Hokieman

That would be Geronimo John. See this thread for “Hex Head Capture Washer”. https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/3665-dexter-axle-loose-bolt-at-the-equalizer/page/2/

I cut two 2” holes in the battery box for venting, no fan. I also plugged the vents in the door and insulated with two layers of Reflectix. Used 3M heavy duty spray adhesive, it’s been holding well for 5 years. I did the same on the Basement door. I measure battery compartment temps with my Victron BMV712 monitor, and also a remote temp sensor that I move around in the basement depending on ambient temps. I have not needed to open the battery door, the small vents keep the battery box relatively cool in Summer, warm in Winter. I have camped in 100+ temps and below 10F for several consecutive nights with no problem.

Geronimo John and myself had similar questions about this design too, so I called Alcan and asked. You’ve probably seen my lengthy post from March 18 in this thread. Tim @Alcan told me the bolt splines have an interference fit with the shackle hole, so they should be held strongly, not rotate. I have never seen the parts in question, so I have tried to visualize. You have the parts in hand, so the problem you describe seems to be legitimate and contrary to what I was told. If the bolt head is not kept from rotating, the lubrication port will rotate. Alcan is obviously not worried about it, but Dexter makes it very clear in their instructions to get the lubrication port oriented correctly. This may or may not be a big problem, it’s just not optimal. Dexter shackle bolts are designed to be under tension, using 30-50 ft-lbs torque to approximate that tension. As you pointed out, since Alcan shackle bolts don’t have a shoulder, putting them in tension by tightening the nut also creates a clamping force that can squeeze the EZ Flex and the hanger tabs, therefore limiting movement and creating friction and wear. Wayfinder pointed this out in that other endless thread. It seems to me this is the reason Alcan uses Nylock nuts, so that they can be tightened up just enough to provide adequate clearance, but also not to work the nuts loose. I see no problem with the strength of the Alcan bolts, they have some advantages. The clearance needs to be factored into the installation, I wouldn’t just put a torque wrench to it and call it good. I agree, but I’m just armchair quarterbacking here. I have never seen these Alcan components, and do not know what their installation instructions are. I’d like to understand this better as I am one of those still on the original Dexter springs, and considering the Alcans before my next big trip. Perhaps these bolt concerns are not a problem, obviously Alcan has their reasons for doing it their way.

FYI those with later model 16” Sumec wheels. I checked an older photo I had from my 2021 E2 and can see weight rating is 3300 lbs. I cannot see the max pressure rating on the photo but will check next time I have the wheels off. Although not as beefy as the older 16” Sendel wheels, it’s re-assuring that they are more than adequate.

If you are interested, here is the link to BB Technical White Paper. https://battlebornbatteries.com/technical-note-on-the-safety-and-design-of-the-battle-born-100ah-positive-terminal/

Just to emphasize another point, your receiver hitch may not be rated to carry the tongue weight without a WDH. I don’t know about 2016 Dodge RAM 1500, but in the case of newer Ford F150’s, the max tongue weight without a WHD is 500#, which is lower than your Oliver’s tongue weight if you’ve got it loaded properly. Sure, it works fine, but if you are ever in a crash, you may be exposed to liability regardless of who’s at fault. See snip from Ford Towing Guide that Galway Girl attached.

I believe you are correct Chris, and in my situation with an F250 it tows very well without an Andersen hitch. One point I’d like to make on the term “Sway Controller”. I understand you are referring to a simple mechanical friction system such as the Andersen hitch system. You are probably aware, modern trucks are fitted with electronic Trailer Sway Control systems. Just distinguishing between types so there is no confusion. See Ford video with details. https://youtu.be/6MRZ50cOVaw?si=RXUWESNdq99zIM2q

Thank you Chris! You have gone above and beyond on this task. For those that haven’t tried it, the Oliver forum search tool is a tremendous help.

