Raspy

I agree that you would have less freeze protection if you shut off the forward duct. But not much and some of the most vulnerable stuff is in the rear, such as the water inlet piping and outdoor shower. Up forward, the most vulnerable is the bathroom sink faucet and the toilet flush valve. These two would be protected by warm air in the room and not the ducted heat. I know the toilet flush and sink valves are vulnerable because I broke both of those with freezing, and nothing else. Since you have a lot of fiberglass dust and since you apparantly addressed air quality issues with Oliver in advance, I think you should contact them and tell them what is going on. Clearly, they contaminated the ducting. This may be a normal situation, but I've never noticed it in mine. I would not like it either and my approach would be to flush it out with high velocity air after removing the bathroom restrictor. Let us know how this turns out.

We're considering it and just today were prodded to "go" by a friend. It's about 1700 miles from here, but would be a fun trip. There are groups planning to travel together from various areas, but we won't participate in that as we like to be independent and stop when we want to, instead of planning the whole trip and each night's location. The recent trip to Guntersville proved that method to be very good for us and we saw some very nice places that were not planned. Oliver is planning to participate too. I just talked to Scott this morning. I think about 400 trailers are signed up and there is room for 1000. Yikes! Thanks for the info, Matt! Do we need anything more than passports and a dog health certificate to cross the border? I'm assuming the best approach would be to stock up on Canadian Dollars before entering too. Thoughts?

Mountain, If you can't get it clean with high velocity as I thought might work, you'll probably have to leave the bathroom door open some to share heat with the main cabin and just block the duct. At night, for instance, just leave the door open and the bath will probably heat better than if you were relying on the duct for heat with the door closed. Not sure how much heat you want in the bath, but it's not ever going to be as much or more than what arrives in the main cabin considering the smaller and longer duct and no return air system. For us, when plugged in, I never use the forced air propane system. Always an electric heater and leave the bathroom door open a bit if it's really cold. Works fine. That means the forced air only gets used while boondocking in the winter. That means we're camping and that means a little temperature difference in the bathroom is no big deal. Were camping. I hope my cleaning suggestion works for you.

The ducting in mine is so flimsy that there is no way a new duct could be pulled through it. The attempt would simply wad it all up and destroy it. This hose makes a dryer vent look strong. It's a good idea to restrict the flow in the main cabin to maximize the flow to the bathroom. This is not a system that is balanced on it's own, by it's design. By design, it gets balanced by restricting the lowest restriction vents to bring up the flow in the bathroom. It seems they all must have limited flow to the bathroom. Mine does too. Since the probelm that set off this discussion was contamination in the ductwork, that was free to blow out into the room. And since the replacement of the forward duct seems very difficult, I think it might be a good idea to increase the velocity enogh to blow out the loose fiberglass and cure it that way. This could be done by removing the restrictor in the bathroom and connecting a high powered industrial dust collector or a shop vac to that port. Then turn on the heating fan and the vac at the same time, while shutting off all other vents. This action would increase the flow beyond any normal rate and extract any loose fiberglass. You might also disconect the duct back by the fridge and just use the vacuum to maximize the flow. While doing this you could throw rags into the open duct to help vibrate the duct and cause more turbulence on the way through, knocking any stuck particles loose. you could also reverse the process and suck from near the fridge to backflush it. After this, there will be no loose strands waiting to get blown through by the low velocity heater fan. You should also contact Oliver to get their advice on this and to help them understand that they need to be more careful about contamination. Just blow it out with high velocity air and hope that the low velocity heating air won't be able to send any residual into the room. A "return air" vent, which is simply a hole in the wall between the bath and living area will really help to lower the restiction on the bathroom circuit too. Leaving the bath door ajar lowers the restriction even more than a vent and costs nothing, while still being able to close off the bath from the living area simply by closing the door. It might be nice to have a closeable vent there that could be left open while heating, but closed the rest of the time. Even the bathroom vent fan would work better with that vent open, but the best place for that fan to get air is the side window.

