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CRM
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Posts posted by CRM
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Something to think about before mounting flexible solar panels on your roof. I've seen the same results when permanently mounted on fiberglass boats.
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4 minutes ago, rideandfly said:
Was your Ollie a LE2 prototype? Wonder if the older Legacy Elites had the same 1X2 tube crossmembers.
It was the first LE2 sold to the public and the last one sold before the shutdown. The only 2010 titled Ollie too.
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Hull 45 has 1 x 2 rectangular tubing and not the stitched channel.
It has 5 of these from levelers back to the bumper and only one of them has a very slight bow to it.
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44 minutes ago, rich.dev said:
That’s not good, that means the bottom is bowed/buckled downwards then!
Since there really isn't any bracing built into that bottom belly fiberglass, I think bowing is perfectly normal when a brace weld below it breaks. I'm sure it will push right back up into shape with a jack and be fine once repaired.
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7 hours ago, Mike and Carol said:
I think they are making an unfortunate decision, unless they are giving up camping/traveling all together. My experience is that most bugs get worked out during the warranty period and shortly after. We’ve had years of trouble free camping, just normal routine maintenance (bearings, brakes, shocks, etc). Someone will benefit from their sale, an Oliver well broken-in and bugs worked out! Mike
The part that turns them off the most and that makes them want to sell is the premium they paid to buy new. A premium they were OK with knowing their LE2 could be serviced by Oliver themselves once a year and repaired there too, if needed. Like others, they were planning vacations around that service... If service goes away at Hohenwald they feel they would have been better off buying used and saving 40-50k to put into savings for future repairs and service. At the moment they feel let down and sincerely hope Oliver decides to keep the service option open.
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8 hours ago, Jason Foster said:
So, the service department in Hohenwald is shuttering for minor repairs. Does that change the quality of the trailer we own? Or does it just take away a fringe benefit?
Obviously it doesn't change the quality, though it does change the perceived value of an Oliver, for some. I bought an older E2 and these changes don't affect me at all, but it does affect a couple I know who purchased a new E2 and the ability to return to Hohenwald each year for service or warranty work was a major factor in their decision. They've already told me that they will be selling their E2 at the end of the warranty period if this service goes away. They've been down the dealer/service route with other trailer brands before and have no desire to do so again. I hope Oliver understands how important this is to some owners and continues to offer service at Hohenwald.
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7 minutes ago, ChrisMI said:
Hopefully we’ll have a sticky thread on the forum devoted to service center experiences. There will be one or two that will rise above the rest with the knowledge and desire to fix things correctly in a timely manner.
I'm guessing Oliver will face a lot of pressure from their dealers to not allow any type of negative feedback about them on these forums. We're probably looking at a high level of moderation here on dealer service/sales experiences or elimination of the forums altogether. Do any of the other manufacturers allow such open discussion on their company run site?
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24 minutes ago, HDRider said:
Do you really know that, or simply intuit that?
People thought I was off base when I thought Oliver would move service to dealers.
The way I see it, Oliver is now primarily focused on growing the business by increasing sales through a dealership network and servicing current customers is now not the priority it once was.. Whether that growth is just for growth itself or to boost the numbers to sell the company is yet to be seen. Either way, I see it as a virtual impossibility to receive the same level of service from dealers who are also selling and servicing other brands than it was at Hohenwald.
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On 3/27/2024 at 9:40 AM, mossemi said:
My 2017 LE2 door looks identical! I do not think wind had anything to do with it, but maybe sun exposure. It has puzzled me for several years and I haven’t really figured out how to fix it. The skin does pull the styrofoam apart, so I’m not sure if replacing the skin is the answer. I am leaning towards applying something to the existing skin, just haven’t figured out what.
Mossey
Was just thinking... Maybe a textured fabric-backed vinyl wallpaper would work even better than formica would? Much easier to fit to the door and might even look original if you could find a similar texture.
