jd1923

Received these yesterday. Southwest Wheel appears to be a good supplier, but not sure re the TruRyde product! I ordered these after COB Friday and they shipped FedEx 2-day Saturday and they got from Dallas to Prescott by Monday! I generally prefer ordering from Texas suppliers given parts availability. Asking @Galway Girl, @mountainoliver and anybody else who has bought basic replacement springs to post a picture of your label here for comparison purposes. I was warned that TruRyde was bought by EMCO and that EMCO manufactures in China. I see no evidence these leaf springs nor U-bolts were Made in USA! I do see an EMCO label with the PR-4B part number. They do have bronze bushings. The picture above shows nylon bushings. We're leaving this week for the Texas Rally, and I will have these as backup. I certainly hope to not need them. If these are made in China, I overpaid by $70 for the set. On this basis, I should request a return authorization so that I can get this money back towards a set of Alcan springs Made is USA!

Sorry Mike, late last night I did not read carefully and focused on the later sentence re the microwave itself. I'm sure you noticed Bill's second picture to see how the frame is attached to the microwave. When the top mounting screws are removed you can pull the MW out enough to remove these. I forgot about these mounting tabs because when replaced our MW with the Emeril Air Fryer I cut off these tabs as they would have had issue with the heat of the oven. Given the top mounting screws are in place, remove them to slide the MW out a few inches to access the side screws. It appears you will have to remove the frame and epoxy it, do whatever so that the 4 corner screws will hold again. I don't imagine OTT still has this part but maybe. Ever had the thought to upgrade to a convention oven or something else, this would be a good time! Convection Oven Upgrade? No let's just replace the MW with an Air Fryer! - Ollie Modifications - Oliver Owner Forums (olivertraveltrailers.com) Bill wrote his was not top mounted OMG, though I do see two holes in his picture vs. the 3 screw holes in ours. Also, unless he removed it no wood piece along the bottom front. If yours has no wood along the bottom, maybe add one as the front of the MW sliding is what likely damaged your frame. Let us know how yours is alike or different! If you need any parts off my MW let me know and I'll bring them to the Texas Rally. Best wishes for a quick repair and see you in a couple weeks!

Mike, given our hull numbers and the fact that I removed our microwave this summer and still have it, I'm your guy. Also, we had the exact same model. If your goal is only to secure the microwave vs. removing it, likely you can leave the bezel as-is. If it needs major surgery, the bezel is held by four (4) screws. See the first picture, all 4 corners are the same. The two screws in the bottom corners are not easy to remove. Pull the countertop first to give more room and not to damage it and you will likely need a right-angle Phillips to access these. I have one that drives off a 1/4" impact that worked well. Honestly, I could not believe this installation. More of a backyard mechanic rig vs. a factory installation. Empty the cabinet above, pull the rubber lining and you should find 3 screws (see three holes in the metal plate, second picture). It's likely these have loosened. If so, remove the loosest screw, keeping the others in place and work to replace one at a time. However, they may all be gone. If you're lucky you could install screws of same length, one size up or finer threads to hold. If they are all disconnected, you will need a long thin punch or a nail to something to realign the holes. My guess is the top mount is the issue and remember to check this before messing with the bezel. I supplied two more pics so you can see the other sides. I don't remember any other screws holding it in place. The sheet metal in the rear just rests against the curved cabinet. Note the wood strip along the bottom-front which is designed to keep the microwave from sliding front to back. This should get you started, and you'll likely get it secured quickly. Best wishes, JD

If you have front struts yes, just shocks then no. BTW, you can visit an Oreilly's, AutoZone or other national auto parts stores and borrow a spring compressor for the day (they charge your credit card for the tool and refund upon return). Hope you find another alternative. Shops here usually get you in the next week (service shops not RV shops). I should head north and open an auto service shop if there is that much demand! just kiddin'!

Rob, special tools make it easier but not always necessary. Fronts are in general more difficult. Any Mobile Mechanics in your area? They would not have issue with customer parts. Shops speel crap re warranty which is BS. In reality they want profit on parts in addition to their exorbitant shop rates! Another point, shocks have absolutely no bearing on wheel alignment. If your truck drives straight down the highway and tire wear has been even, do not align it. Only get alignments done at alignment shops, not general repair shops as they can certainly make the alignment worse. Good alignment techs work alignments daily an it takes more knowledge than reading numbers on the machine. Any alignment shops in your area? They usually install shocks. Muffler shops too. Also local tire shops but not the National chains i advise, find an alternative so you can cancel that appointment! $200 labor with your parts is reasonable, or 1 1/2 hours at the hourly shop rate. Hopefully, I gave you some ideas to research. Best wishes, JD

Same question answered in another thread.

