Mountainman198

Given that the Dexter (EMCO, TexTrail) springs are only $70/pr, I felt my time better spent playing guitar and drinking coffee than documenting and substantiating the claim to Dexter only to possibly be rewarded with another set of their springs.

Mike from ALCAN just called to let me know that all future orders of springs for Olivers will have the centering pins in the correct orientation for our trailers. He asked that I alert those who have ordered and who may order in the future to state the springs are for a Oliver E2. I had sent him an email asking about my understanding of how to flip the centering pins on my springs. He confirmed that flipping the pins is as simple as MountainOliver explains with a couple of C clamps, wrench, and hammer. Hopefully, I am the only Oliver owner to have to perform this step moving forward.

The wet bolts from my Oliver are 9/16" O.D. and from my measurement of the ALCAN springs I received I am re-using my existing wet bolts as the I.D of the bronze bushings in the ALCAN springs I received are 9/16". Let me know if this does not make sense. I chose NOT to buy new wet bolts from ALCAN.

I don't know about the other owners who have experienced a broken spring(s) but I opened a ticket the day after it broke and remained in contact with them until I sourced new springs.

Agree. Has anyone checked out the lead provided for St. Louis Spring? They seemed capable of replicating our springs with US Steel. Has anyone identified additional US Spring manufacturers who can build to our specs in US 5160 steel?

I can confirm that these measurements match the OEM brand/model spring specs for Hull #898 as well as match the published specs for the replacements spring brand/model provided by Oliver Service for my trailer. I encourage owners to confirm the specs of their OEM springs to know what they are replacing before proceeding with replacement of any part as we know certain differences exist between out trailers based in hull# and date produced. My OEM Spring make/model was conveniently stamped into the retainer band towards the end of each of my leaf springs (see pic). From this info I did a google search and found the specs. The springs installed at the factory on Hull #898 were made by EMCO and are model #PR-4B. The specs match what Steve provided above. Added to the specs Steve provided is the bushing spec provided by Oliver. The bushing is inserted into the spring eye and our wet bolts ride inside of them. The specs for these bushings (whether plastic or bronze) is 1.75”L, 11/16 O.D.(outside diameter) and 9/16”I.D.(inside diameter). It should be noted that the bronze bushing on the ALCAN springs is thicker walled than standard such that while it still has a 9/16”I.D., the spring eye into which it is pressed is larger than 11/16”. The 9/16”I.D. Of the bushing is important on these metrics as our wet bolts (which are 9/16” must fit inside the bushing eye) I hope this makes sense. I have attached a pic for comparison OEM spring in top, ALCAN on bottom.

Same here. One was bad so I bought a pair of the same model monroe. Could not find a better shock as nothing cross-references with it. Anyone have a better shock please provide make and part number

not in my situation. The ubolts rested on the steel carrier which is bolted to the frame. I could still place my fingers between the tires and the fiberglass flares on both sides. Note: it was my LR spring that failed. Might be different spacing for front failure?

Good catch. You are correct that the springs I have appear to be set up for Spring Over Axle rather than Spring Under Axle. Thanks for alerting us to this. Agree not a big deal, just another step which could be resolved on their end during assembly via a request at order time.

Best to call them and ask. Their specialty is custom leaf springs, based upon owner provided specs. You will need to provide them with msmts, loaded weight, likely gvwr and perhaps more details. I would be surprised if they would be unwilling to make something custom to meet your specs

