Raspy

Look on the axle tube near the center. It will have a white sticker that tells you what axle it is. Oliver uses standard Dexter 3500 lb axles unless you have the 12" brakes. With the 12" brakes they are the 5200 lb Dexter axles. Verify this by looking at the sticker

I'll look at mine and try to figure out which screws you are referring too that broke. I was in there recently to install 30lb tanks and add a quick disconnect fitting, but didn't see any problem. I don't really like the self drilling screws they use though. Those bathroom cabinet doors and the extra space are brilliant!

Here we are at Bristlecone Pines and Grant Lake in the Eastern Sierra. That dirt trail is very steep and has lots of dips. Ollie works well on trails with its good ground clearance and no pipes hanging down.

I wonder how many man hours go into producing an Elite ll? Lots of labor. I'm so happy they are producing as many as they are. It seems they really are making improvements all the time and that is really nice. Mine is hull number 92 and it had some improvements over the previous ones. When I look at the fiberglass fit on the interior I just can't imagine how they do it! I worked on boats for years and can really appreciate what they produce. My Ollie is the first trailer I've had that I really wanted to improve on and keep forever. It has some shortcomings, and possibly some quality issues, but overall, it is way ahead of anything else I've had. I never get the feeling that I've been fooled again. Now, as we sit here in winter with lots of snow on the ground, I'm daydreaming about summer trips. I don't even want to work on Ollie right now, but lots of simple modifications are accumulating on the list. Thank goodness the toy hauler is gone! No roof issues or falling apart interiors. And!!!!!!!, we can still have movie nights in Ollie in the garage! Cool. Some giggling might even be heard!

Overland, The Elite ll battery box, without the rollout tray, the interior of the fiberglass box itself is: 24"deep, 18" wide 15" tall. The front cover and gasket mean you could add another 1/2" to the depth if needed and still get the door closed.

Canoe, I'll post a picture of the quick disconnect later today. I found a kit at an RV place with the quick disconnect and an 8' hose with the male fitting. I also put on a ball valve to isolate it. I have a Harbor Freight welding table that folds up and an outdoor stove.

I've found that no matter how easy the new propane cover latches might be, the porthole is super easy and doesn't require lifting off that big cover to get to the valves. I mounted a quick disconnect propane fitting inside where I can reach it through that porthole too. Then I can run our outside stove without the moving the big cover as the hose comes out of the port. For me, that was the best place for the quick disconnect and did not require running any pipe to another location.

Tubes are what grease guns use. You continue to grease the bushings occasionally, as regular maintenance, by greasing through the zerk fittings with a grease gun. Why would a can of grease be better? When originally installing the heavy duty bushings, or greasing the bearings, you can get the grease easily from a tube or from a can, but the can won't work with a grease gun.

Just a few suggestions that might help: 30 lb propane tanks with a port in front of them to reach tank valves. A port or two in the bath cabinet and/or closet to access the sink faucet and flex hose without having to cut any caulking. Cell phone booster. TV antenna. Center mount TV if they have decided they can do that modification and still meet code. Xantrex 2000 watt inverter. This will run the microwave, or run other tools,without firing up a generator. Four Trojan 6 volt batteries. Extra plugs, if needed, near the night stand, under the table, above sink counter, between entry door and bath door, in bath either in upper cabinet or near sink. Extra hooks are probably not worth it, they are not very strong. Install your own later in the bath or on the closet door /bath wall yourself. Add reading lights above both beds and probably near the pantry and stove end of the beds. Look at the upper cabinet doors and decide if you want mirrored or flat finish. Decide if the granite counter tops are really worth the cost or not. In my case, I'll be installing a stainless steel counter over the standard kitchen counter. Either the heavy duty shackle and greaseable bushing kit or the Easy Flex. I prefer the heavy duty shackle kit. Be sure you get the 12" brakes. Ask them about mounting the license plate and its light next to the spare instead of on the spare tire cover. This avoids dealing with wires and moves the light to a safer place. I don't recommend the Anderson hitch with a full sized truck. Considering the way the hitch mounts, the hookup hassles and the possible interference with the truck stability system, I think it's a waste of money, but decide for yourself after an honest look. Ollies tow so well you'll forget yours is there. Be sure you have a high quality brake controller already to go when you pick up your new trailer. Best to order this on your new pickup if available. Decide if the roof mounted solar actually makes sense. You will have to clean it regularly. You will have to park in full sun to make it work. It will never be at an efficient angle so it's rated output will never be seen. I'm only suggesting you go into the decision with a realistic view. I've decided that portable ones are best for me and I don't have to have that large array on the roof. The cleaner the streamlining the better. It was really fun getting our Ollie. I doing a number of modifications and we are having a lot of fun with it. For once we have a trailer we want to keep forever. Ours is parked in the garage for now, but we still go out and have movie nights in it.

