Raspy

You can't get hurt by quickly touching the center caps on the wheels, but they aren't a very good measure of problems either. The infrared thermometer can look at the brake drums though. A failing bearing is likely to make the drum hotter and it will also develop play that you can find by grabbing the top of the tire and then pulling and pushing on it to look for play. This is a good thing to do at the campsite in the morning.

My Ollie weighs probably 5,500 lbs. when towing. I run my tires at 60 PSI and I set them there when cold before we leave. This is a good default pressure that will handle the trailer load just fine and keep the tires cool. It still has some flex and is not rock hard like it would be a 80 PSI. It also allows them to build pressure on hot desert highway runs where the asphalt might be at 140 degrees and the air at 100 or more. I can tell the temperature difference in the tires even at 55 PSI. They are warmer. Every fuel or grocery stop, I go around and touch each tire. They are always the same temp, if inflated the same, and they are just slightly above ambient air temperature. On the road, I don't use a gauge, I just touch each one and compare the felt temps. Every time you use a gauge you let some air out and run the risk of the valve leaking. It's not necessary to use a gauge when stopping for fuel, just use temperature. Warmer tires are under more stress and they make the trailer harder to tow. This is why I would never run them at 45 psi, for instance, even if the chart said they could handle the load at that pressure. The chart is more a minimum guide than a definite number that you must follow. And as John mentioned, you have no head room at the lower pressure in the event of a slow leak. Off road, or on secondary gravel roads, it's a different matter. I'm talking about droning down the highway at speed. That is when the higher pressure is a good policy. On back roads, it's a good idea to air down and travel slowly, but you have to factor in the difficulty of airing back up. This applies to the truck too as I like to air it down on rough roads or in the snow. When going into Death Valley I'm on gravel, or worse, for a hundred miles or more and when I come out, I can get back to town with limited speed on paved roads to air back up. I have a compressor, but it's for emergency use as it's not real easy to use. If we are only going five miles on a rough road, I'll just go slow and keep the pressure up. This is what we did at Sun Valley for the Eclipse. Just idled along for a few miles on a rocky road as we climbed to our spot out in the forest, then idled back out. No need to hurry in that situation.

John, The coupler Steve listed is a weld on design that must be drilled and bolted to the aluminum Oliver tongue. It is exactly the same as the stock Oliver coupler, except in 2 5/16" ball size. For anyone doing this mod, I recommend not getting the aluminum ball mount unless you are getting the 2 1/2" size for class 5 hitches. And only then if you are using it with an Oliver and not a heavier trailer. I saw a picture of an aluminum mount snapped off and it started a big discussion with a number of people saying they knew of failures too. Aluminum mounts will snap off if overloaded where steel will deform and hold on. I think aluminum is a poor choice for a drop hitch with their extreme leverage.

Just watch the trailer over uneven surfaces and along rough roads. Olivers are softly sprung and quite compliant. I've also noticed witness marks on the frame where the axle is coming in contact with the frame. Unfortunately, the travel is somewhat limited and there are no rubber stops, just metal to metal. It would be nice if we could find some springs with a bit more arc, that were not stiffer. Stiffer springs are available and will also help because they will have less initial set and hold more weight. Of course, that means a rougher ride. For now, I'm going to stay with the stock setup, but if I decide to upgrade to the 5200 lb axles, I'll definitely get the springs with one more leaf too.

Rumline, Thanks for the kind words. Yes, coyotes are incredible animals. Those yellow eyes can lock-on and look for intention. Much more than simple sight. She would start a game and then challenge me to respond to her moves. She understood what we were doing and what we wanted her to do without training. We were all part of a pack that lived and travelled together. I often thought of her as a relative that had come to visit. Lot's of interaction, but also independent. Or like a cat that retained a lot of independence, but she found her place in the family and added an immense amount of joy and character to our world. So much of getting along with her was understanding her hard-wired character and her outlook on the world. She is the smartest and most fun dog I have ever had. We would wrestle and chase and play games for hours every day. We built a bond and a trust that helped her with her natural caution or wariness, when facing new challenges or meeting people. Through it all and now at about 5 1/2 years old, she has never been a threat to anyone. It was a real heartbreaker to let her go, but given the circumstances, Southwest Wildlife is the perfect place for her to be. I designed the counter top, had the piece sheared and bent and then installed it myself. The material is 14 gauge, 304 stainless with a polished finish. The sink and stove holes were made with a 4" grinder. #10 screws and nuts hold it in front and along the back. It is glued down with paintable silicone. It is holding up very well and was put down directly over the white fiberglass counter top after that was scuffed up with a scrubby pad and then de-greased. It is thick enough and glued almost continuously underneath, so it does not dent. We set hot pots on it, within reason. It was designed to be very durable and used hard. Stainless will always show some character from sliding iron pots on it it cutting on it, etc, but that's fine. It will never wear out and is far more durable than the stock countertop.

