MAX Burner

FYI: We've made arrangements with Colin/CGI to have Casablanca Glidecoated after the Owner's rally in MAY... They're going to apply our new front-end graphic as part of the deal. Can't wait! Posted this before, but some owners may have missed it - temporarily stuck on after removing the OTT graphic: Until we get the CGI treatment - we're running "bald" with no nose art... Cheers!

Great looking rig, @Dennis and Melissa: You're looking like us! ...but where's your puppy? HA!

SUGGESTION: Leaving the taped area in the upper compartment "as is" will decrease the amount of warm air from the rear of the fridge entering into your cabin area. My understanding is that tape deflects rising warm air out the upper vent/cover and away from the interior compartment. We've had to "re-tape" ours since the original tape gave way over time - the previous OTT owner may have done the same thing in your case. However, the tape shouldn't cover the cooling fins, FYI.

Perhaps another possible safety margin could be further securing the OTT to the TV with the tension chains and whale tail in the event the BD coupler snaps off completely - the Anderson tension chains would add another connection in addition to the safety chains/cables. Just a thought...

CLARIFICATION: The "485-lbs" mentioned earlier was the MAX we've measured since we've had the tongue scale (purchased it 9 months ago). My understanding of the "rule of thumb" for tongue weight is that it should be in the range of 9-11% of the actual weight of the TT - not the dry weight. Could be wrong, though. We weigh ours a couple times a year using CAT scales at a local truck stop, usually at the beginning of the winter season (about 6800-lbs) and the beginning of the spring season (about 6600-lbs)-ish. We do this because our load outs are different for the two seasons. So, under the rule of thumb", our target tongue weight is in the 660-680 range. We've got a 50-lb bike rack and 75-lbs of bikes in the back which lowers our tongue weight somewhat. We still only get a measured 485-lb tongue weight in this configuration (full water heater, full 30-lb LPG tanks, full fresh water tank, empty gray/black tanks, full fridge, clothes, etc.). Have yet to figure out how to increase the TW to achieve the target - or if it's even necessary to do so. Like your Tundra, ours tows the OTT without effort (we use an Anderson WDH, however). Actually, the 485-lb TW is what we use to calculate our (rather light) cargo load for the Tundra which is 1400-lbs. If we ever get the TW in the target range, that's 200-lbs of "stuff" that can no longer be hauled in the truck bed (assuming we've MAX'd out the cargo load). Here's an example of our current TW right at 500-lbs without the bike rack/bikes (adds about 15lbs): @Geronimo John - do you remember your measured TW from last AUG? Hope this helps...

FYI: Our experience shows these low-current draw fans allows the fridge a higher efficiency for any given ambient conditions - also makes me wonder why the heck they're not included as OEM from Dometic and Norcold back in the day....(?)

It's sooooo nice having a couple bikes when traveling - regardless of how you're hauling them. Regarding @topgun2's comment, we like having the LED strip light across the back of our rack. It gives red "running lights", yellow turn signals, and yellow emergency flashers - makes us a bit more visible when hauling our bikes at night. Some models are now offering white "back-up" lighting - like this one: @rideadeuce - very clean mod! How's the departure angle when maneuvering through a parking entrance from the road? Just curious...

Our 2017 LEII #226 2" Bulldog has the gusset. It's interesting that Mike's 2018 OTT was equipped with a non-gusseted BD (?). We routinely check the torque values of the BD's 2 through-bolts and use the hitch scale to ensure our tongue weight is within limits. MAX tongue wt measured has been just north of 485lbs, FYI. This failure may have been a combination of several factors - older design w/o the welded gusset, metallurgical issues starting from manufacturing, excessive tongue wt., non-use of a weight distributing hitch connection between the Tundra and OTT, etc. Mike, we're looking forward to any additional information you may learn about the BD failure - there's likely to be some of us thinking about going with the 2-5/16" option after reading through this thread. Thanks for posting! Bottom line is everyone's safe, many owner's have yet again learned some important attributes of our respective rigs, and @rideadeuce has a clean upgraded 2-5/16" BD! Cheers, ALL - Stay Safe out there!

@johnwen - Thanks for the "follow", brother! SUGGESTION: Try taking the DC power for the new fans right from your fridge's power block connection in the lower left of the (lower) compartment (power block circled in below pic - this a Dometic application, if you're running a NORCOLD, its in a similar location as I recall). This way you can control the "ON/OFF" functioning of the fans using the remote control. For example, if you don't need the fans running for any particular reason, you can select a high "ON" temperature on the remote. This is how we've been doing it - which is meeting our needs. You can always wire in an "ON/OFF" switch on the "+" wire to the remote controller. Good luck!

Last summer, we mounted the same low-amp draw Beechlane double-fan assy in our upper fridge compartment with the remote mounted in the lower compartment similar to how @Ray Kimsey has done. With the Dometic, it was a better to mount the fan assy on the upper cover/vent itself. The wires wiring is fixed with Anderson quick disconnects to make for easier inspection/cleaning, etc. Before/after interior temps in fridge have dropped several degrees (both in main storage and freezer areas) with the Dometic temp setting at "7" out of "9". @johnwen - FYI: We had to trim about 1/4" of the upper compartment cover/vent moulding away for a proper mounting position of the fan assy. Accurately and effeciently done with the trusty Dremmel Tool...: The remote can either control a manually-set RPM percentage or a manually-set "temp ON" range. The red LED indicates power to the controller, blue is the "temp-on" setting. These LEDs can be observed at night through the lower cover/vent - hasn't bugged us too much. If it does become bothersome in the future, the LEDs will be fixed with a small piece of black electrical tape. Hope this helps... Cheers!