I am sure there are other US Spring manufacturers that use US made 5160 spring steel. I encourage people to do their own research and let the group know if you find other sources. In my week-long search I found only two manufacturers that returned my inquiries. I knew previously of ALCAN and their offroad spring Creds and they had the springs in stock so I went with them. St. Louis Spring also replied to my inquiry but required that I purchase a new replacement spring of the specs I wanted and send it to them to replicate. I have included their response below in case there are owners local to St. Louis and for whom this requirement would not be such a obstacle. Note in their response they also recommend adding a fifth leaf. Best of luck in your own sourcing. Please post any concrete updates on places which meet the "made in USA with USA 51560 steel" criteria. It is always good to have multiiple sources from which to choose. Also, perhaps Oliver may wish to follow this path for suspension on future trailers. Our legwork may help facilitate this as a future upgrade, placing Oliver even farther up the quality metric amongst the pool of RV mediocrity. As far as running a set of 8,000 springs vs. 7,000 I am prepared to run even lower tire pressures to smooth out the ride in order to avoid the roadside PITA of a broken spring, instead having a potential trade-off of quicker tire wear and lower towing mpg. I was lucky that my issue was noticed at a Love's with a newly built, adjacent RV Stop RV park which featured large, newly poured cement pads, new luxury showers, power and quiet sleep. Also, a local, Good-Ole Boy RV shop/contractor who had the pair of springs to get me home and did not bend me over the cash register. Your mileage may vary should this happen to you. I am doing everything I can to make sure I do not end up in this predicament again. At minimum, I recommend buying a spare spring (or two) to carry with you on every trip. Ironically, ScubaRX and I had this exact discussion not more than two weeks earlier (after meeting another E2 owner in Quartzsite who had broken a spring) and I was planning to order a pair of springs to carry as spares once I got home...UGH. Best wishes, Lance Spring Team <springteam@saintlouisspring.com> Fri, Mar 1, 9:06 AM (6 days ago) to me We can definitely makes this for you and would be made here with American steel, however we would need a sample to duplicate and a lot of times on these travel trailers we make them heavier by adding a leaf to each. Thanks The Spring Team St. Louis Spring Company Tel: 314-533-2132 Email: springteam@saintlouisspring.com Web: https://saintlouisspring.com

My new springs arrived today. I confirmed measurements are correct and that they are the same size as what my E2 had when it shopped from the factory. Should be a direct bolt-in. Here are the specs on the new springs: -Made in USA with USA sourced 5160 spring steel -Bronze eye bushings vs. plastic -2,000lb rating/ea vs. 1,750 (will not change gvwr as axles/bearings remain determining factor) -5 leaves vs, 4 -second leaf extends underneath eye on each end (protecting common break area) -steel, bolted spring keepers (one each end) vs a single, sheet metal band -width = 1.75" -drop = 3” -length (eye-to-eye) = 25.25” The company I sourced them from is ALCAN. They are known for durable offroading springs and have been building custom springs for rock crawlers and overlanding vehicles for decades. Attached below is their contact info. Ask for Mike and tell him you are interested in the 1.75” wide trailer springs like he sold to Lance from Colorado. I will report back when I have them installed, but that may not be for a couple months until after the snow melts up here in the Rockies

This is the direction I would like to see as well. One of the US Spring manufacturers (St. Louis Spring) said they would replicate the springs on my E2 with USA sourced 5160 spring steel if I would send them a new one to copy. Knowing what I know now, I certainly would have paid a premium at time of purchase of my Oliver for USA made springs. I would like to see Oliver investigate this path. Now that they are at dealers, it would certainly further set them apart from the rest sitting on Chinese suspension. I cringe now knowing that my trailer went 25,000 miles supported by a $150 set of springs (again, not Oliver's fault. The entire RV components industry has gone to the cheapest possible cost model without regard to quality or safety).

The curb side rear spring was in the process of failing as well. Starting to flatten with the rearward end starting to invert. I have attached the tag from the springs on my trailer. According to Oliver, they are made by Emco

I most certainly will. Waiting to see and touch them first and confirm the measurements and specs are right (should be no issue). Once I have confirmed this I will share the info and contact details.