Roger, I think it's a false assumption that just because a trailer is built better, the rate will be lower. Olivers are much more expensive than a lot of other brands and that difference could easily offset the potential lower cost for quality. Airstreams are built better than a lot of others too, but they have vunerabilities that could make them more of a risk for insurance companies. An example of this is how easily they are damaged by hail. The differences in quality and design are apparant with even a casual look and don't really require a lot ofsupporting data. Just take a look. The picture of the wreck bares this out well. Diesel braking is a very nice feature and saves a lot of wear on the truck service brakes. It also means less brake fade. But it does not contribute to stability. If a trailer has a tendency to sway, any braking by the TV is likely to increase the problem. Swaying trailers are stabilized by applying the trailer brakes, either alone or at least more aggressively that the TV brakes. Trailers should never be towed without trailer brakes and all drivers should understand how and when to apply those brakes independently of the TV brakes. Engine braking is a completely separate issue. I think you'll find you'll have a better experience here if you enter into a friendly discussion and not expect people to provide documentation for their opinions in order to gain your belief. You can take or leave any comments as you see fit. Most of us have had a lot of experience and picked Oliver for many good reasons. We've made a number of improvements and happily shared those. We've been through the factory and know the peole who work there. We've been involved in improving the trailers. In other words, we are not just blowing smoke or blindly promoting a poor product. You also must make a lot of decisions for yourself, based on facts you gather and weigh, that are not simply based on others comments. Welcome aboard.

The main things I got out of it were: John jokingly mentioned the easy access to the brakes while the trailer is upside down. And he pointed out the very poor constuction. These seem to be the two points he wanted to make, while sharing a dramatic photo. Sorry you are having trouble understanding. That trailer was poorly built. Demonstrated not only because it came apart in a crash, but look at the poor frame, the poor subfloor and the total destruction from rolling over. I would expect an Oliver to be totaled to, in a rollover, but not turn into a pile like that. That sticky would never last, under normal usage, like an Oliver. Looking at the differences in the quality of construction brings that fact home. Who knows why that trailer got out of control? Olivers are known for being very stable. We don't know the details or the TV, so we can't conclude much there. Having working brakes is critical and knowing how to use them is also critical. Sway was mentioned and brakes cure sway. Your attack on John seems unreasonable. Challenging him for an explanation on what he meant, with supporting data, while he merely showed a destroyed sticky and pointed out some obvious problems with it. I find it interesting and sobering to see how a cheap sticky just collapses. Don't you?

Our coyote, Sandy always just rode tucked in between the seats.

OK, but that is not what I was asking. I was asking Foy to see if his were where expected. Did you see his and deternine if they were correctly positioned? If not, maybe Foy can answer.

I see no reason to go measuring, looking for a problem that has not shown up on it's own. Foy's trailer had an obvious mistake. Next, everyone will be looking for a 1/4" difference somwhere and demanding a new frame. Relax. This is a one-off mistake that actually was a problem. Good on Oliver to fix it. If your wheels aren't rubbing and the trailer tows straight, you're golden. Oliver builds trailer frames for other brands at their other location and I bet that is where the suspension truck/subframe is produced. They can easily call over and order a new one that is not pre-drilled. Most likely, the guys on the line over there, just reversed a couple of members and welded them in. Their proposed fix makes a lot of sense. I bet they could even just remove Foy's truck and re-drill it to the proper spec, but they instead chose to replace it completely. Foy, I'm curious about the small zinc anode washers that are mounted just ahead of the truck. Are those there and where they should be? It would be interesting if they drilled the aluminum frame incorrectly instead of the truck. Either way, I'm glad they are taking care of it.

John, Good points. I just happened to already have my Ram 3500 Cummins when we bought the Oliver, so that is what we use. It is very harsh off road, but it tows the trailer so well and so safely, that I will stick with it. The 2500 would have been better because it has coil rear springs or an air suspension option. Also, having a pickup allows so much gear to be hauled in the tow vehicle while not being inside with us. Gas cans, bikes, a bar-b-que, tools, wheel chocks, etc All stuff I don't want in Ollie or in the car with me. If I was to buy another TV, it would probably be a Ram1500 Eco or Hemi with the off-road package that includes air suspension with adjustable ride height. That will go just about anywhere I want to go and tow Ollie to many of those places, while riding well and carrying gear outside. I would not recommend any first or second year trucks with diesel engines until they have the bugs, if any, worked out. Diesels are now not what they used to be with the very complicated emissions equipment that will send the truck into limp mode if anything goes wrong.