Hey, John: Concur, 100%! Well written - that would be the ultimate fix! Thanks for collecting this info, brother! Mahalo!

How about, "Tough", "Made-to-last", "Resistant"?

@Geronimo John: Maybe add a data field for "price point"?

@k2watsen: Welcome to the Oliver Family! PREDICTION: The longer you lurk or otherwise participate in the Oliver Forums, the more likely you’ll be converted, sucked in, and ultimately made into an OTT Owner! CAUTION the previous comment regarding “empty nesters”: Speaking strictly from experience, THEY COME BACK! Cheers, and don’t hesitate to use the valuable knowledge base these forums provide!

Very good call, IMO. A SHORT RANT: It's always a good thing to get your rig & TV weighed every once in a while - we do our's at the beginning of winter and spring because our load-outs are different for each season. D & I ran into another RV'er (AS type) a couple months ago at Picacho Peak SP in AZ. We discussed GVWR - both trailer and TV. He was new to RV'ing and literally had no clue that GVWR is the maximum loaded weight of the TV (or trailer), as determined by the manufacturer and is placarded on both. He didn't know that the GVWR isn't just the weight of passengers and cargo but also the vehicle itself. I explained that the gross vehicle weight rating is all about safety. So we did a little drill - we located his placarded GVWR sticker on his TV and learned that the "useful cargo load" on his brand new Titan was 1,250lbs. On the back of an envelope we added up the weights of everything the Titan was hauling. You guessed it, with the 2 passengers, his 300# topper, camping gear, and the AS tongue weight of 950 (way over the 9-11% target wt. for a 7200# rig) - he was over his MAX cargo load by an unsafe margin. He said, "Holy crap, I need a bigger truck!" "Yup, or just pay attention to your equipment and respective weights", but that was my "inside voice." We did the same drill for his AS and discovered he was over his GVWR by several hundred pounds. The conversation went into liability issues should he perform an unsuccessful emergency stop while towing with an overloaded rig and TV - subsequently damaging property and/or causing injury. He got the point and was thankful for the conversation. He explained that no one advised him of this information during his recent purchases of the AS and Titan. The dude isn't probably the only one out there on the road without a clue about this basic, yet important topic. Admittedly, preaching to the choir here - but not only should we take this topic seriously but we can also be watchful for those like this guy and get the word out. Wouldn't be surprised if he's converted his Titan into a new 1-Ton diesel by now... HA!

Guessing that @Jps190 has those bad boys wired in series and his Victron MPPT smart charge controller is doing its thing by running 13.6v into his battery bank (guessing too that they're AGMs). Very clean mod, John! BRAVO ZULU!

Congrats @Doug S! Welcome to the OTT Family - you'll be love'n your new Oliver before you know it!!! Safe travels and hope to meet y'all "down the road" at some point.... Cheers, Doug and Jill!

Always love a clean engine bay!!! Nice looking compartment, @jd1923! Well done, brother!

Good discussions and points of view regarding this "OTT Spring Issue". What a great group!!! Speaking with Mike, I asked about ALCAN's track record, and can confirm @Patriot's comment that indicated they've never had a set of springs returned. Don't think Dexter can make that claim. But that's not the only reason why we're upgrading our suspension with ALCAN 5-packs. OBSERVATION: There may be a couple "OTT owner" camps here - there are those owners that purchased their rigs new from Oliver and those, like us, that bought used. Those buying new know exactly where their rigs have traveled, they know the level of maintenance performed over the years, and they know what's been broken, replaced, and upgraded. OTOH, those owning 2nd/3rd-hand Olivers have absolutely no clue how their treasured rigs were treated by previous owners, at least we sure don't. That said, especially concerning running gear, we don't take any chances and err to the side of safety. Short of taking our springs to an NDA lab for analysis (not a cheap date, either) - we've decided to go with the ALCAN 5-pack upgrade for peace of mind. For those that choose not to have their springs NDA-inspected, having a spare in the bottom of the tool box might be a prudent action, IMO. Totally agree with @hobo's assessment - $'s well spent. 'Nuf said here.... Cheers!

OBTW: Our new USA-made steel 5-pack springs should arrive from ALCAN Springs (Grand Junction, CO) around MAR26-ish. $671 (incl. new U-bolts), no tax, plus shipping to NM from CO. FYI: Owners interested in this mod should note that according to Mike from ALCAN, U-bolts are a one-time use item. Once they're mounted and torqued to specification and re-torqued after 50 miles, they form a "stretch fit" and cannot be reused once originally fixed to an axle.

Agree with @Ronbrink and @jd1923: "Old" is not necessarily a bad thing (sometimes). Here's my '84 R90, just north of 35k miles (my son and I literally took it to bare metal and brought it back to life in '06):

Hey, @Patriot: How can I get a pair of those Oliver Cargo Shorts? HA!

Concur, 100%! It's like our "Fortress of Solitude"....

Dexter may have a suggestion for a better shock for the OTT running gear. I'll check with Mike at ALCON Springs tomorrow - he may have a suggestion as they do a lot of rock crawler suspension mods....

Hummm.... not a bad idea! HA!