The "keep them running" rule does not apply to absorption type refrigerators. The kind in an Ollie that run on propane and not on a compressor. I don't know why that would even apply to a modern compressor type because they have no mechanical seal and are hermetically sealed with no protruding shafts. Old fashioned fridges and deep freezes had an electric motor that turned a compressor with a belt, similar to automotive air conditioners. That is the type that needs to run once in a while.

Has anyone had to access the bathroom faucet connections or replace the flex hose for the shower? Seems there is no way to do this without installing a port on the front of the cabinet or in the closet. The 4" port used on the propane cover would be good, but exactly where to put it is tricky. What do they do at the factory to fix these?

John, What are you planning for the counter top and backsplash given that the granite one is built in and not an overlay? Weight is not the biggest consideration for me and the difference is unimportant between fiber and stainless. Durability and usefulness seem way better with stainless than with the standard white fiberglass surface. Interesting that that faux granite top is not added on, but built in as part of the cabinet. Either way, it just doesn't appeal to me. The weather is cold and Ollie is stored in the garage for the winter. I'm still working and have little time for the mods I want to do by summer. Those include: re-mount the TV in the center with a different bracket, as has been discussed here, install the heavy duty shackle kit with greaseable bearings (not the EZ Flex), make a modification to the rear bumper and set up a simple solar system. I recently installed 30 lb propane bottles and a quick disconnect for the outdoor stove.

I'm designing a stainless countertop to go right over the standard fiberglass countertop. This will have a backsplash and a turn-down in front. It will make the surface much more durable and heat resistant. And it should be lighter than the optional Oliver faux granite top. Once I get it drawn up I'll post the dimensions and the installed photos, but it will be a while yet as it's not at the top of the list.

Randy, It's not enough to say different pressures exist on the hot and cold lines. Not exactly. Static pressure with all faucets off will be identical on both hot and cold. When showering, you are looking for a ratio of hot and cold that suits your temperature needs. This might be 70% hot and 30% cold, for instance. So you balance the restrictions at the shower faucet to achieve this ratio. You are measuring restrictions with a temperature gauge. You are the temperature gauge. At that moment, all restrictions in both hot and cold lines are factored in. It's true that the hot may have more length and more fittings to get through on the way to the shower, but it doesn't matter. It's a dynamic system and it is in balance at the flow rate you want at that moment. For instance, it might be supplying 3 gallons per minute total at the shower head, with a ratio of 70% hot and 30% cold. Now you slow the flow with your trickle valve and the restrictions all change. At 1/8 GPM, for instance, the flow restriction through the entire plumbing system changes and becomes more equal between hot and cold. The hot and cold line restrictions change unequally. The flow restrictions through the hot and cold valves changes significantly and the shower head restriction changes. So your ratio changes, due to several factors, causing your temperature to change. When you open the trickle valve to full flow again, the original restrictions return and the original temp returns, once the flex line is flushed out. A small difference will still be present from the heat loss through the uninsulated hot line that was flowing slower and losing more heat during trickle. You would probably have better results by turning the flow off completely at the shower head, than reducing it to a trickle. That way all flow will be either at full volume or off. The valve restrictions and the entire hot and cold net restrictions will remain in balance to deliver the temp you want. A check valve in the system, as you suggested, will do no good and reading the pressures on a gauge will be meaningless. Static pressure will always be equal with no flow. Gauge pressures near the shower faucet are meaningless because it's a flow ratio you are interested in and that flow is measured in temperature, not pressure. I suppose you could try some kind of temperature controlled shower valve, but it won't be satisfactory. Just try a total shutoff at the shower head and put up with a small temperature fluctuation.

