Raspy

John, As you know, I designed the fix, developed the hardware, brought in the required router, and did a couple of installations. Reed documented the work as it was being done on his trailer and posted it. I posted a detailed look at the parts required and explained the procedure. The fix I designed and am using, works perfectly. I also contacted Oliver and offered to assist them in getting this repair off the ground for existing trailers. I never got any response of any kind from them. Nothing. Silence. Others have requested "kits" from Oliver and have gotten practically nothing. There is no support of any kind, that I can see, regarding the tank upgrade. I'm afraid this is typical and it's too bad. But I can assist anyone wanting to do the upgrade by lending the tool, supplying the parts, etc. I love my trailer and it's a real keeper, but as time goes by, I'm realizing we are all on our own with issues that Oliver doesn't want to deal with. Hopefully, there won't be any issues that I can't deal with on my own. The water tank problem was a mistake in design and not a failure. As you know, this isn't the first time we've gotten the silent treatment or had a response that didn't make sense. It would be better and less frustrating if Oliver simply said "we are not going to help you with that" or "we don't know what to do about that" or "we'll get to that issue when we can" or "that is not covered under our warrantee".

Mark, That is a very nice bracket! Good find.

Geo, I think you just got the correct and final answer on this. So, we use the jacks at our own risk, which, of course, we were doing anyway. Sounds like you got a logical answer from Oliver. They designed the trailer to use the jacks for leveling and lifting, but the jack manufacturer recommends we don't lift with them, possibly for liability reasons. I'll stabilize with them, but not to the point of lifting the trailer off the ground, and I'll use them for emergency tire changes. In the shop, and for normal maintenance, the floor jack under the spring plates will be used. Another minor point about it: On the front jack, it's main function is lifting the trailer and holding it off the ground. And doing so for as long as the trailer is parked. It takes all the tongue weight, all the time, unless the trailer is hitched up. Same jack as the rear ones, but it's OK to lift with it and not the rears. Hmmm. Getting tired of whipping a dead horse here. I'm comfortable with going ahead with what I was already doing.

Bill, That looks good. What do you think about storing it behind the propane bottles somehow? I'd like to keep it far away from the stuff in the basement.

I'd like to have them give a demonstration on that method. The subframe is very close to the tire and high off the ground for a normal jack. Tire changes must be done in less than optimal places and done as quickly as possible when alongside a highway. The area could be rocky, sloping or soft sand. I'm going with the original plan and what they used to say was OK. On the road, the built in jacks will get the job done quickly. In the shop, a floor jack under the spring plate is safe, stable and stress free for the trailer. Unless, of course, if Oliver changes their tune and begins to tell us the trailer jacks will break and drop the trailer. But that would mean they have a design issue, as it used to be OK. And that would mean they have to be quiet and ignore it until it goes away.

Any extreme pressure grease designed to be used in a grease gun on vehicles, is going to be so close to perfect that it becomes ridiculous to search and fret over the exact part number. And, it's MUCH better to use something than nothing. I like the little 3oz guns, but every tine I use one it runs out before I'm done. That means every time I use it I have to change cartridges and that means a mess and more time being covered in grease. Consider also, if you have the EZ lube bearings on your trailer or want a dab on the ball now and then, that there are other needs besides the suspension links. You might even want to grease the tow vehicle U joints or ball joints once in a while. It might be best to use the larger gun, forget bringing a lot of cartridges and pack it in a plastic bag to keep it from messing everything else up. I bet a nice spot to carry it could be arranged behind the propane bottles where it would be out of the way and not affect anything else. I've also found the ones with the flexible hoses work best for tight places.

I just have to laugh. Sheesh, what a policy. Really? But it does seem to answer some of the questions that we never seems to get resolved. To, at once, talk about excellent customer support and the Oliver difference, and at the same time just be silent and wait for problems to go away, is very telling. Further proof we are dealing with a small company here and the individuals in that company that seem to be overloaded. When individual personalities have so much affect on company policies, or on the lack of policies, it makes me uncomfortable. Any time they are busy or don't want to deal with something, or are in a bad mood, or worse yet, don't know how to deal with something, the customer is in trouble. Each person will a give different answer, if they answer at all, while hoping we go away and quit asking. If telling people how they expect us to jack up our trailers is too much for them to handle, imagine how much trouble it would be for them if we had some kind of serious issue, like a cracked frame, for instance. The water tank issue has also proven to be one of those problems that they just want to go away. Meanwhile, they want us to show our trailers to possible buyers and talk about how great it is to be in the Oliver family. Again, I am just sitting here laughing. Really?