I do not know of a 400W suitcase with a built in SC. The built-in ones are usually 100W maybe 200W tops. When the SC is in the panels for a 12VDC system the output amperage is much higher. If you want a 25 FT extension cord 10 AWG may not be enough and a pair of 8 AWG cables that long would be very heavy and expensive. The 400W suitcase is only viable with an internal SC, IMHO. We don't have any information to advise you properly, since you have no signature information re onboard solar, inverter, battery type and AH, travel location, etc. What works in sunny Arizona might not work as well in New England. Read the many great examples here to get ideas. Also, anybody local to you who can splice/crimp wire can install one following a documented example.

Sherry, which part of Florida do you live? Prayers to your family and ALL who have suffered Helene. Hope Milton is not as devastating!

I believe the Zamp port is rated for 20A and can purpose any suitcase, given you install a Solar Controller (SC) internal to your Oliver. When the SC is built-in to the suitcase or installed externally, the 20A port will be insufficient. Solar panels are high Voltage and low Amperage, but SCs convert to 12V at higher amperage. We went with the Renogy 400W since I felt less would not be worth the time. The 400W is pretty big and 30 LBS. Many go with this model and BTW Amazon used is what I got. It had a scuff on the handles is all saving $80! These are only 16 LBS: Amazon.com: Renogy 220W Lightweight Portable Solar Suitcase, Foldable Solar Panel with Kickstands for RV, Camping, Blackout, Off Grid System : Clothing, Shoes & Jewelry Even the 400W Renogy runs at 10A with 11A being the short circuit current (max current at point of failure, see picture). The highest I've seen on a sunny Arizona day is 366W and often we get 20-23A charging. This means 20AH when that is your hourly average and we get 10+A from the rooftop solar. With 600AH batteries at 50% SOC, an average or 30A charge will take 10 hours to recoup. This is why I went with the max 400W suitcase. Info on my installation here: Renogy 400W Suitcase Victron MPPT with Custom Solar Port Installation - Ollie Modifications - Oliver Owner Forums (olivertraveltrailers.com)

We were afraid of that. Too bad you didn't stay up in Prescott longer where it's been low 90s instead (but only in the afternoons). We got a first chance to meet fellow Oliver owners and so much enjoyed our day together! Safe travels, Ken and Mary Kay, and see you at Inks Lake!

While you have drill in hand, source another padlock, a long-shackle lock for this mod! Mark one end of the paddle nut and where to drill when it's mounted and tight. Then remove both parts, hammer the one side flat and drill both on a workbench vise. These simple deterrents will chase the common thief away, thinking the can pry a battery door or merely lift the LP cover, not prepared with more sophisticated tools.

Likely you will just leave the wiring you have at the thermostat and control box. The "telephone" connector has often been used for plug-n-play electronics, so consumers do not have to do any real wiring. It is a 4-wire connector where sometimes just 2 or 3 of the 4 available wires are used. The old "twisted pair" landline telephones only used 2 of the 4 wires (black/red and yellow/green). Four were used only when there was a second line into a home or business. I have spliced these phone cables to change the terminal on one end. If you do the wires are of such fine gauge they should be soldered.

I just purchased these as a backup set for travel (links below): WARNING: I was contacted (offline) by a knowledgeable Oliver owner that the claim "Made in USA" may or may not mean made with USA milled steel. Hard to know with marketing copy today. I called TruRyde 3 times this week to get confirmation. Three times I got voice mail without getting a call back. I called again asking to have somebody paged, get somebody on the phone, but the receptionist could not get that done. I decided to take a chance on a pair with U-bolts at $170 OTD. Any Chinese set with U-bolts comes to approx $100 so perhaps I wasted some money if these are not USA steel. At least these have bronze bushings vs plastic. My 4 leaf sets still visually appear to be in good shape, manufactured in 2015, no idea the miles on our hull. TruRyde® 4 Leaf 25 1/4" Double Eye Trailer Leaf Spring with Bronze Bushings 1750 lbs. - SW4B-BR | Southwest Wheel® Be careful is you buy a leaf/U-bolt set as these sets come with U-bolts for 2 3/8" axles. Our hull has 3" axles, standard on 5,200 LB axles: SOUTHWEST WHEEL® Southwest Wheel® U-Bolt Kit for 5,200-7,000 lbs. 3" Trailer Axle - APUBR3BX | Southwest Wheel®

I would have kept 1-2 of the old ones still in decent condition, just to have something. If I installed 4 new ones and one of them breaks in the next few years, install the spare to get home. Then study the leaf spring thread and upgrade!