Angus, I'd go ahead and get your Oliver and bring it home with your van, assuming not too heavily loaded, a good brake controller and excellent tires rated for the task. Then, as you get settled and get a few miles on it, you'll probably want something with a bit more towing capacity and larger brakes. Like a 3/4 or 1 ton P/U with single rear wheels and possibly a diesel. I don't like to recommend diesels to those not familiar with them for various reasons, but they are the best at towing. Specific years and models can be either exceptionally good or exceptionally bad. Later models are extremely complicated, etc. Weight distribution hitches are a subject worth discussing too. Your empty Oliver will have a tongue weight of about 450 lbs. Seems within reason for your van without the WDH, but just barely. Since your hitch is rated for a 750 lb load with WDH, it is strong enough to handle a 450 lb load. It seems the rear suspension of your truck is the limit and will sag without a WDH. So, I guess it sounds like a good idea to get one. Your next rig probably won't need it though. Anderson hitches are offered as an option from Oliver, but they are controversial. I have one and don't want to use it. Others have had trouble with them. But they work with the Oliver tongue design better than anything else. Try putting 500 lbs in the back of your van, as far back as you can, and see how bad it sags. You might be better off with heavy duty overload springs than a WDH. Those vans can be rated as high as 8,300 lb towing capacity with the right options. I hope you don't plan to tow it at 75 MPH like your previous example.

Like minds.

Angus, Of course your van will tow your Ollie! The specs of your truck are considerably above the weight of your Ollie. But, having said that, you might find you'd like something else later that is even heavier duty, and that will be fine too. It's not like you're trying to tow it with a Beetle, or a Datsun pickup. And your truck seems to have traction control, which is good. Be sure you have a high quality brake controller before you tow! Your brakes might be the weak link if you don't work the trailer brakes hard enough. Yes, a diesel would get better mileage, but it also will cost a LOT to buy. A big diesel will pull harder, but how hard do you need? Use what you have and see how you like it. I'm towing with a Ram/Cummins, but I know your truck is perfectly capable of getting you to a campsite. You also already have 4WD which is very important. BTW, you state the axle is a 3.42 AND a 3.73. No it's not. Which one is it? 3.73 would be better for towing. You say yours is a 2017 and then you say it's a 2007. They have significantly different engines. Which is it? Reed is towing with a 2017 or 2018 5300 Chevy and he seems to like it. Maybe he'll chime in here. Looks like your "ball mount" is a bit light. Do you mean the actual ball mount that slides into the 2" receiver? Or the hitch that is bolted to the frame? Look on etrailer and see if you can upgrade to 6000 lbs. The Oliver bulldog coupler on mine is for a 2" ball and it's rated for 6,000 lbs. My Ollie has a tongue weight of about 475 lbs ready to go. I've measured it with a scale. Not sure of the overall weight, but it is probably near 5,400 lbs.

Reed, I just hate the idea of having to reset the windows in a brand new Oliver. What!!! Sheesh. You have taken some serious abuse by that trailer after going in with the best of intentions and a lot of cash. It's just not right to have problem after problem, especially with something as seemingly straightforward as setting the windows properly. And even more, with a trailer manufacturer that keeps telling us how great they are. This is another check in the wrong column. I wonder how many people are reading these problem posts and changing their minds about buying an Oliver? At this point, if I was in the market, I'd be questioning the idea of paying so much for a trailer with a very limited practical warrantee (so far to the only repair station), a series of problems that should not have occurred and an attitude with some problems that they don't really exist. As I sit here shaking my head, I just don't know what to say. But I do feel that I'm on my own if something comes up, instead of being "in the family" as Oliver claims. Maybe the "family" is the group with problems, when all along I thought it was the family of happy owners supported by the factory. Hmmmm.

Reed, remember my motto............"I only exaggerate enough to compensate for being taken with a grain of salt". In other words, I only exaggerate in the interest of truth. ????

What is the best way to protect the brass connections, etc, where the hose connections are? Can't see how to drain the lines there.

I wonder just how cold it has to be and for how long to freeze that area? And to freeze the water connections where the hose hooks up to fill? Don't know.

