John and Debbie
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Posts posted by John and Debbie
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22 hours ago, Rivernerd said:
We, too, level and raise our Hull #1291 (2022) with the jacks. But, we always use support blocks for two reasons: (1) to avoid jack damage if we forget to raise the jacks before driving off and (2) to shorten jack travel distance. See photo below of one of our three support blocks in place under the front jack.
Since that photo was taken, we have added Snap Pads, as recommended by Patriot, above. We like 'em.
One caution: ensure that the jack foot is placed on level ground, or the foot plate can be bent, requiring replacement. If using the jack on a slope (such as on the side of significantly crowned roadway), place tapered levelers under the jack foot to provide a level platform. Don't ask me how I know...
What kind of tapered levelers do you use. What's the advantage of the Snap pads?
John
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On 1/16/2026 at 10:43 AM, John Dorrer said:
Yep
John, I looked at the specs and the cargo carrying capacity of the Awaken is only about 765 pounds! Two 3500 pound axles. Wood cabinets. No thanks.
John
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3 hours ago, John Dorrer said:
Someone listed around $150 per window if I remember. Just don't remember where it was posted.
I paid about $400 for the dinette window frame and shade last year.
John
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13 hours ago, Zodd said:
First, I had never heard of snow socks. I did some research that you may find interesting as well. They seems like pretty good options.
Compare different types
Based on that video testing, I will return the Autosock from Les Schwab and get the K&K. Thanks for posting the videos.
John
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22 hours ago, jd1923 said:
Welcome Sam! Please add a signature, when y ou have the time, and we all would love more of your input on our great OTT Forum.
I went through similar thoughts when we started towing our Oliver a couple years ago. Our tow vehicle is borderline on requiring the WDH, but the user manual does state to us one when hitch weight is >500 LBS or trailer >5000 LBS.
I believe set the Bulldog at the height OTT recommends as Ron stated above. When I hitch the Oliver, the rear of our truck drops 2". Checkout my pics. First is hitched and second is adding the Andersen WDH tightened correctly. You can see in the second pic a good level front bumper of TV to rear bumper of TT! But yes, the WDH does add lots of stress at the ball for sure and likely elsewhere.
In two years, 135 overnights and 15K+ miles, I've only felt comfortable with WDH attached. Without it the under-sprung Oliver will waddle through intersections and porpoise over bumps and dip. Until...
Recently, I upgraded adding Alcan Leaf Springs rated at 2750 LBS each vs. the OEM 1700. The difference is night and day. I haven't beefed up the TV rear suspension at all, it's just that now the trailer suspension is handing the trailer and not moving the TV all over the road, like the tail waggin' the dog! 🤣 Our Andersen WDH is now in storage, until somebody wants to buy one. Better springs will likely give you what you want. It's not whether your hitch is up or down an inch or tension +/- on the Andersen.
The other thing is ALL Oliver Owurchase is the LevelMatePRO (get the PRO model which can be wired directly, no battery changes needed). Find the most level place you can park, set the 3 stabilizer jacks and get as level as possible (us a sight level in many places like you've down). Then you go through calibration steps on the app. I wired my PRO model out-of-sight, under the rear dinette seat where 12VDC is easily available. We use it every time we're parking the Oliver. I turn the app on from the driver's seat to get the best possible spot. Then Chris get's out and places the Andersen Rapid Jacks under the correct side (when needed). I roll up, set the parking brake, and we're done! 😎
"The other thing is ALL Oliver Owurchase is the LevelMatePRO"
I agree. It's a great item to have. We once used it to find the most level pull through in a nearly vacant state park. Why not? I think we drove through ten sites and just found the most level one. It makes set up so easy.
John
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1 hour ago, Geronimo John said:
I use them into all the weeps, and then along the trough's both ways. To get to the inside weeps, for most of them you have to go "fishing" thru the outside weep and left and right to find the inner weeps. Finally I cut some of the 18" into 4+ inch small pipe cleaners bend them and stuff one into each weep. I for years thought it was bogus, but now believe it does help with drainage. Something like capillary action. Since they look a bit dorky, I use them when expecting Texas sized "Turd Floating Gully Washers". After the storm I pull them out and they are stored in a zip lock bag for the next time.