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5 hours ago, mossemi said:
My 2017 LE2 door looks identical! I do not think wind had anything to do with it, but maybe sun exposure. It has puzzled me for several years and I haven’t really figured out how to fix it. The skin does pull the styrofoam apart, so I’m not sure if replacing the skin is the answer. I am leaning towards applying something to the existing skin, just haven’t figured out what.
Mossey
It would take a little work to make a precise template, and you would need a router, but I bet a white piece of Formica would work well to cover up the damage.
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1 hour ago, rideadeuce said:
That is very interesting. Mine definitely did not have that gusseted welded section where the break occurred. I wonder when they made the change and why they didn't put out a recall if that is the case. Or mine was just defective from the factory. More pics of others pre-2018 might be interesting.
Our 2010 has the gusset and I can take a pic for you, if you would like. I'm guessing yours was a defect right from the factory.
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6 minutes ago, rideadeuce said:
Hopefully we can limp into town and get it replaced with a 2-5/16 in coupler rated for 12,500lbs.
I wouldn't move another inch If I were you. Pick one up and install it right there.
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1 hour ago, jd1923 said:
Not fair to compare a small custom shop to Dexter. The $670 total for 4 custom leaf springs and required hardware is extremely fair. They could charge $995 and provide for a warranty. They are likely a small family-owned business and cannot have 5-years of future liability.
Your choice 1) Alcan, 2) find another supplier, or 3) buy Dexter springs with 5-year coverage for China junk, that has a high likelihood of failure. Have any of you filed warranty claims on your broken springs? I prefer the promise of craftsmen, and the product looks great in the pics, more HD in all aspects. I'd rather go better quality, less cost and forfeit the warranty. But that's me; one who NEVER pays for extended warranties (a hugely profitable industry).
If they are not right, you'll know in 90 days. And from what has been written here re their exceptional CS, they would likely work with you if their work was determined to be at fault.
Take Dexter out of the equation. Having only a 90 day warranty on springs that should last a decade or more is kind of ridiculous. A year at least would be reasonable. I'll probably still buy them but will now wait to see how they hold up for others who have purchased them already.
And honestly, I would pay the $995 for 2 sets if they came with a 5 year warranty. It's not about the money, it's about a company standing behind their product. I doubt even a set of Chinese Dexter's would fail that quick.
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17 minutes ago, Patriot said:
Hey Max,
I spoke to Mike at Alcan yesterday and asked him several questions and also what his warranty is on these leaf packs?
He said 90 days.
Just passing this along for anyone interested in these leaf packs.That's a little disappointing... Even Dexter gives a 5 year limited warranty.
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4 hours ago, ScubaRx said:
My predication is that the 4-Leaf spring packs will continue to fail no matter which axle they are installed with. My advice is if you are changing out your four leaf springs for any reason, consider a stiffer spring that the originals and to purchase and carry with you at least one extra spring pack.
Our LE2 was built with 5200lb axles but with just the 4-leaf springs. Plan on changing them out and using the same USA made springs that @Mountainman198 is using but just a little worried about the possibility of a rougher ride putting addition stress on the trailer and components. Have you experienced any such issues running the 5-leaf springs?
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11 hours ago, jd1923 said:
Yours is an older hull, and our hull 113 is 6 years newer. Maybe you have a different make door. I have heard the older Olivers were built one-off.
Just to be sure, have the friction hinge spread to the 90 degree position and hold the door frame all the way open. This way mine snapped into place. I can show you a picture of mine tomorrow, if you like, and post a picture of your door hinges for comparison so we can see if the brand/model is truly different.
This kit definitely won't work on our door. As you can see in the pic the hinge is made as part of the door frame which makes it impossible to add additional hinges. Well, maybe I could cut sections out of the frame to make it fit but I'm not going down that road..
"One-off".. We haven't named her yet, but maybe this fits as ours is certainly a one-off.. The first LEII sold, the last Ollie sold before the shutdown, and the only one titled as a 2010. Many differences from the LEII's sold after production resumed too.
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Just an FYI for those with older Ollie's like mine. Check to see if your door frame has the hinges built into it. If so, these won't work.. Maybe not a Lippert door, or maybe just a different model?
