Boudicca908

I don't know enough about it to give specifics, other than to say that they did something to avoid the new parts from rubbing against the other parts. @ScubaRx might help explain this better. I don't want to use the wrong terminology. Are you going to be at the rally? We could all get together and have a powwow about this topic!

I just make calls using my phone -- though I've 'enabled wifi calling' as required. It's only dropped like that on two or three occasions, as I mentioned. An extension cord -- I should do that. Would save me from having the window cracked open! :)

I have read through most of this (long) thread several times and ... I don't follow all of the concerns regarding wear caused by the Alcan parts, though @ScubaRx did a great job helping me understand some of the concerns. Since I had my new Alcan Springs installed this summer, and asked them specifically about some items, I want to say that Alcan has made adjustments based on feedback and experience for their Oliver installations, so people need to be aware that some things are not the same compared to early installs. With all the interest and all the questions, I wish Alcan were coming to the Rally to talk springs! (Hint Hint Oliver Mothership!)

I've used the Mini (with the built-in router, not an extra router) for 2 years and I've never had issues with connections or slow service for internet, though sometimes phone calls drop (but only a handful of locations over more than 12 months of use). I use the cord-out-the-window and satellite on the ground method. My plug won't fit into the Oliver outdoor waterproof plug; it's too bulky to get into the recess.

Wyoming sunsets are glorious.

John, you mean for that particular campground? I've found that it varies on recreation.gov from one campground to another, whether it's FCFS or reservable. Some have closed the reservation system for the season; some have closed the campground for the season. It's not predictable.

Glacier National Park, Saint Mary Campground near eastern entrance to the park. The campground amenities vary a bit depending on the loop, but they have hot showers (free) as well as fresh water spigots, waste water dump station (for gray water from dish washing) and an RV dump near the entrance. Full of berries and full of bears; maybe that's why the campground isn't full! The sites cannot be reserved before the day-of-arrival, but it wasn't a problem to find space. I'm so glad I took the opportunity to come here this year, at the suggestion of a friend. The weather has been perfect camping weather; cold enough to want a camp fire, and damp enough to be allowed to have a camp fire.

Greetings to the Oliver from NY — camping in St Mary’s Campground, Glacier National Park! I didn’t see you arrive, but left a note at your door this morning. You’re my first Oliver sighting after months on the road. I hope to see you later in the campground. Update: I was happy to meet my neighbors Larry & Gracie, and look forward to seeing them again at the rally, if not sooner. Happy Trails!

It's a great way to begin the adventure -- there is a lot to learn at the Rally and a great group of people you will meet. Congrats! Love the name!

This is great. I remember you telling me about your shower hose modification, and would love to know more about that element as well. Does the longer hose fit well? What is it made of and how hard was it to change out? What does the suction cup mount for the hose end look like?

UPDATE on August 9, 2026: It has now been 1,800 miles of towing since the wiring work, and NO warning messages have been appearing on my Tow Vehicle .... I believe @ScubaRx is correct that we had the right avenue for my particular fix. I will update again, if it comes back. Thanks again to @jd1923 and @ScubaRx for all of their help, and to @jd1923's family for their gracious hospitality in Prescott.

I will make one more addendum to this thread: If you are going to Grand Junction CO for Alcan Spring installation (or just going because it's beautiful), take note that this year only the US Park Service has lifted the "timed entry" requirements for Arches NP in Utah -- and it's definitely a doable day drive from the James Robb campground in Fruita. They still have reservation requirements for the "hike with a ranger" but otherwise, you don't have to make a timed entry reservation this year -- in celebration of our 250th.

I recently had the pleasure of working with Alcan Spring in Grand Junction CO for a set of new 5-leaf springs for my Oliver. Alcan is fantastic to work with. My mechanic's name was Tucker, and he was kind enough to take time before and after the install to be sure I understood what is needed in terms of torquing all the various nuts -- there are quite a few to be done, at 50 miles, 100 miles and then at 500 miles post-installation. The torquing isn't difficult, though doing the nuts on the springs is much easier with two people. Note that the requirements vary from the fixed end of the springs to the flex ends, so pay attention. About a week after my install, I spoke to Lew on the phone and he noted that yet another Oliver had just pulled through for new springs. Someone there said that they have installed new springs on at least 250 Olivers. Imagine that! While I was there, Alcan also installed a new set of Dexter Brakes for my Oliver. Thanks to @jd1923 for looking at my brakes and also to @ScubaRx for encouraging me to follow through with a Warranty Claim (I had 25,000 miles so I was within the 5 year, 100,000 mile warranty window.) Dexter was dynamite with their turn-around on the Warranty and shipping the brakes to Alcan, where I was already scheduled for new springs. I truly appreciate both of these businesses -- Dexter and Alcan Spring -- for their efficiency and excellent service.

What is the total height of the Oliver E2 with standard wheels and the Chill Cube?