Thanks Chris & John. I plan to crawl under my Oliver soon and check the wiring. I may pull it out of the D35 axles to inspect. John Davies had significantly undersized brake wiring in his 2017 Oliver. https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/2685-how-to-brake-wiring-is-undersized-some-answers-and-partial-solution/

I’m considering replacing my suspension, still have some teardown and inspection of brakes and drums to do first. I don’t have any problems, my trailer tows great with my F250, no WDH, doesn’t porpoise or wallow, not top heavy. I plan to travel to Colorado in June to camp for a month, so I called Alcan and discussed a quote with Tim. I advised him I was interested in the 4 leaf springs rated at 2250 lbs, D52 axles. I recently weighed my trailer at a Cat scale, it was 5940 lbs fully loaded, water tank full, gray tank empty. I can appreciate why many feel best with 5 leaf springs, but 9k spring capacity with a 6k trailer allows for significant overcapacity, which I feel safe with. Alcan 4 leaf spring leafs also extend well past the weak point on the Dexter OEM springs. Attached is the quote if interested. I had a few technical questions for Tim based on legitimate concerns raised by Geronimo John earlier in this thread. 1) Why does Alcan supply splined wet bolts, but the shackles are smooth bore? It seems this would allow the grease ports to rotate out of the optimal position. Tim explained the bolts are an interference fit, so once tightened up, they shouldn’t rotate. 2) Why does Alcan use 9/16” straight shank wet bolts, as compared to Dexter 9/16” shank stepped down to 1/2” threads? Tim explained they have seen many Dexter bolts sheared off at the shoulder (likely due to over-torquing). Dexter wet bolts should be torqued to 30 ft-lbs min, 50 ft-lbs max (see Dexter instructions attached). As Geronimo John explained, the Dexter wet bolt shoulder is designed to allow the proper clearance between the hanger tabs and the spring bushing. If Alcan straight shank wet bolts are over-tightened, there may not be adequate clearance between the hanger tabs, resulting in abnormal wear and possible difficulty getting grease to purge. Alcan provides a torque spec of 65 ft-lbs, but regardless, clearance should be checked, and torque modified as needed. Hence the reason Alcan use Nylock nuts. So, Alcan takes a different approach to this application than Dexter. Lessons we’ve learned from each other are to use caution torquing your wet bolts (either Dexter or Alcan), and be mindful not to strip the splines. I recommend strongly securing the bolt head while torquing the nut. Sent from my iPad 059-867-00_ez_flex_complete.pdf

Do you recall the wire size Dexter used internally on your new D52 axles? 12 AWG?

You could try Gorilla Clear Grip. It’s a clear, flexible, fast drying adhesive, nothing like original Gorilla Glue, or RTV silicone. It works like a contact cement. You put a thin layer on both surfaces, let dry for a few minutes, then stick it on. No need to clamp or hold it for more than a few seconds. I buy it at Home Depot, use it around the house for special projects. .https://gorillatough.com/product/gorilla-clear-grip

The standard plastic & aluminum mounts that came with it. They attach with a 3M VHB disc. Seem very secure, but not very attractive. I bought the optional aluminum mounts with 3M VHB, but haven’t used them yet.

We have a Girard awning on the starboard side. We wanted something for the port side when we have the space and want the extra shade. The MoonShade XL works good for this, and it is sturdy and very well made. It is really just a lightweight tent awning, not like our heavy duty awning. The XL version is 9’ x 12’, and the longer side just covers both windows, providing shade in the bunk as well as the dinette. It’s expensive, but I bought it when it was a Kickstarter campaign for much less. I would not want to use it as the primary awning. https://moonfab.com/

I had 3 BB 100’s in use for 5 years, worked great, no problems. I was getting increasingly paranoid about my family safety, so I sold them on Facebook Marketplace for $150 each. I tested each one and made sure the buyer was fully informed of the issues. He was aware, but was looking for a bargain and willing to take his chances. I could perhaps have gotten a higher price, but my conscience kept me from being greedy. The way I figure it, I had $2450 total invested, so the cost of 300AH of trouble-free use cost me $400/year. I saved way more than that by boondocking. There are several dozens of them for sale on FB Marketplace in my local rural area, so my guess is many others feel the same way. It might interest some that @Overland had 2 out of 4 go bad in 2021. This was before the present design problems were known, apparently BB told him the BMS went bad. I recall he did a lot of off-road, so maybe his terminals shook loose internally and got hot. @Overland was able to get BB to pay for shipping and replace. https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/4956-lithium-battery-upgrade/page/2/ Those were the days when BB was widely regarded as the #1 brand, and there were no reliable Chinese competitors. See Will Prowse glowing endorsement on YouTube from 2020 if interested. Yep, same guy that blew this up on the web, may have been indirectly responsible for becoming one of BB best salespersons.