John, I remember suggesting that your grabby brakes could be caused by grease on the lining. IIRC, you fixed that by cleaning the linings. Did you replace those shoes, and if so, did you replace all of them, or just the one that was grabbing? Could it be that some shoes have more friction than others if they are not the same material, or not as grease free? Interesting how grease makes a shoe grab harder. My brakes were very weak in the beginning. They would not skid on the maximum setting. Now, I'm down to about setting 4 and they are working fine. I'm sure they are holding evenly because I feel no left or right pull. Next time you are in there, it might be interesting to switch the magnets between the hot brake and the cold brake and be sure no grease is on the magnet friction area. The magnets might become grabby too, or just slip and not hold much.

"I had Oliver install an access port in the closet that opens to the plumbing right under the faucet. It’s small, and you’d need to perfect a few yoga positions to work in there, but the connections are right at the opening so I think I could make a repair if needed." That's what I need. Trying to fix mine while on the road would be a pain. What size access port did they install? Would a larger one work? Could one be installed without disturbing any of the plumbing or wiring?

I had contact with them recently. I think they are still in Oregon as camp hosts. Planning to see them next month up there.

Could be. And I've spent most of the last 50 years in the Bay Area. Not all, but most. A period in Hawaii and lots of time in Nevada over the years. Now rooted permanently in Nevada and loving it. Retired end of last year. Whew!

I used to be much more impatient and wanted instant gratification on all endeavours. Many of the things that stand in the way of adventures and dreams have value of their own and are worthy of being in the way of other things. Like raising a child for instance, or pursuing a career. Having someone tell you what you must do is ridiculous. The best they can offer is their own experience based on their own priorities and the results of those decisions. After camping all my life, I have come to the conclusion, for me and at this stage, that a trailer is excellent. A little cabin that offers so much, yet can be parked, unhooked and left behind to allow side trips. A place to get out of the worst weather and be so comfortable. The ability to stop anywhere and be there. I have also realized, at least for me, that things take time and time makes them better. I now try to not look for the completion of the project, but at the process of the project. This has helped me build a much better house, for instance, that took about seven years to build. Or build a cruising sailboat and live the dream while building it. I had never had a boat and didn't know how to sail, but while building it, I was able to learn a tremendous amount about everything involved with building, rigging, sailing and cruising. Then it was time to go and the adventure unfolded in front of us. Unforgetteble. The only problem is if you stop making progress. Even as you prepare for your adventure, you are living the dream. Of course, all adventure includes some risk and we will never be prepared for everything. So we all must find the best balance between "go now" and "wait until absolutely prepared for everything", which isn't possible. While dealing with other priorities, we have the perfect opportunity to prepare for the next adventure that must wait for it's time to arrive. Dream, imagine and prepare. I don't worry so much about waiting too long. None of us know when the end will arrive and completing an adventure isn't really the goal. But looking back on so many fine times, learning so much and making such good connections with others, certainly gives a lot of peace. I want to keep travelling, but I'm not in a hurry to go. I just don't want to get so weak I can't do it and realize I missed the chance. Adventures always turn out to be far richer and different than I could ever imagine while in the planning stage. Preparing and going just start the wheel rolling. Then the real fun and experiences come along and make it all so worth while. Because of that, I do very little planning or reservations or set dates to be places. Come up with a rough outline and go. Play it by ear. Have a few definite goals along the way. Judge when you are ready to head back. It's good to go and it's good to be home.