Not a bad idea to have a spare set or two. But the bearings on trailer axles are extremely reliable and it's unlikely, even with the most basic maintenance, that there will be a failure. The 3500 lb size is probably the most common trailer bearing there is. You can certainly change them on the side of the road if needed with a slip joint (water pump) pliers, a large screw driver, a hammer, a long punch, a can of grease and paper towels. If you get a spare set of bearings, be sure to get a can of grease too. If one is failing it's important to catch it before it gets really bad. I recently saw a tandem axle travel trailer with the wheel completely gone. The axle was ruined because it had been drive to destruction and there was no way to simply replace the bearing. Best to check them once in a while. At each fuel stop I touch each hub to look for a warmer one. Or, of course, if you began to notice one tire wearing funny you could push and pull on the top of the tire to look for play. I've been pretty lax with my 3500 lbs tandem axle utility trailer and it gets loaded heavily at times. Had it for many years and never a problem with the bearings. So, I think with some reasonable maintenance on the Ollie, there will never be a problem. With a 7,000 lb total axle capacity and the trailer only weighing, maybe 5500 lbs max, and 10% of that on the tow vehicle, they are certainly not over loaded. Now, with the bigger brakes on the newer Elite ll, they are installing 5200 lb axles that have even bigger bearings. Excellent. Trailer bearings are pretty easy to find. I think they have them at Camping World and I know they have them at Tractor Supply. Any trailer dealer should have them in stock too. Very common.

Don, I like the idea of getting the weight off the tires, but I wonder if it might be a good idea to put the stands under the frame and take the weight off the springs too?

Dave, The 5200 lb brakes are very good brakes. If you are getting equal but limited braking on both sides, as evidenced by neither one locking up, and if they are not pulling to one side when braking, and you can feel them actually working when manually applied, then I'd guess your controller is not doing it's job. If they are working, and working equally, there is no need to check individual parts because you know the whole system is working. But, you should be able to apply them manually and immediately lock them up. Do a couple of common sense tests to see if you can narrow it down. I suppose it's possible that you might have a bad ground and you are not getting enough current through the ball, but you could test that easily by attaching a jumper cable (the kind you jump start other cars with) temporarily from the TV frame to the trailer frame and do another test drive. I'm not a big fan of those controllers as they base their output on deceleration rather than brake line pressure. It makes them cheap to build and easy to install, but maybe not the best performance. If yours was added, maybe it was installed with wire that is too small to carry the amperage. If I remember correctly, the brake wire from the controller should be at least a number 10 wire.

Dave, My Elite ll brakes would not lockup on full controller output either. But now that I've towed it for another 1500 or so miles they will. I guess they just had to break-in. You probably have the 3500 lb axles, as I do, and they have the smaller brakes. Oliver is advertising the 12 inch brakes, but those come with the 5200 lb axles on later trailers. I looked into the bigger brakes for the 3500 lb axles and could not get them. It might be possible to switch, but it would require new drums, bearings and complete backing plates. At least the wheel bolt pattern is the same. If you think they might not all be working, try skidding them on dirt or gravel where it will be much easier to lock-up. Bottom line is not whether the tester lights up at the bumper plug, but whether the brakes are all working and all working the same. The plug tester won't show a bad magnet or a broken wire. The skid test is the simplest way to see if they are all actually holding. Set you controller on the max setting and give them some more miles, unless you have already done that, and see if they gradually become more aggressive, as mine did. I have reduced the setting on mine now, as it was beginning to skid too easily. I still wish I had the bigger brakes, but they don't seem necessary now. Maybe one of these days I'll get an antilock setup for them as that would be the ultimate in trailer braking safety.