When I need to remove a wheel, and I'm in the garage, I use a floor jack under the spring plate. This seems like the best place to lift the trailer to me. The only reason I can think of for saying "don't lift it under the axle" is to prevent people jacking up the trailer in the middle of the axle between the left and right wheels. That will not work, but it is how tire shops lift pickups, so it would probably happen, sooner or later if allowed. Putting a block on top of a floor jack is very dangerous at it will roll and spit out the block and drop the load. Not a good plan. When I installed my Heavy duty suspension kit, I placed jack stands under the frame after lifting with the floor jack under the spring plate. This allowed me to adjust the axle up and down as needed during the work and it was very safe with two stands per side. I can hear the trailer creaking a bit when running the jacks down under load. It makes sense because they are applying force behind the rear axle. Jacking under the spring plate for service applies the lifting force exactly where that force comes from normally from the suspension. The jacks are plenty strong enough to lift the trailer, but I see no reason to lift the tires clear off the ground just to level it. It just seems kind of silly to lift the wheels off the ground for leveling, especially since the jacks have play in them and the tires, while still in contact with the ground will make the trailer more stabile. Much better to drive it up onto a some blocks and then fine tune with the jacks. Or drive the high side into a hole and fine tune. Also, these units are "jacks" and not simply "stabilizers". They are jacks that we use to stabilize, but the typical stabilizers cannot be used for jacks. I'm referring to those simple scissors type units that are dropped down at each corner in other trailers. They are not for lifting. So, we have jacks, that we use for stabilizing the trailer AND that can be used for lifting if needed. I would definitely use them to change a tire alongside the road. It was common knowledge (whatever value that has) when I got my Ollie that the jacks were fine for tire changing. Oliver seems to not have their story straight, and it has apparently changed over time. But if there was a real issue, they would make it clear, I'm sure. Or they would upgrade to make it safer. Not bothering to answer tells me, besides being disorganized, that they don't consider it a no no, especially since they used to tout it as a benefit. Bottom line for me: Use the jacks to stabilize or change a tire on the road. Jack it up in the shop with a floor jack under the spring plates below the axle and set it on jack stands under the frame. NEVER use a tall block to extend the reach of a floor jack. NEVER leave it up on it's own jacks and work on it with the wheels off or when going under it. Don't level it at a campsite by lifting the wheels clear off the ground. Common sense must always prevail! Don't rely on Oliver to always give the absolute firm policy regarding these issues. One, they change their story over time and by who you talk to, or they just don't answer. Two, they make blanket statements that don't always make sense. Three, it's up to each of us to be safe and responsible for ourselves. Blaming them for a mishap is not going to reduce the pain.

The stock suspension bushings and equalizer are the cheapest "maintenance free" items that are really not worthy of our trailers. Non-greasable nylon bushings that wear out and begin to wear metal to metal on the pins. This leads to loose suspension and a weakening of the parts over time. The EZ Flex is a good way to upgrade to the heavier duty parts and greaseable bronze bushings. It also has heavier shackles and a stronger equalizer. But, there have been some problems with the rubber bumper disintegrating. There is a heavy duty kit that has all the better parts, including a heavy duty equalizer, and is greaseable, but doesn't have the rubber part. It is also about $100. cheaper than the EZ Flex. It's simply called the Dexter heavy duty suspension kit. When I went to order my EZ Flex kit from a friend in the trailer business, he cautioned me and said he'd order it for me if I wanted, but did not recommend it. So I ordered the heavy duty kit instead. If you are wondering if it will make the trailer ride better, look at the Dexter video that shows it in action. Is is shown on the road, but the rubber is doing nothing. Turns out it is better for very stiffly sprung trailers where the rubber is forced to compress. Our trailer have soft suspension that does not force it to work. Either way, you're better off than with the stock parts, but I recommend saving the extra $100. and going with the heavy duty kit which will ride just as well and may be more reliable in the long run.