Got the idea here on the forum by a wiser than I owner!
GJ
AI Capillary action (or capillarity) is the ability of a liquid to flow in narrow spaces, like tubes or porous materials, against gravity, driven by the forces of adhesion (liquid sticking to the surface) and cohesion (liquid sticking to itself), combined with surface tension. This "wicking" effect allows water to move up plant roots, colors to travel up paper towels, and liquids to fill tiny crevices, making it vital for plant life and everyday tasks like using a sponge
GJ, I bought a ShopVac along with some microtools. Today I took a gardening water can with a narrow spout and put water into the inner track and then suctioned it out. After flushing it a few times and suctioning the water out of those 1/4 inch holes, I saw the white again under the black glide track. It emptied quickly too so I think the weep holes are cleaned out. Thanks for your comments.
John
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56 minutes ago, jd1923 said:
JD, do you have a picture of how the black looks on your trailer. I noticed that my white strips are getting mildew spots. I read that it's nearly impossible to clean that off so I am interested in the black.
John
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1 hour ago, 2008RN said:
I had some flooding problems of water coming through. I had always cleaned the out track, but never cleaned the inner track. I cleaned the track out as good as I could. I still don't know if I made a difference yet. I also put J channels around the window hoping that will help. All the problem windows are on the Street side where the is more water draining down the sides. I did poor a small amount of water in the track and it slowly seep out very slowly. My felt track also is covering some of the weep holes which might not help, I do not know how much the felt wound stop the drainage.
I totally agree about the felt tracks being fragile. I started to try to pry part of the track out, but quickly stopped because of the amount of force to pry the sides back and the chance of breaking the felt track.
I also considered buying new rubber track covers for the outside. They do not contact the window any more.
My thought now is to get a small wet/dry vacuum with small attachments and put a little water in the inner track and then use the suction to pull the water through. The washing machine technician who came out last month had one that he used to clean out the small drains in our front loading washing machine.
John
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10 minutes ago, Mike and Carol said:
I had ALCAN upgrade my axles a few months after I had their springs installed. I dropped off around 8:00 and they were done at 10:00. Enough time for breakfast and a stroll around Bass Pro Shop! Mike
Mike, we did the same thing with just the five leaf spring upgrade. We had breakfast, but walked around town. Lots of street art. Lew's team is great.
John
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Hi all, my apologies if this is answered somewhere, but in doing a search , I couldn't find it. I went to Les Schwab to get chains for our 2017 Ford Expedition and because our vehicle has 275/55R20, he recommended tire socks for the drive wheels instead of chains. They go on fast and were developed in Norway. He recommended the same for two tires of the four on an LE2. I don't think we will need them this Fall coming back from the rally, but I was warned that if you don't have some traction devices for the trailer, you can get fined. We will be coming back in November through Colorado and Wyoming. My question is what are you all using? Does anyone have experience with tire socks? Thanks.
John
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On 1/4/2026 at 5:17 AM, topgun2 said:
Have you tried taking that black inner track cover off?
Bill
No, it looks fragile to me so I haven't done that.
John
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1 hour ago, Geronimo John said:
Raise or lower the front end so that the track flows down hill to a weep.
18" Heavy Duty Pipe Cleaners
A hose end valve to control water flow to a small fan shaped nozzel to push against the weep to sort of force water into the track and flow water downhill in a controlled manner.
Beyond cleaning annually, and checking for junk in the tracks, having window gutters was a HUGE improvement on the older trailers.
gj
18" Heavy Duty Pipe Cleaners
John, Do you use those to go under the black plastic glide strip? I take the white rubber seal off the outside track and can pour water into those holes that are about every inch until it comes out the external weep slots all clean looking. It's the inner track that concerns me the most.
John
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2 hours ago, topgun2 said:
Have you tried THESE things?
To get things really clean I still have to use a "Q Tip" for deep in the corners and where the two windows meet. But a light spray of Simple Green or 409 or .... and a couple of swipes of one of these really does get things clean.