When I entered John's Oliver, I was interested in seeing some of the modifications he has made. First I wanted to see his electrical area under the aft dinette seat, as I am trying to learn how to find specific parts. Then I checked out the air fryer (where a microwave used to be) and his controls (mostly different due to the age of his unit, but also because he has changed out a lot of the systems.) It was probably 10 minutes later when I looked up and commented on how shallow the Chill Cub air conditioner was -- almost flush with the ceiling, making a sleek surface. What I did NOT notice was that it was turned on. I couldn't hear it at all. He lowered the setting to make it blast and I believe my impression was that the noise was less than 30% of the noise of my Dometic. I rarely run my AC, mostly because it hurts my ears. On the outside, it's boxy. But on the inside, all I can say is "Wow".

Again -- it's not "north" that makes for cooler air, but elevation. Also, I once considered a summer volunteer position near the Boundary Waters, until I read the fine print where it recommended "impenetrable clothing". I called my friend who lives in Duluth to confirm and he said, "Don't do it. The bugs will eat you alive." or something to that effect. I have visited Minnesota twice, in January when the snow is high, the bugs are low, and the owls are 'down south' for great birdwatching.

Six months, usually in the Winter.

I try not to put any of the chemicals directly on my skin, instead dousing a hat or bandana or a loose over-shirt. The Lee County Florida Mosquito Control District (recognized around the world for combatting mosquitos) recommends oil of lemon eucalyptus in addition to the usual DEET, Picaridin, and something called IR3535 -- a 'biocidal active ingredient made by Merck'. https://leecountymcdfl.gov/fight-the-bite/

Greetings to the Alcan Oliver Club plus! I'm looking for suggestions for campgrounds in proximity to Grand Junction. This will be a detour for my summer, and thankfully not too far off course from my planned route. However, I haven't had much time to research for places to camp before the day. I have tried to read the entire Made In USA Leaf Springs thread (now at 37 pages) but haven't been able to complete that task. I am looking for suggested campgrounds but also favorite things to do during a day or two in the area. Also suggested good eats. CAMPGROUNDS So far, I've found two campgrounds mentioned in that thread, and I am seeking additional input to add to this list: James M Robb Colorado River SP FRUITA SECTION CO 8 miles W of Alcan Spring; https://www.cpwshop.com/camping/james-m-robb-colorado-river-state-park-fruita-section/r/campgroundDetails.page?parkID=50069&media=3 James M Robb Colorado River SP ISLAND ACRES SECTION CO 23 miles NE from Alcan Spring; 1055 I-70, Palisade, CO 81526 https://cpw.state.co.us/state-parks/james-m-robb-colorado-river-state-park/james-m-robb-colorado-river-state-park-camping Rifle Gap SP 76 miles NE from Alcan Spring; 5775 CO-325, Rifle, CO 81650 https://www.cpwshop.com/camping/rifle-gap-state-park/r/campgroundDetails.page?parkID=50038&queueittoken=e_snasoco01~ts_1784416095~ce_true~rt_safetynet~h_7c7fd3b7e002cd85f34c1de9feaf47d1b6c0c9a91e25de9abdb5894558bc513e Other campgrounds in the regional area: KOA Grand Junction (commercial) this is close, but not my cup of tea... Rabbit Valley Mcinnis Canyons Conservation Area (NPS) 30 miles W of Alcan Spring; Mack, CO 81525 https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/10227416 I camped at Rabbit Valley in 2024; it's very minimal but has some interesting formations. I was actually in the Horse Camp area, and had the entire place to myself. That section was easier to access, and better suited to my limited time that year. Saddlehorn Campground (NPS) LIMITED LENGTH (will not accommodate Oliver E2, not sure about E1) max 40 feet combined length https://www.nps.gov/colm/planyourvisit/camping.htm *The length limit in Loops A and B for all RVs is 40 feet. The length limit for trailers is 40 feet total for the vehicle and trailer combined.* LOCAL EATS Dream Cafe 314 Main St, Grand Junction, CO 81501 I resisted posting this in the MADE IN USA LEAF SPRINGS thread, but I hope it will serve as a good reference for those of us making the journey to Alcan Spring in Grand Junction. Moderators might be able to better link, if they see fit to do so. I am inserting that thread below. Made in USA leaf spring

Oh!

This does seem to be a common problem. People have resolved in different ways, having found different causes. By the way -- we did replace my brake wires in both front and rear axles, but the original rear axle wire was left abandoned in the rear axle. Unfortunately I didn't pull it out that day, because we were working against the clock, trying to finish as the sun was setting. Now it's a lot harder to access. I hope to get it out of there to inspect it though, because I really want to see it. Thanks @Wayfinder for linking the image of your frayed wire -- Wow! That is a mess. The jury is out on my 'fix' and time will tell.

Anywhere and any time there is heavy dust -- in other words, places that are dry (the west in general) and places that have heavy farming and/or ranching and places with a lot of pollen. I find that it takes a lot more than an annual cleaning to keep these clear, but it's not hard or too time-consuming, and well worth it. I just use the pipe cleaner method and hand wiping, I don't have a compressor, but I might try canned air (like the kind used for darkroom photography, to clean the film).