Well, that is a good question. If you are maintaining the battery, you are charging the battery. Not sure what he means. I went from the system not being hooked up, such that no charging of the trailer battery could occur, to charging just fine. But it seems that different brands and models of tow vehicles have different amounts of power they will send to the 7 pin plug. I guess you'll just have to test it to see how much you are getting from your tow vehicle. First, verify that it is charging by looking at the voltage in the trailer, while plugged into the TV, and engine running. Should be up at about 14.1 if your battery is already charged. Then turn the fridge on 12 volts (assuming you have the absorption fridge). This will put a load of about 150 watts, 12 volts, on the system. Does your battery voltage hold at 14.1? If so, you are good to go. If your battery does not come up to about 14.1 while the TV is connected and running, but languishes at about 12.6 and then drops further when the fridge is turned on in 12 volt mode, you are not charging from the TV. I think I'd call Oliver back and ask what they mean by "maintaining". Does that mean it will charge from the TV, or not? Remind them that there are conflicting stories from Oliver about trailer charging from the 7 pin plug and that the problem was supposedly fixed back around Hull # 200. Then it turned out that Oliver was trying to run the brakes by grounding through the tow ball and that some of us have had to sort this out on our own. Also, if you get a "trailer disconnected" type warning in your truck, it could mean you are not connected for charging and have no ground wire to the trailer frame and battery. Let me know what you find out next. John

I decided to install the 2 5/16" coupler on Ollie as others have done. This isn't necessary for my gross weight but I have several other trailers with the larger ball and it's more convenient. Also. there is no question that the larger ball will be plenty strong enough. Interesting that the strength of the two couplers looks nearly the same, even though they are rated way different. Both the same steel channel piece and just a larger ball socket. I am always having trouble stepping over the tongue on Ollie and getting hung up on the handle that opes it. Not anymore, I hope. Also, the strain is so high at the bolts, that it had actually began to elongate the holes in the coupler a bit from the shearing force. There are two grade 8 bolts that pinch the piece against the aluminum tongue. The holes through the tongue are larger and have inserts to take the compression load, but the nuts bottomed at the end of the threads before getting to full pinching force. The fix was to simply add another washer under the nuts.

Bill, Thanks for that! Sure enough, and I did not see the one up on the tongue. It will be fun to see what happens to them over time and If any corrosion shows up on the aluminum.

"Looks like anodes on both sides of Ollie’s steel Dexter axle shackle bracket. I need to clean, prime & paint Ollie’s steel axle shackle brackets, too." Bill, I've seen those too. But I assumed they were simply alignment reference points for the suspension truck. Are they zinc?

John, Be careful using aluminum anti-seize on stainless fasteners. Aluminum "anti-seize" turns into "seize" as the aluminum in the grease reacts with the stainless (the very thing you are trying to prevent by isolating the stainless bolts from the aluminum frame). It expands, turns to powder and locks the threads. I think this also makes the stainless bolts more likely to gall, which means they will never come apart and will have to be cut off. This is another lesson from being around a lot of boats. Copper based, or nickel based anti-seize is better. Even a good coating of Teflon pipe dope is better as it prevents water intrusion and lubricates the threads. I have also used silicon caulk. It works very well and also acts as a mild thread locker, if you need that function too.

When bolting something to your aluminum trailer, don't use stainless steel bolts. I've had enough experience with this around boats. The aluminum corrodes severely and turns to dust, while the fasteners are fine. Galvanized bolts work fine. After about ten years or so, you may find the galvanizing is gone in some spots, but the aluminum should be mostly fine I just replaced my coupler with a new 2 5/16" Bulldog coupler. There was no sign of any corrosion where the steel was bolted to the aluminum or in the cad plated, grade 8 bolts. Only about 2 1/2 years old, but no sign of a developing problem. The coupler is an interesting place to look too. There is a lot of force there. So much in fact, that it had slightly elongated the holes on the old coupler where the grade 8 bolts went through. It's also exposed to dew, rain, snow and road spray. Also, I don't know the particular aluminum alloy that Oliver uses. Some aluminum is much more inert or corrosion resistant than others. Some aluminum corrodes quickly when exposed to salt water, for instance, and some is used for boat hulls that are left bare and used in the ocean. I'm actually more concerned about the frame welds than I am about the frame's structural tubing.

Thanks for that great letter, Ray I do hope to cross paths with you one of these days and I hope you have a chance to get a closer look at an Oliver too. Your pictures show the kind of areas we like the best. Any chance you'll be going to Bullards Beach, Oregon, in July? Or exploring the eastern Sierra this year some time? I'd like to head east into Montana/Wyoming but probably won't make it this year as we're planning a trip to China for a month or so and the seasons there make a real difference in travel plans. I just retired and am still getting dialed in. Lot's of projects to get settled and the places we often go, here in the Sierra, are mostly remote because of the crowds in the popular spots, like Yosemite, or Twin Lakes. We live in the high desert, south east of Carson city, so it's a nice jumping off spot. Ollie is all set and right here in the garage waiting to go, like some eager puppy. I guess 2019 will be the year of the longer trips up into Canada and the East Coast, as this year is already filling up.