Bill
Bill, I can get the track area clean on that inside track, but I am concerned that there is water underneath the black glide strip where there are those quarter inch wide holes every inch or so. Enough water wicks up to keep the sides of the track wet enough to grow white fuzzy mold along the vertical edges of the track inside the trailer. I am running a dehumidifier and some heat in the trailer to minimize that. It's working a bit. The trailer is parked level by the house so I can check it often. Maybe in that area, it's always going to have some moisture during our wet Oregon winters. I just thought if I can clean out that area under the black glide strip, that it might dry more.
John
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Hi all, does anyone have a great tip on how to clean the weep hole track. Specifically, does anyone use a syringe or wet/dry vacuum to get all the debris cleaned out between the holes. I can pour water on the outside track and get a good flush, but the inside track has water in it, enough to cause furry looking mildew.
John
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On 12/30/2025 at 12:34 PM, Steph and Dud B said:
We often tow with a full fresh water tank, often for long distances. No problem at all.
We do also as our water from home is good quality.
John
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On 12/10/2025 at 1:39 PM, Roger said:
John,
Mine worked fine out of the box in my Oliver with no issues and has never tripped the breaker. I would suggest you return it and have Amazon send you a replacement - it sounds like there is something wrong with the unit itself.
Roger
Roger, I did as you suggested and got a new one when the price dropped to $98. I have had it plugged in and running 24/7 for a week now after letting it sit upright for over 24 hours. I am getting about a cup of water daily in the tank, so am pleased with how it's working. I do have a Vornado heater running at low fan speed and the Truma set at 50°. I have all the cabinet doors open. I am happy with it.
John
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2 hours ago, jd1923 said:
For certain, it’s nothing you did! 9 times out of 10, Amazon used is like new with damaged packaging.
1 of 10 times you get an item used and damaged by the previous Amazon customer! Just exchange it. I’ve purchased well over 50 Amazon used items through the years and 90% of the time they’re a great bargain. Like my Engage pickleball paddle, $220 new, $160 Like New from the ‘Engage’ store on Amazon. It came new but not in retail packaging, OMG, I can’t have that!
I ordered this same humidifier Amazon used Like New at $79 (vs $136, for a $57 or 42% off savings!) and it arrived today. It looks perfect, except a prior owner wrote something in pencil on the instruction booklet. I’ll let you know when I get a chance to test it.
To test it, I’ll have to hang a couple wet towels in the Oliver to create some humidity! RH today in Prescott was 20%! 😎
We will use this tool rarely but should keep it on the closet floor for when traveling east!
I started the return process and have a shipping label. Mine was the same $79 which was a good deal, but only if it works! I like your thinking that most of the time the used items are like new and work. Thanks for your comment.
John
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1 hour ago, Roger said:
1John,
Mine worked fine out of the box in my Oliver with no issues and has never tripped the breaker. I would suggest you return it andhave Amazon send you a replacement- it sounds like there is something wrong with the unit itself.
Roger
Roger, it was a "mint condition" used item. So your dehumidifier is the same model? At this point I have requested to return it. It was $79. New was about $30 more. Where do you place yours in your Oliver? I was thinking it might work best next to the toilet as we don't shower there. Kind of discouraging, but maybe you're right to just get a new one and actually wait 24 hours or more. I don't think that I damaged it by only waiting 18 hours.
John
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On 12/9/2025 at 8:59 AM, Roger said:
John,
Letting it stand for 24 hours allows the compressor oil and refrigerant to settle back where they belong so that you don't damage the dehumidifier.
Roger
Roger, I let it stand for 18 hours and turned it on then. I figured that would be enough time. It tripped the breaker in the trailer. I brought it in and plugged it into two different outlets and it tripped those. It's plugged into a 15 amp dedicated outlet that we had the electrician put into the house to handle the vacuum. It looks like this NKNA 1600 Square dehumidifier won't work in the Oliver. Any ideas? The unit is working in the house as It's running and water is in the collector receptical.
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On 12/8/2025 at 4:19 AM, rideandfly said:
John,
I’m confident you know this, but wanted to let everyone know they boxed and shipped our unit on it’s side, so after unpacking let it sit upright for at least 24 hours before operation.