On the way home from the SW this year, I had the pleasure of experiencing a broken LR leaf spring while underway. It broke in the usual place (see pic). Fortunately the broken spring was noticed quickly and I found a safe place to overnight and perform the repair the next day. Unfortunately, I was not carrying a spare spring. After finding a pair of springs locally and installing them I made it home the next day. What I found when inspecting my broken spring was what appeared to be a defect in the steel (see pic). In no way do I blame Oliver for this failure as the trailer spring market is monopolized by Springs made of Chinese steel and Oliver, like all other manufacturers source from the same pool of components. In fact, after opening a service ticket, Mike was extremely helpful in getting me the specs and info I needed. I decided that once I got the trailer home I would replace all four springs with the best springs I could find. Preferably from a US company, made in the US and with US made 5160 spring steel. What I did not appreciate was that there did not appear to be any trailer parts sources which met this criteria. This was not proving to be a simple task. Everything I could find in the RV aftermarket was sourced from China. No exceptions. The only good news I found was that Chinese springs are cheap ($35-55ea). I remembered a Spring Company from my offroading days and gave them a call. They had a set of four springs which fit the measurements provided by Oliver Service and were made in the US with US 5160 spring steel. Cost is $150/ea spring but since I had already spent a fair amount of $ upgrading to stainless lugnuts and US made Timken bearings this did not prevent me from placing the order for a set of four springs and new ubolts. New springs should be here later this week. I will update with pics once I get the springs and also once I install and of course again after towing a few thousand miles.

Have not heart of a travel trailer being stolen but a Buddy shared Ring video of his 20’ enclosed trailer being stolen from his driveway. Had a hitch lock and was supported by the electric tongue jack (power disabled). Video shows thieves backing to trailer, hooking safety chains to trailer and dragging it off down the road with sparks flying from the jack. Took all of 5 seconds. Trailer was never recovered. I use a tongue lock and carry good insurance. If someone wants it badly enough they will take it.

Thanks

This morning I was stopped in a parking lot in Lake Havasu City, AZ, while sitting in my truck with my trailer in tow, planning my route and drinking coffee when a woman sporting a big smile approached. We have all had this happen before so I rolled down the window and prepared to start answering questions about Oliver Travel Trailers. Not this time. The woman introduced herself and I was caught a bit off guard as I knew there would not be yet another request for me to show the inside of my messy trailer. Her name was Evon Oliver. She asked my hull number then the discussion quickly turned to Family, growing up in Michigan and things to do while in Lake Havasu City. What a wonderful surprise this morning talking to a delightful Lady.

After seeing this thread I checked my tanks. Sure enough, a small amount of surface rust is forming along the bottom of the ring. I had some of thjs black rubber door edge guard left over from when I installed the screen bug covers on my water heater so figured I would try it on the tanks. Fits great, eliminates the metal on metal contact, stays on when removing tanks to fill and does not impact height of tanks and hold-down. can’t remember where I bought it but do recall it was about $10, maybe at TSC?

I just did a quick search on 5L stackable bins and I believe this is the link as the price, material, description and dimensions match. https://www.target.com/p/5l-stacking-bin-with-lid-white-brightroom-8482/-/A-86300286#lnk=sametab

I bought them at a brick and mortar Target, so unfortunately do not have a link

Tired of my books scattered all over the trailer and staring at the wasted space under the streetside twin bed “wing”, I installed three plastic bins that I found at Target ($6/ea) and installed using command velcro strips so they can be easily removed for cleaning. Now my books have a home, are easy to access while in bed and don’t fly around on rough roads. Bin dimensions/ea are roughly 5”Hx5”Wx14.5”L. I installed them about mid-way up the wall under the bed so there is still toe room underneath and books can still be removed easily.

Riverside Campground, Gila Box Riparian National Preservation Area, Safford, AZ. BLM campground $5/nt. Worth the 3 mile drive in on mostly paved, mostly single lane road.

Peggy, I like your plan to flip the door. I understand your desire to find a permanent solution to hold it open. Interim to finding your final solution, something like a command strip toggle hanger might work. The toggle can swing down to 90 degrees from its point of attachment on the ceiling and may be able to hook to the cabinet door loop handle. Command strips are strong (these hold 2 lbs) and most importantly, remove without damage to the gelcoat once you find your final solution. This is what I would use until the final result is found. Good luck. FYI...I have seen them in blister packs at Walmart. https://www.amazon.com/Command-Medium-Hanging-Adhesive-Organizational/dp/B00U82D03O/ref=sr_1_8?crid=HX2SMGYE8E7Z&keywords=command+strip+large+toggle+hooks&qid=1701652055&sprefix=command+strip+large+toggle+hooks%2Caps%2C164&sr=8-8