I thrive outside of organized campgrounds. This is one of the reasons I got my Oliver and I've towed it into places that were near the limit of my Ram and the Oliver. I know that some would be reluctant, too cautious or inexperienced to go to remote spots, and that is fine and prudent, but there is no way a 25" Airstream can get very far in without serious damage to either the wide fragile aluminum body or the underneath plumbing. Oliver's durable fiberglass body and 7' width, with no underneath plumbing, make a lot of this possible where trails are narrow and rough. If you want a fine boondocking experience try Saline Valley hot springs where you'll travel about 50 miles on a rocky and steep gravel road that is frequently washed out in the monsoon season or blocked by snow. When you get there, there are no services of any kind. Carrying enough fuel for the in and out is a serious consideration. And this is the "easy way" in. On the way in and after arriving, you'll see the advantage of LT tires, four deep cycle batteries carried directly over the axles and their power compared to one group 24 house battery, that I understand the Airstream has. I camp in "organized" campgrounds and go to rallies too. They are just another option that is also fun. Olivers have a very comfortable, but simple, living arrangement, so it's interesting to talk about roughing it in the out-back, and getting there through rough terrain, but living in a luxury apartment once you arrive. I like the interior space and beautiful layout of the Airstream too, but it's an odd thing to take to the most extreme places as you seem to be doing. Especially when it has more strict limits off road and a much more fragile body. Sorry, and I don't mean to be too negative, but I find myself giggling at the thought of having to qualify, just for the chance to prove I can keep up with an Airstream on remote roads. Or to match it's abilities while boondocking. Really? I can't imagine that that would be a goal for a trip into the wild. Oliver Elite 2 models are 23.5' from ball to bumper. The body is about 18' long and 7' wide.

I don't understand the challenge aspect of this. Why does someone have to qualify to go boondocking with you? Are you trying to compare trailers? Show somebody how to camp in the wild? Why only you and one other trailer?

I do it every year with another one of my trailers. Get yourself a small 120 volt model, like a Senco air nailer style. It will have a cutoff and a regulator built in, plus a small tank. Then make a hose with a garden hose male on one and and a quick disconnect on the other. Plug it in, set the pressure to about 40 PSI, drain the water heater by removing the plug on it outside, connect the hose, turn on the faucets. Do the faucets one at a time or until you are only getting air. it may take 2 or 3 recharges to get a sufficient blast of air. Then pour a cup or so of antifreeze down the sink drains to protect the traps. You should also open the suction line where Ollie draws it's water in from a tank and let the pump suck that line dry. You might be able to hook up the compressor to this suction line too. Done.

In some ways, Oliver seems to be overloaded with all the accumulating details of designing, building and following up with endless questions. They have made some mistakes and are slow to deal with them. Examples such as wiring and water tank issues reveal this. Tires are a consumable item on trailers. Tire warrantees are handled by the manufacturer. Brands and sizes change over time. The same model trailer can weigh 5000 lbs to over 7000 lbs and can be towed once a year in cold weather or constantly towed in 100 degree weather. Traction on different surfaces can be significantly affected by pressure. Some might want the lowest towing drag and others might want the best possible traction, while others might want the smoothest ride. Tire pressure is never a definite number, so manufacturers give "maximum" and "recommended" values. When you say you want Oliver to give "written guidance" it implies that they should be held responsible for wildly varying circumstances. They do, as I understand it, recommend 60 PSI, which is a good all around starting point that will work well in most situations. If a tire leaks and a problems occurs, it's not Oliver's fault, as the pressure at that point would be outside their recommendations and they cannot warrant against road hazards. There have been so many trailer tire (ST) failures that many now opt to run them at full rated pressure, just as a way to keep them from blowing out from heat. This is not the case with light truck (LT) tires that are MUCH more tolerant of varying pressures and can be tuned to the situation. It would be nice if they offered a TPMS system as an option, I suppose, but then they would have to have the interface with the tow vehicle, show people how to use it and guarantee it, etc. Remember, they just went through a flap about solar controllers and defaulted to the one that was easy to use, but less efficient, in order to, probably, reduce their hassle factor. They are also not known for their wiring prowess. Better to let them build an excellent frame and body structure, as they know how to do very well, concentrate on the internal systems they must have and leave the minor options to owners. For instance, I don't really feel the need for TPMS on mine. I check the tire temps and appearance at every point of interest stop or fuel stop and if one blows out I will instantly be aware of it.