Roger, I understand how it can sometimes be an uphill battle to follow your dreams. I'm the same age as you and have to work through stuff at times too. I only meant it was sad that your wife is not excited about it and others have told you you'll never go. Too bad they aren't all encouraging you to go for it and wanting to be a part of it. Having a dog along is a tremendous benefit. I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time traveling and there is nothing like a small trailer to open up the possibilities. I first found the Elite model Oliver years ago and really liked it. There is one that lives near us that I saw at an annual event we have. This was before they made the E2 model. I finally got a chance to go in and found it didn't have enough head room for me (6'2"), but by then they were producing the E2. I already had my truck, so that was not part of the equation. The main differences that are important to me, besides the headroom, are the pantry and extra counter space in the E2. Also, I really like tandem axle trailers for their inherant stability and ability off road. We just got back from a month long trip across the country from northern Nevada to Florida. Along the way we went to the Oliver Rally and on a factory tour, among so many other things. I also like going out into the desert and being off grid for some time. Having a 4X4 pickup as a tow vehicle is perfect because we can carry bikes, a bar-be-que, extra fuel, equipment and tools. It seems like there is always something to fix or tinker with and we can get out to places only accessable with four wheel drive. My wife always seems to want to bring home a big cactus too. An E2 is almost the same width as a full sized Ram and has just about the same wheel track. So wherever the truck can fit, Ollie can too. And being only seven feet wide means much easier towing when compared to wider trailers. It doesn't hurt to keep your eye open for a used one either. I found ours used and it was the same as new. The price was better, we picked it up near by and there was no waiting for them to build it. Since then I've made a number of changes to make it even better. If you order one, you might share your list of options to see how others like those items.

I wish you the very best and lots of satisfying adventures while you follow your dream. Have fun! Sounds like a good combination of truck and trailer too. But somehow it all sounds a little sad.

I have some experience with sailboat refrigeration too. I went from ice to a Danfoss 12 volt compressor system that was built into a highly insulated, top loader box. The box was much better insulated than anything in an RV. The compressor was 12 volts in, but it had it's own inverter system and was actually an AC hermetic motor. The compressor and condenser package was mounted under the galley sink and the lines went to an evaporater plate in the box. It got rid of it's heat with a typical air heat exchange coil and it was remote enough to have no affect on the box. This system worked well as far as keeping the box cold, just as a home refrigerator does, but it used a lot of power over time. IIRC, it took about 3.5 amps and ran about 30% of the time. This meant it ALWAYS had to have power, 24 hours a day, and that is a problem on sailboats. It's also a problem in RVs. Solar works during the day, but having enough to dedicate to the fridge and keep it going reliably all night, every night becomes a problem. A fan in the box really helps cool everything down, but it's not always the best thing, or has to be sized right, because it tends to make everything the same temp, including the freezer section. My next home built system, on the boat, was a holding plate system with a true 12volt motor and belt driven compressor. I mounted a skid with the equipment in a locker near the fridge box and got rid of the waste heat with a heat exchanger cooled by sea water. This was much more efficient, but the water cooling system was troublesome because it required a thru-hull fitting below water level that was also not likely to get air bubbles while sailing. Plus the pump used power and did not last long in that situation. So I went back to the drawing board and designed a submerged heat exchanger for the fuel tank. This delivered all the waste heat to the fuel in the tank and required no pump or sea water system. Excellent! It reduced the power draw and eliminated all the associated other problems. I was also able to manage the power use because it only needed to run about 15 minutes every six hours or so. This meant I could time it to run when hooked to shore power or with the engine running, a lot of the time. No more near constant draw. The difference was a relentless, but low power draw that always had to be on vs a manageable, occasional draw. The constant low draw is much harder to deal with and is the way it is in RVs, unless you have relaible solar and batteries or a shore tie. Absorption has it's shortcommings too, such as slow operation and a lot of waste heat, but I can't see how 12volt systems are enough better to warrant the change. Before deciding on a truck fridge, look at a small office fridge or your home fridge. They run a lot because they don't store cold. And they make noise. Consider how a constant energy draw will be managed in poor weather, or at night or in the shade. Those passive condenser coils are a poor way to get rid of heat, are mounted right on the fridge and must have ventilation.