It's interesting to note the evolution of the Cummins engines in Ram trucks with respect to mileage. I had a 1993 that would tow until it burned up the transmission. Then I had an early 2004 model (305/555). That model is known as the best for mileage of the newer electronic models. In 2004.5 they dropped about 1-1.5 MPG in all around normal use which seems to be as a result of combustion chamber design that attempted to cause some EGR affect for emissions, as far as I can tell. These engines benefit from advancing the timing through programming. This design carried on until the 2007 model and the 6.7 engine. This generation gets somewhat worse mileage again, I think because of the EGR system and timing for emissions. Many guys report a big increase in mileage by deleting the emissions stuff and tuning them. Then in 2013 Cummins added the diesel exhaust fluid and was able to return to the combustion chamber design from 2004 and got the mileage mostly back, but it seems like (no proof here) that they loose more mileage when towing than the 2004 did. So comparing mileages with a given trailer will never be an exact science with different year trucks and different drivers, but it can get you in the ballpark. Of course also, full tank averages mean a lot more than instantaneous readouts on flat ground. And the beauty of the Cummins is that it never seems to be working hard. Always relaxed as you roll along and pull grades.

I have a 2014 Ram 3500 Cummins SRW, standard cab, and I average about 12 MPG towing my Elite ll. I like to tow at 65 mph where legal and 58-60 in California. Mostly in the eastern Sierras and at elevations from 4-9,000 feet. I'm talking average per tank and not instantaneous mileage. Interesting that my old toy hauler, same weight and size, with tandem axles, averaged closer to 9 mpg.

There seems to be a lot of heat delivered to the "basement" from the hot supply duct as I've noticed the bathroom delivery temp is cooler than the temp back by the beds. Plus the whole basement gets warm and stays warm. Also remember there is insulation against the lower shell. I wouldn't worry about freezing any lines unless you are doing no heating and it's very cold. Also, if you have the water heater on, that would also help.

KarenLukens, You might consider the cell phone booster (I wish I had that). I do have the 30 lb propane tanks and the T105 batteries, which I recommend. Mine does not have the optional solar and I'm glad it doesn't, but Gary seems very happy with his. Mine doesn't have the inverter either, but they are very nice to have and I'm planning to install one now. The EZ Flex greaseable suspension system, or equivalent, is a must. Or you can get a heavy duty greaseable kit from Dexter and install it yourself, if you wish. The standard nylon suspension bushings are barely good enough and will wear out early. I've got my kit sitting on the bench waiting to go on. I think all new Elite ll trailers get the 12" brakes, but you might check on that. I wish I had the bigger brakes on mine, but the standard ones are working better as the miles add up. Mine doesn't have the granite counter tops and I'm glad it doesn't. They are expensive and appear to be no more wear resistant or heat resistant than the standard galley counter top, so I consider them decorator items with no real function. I'm planning to install a stainless steel counter top in my galley and will do a writeup on that. The removable port for the propane tank shutoff is very convenient. I'd also have one of those installed in the bathroom sink cabinet to access the flex hose connection under the sink. Mine has a couple of extra 120v outlets and I recommend those, as Gary mentioned. I'm now setting up a quick disconnect propane connection so I can cook big camping meals outside. Don't know if Oliver offers that or not. Mine came with the Anderson hitch. I've never used it or seen any need for it. They do offer some sway resistance, but Ollies tow very well with no stability issues at all. The hitches may interfere with the stability systems in modern tow vehicles. There has been some discussion about that and their attachment system on the Oliver frame. I decided it wasn't the best design for weight distribution, but I'm towing with a Ram 3500 and don't need that anyway. My tongue weight measures 440 lbs ready to go. You'll love your new Ollie. They are well made, convenient, well insulated and easy to tow. They are a huge upgrade from the standard stick built, rubber roof design trailers.

We just got back from camping at about 10,000' at the Bristlecone pine forest in the Eastern Sierra. Oldest known living things at up to about 5,000 years old. Amazing. Campfire in the evening, hiking and sightseeing during the day. Beautiful scenery. I love the high country too. By the end of October a lot of these places will be closing for the winter, and already, the "snow not removed beyond this point" signs are showing up. I won't retire until next summer, but after that, lookout. Ollie is ready to go and we'll finally be able to wander and stay as long as we want. Hope to see you out there.

John, No pictures yet, My stomping ground is Death Valley, Saline Valley, the Eastern Sierra and Nevada backroads. Pix soon, I hope. I've already got my heavy duty greaseable equalizer and bushing kit ready to install. Love the clean undercarriage, proper weight distribution and 16" LT tires with no plumbing hanging down.