Mike and Carol

Steve, it would be nice if that was the issue! I’ll check it today. Mike

Thanks, Sherry. I’ll check it again. Mike

Bryan, I haven’t checked that wire - will do so in the morning when the weather is a bit cooler. Thanks - Mike

Don, thanks for the suggestions. I replaced the 7pin connector, my RV guy checked it when I took it in. Dielectric grease applied. The 7pin fits and is secured by the cover. The Ram dealer checked the controller. The brakes don’t work when the message is on. I haven’t had the message come up when stationary, so I can’t tell if lights are affected. Wiggling the 7pin does nothing. I’m going to crawl under the trailer in the morning (when it’s not 100+ degrees) to “explore”. Mike

This is what I’m thinking as well. I’ll be getting them replaced next month and will let everyone know the result.

While in Colorado this summer I started getting an intermittent “trailer brakes disconnected” message on my dash. Very intermittent. At times I could drive a couple hours and all was good, then the message would come on intermittently for the next hour. It only stays on for anywhere from a few seconds to 20 or 30 seconds and then go off again. When I had the message the trailer brakes were definitely off. I checked the 7 pin connector and looked for loose wires. When we got home I had my local RV guy check the trailer. He found nothing. I took my truck in to the dealer, he checked everything (connector, traced wires, used trailer simulator and drove around, etc) and he found nothing. I just pulled our trailer over to the house to get ready for our next trip and sure enough I got the message couple of times before we got home. In the spring my RV guy recommended we replace the brakes next visit because there’s not much life left. When working they still have good stopping power. I’m thinking after this next trip (home mid-October) I’ll go ahead and have him replace them. My hunch is that it’s something loose or not well connected on the trailer side. Any thoughts? Mike

The only solution I’m aware of is what Steve describes above. I’ve tried bending the clips to create more resistance with some success. I don’t want them permanently mounted because I remove them when I do a deep clean on the window tracks. Mike

An issue that Oliver must address is what John describes. We’ve had doors open, window frames fall off and TV drop. We don’t do much off-roading, this was on crappy interstates and rough backroads. Mike

John, good to hear from you! Glad to hear your health is now on track. I watched all the videos you made with Shane and your Black Series. Enjoy that Explore! Here we are at Quartzsite years ago - Mike

Me too.

I believe mixing (brands) is not an issue if they are both NGLI #2 certified, which is the Oliver recommended grease. Yes, the new grease will push out whatever old grease is still there. Mike

This is what I’ve been using: Grease Grease Gun I used the normal big grease gun for a couple of years but found that this small gun was easier to handle, especially in the tight spots between the wheels. One pack of 3 mini tubes is more than enough for the job. I also got the caps to put on the zerks. Mike

Hey Bryan, we’ve got a regular flush toilet. When we placed our order in 2015 the Natures Head was not an option. Mike

We’ve stayed at a couple dozen military Famcamps around the country from California to New York. It’s a nice benefit for us tired old military retirees. Mike

Hey Don, welcome back. Great pictures! Your Kimberley looks nice. Mike

We didn’t camp at Chisos Basin but we drove through the campground. It’s pretty tight. Shoot a PM to @mountainoliver. They camped there and said the big Oliver won’t fit into a lot of the campsites. I’m sure he’ll have some good advice. Mike

Agree. We like our mirror doors everywhere.

Ours is a 2016, picked up in May 2016. We should have 100K miles on it after our fall trip coming up. The CGI guys did the ceramic coating earlier this year so from the outside it looks better than it did in May 2016. I have the bearings and brakes serviced every spring by the same guy. I will have the brakes replaced next spring. I’ve replaced the 2000W inverter and replaced my four AGM batteries with three Battle Born Lithiums plus new tires. Other than that, everything is original and everything works fine. I’ve made some repairs on wear and tear items, but nothing major. Bottom line - an older trailer should be fine if it has been maintained. Mike

Pretty straightforward? I’m waiting for a break in this heat before I start!

Our son in Durango sends pictures of Olivers driving through town…. Training the next generation! Mike

We roll up a hand towel and insert it. Ours was leaking a bit on our last trip in some heavy rain, it’s not sealing right when we close it. I decided to go ahead and order a maxxfan with the LED light. I’ll install it in the next week or so before we head out to TN and KY in Sept and Oct to see some leaves turning. Mike

Yep. It’s the dinette seat next to the bath, toward the front of the trailer where the black tank is. Mike

Glad to hear you’re home. Must’ve been quite a trip. Mike

That’s quite a change.

The black flush line enters the trailer, makes a 90 degree turn and enters the side of the black tank. All of this is accessible from the rear dinette seat. I had to replace my backflow valve and it is mounted on the flush line just where it enters the tank. The only picture I can find right now is where the flush line enters the black tank. This is looking from above, the side of the trailer is at top, the side of the black tank on the right. We have a 7+ year old trailer, I don’t know if they’ve made any changes here.