John, Good job. It would be nice if there was a way to seal the taper and keep moisture out. It looks like the upper part of the steel taper has some corrosion damage from moisture. Grease is an obvious first thought, but it would reduce the friction and the resistance to sway. Interesting thing, and something I don't care for in the Anderson, is the fact you can't adjust the sway friction. It might be more than needed in some cases and cause handling problems, and it might not be enough in others, which would allow sway. The only sway adjustment is the down force on the ball, which is unrelated to sway. I'd bet they have a lot more friction than needed, especially when they start groaning. Since the Olivers are so stable, it's hard to say for sure that any anti-sway is needed. Just load leveling in applications like yours. Maybe a dab of silicone grease wiped around the top of the taper and the top of the socket, to resist moisture intrusion, would be a good fix for the binding and groaning problem. I was thinking that while you have it apart, you could remove the coupler and, with a ball grinder, fit the tow ball to the receiver socket, up on the bench. You could work it in with repeated marking of the ball and finding out where the high spot is in the coupler, then grinding that spot until the receiver is round inside and closely matching the ball. Then your ball wear and the "loud bang" will also go away. I think you could make it a lot better with a bit of tuning. Then before replacing the ball, turn it to a new position and run some lapping compound for a couple thousand miles to really get the two parts matched. After that, a new ball would last a very long time and operate smoothly if greased. The only problem is that the majority of the lapping would occur in the rear part of the coupling because the Anderson applies so much forward force on the coupling against the ball. You see that with the ball wear pattern you have. Still, it would be a lot better than the current situation.

They would not have to leave it off. It could be easily swapped in about a minute with a previously drilled 2 5/16" coupler, right before pickup, with the new owner. Also, the 2 5/16" coupler would work fine with a 2" ball for moving it around the factory. I move mine all around the place with my tractor and a 2" ball mounted to the bucket.

I wrote about this problems last year and "fixed" mine before it broke. The batteries are so heavy that any play will lead to something breaking while driving. Whatever method you use, you must get the play down to zero so that the tray cannot hammer the latch by sliding back and forth while driving. If the latch doesn't break it will likely tear out the mounting screws instead. I simply dropped in a wooden 1X2 stick, across the front of the tray, between the frame and the sliding part on mine and it has been fine. I think Oliver has since upgraded the frame mounting bolts too. This is an area that needs some attention during routine maintenance to make sure it is secure. Those batteries could escape right out through the exterior door causing severe damage.

Seems like you could just take a very large screwdriver or pry-bar or something and stick in between the spring eye and the equalizer, between the shacles. The simply force them back over-center to the right position. You might have to raise the axles a bit as you go to help keep them back in the hanging position. I would not do it by driving as it seems to violent and unpredictable. In the position they are shown in, it should not take much force to over-center them.

It's good to have the actual part numbers John and Bob listed because there is no "standard" 3500 lb bearings. There are at least two different sizes for the 3500 lb axles. Brand and manufacturer are not enough. Actual part numbers or spindle diameters are required. I wonder if we can get Timken bearing? All the ones I've seen say China on them. That, in itself, does not mean poor quality, but thre is no way to tell. The fact that there are different sizes and different qualities, makes it even more important to have spares on hand when travelling. I got my set from Oliver and now can get more of the same to carry along. Lots of spare seals is also a good idea because they get replaced every time the bearings are greased. It's also good to have a large drift punch, hammer, seal driving tool and even a hub cap driver. The Dexter rep told me at the rally that Dexter had bearing punches, but when I called to get one, they had never heard of them. Hmmm. So a large drift, preferably a brass or mild steel one, could be made fairly easily from round bar stock. These are used to drive the bearing races out of the hub, if needed.

Can you confirm by looking at the Dexter stickers that are on your axles? Should be on the axle tube near the center.

John, That kit will not fix Foy's problem of both axles needing to move in the same direction and the same amount. This is because the kit shown does not move the center equalizer pivot forward or aft, only down. The excentrics are only good for a very small tracking correction. Look at the photos carefully and you'll see that one picture shows the shackles sitting nearly straight intead of hanging the axle. This will lead to them flipping over where the spring is not hanging, but pushing on the shackle. If both axles were moved, the shackles would also be uneven and the equalizer would not work right. This kit is only good for very minor tracking corrections and for lifting axles that are already correctly aligned.