John and I don’t think the wire pulled from the axle looks like the culprit (though only the wire from front axle was pulled, the other is still in there, cut free)… only the small section near the hole with missing grommet was nicked. However, there were no warning messages yesterday. Today will be a longer tow, and I will keep the forum updated. UPDATE: It was about 650 miles from Prescott AZ to Cimarron NM, with zero warning messages, but it's still not definitive -- I will tow 300 miles in about a week, and another 500 miles the following week. Remembering that I towed 1,000 miles without these messages at the beginning of my trip, I believe time will tell.

Time will tell! John and I don’t think the wire pulled from the axle looks like the culprit (though only the wire from front axle was pulled, the other is still in there, cut free)… only the small section near the hole with missing grommet was nicked. However, there were no warning messages yesterday. Today will be a longer tow, and I will keep the forum updated.

BRIEF UPDATE July 14, 2026: I accepted the generous offer by John @jd1923 and Chris to come farther west to Prescott and tackle this 'Check Trailer Wiring' issue. While my Oliver was jacked up, I was able to take care of some other regular maintenance work, and John helped out with that as well, but I will focus here on the trailer wiring. The main job was to replace the brake wires beginning at the left side (below the battery box) where the wiring exits the hull, and connecting new wires to each of the four brakes. John suggested pulling the new wires through the axle by taping them to the end of the old wires, for various reasons, but once the taped joint reached the opposite side and I needed to pull it out through that small hole in the axle, the tape broke apart. I tried pulling the new wire through that hole with some needle-nose pliers but the wire was so soft that small pieces were breaking off. So we reverted to my initial plan (based on several others here on the forum), and ran the new wires along the rear side of the axles, using split loom and zip ties to anchor it. We found that the butt connectors I ordered from Amazon did not hold; John tested one and the wires pulled right out without any effort. He had some older style butt connectors that we used, with much thicker metal inside, and then we added tape on the connections. I will probably come back to those taped joints with some liquid tape to try to weatherproof them better. (I saw that someone had used a clear sealant -- if anyone knows what that is called, I would like to find it. The liquid tape I have is black like tar.) The finished job looks really good. Note that I haven't tested by towing yet. After the rewiring, I measured the amperage at each wheel, after disconnecting the 7-pin connector from the truck and pulling the Emergency Brake pin. Each one measured about 3.0, with the left front measuring slightly higher. This was a good result in so far as the power was flowing from the Emergency Brake battery (I believe on the Oliver, this is the trailer battery; SOB trailers have a separate little battery for this power). After the tires were back on and everything was back in place, I tested again using the power from the truck through the 7pin connector, with John's son Adam helping me by being at the controls in the truck. Measuring the two main wires exiting the hull (below the battery box) the amperage was 1.85 and 1.71 on the left front and rear wires. This measurement is obviously without being in motion, and my understanding is that the truck will not provide the full power to the brakes in this case; I'm not sure what amount should be expected here, but power is flowing to both wires from the truck. Quoting from @Geronimo John in an older forum post, "... modern brake controllers sense when a vehicle is stopped and back off the power flow to the magnetic coils when stopped..." Yesterday, John and I performed another set of tests on the 7pin Cable wires where they enter the hull and exit the cable, inside a double sized junction box behind the small panel below the vanity sink (see earlier photos in this thread.) We tested amperage for each of the wires, and the 7pin cable seems to be working fine -- even jiggling the wire at the connector and below the Oliver -- so we elected not to replace it. Of course, once again, this is not in motion driving down the highway. None of this is definitive until I actually tow the Oliver, tomorrow morning. I will report again in a few days, and try to add some photos here for clarity. I don't think this is resolved yet, but making progress on eliminating things is good. Many heartfelt thanks to John, Chris and Adam -- they have all been extremely gracious hosts and very helpful, and have cheered me up as well. Many thanks as well to all the other forum members who have been helping out with ideas and links and questions. Now we are heading out for some fun! EDIT: Added Photos with captions. Some of these might be helpful for others. These are the grommets that come with the Dexter Axles -- the wires pass through these from left to right side of axle. NOTE that they have sprung tabs on them to keep them in the axle; when you try to remove them, the tabs break off. They are not rubber grommets they are stiff plastic. I tried to replace the missing one with a rubber grommet (I cut it to place it around the existing wire) but my rubber grommets were not deep enough to cover the thickness of the axle. These two came from a new Dexter axle that John ordered. This is one of the nicks in the wire where it passed through the hole in the axle without a grommet. There was a larger section of exposed copper, but I can't find it this morning. This is the brake wire pulled from the front axle; I didn't see melted insulation nor other nicks exposing the copper here. (The original rear axle wire is still inside the rear axle --EDIT: but it is cut loose from the brakes. There's a new brake wire run outside that axle as well.) John's handiwork -- thank you John. Butt connectors splicing original to new brake wires, before being wrapped in tape. I would have preferred heat-shrink style for better weather-proofing, but this is what we had to work with. The front axle with new wire from left to right brake assembly. Butt connectors (both images after crimping); the new heat-shrink style on the left didn't hold the wire at all -- it pulled right out. The old style held, but is not weather-proof. They are taped for now. I'm seeking a good quality liquid tape or other product to address this.