posted
The pair of PR4 springs I got to replace my failed stock springs and limp home last year had the same size bushings as my old 1,750 stock springs. Perhaps yours are different?