Any chance you have a picture of the SoftStartRV installed? I have one installed in our Dometic P2 and would reuse it if possible, given it's in working condition. Another question: why is soft start necessary for this more efficient A/C? I understand you have a 2KW Xantrex. Would it be necessary with the 3KVA Victron MP2?

Excellent work Ron! You know I had asked, "why couldn't the Dometic thermostat be kept as-is for furnace mode only?" Perhaps it's safe to say in future installations, the installer should remove the AC wiring from the control box but keep all DC wiring as-is (including the freeze sensor wire). Mount the Dometic control box within the Atmos cover as you have demonstrated, and the furnace mode will work with the OEM installed Dometic thermostat. With your pioneering efforts, I and others will be able to work this as part of the initial installation. 😂

May be difficult to fit with the wide round body, but if it does it would be a great lock. A thief with a crowbar may not also have bolt cutters. If the thief has bolt cutters, you will want this lock if possible or the 5/16" hardened shackle which is a LOT harder to cut than a 1/4" one. Yep, let us know and thanks.

Normal highs in Prescott AZ (at 5,400 FT) late September/early October are high 70s. We had those temps a couple weeks ago and I thought fall had begun, summer was over. Instead, we've had more than a week of highs in the 90s and it will take until next week to drop again. City of Prescott has broken high-temp records every day for the last week. I've been in the driveway, sun burning down (sun here hotter than the dry air) installing an 180A HP alternator which turned into a bigger job replacing lower radiator hose and all heater hoses (9 of them on a 2001 Dodge Cummins). Another half day should be done tomorrow. At least when I duck back into the garage it's better. Should have moved some stored vehicles to get the Ram into the garage. Just thought it was going to be a quick alt swap, a two-hour job! When I got the old alt out, I noticed how I could get to the lower hoses (can of worms).🤣 We are always 20-25 degrees cooler than the Phoenix Valley and the desert down to Yuma, Lake Havasu, etc. Flagstaff and the White Mountains, all at 7,000 FT, can be up to 10 degrees cooler than us. Looking forward to the cool down next week and camping in the White Mountains!

That’s a good point! First time I did it on the Class-C we had, don’t remember the projectile part, but I was soaked in calcium goo from belly to shoes!

Yes thanks Dave, releasing the pressure is key. I did not realize such pressure in the tank since I had not had the water pump turned on in weeks, but pressure was still there. Yesterday, I drained it again since it had so much calcium buildup the first time. I had tested the HWH on electric and on LP (then tested all LP appliances ahead of our upcoming trip). I released the pressure, not at the faucet, but at the relief valve top of the heater. Removed the anode slowly and did NOT get wet at all, yay! I made another tool for rinsing the HWH. The anode, with all its weight, is not easy to level and thread properly. I recently replaced the anode with a new one. I sawed the anode off the old one to create a simple drain bolt. This is handy for when you just want to fill the HWH, heat the water, and drain again.

And recently you invested in LiFePO4! Hopefully, where you drilled will fit a lock. If not, there is always the other side of the tray.

I noticed the existing hole in your picture the other day and then forget about it when I asked the question. Once fished through to the exterior bottom, the rest is straightforward. It's great there is an existing hole and thank you for your help!

Yes, planning where to drill is not trivial. Choose your padlock before you drill. You need a short shackle lock (measurement D in photo) so that it will fit between the wall of the battery bay and the tray. Mine was very short at 0.91". The shackle is actually longer (7/16" on mine) than this measurement with the section inside the lock, but you will angle it in to insert. My lock is 5/16" thick (measurement E) so a 3/8" hole allowed for the insertion angle. I kept drilling with bits 1/16" larger dia until I could just pass the lock through. Drill your hole center of the tray slide. Measure in centered just less than the inside width of the lock (measurement C). Getting all of this right is key. I don't plan on unlocking this often with LiFePO4 batteries. Also, I can now remove the ground cable to disconnect 12VDC without opening the tray. Hope this helps!

Leaving to the Texas Rally next Wednesday. Five nights in the Arizona White Mountains on the way followed by 3 nights in Ruidoso. Highs should be 65F at 7000 ft, lows about 40F. We dislike the heat, reason why our Oliver has been parked for maintenance and mods for the last 5 months. Central Texas should be warm, daytime highs in the 80s, but hopefully not too hot since we still have that noisy Dometic Penguin.