I installed one in my Ollie too. There's more to the benefit than the sound though. Without it, the pressure builds up when you fire up the water heater from cold and the pressure will go to 100 PSI ad pop the pressure relief valve. This puts unnecessary strain on the entire plumbing system. It's good to keep the hose from the pump to the tank as short as is practical to keep the pump from stuttering as it tries to shut off. Best when the pump runs smoothly for a longer period and then stays off for a longer period, several seconds or so. I experimented with different pressures and settled at about 20 PSI.

As far as rotation goes, there is no good reason to rotate the tires on an Oliver. This statement assumes the tires will time out before they wear out. Unless you put very high mileage on your trailer and do actually wear the tires out within 5 or 6 years, don't bother to rotate them. It gains you nothing. Rotation is not the same on a trailer as on a truck. Trucks carry a heavy and constant load on the front tires that also must force the truck around curves. The rear of trucks apply all the driving force to the ground and have variable loads from cargo. The fronts do wear different than the rears. But not on trailers. And usually, trailer tires will time out before they wear out. If they are all wearing the same, forget rotating them. 60 PSI is a good operating pressure for an Elite 2. It allows for a very hot summer driving without going beyond the rated pressure, it rides well and lower pressures make the tires run hotter. Hotter is not a good plan as it stresses the tires more and means there is more drag. I'm sure they can carry the weight at 45 PSI, but they will definitely be running hotter on the highway. I've measured the temps on mine and seen the difference. Off road, they can be run much lower, but for extended highway service, 60 PSI is a good number to start with when cold. Oliver used to run a smaller spare. I don't think this had anything to do with using up old stock or some kind of conspiracy to trick anybody. The lower body shell and the spare tire cover fiberglass molds were designed for the smaller tire. They would not accommodate the larger size. I know this because I went to a full sized spare on my hull number 92 and I had to not use the fiberglass cover. The molds were changed sometime before hull 200 and all five tires and wheels have been the same size since. Running a slightly smaller tire on a tandem axles trailer works fine, but I wanted the full size in case I got a flat when off road and needed the best I could get in the sand or rocks. Either way, the wheels were identical. LT tires are not just adequate, Oliver is not cutting any corners here, they are superior to trailer tires in a number of ways. LTs are also considerably more expensive, so there would be no reason for Oliver to use them unless they offered better performance, and they do. This has been discussed at length and is one of the reasons I chose my Oliver.

Corcomi, I suggest you first check to see if your trailer batteries are charging when plugged into the TV and the TV engine is running. I have described this test earlier, but first check the trailer battery voltage when unplugged from shore and from the TV, for at least an hour or so. Should be around 12.6- 12.8 if fully charged, or lower if not. Either way that's fine as we need a starting point. Then plug the trailer into the TV and start the engine. You should see the voltage start to rise and it should come up to about 14 volts over the next hour or less. Second, confirm that your trailer brakes are working. This can be done by towing the trailer and applying the brakes, at the controller independently from the TV brakes, and noticing if the trailer pulls back or skids. If you are charging the trailer batteries from the TV and the trailer brakes work, then your problem with the warning message is somewhere other than a ground. If the brakes work, but you aren't charging, the ground can be the problem and you need to connect the brake ground wire to the trailer 12 volt negative buss bar and the buss bar to the 7 pin negative wire from the TV. This will give the TV a constant negative, charge the batteries and, possibly, stop the "disconnected" message from the TV. Oliver has gone through an evolution with their wiring. Mine was not grounded and it was easy to fix. Another Ollie I looked at was not grounded either, but the wiring was completely different internally.

Temporary temperature plunges are not likely to freeze the tanks, there is a lot of energy in tanks of water. I think the most vulnerable place may be the city water and fresh water connections on the street side rear. This area is not well heated, the lines are metal and therefore not freeze tolerant like PEX, and they are exposed to the outside. -20 is a miserable temperature to be avoided if possible. It's dangerous to be out in and it comes with a lot of other problems, so I won't be the one to see how an Oliver would manage it. I'm not sure the propane tanks would keep working to heat the water and run the heating system at that temp. If not, the trailer and it's occupants would be in trouble very soon.

Generally speaking. Adding a sway bar on the back will add oversteer and keep the truck level with tall loads. The truck's manners will depend on the weight being carried and how high the load is. If you have very stiff rear suspension and a light load, the bar will do very little. They are good on the rear with heavy cabover campers running at near max weight rating. Adding one to the front can reduce oversteer and will reduce body roll. It all depends on your weight distribution and gross weight. Having the right shocks can make a huge difference in stability and road holding over rough surfaces too. When towing with a bumper type hitch, shocks mean more than sway bars. What problem are you trying to fix?