We were at the Bristlecone Pines campground in CA at about 8,500 ft. Got all set up late in the day and I got a campfire going. Then it started to snow. Beautiful. I sat outside in the snow and just marveled at the quiet and the beauty. Poking at the fire and moving closer to stay warm. A libation offered some distraction from the gathering cold and darkness. Liye decided to move inside. Eventually, I moved in too. But looked out the window at the orange glow and fog of snowflakes. Again, totally quiet and we were the only ones there. Miles from anywhere and anyone. The heater clicked on and off during the night and as I noticed it, I also noticed how snug we were. Snow makes the dark forest even quieter. Morning brought the chance to see how much snow we got and start a new adventure going on up to the 10,000 ft level to marvel at the 5,000 year old trees. Bristlecone Pines. One of my favorite places. Through coring and other tree ring methods we can look back 12,000 years with a recorded history. All of this from trees growing in a dolomite soil that was previously a sea bottom. Now, that ancient "sea bottom" is at 10,000 ft elevation. Such are the wonders of the Sierra Nevada Range and plate tectonics. Fun to ponder on a quiet night, camped in the snow with a warm fire crackling. The idea is to lean into it, experience it, marvel at what it is. Try to grasp the enormous amount of time that has passed to form this scene. Living trees that I can reach out and touch, that were alive when the pyramids were being built. But more than that, soil that formed as a sea bed and is now here! Without our beautiful little trailer, we could never come here and have a comfortable winter visit.

The aluminum frame is a new idea on a new trailer brand. No history of what might be a problem and no clear guidelines from the manufacturer. They have even made design changes over the model years and are probably just winging it. The front section seems incredibly strong and well thought out, while the rear is minimal. If there is a devil in the details, it's the welding. I want to lean toward less modifications and holes in the frame. It seems really well built, but I have wondered about the welds, and the frame does a lot of flexing. It's also interesting that the frame acts in a different manner than any other trailer frame I've seen. It supports a relatively stiff structure (the trailer body) and transfers the towing strain from the tow vehicle to the steel suspension subframe that the whole system is sitting on. This system is more like a boat on a boat trailer than a conventional travel trailer frame. One of the reasons I did not want to install a propane quick disconnect somewhere other than in the front, was my aversion to drilling holes in the frame. The only way I can conclude that the frame has no weak points is to give it lots of time and see no cracks. But I'll never say "go ahead and drill where you want, no problem". It's impossible to determine the margin of safety at any given point. Please be careful and I understand your concern.

When I first looked at this problem and was working on a solution, I quickly gave up on using the existing tank fittings because of the poor access. John's fix using the upper fitting helps to get around this problem. Dave had already come up with a copper pipe formed into a Z, sort of, shape to fit through the existing holes and then lay on the bottom of the tank. That seems like a good idea too, but hard to install in that lower fitting, in fact, next to impossible to install. The use of 1/2" PEX (5/8" OD) means it's too big to fit through the hole and John had to enlarge the hole to get it through. Another method would be to use 3/8" PEX (1/2" OD) or 1/2" copper tubing. And then adapt back to the 1/2" PEX outside the tank. John's curved copper example is good, but the bend is too sharp to make the corner. A hand formed 1/2" copper dip tube 90 might work very well if someone wanted to use copper instead of PEX. I debated between using copper or PEX for my dip tube coming in through a fitting on top and decided that copper was best for me. I was able to make the holes in the pickup so close to the bottom of the tank that mine will draw down to 6% before getting air and will struggle on down to zero percent with some bubbles. Those plastic PEX fittings that seal only with an O ring against the outside of the tube seem barely good enough and may leak with the sloshing water and vibration while driving. The drilled out brass fittings John used are much better. And they can be easily taken apart if needed. I want to re-stress that the tank fittings, especially the ones from the factory, are not very strong and can crack if the fitting is screwed in too far. Be careful! When using the copper crimp rings to connect the valves or splice the tubing, the tool can be cumbersome and hard to get in place. Lowes sells another one called a "pinch ring". The tool for these is more compact and works well. The rings are also stainless and can be removed easily if needed.

Good work John! Nice fix. You can put pipe dope on the compression fitting ferrule and nut threads to act as a lubricant and sealer which will allow much less torque without leaking. I suggest anyone else that does this use Rectorseal 5 on the tank fitting, but teflon will work well if you're careful. Just be careful not to tighten it beyond hand tight. I don't think you mentioned it, but when tightening the compression nut, everyone should be careful to hold the fitting on the hex nut with another wrench. When I was looking at mine, I never thought of swapping the top and bottom fittings to gain access. Good idea.

That looks like a viable fix John. While looking at mine it seemed really hard to get to the side fittings as you've done. What tubing is that? PEX? If PEX, how did you get the permanent "90" in it. Just a suggestion about the teflon tape: It might be better to use something like Rectorseal #5 as I showed in my photos because teflon relies on a permanent clamping force to not leak and the plastic tank fittings can relax. Also, the fittings can crack with not much force and you'll have a leak that will be very hard to fix. The rectorseal sets to a stiff but sticky glue that is compatible with drinking water and plastic, but doesn't require a lot of constant pressure on the fitting to seal. Looking for your update on the process.