On 12/8/2025 at 4:19 AM, rideandfly said:John,
I’m confident you know this, but wanted to let everyone know they boxed and shipped our unit on it’s side, so after unpacking let it sit upright for at least 24 hours before operation.
I ordered the KNKA compressor model and it comes today. What's the reason for letting it stand upright for 24 hours or more. I will take your advice when it comes today. I am just wondering about the reason. Thanks.
John
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Hi all, does anyone have a recommendation for a dehumidifier for the Oliver Elite 2? We're in western Oregon and it's damp and about 40-50° for about five to six months out of the year. Thanks.
John
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1 hour ago, DaveAndBecky_NorthernMI said:
We plan to do this upgrade with Alcan in early 2026 when we head southwest from Michigan. I know a small percentage of those upgrading have gone with the 4 leaf option. I am on the fence and appreciate hearing real-world experience with the 5 leaf option.
We had the five leaf Alcan springs installed in Grand Junction last May. They're a bit stiff for the first 1000 miles or so judging by what fell onto the floor of the trailer, but after that, they work great. Lew at Alcan can maybe assure you of what to expect with them. We kept the tire pressure the same at about 50 psi before and after. He said the four leaf springs are designed to fail at the shear point about three inches from the eye. We now have about 2500 miles on these springs and it tows like it's on rails and is very stable. I have no regrets.
John
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On 8/28/2025 at 7:54 AM, Galileo said:
We’ve always had one shade that was never seated properly - the one at the aft seat at the dinette. I’d know because I’d lead on it and it would pop on, then pop right off when I un-leaned on it. We found one broken clip and got a “free” replacement when we passed through Hohenwald.
The problem has gotten worse as time went by. We’re to the point that that shade now falls off every time we hit the road. (So I’m taking it off -before- we leave today!)
Upon closer inspection, we found that one channel where the clip snaps into is spread - from pressure and heat I’d guess. Another area of the channel is actually cracked at the “root” of the channel. I tried moving the clips to locations where the channel was still good, but that didn’t really help.
The shade over the curb side bed is now starting to show the same malady.
So - seems some have resorted to “gluing” the shades on with RTV or similar. I was hoping for something a little less permanent and/pr requiring keying the thing off when desired.
My current thinking is some 3M adhesive wire tie mounts - little 3/4” square pads with foam tape on the back. One on the wall by the window, and in on the shade frame. In two or more places around the window. Add a wire tie and it -should- stay in place. Downside: visible and could look jury-rigged.
Looking at the relationship between the window frame and the window shade, a square “U” clip could do the job - if I could find one the perfect size and shape. Guess I’ll look.
Aside from replacing the shade and all the clips - which will likely fail in time just as the original ones have - has anybody found a permanent and esthetically pleasing fix?
"Looking at the relationship between the window frame and the window shade, a square “U” clip could do the job - if I could find one the perfect size and shape. Guess I’ll look."
We had issues with the dinette window shade frame falling off too. We ordered six new clips from Oliver that are more rectangular and fit in the channel much better. The original ones had a bit of outer flare and didn't seem as well designed for the channel. The steel is very stout and I couldn't spread the gap enough to get the screw and screwdriver to fit so I took a Dremel and used the tapered stone grinding wheel to just create a big enough opening for both screw and screwdriver. The attachment now is very snug. The original clips looked like they would push the window off.
John
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3 hours ago, Mountainman198 said:
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!
I noticed less bounce after about 1000 miles too with the Alcan springs confirmed with less movement of items in the trailer. I did tighten the U bolts as recommended by Alcan at the intervals they recommended. Very important to do.
John
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Alcan Springs Quote for Jan-2026
in Mechanical & Technical Tips
Posted
"Overall, I did notice a HUGE difference with driving over bridged and not-so-perpendicular railroad tracks. The camper did not rock back and forth nearly as much as with the 3500 pound, ten year old, springs."
We noticed that also and had some movement of items in the trailer in the first few hundred miles. All has settled in now and we like how it rides.
John