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4 hours ago, Tom and Doreen said:
The use of an autotransformer during periods of low line voltage will increase line current which could under certain circumstances stress components such as circuit breakers and cause additional heating of connectors and junctions especially those which may be oxidized. Not much of a problem in modern well maintained campgrounds but could be a problem in lesser capacity, poorly maintained / engineered campgrounds.
This just isn't true... The Autoformer simply takes some of the available amps and boosts the voltage inside your camper to an acceptable range when it encounters a low voltage situation. During a low voltage situation your AC and fridge will be drawing the same watts at the pedestal with or without an autoformer in the circuit. Probably less surge amps at startup since the motors will have acceptable voltage when starting.
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5 minutes ago, Steph and Dud B said:
@CRM, what is the effect on the larger grid? I can't imagine everyone could run autoformers without some measurable increased load on the grid or we'd all have them in our houses. When using one, aren't you further reducing the amount of power available to others on the grid? I'm not saying a single RV would make much difference, but there has to be a cost somewhere.
When it comes to the inductive loads, there shouldn't be any difference in the load on the campground since the watt draw at the pedestal is the same with or without an autoformer. This would change if everyone was running their electric water heaters or other resistive loads at the same time. By how much and to what effect is highly variable and would depend on the campgrounds electrical system. In the end, the same amount of watt hours would be used by each camper had the power been at the correct voltage to begin with.
Also, the autoformer shuts down at 104 volts so they won't be drawing power at all if the campground system dropped that low. I'm guessing a campground's grid would probably be more protected if everyone was using an autoformer than if nobody was. You'd have more angry people though since the power would be cutting off inside their campers instead of continuing to operate at that dangerously low voltage. In that situation I'd certainly rather loose power completely than destroy my ac or refrigerator.
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8 hours ago, Steph and Dud B said:
Even with an autoformer, you will never be able to pull amps (current) from the campground grid faster than the campground's pedestal circuit breaker will allow, so in that way you're no different than any other camper. However, in a low voltage situation, you will be able to get more usable power (watts) from that pedestal by jacking up the voltage in your trailer, so now you are potentially using more power than your non-autoformer neighbors. The power company bills the campground for the number of watts consumed per hour, so someone using an autoformer in a low voltage situation is costing the campground more power per hour than someone who isn't. However, you're still only using the amount of power (watts) you would have used if the campground grid was operating properly at the correct voltage, so you're not "stealing" anything.
When running any inductive loads with motors such as AC or compressor fridge, you will be using the same amount of watts as someone who isn't using an autoformer whether it's in a low voltage situation or not. When running resistive loads such as a water heater you *will* draw more watts but you will be doing so for a shorter amount of time than someone who is using the same water heater in a low voltage situation. In the end you'll both consume the same amount of watt hours to heat the water and not be costing the campground any additional money. What you will be doing by using an autoformer if the campgrounds voltage is low is protecting those inductive appliances from premature failure due to running them at a lower voltage and higher amperage than they were designed for.
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2 hours ago, SeaDawg said:
But, comments I've read on other forums is that many campground owners don't like them, so best to have it inside, and not mention the hefty price tag outside, totally available.
If they don't like them, it's because they don't know how they work. Some are under the impression that they "steal" power but what they really do is convert amperage into higher voltage in low voltage situations. If it's mounted inside there's no way they could know that you're using one anyway.
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On 5/14/2023 at 9:46 PM, Ty J said:
Thanks for the link. Price is now down to $26 and I just ordered a set.
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A little pricey @$349 as shown, but this is the best mini kitchen we have found yet. Attaches with vacuum cups and takes up very little storage space.
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Hull 45 has *no* ductwork, it just has a single grill attached to the heater itself. All the early Oliver's I've seen so far have been built this way.
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Wanting to purchase a nice Orbital buffer for use on the Ollie gelcoat.
in Mechanical & Technical Tips
Posted
That's exactly the way you should be doing it, especially if working alone. Seems like you're not getting anywhere sometimes, but it is still more efficient doing each step to completion.