Fortunately, mine fits in the garage and it is always plugged in. The garage is heated from waste solar heat, so I never have to winterize it. Point is: Always plugged in doesn't hurt a thing. Fully charged batteries are freeze resistant. The Ollie battery charger won't hurt your batteries. When it's freezing, but not extremely cold, my other trailer, outside, has heat tape on the water supply and an electric heater on low inside. Still not worried about the batteries if they are on a charger, but I don't leave that one plugged in all the time because it is not a smart charger.

I have the same 2015 setup. The speaker selection buttons on the Furion have to be set right and then we control the volume of the DVDs with the Furion volume control knob. All sound is then directed through the room speakers. The whole system is awkward and ours only plays DVDs if it's in a good mood and I haven't let it sit on pause for too long. Disappointing. I finally got a new DVD player and set it on the cabinet between the beds when we use it. Unfortunately, that means the sound only goes through the TV. Any suggestions for a new head to replace the Furion unit? I'm ready for a better system.

I don't have mine installed yet in my Ollie, but I do have one on my boat and it is an identical system. I can answer a couple of your questions. It weights almost nothing as it's just plastic and holds about a quart, there are different models that the water passes through or that just tee in. Either is fine. The bladder will push all the water out of them when the pump is off and the faucet is opened. They can usually just lay in a convenient spot or be clamped to something, as they can be in any position. On the Oliver, I'm looking at under the sink where it can be mounted to the plywood cabinet structure and teed into the faucet pigtails. I'll post pix when it's done. The main function I want is that when the water heater is turned on and no water is run, the pressure in the system goes clear up to the relief point and pops the pressure relief at about 125 PSI! The accumulator tank will stabilize this. It will also tame the pump and make it run in longer cycles.

What did he say????????

Canoe, You'll have to study the photos I've posted and the video that Reed posted. You have to hole saw a hole in the top of the tank before the fitting goes on. The proper fitting goes to the bottom of the tank, not above the bottom. The T and the valve are shown in my photos. You need about 3' of pex with crimp or pinch fittings and the tool to use them. The router and the spin tool are the big items. I see no use for some of what Oliver sends in their "kit".

That's not the case at all. The "kit" includes the cheapest and simplest parts required. The tools and knowhow needed are far bigger issues. Not everyone is going to be willing to spend several hundred dollars for tools, learn a new skill and order special fittings, to fix what should be done at the factory. The tank fitting is a very small part of the overall fix.

John, Yes, that's me. I can help with the installation. Please PM me with your number and I'll call you back. John

I can't imagine what Oliver expects everyone to do with a spin weld fitting and no tools to drive it. The "tools" required are a router with a 1/2" colette, with at least 1 HP, for that size fitting, and the drive tool itself. The router must be a certain design that allows for removal of the base plate, has a particular type of switch and is not too long. Plus it requires an operator that knows how to spin weld, or the tank can be damaged to the point where it becomes very difficult to repair. That "kit" is further evidence that Oliver just doesn't seem to get it. Who is the qualified person to do the work and who is responsible when a tank is damaged in the process? How many RV repair shops have the right router and the experience to install spin welded fittings down in a compartment with limited access? I designed this repair and all the fittings and procedures required, then I offered to do some installation work out west through my company Active Energy Corporation. I even called Oliver, and left a message when nobody answered, to see if we can arrange for some of these to be done and discuss how to do it. A video was posted on the process. But I have never even had a call back from Oliver. I'm glad all the new trailers have the improved fittings, but I wonder why they think that simply sending a fitting out to current owners will solve their customers problems. Now they are even talking about setting up qualified repair stations for other problems, but they only offer silence toward the tank repair. My water tank pickup tube design is an excellent fix for a mistake Oliver made. I've done it to mine and I've done it to Reed and Karens trailer. I've posted pictures of the parts and Reed posted a video of the procedure. It works perfectly. I called Oliver to talk to them about it and never heard back. Then they claimed there wasn't a problem at all. Now, they are installing it in all their new trailers. Interesting. It might be interesting to call Oliver and ask them what they expect you to do with a spin weld fitting and none of the other required parts. I love my Oliver LE2, but I wonder how they can can be successful while being unable to follow through with repairs, or do warrantee work, without requiring an owner to drive, in some cases, 2000 miles. There is a lot more infrastructure required than they seem to be willing to deal with. But they are quick to tell us that we are "part of the Oliver family" once we buy one. What does that mean exactly?