jd1923

June 7th went by and our Oliver has been parked for a few weeks on the corner of our property. The A/C running, set at 80F on battery (😎) since it's getting hot again. We've had a most beautiful Spring that has literally lasted for months. Clear skies every day until some clouds blew in. Just heard some thunder, always hoping for rain. Maybe a monsoon or two will come early this year... I forgot all about her on our third anniversary! We're not traveling again until Labor Day which starts our new travel season and there's nothing big scheduled in mods like our last two summers. She looks and performs a whole lot better than she did 3 years ago! 🤣 The 7th is also Chris' birthday! I certainly did not forget that nor our 32nd wedding anniversary on the 1st! Charley turned 12 yesterday. He got a summer cut and a bone! He loves traveling in our tow vehicle and camping in the Oliver! (see pic above) Thankful to have our Oliver! It's improved our lifestyle, with the ability to leave on moment's notice and glamp (never really liked that word but how true it is). Looking forward to another great year with our Oliver. Even giving some thought to that Rally...

We all do this and I'm sure you've done it correctly 100s of times. Don't we all also eyeball all hitch connections 2-3 times before we leave and every time we stop? If it was not connected correctly, it would have fallen off in the first few miles while still towing at low speed. Wondering how much OTT will quote? Pretty good price in the link I supplied above for the same Bulldog part. Here are my before & after pics! The only hard part with this installation is marking the correct positions for the drill holes on the new Bulldog. The larger ball helps and with the 12.5K rating you will have a 2x safety margin, given most Olivers loaded are a little over 6K LBS.

Don't be so hard on yourself. You have been dealt a bad hand and have done more on your own that most people are able or willing to do! This should not be the case on a 2022 Oliver and 2023 HD truck! Good thing you have a modern diesel truck. I imagine you are running the exhaust brake to compensate for the trailer brakes. Taking another look at this photo, I don't see the large black cable coming from the hitch, but I do see all the wire colors associated with a trailer wiring harness. You can have an issue there, but there is no movement there like at the hitch or at the wheels. Wago connectors covered with electrical tape, good work OTT! Wagos are not reliable. It makes sense the black is fused for the +12V (accessory or charge wire). This should be disconnected anyway. The blue is for brakes. If you have a butt connector and crimp tool where you can reach in there, I would replace the Wago connector. I'd replace them all but not while on the road. So all trailer lights, turn signal lights, etc work except the blue wire? Again low likelyhood. Intermittent loss is more likely either the electronics going bad in the truck brake controller, a loose connection at the 7-blade connector or a wire shorting on-n-off at the wheels. The U-Haul rental is a pain but will give you a truck vs. trailer diagnosis. You may do this and find no error and then think you wasted more time, already thinking it was something wrong in the Oliver. If you are able to test for amperage on the brake lines and found an error this would be easier with tool and testing knowledge. Problem with this option is it can test good when sitting/testing and then a bad wire can touch when moving, hence your intermittent issue. Nothing worse than intermittent issues. I bought a truck NEW once in my life, the other 10 were all purchased USED. It had a bad trans, the torque converter would slip intermittently when hot. I took it to 3 different Dodge dealers for warranty repair. It always worked fine when at the dealer, at least that's what they said! Sound familiar to your experience? It lasted until it was out of warranty and then it failed on an AZ to TX trip. I was lucky to limp along on the final stretch, just barely getting to our Georgetown home. You could stop at Harbor Freight in Little Rock and purchase a clamp-on ammeter. Test for amperage like in the picture I shared above. I've got another idea. Forget about it for a while, use your exhaust brake and enjoy your trip. After you get to New Mexico drive another day to Prescott Arizona. I have an Oliver parking spot with a 30A hookup, good mountain water, free dump station down the street. I have the next 3 weeks off work and would work a couple days on your Oliver! We can tow my Oliver with your truck to see if we get the same error message. I will wire a new 7-blade connecter, new brake wiring at the axles or whatever is needed. I'm not kidding! I enjoy repair work and it's a genuine offer to help you. PM me if you want. If your issue is with the Oliver, I can and will fix it. Best wishes, JD

This could be nothing. Could be something squeaking from the new leaf springs. Alcan torque numbers are high. The springs or a very tight bolt can squeak. But to answer your first question, "should I be worried?" There are things you could look into... First thing you can do in the morning, parked at the campsite, is use your stabilizer jack to lift that side up. Spin both tires one at a time. Hopefully you do not here squeaking running this test because it would mean a Nev-R Lube bearing is failing. However, this is not a conclusive test, since when lifted there is no load on the wheel bearings. These bearings can last many years, warrantied for 5 years, but can fail at any time. A low probability cause since your Oliver is relatively new, unless a whole lot of miles have been towed. Also, with the wheels lifted do the 3 - 9 o'clock position pushing back and forth and 6 - 12 positions to see if there is any free play. If good, you should NOT be able to budge the wheels at all. After you break camp, do some slow towing forward and backing up in an open area where you can take your time. One of you driving, the other with ears close the Oliver wheels on the side it's squeaking. See if you can reproduce the sound and try to pinpoint the location if possible. Your shocks look terrible! The bushings were greatly over-tightened when installed (bushings flat and way too many threads showing above the top washer). Shocks can make squeaking sounds. This would be your best-case scenario as you can drive to Texas and back without shocks on an Oliver without causing harm. In fact, if you believe it is a particular shock, remove it to see if the squeaking goes away. At some point they should be replaced, but they are not critical in your getting home. If it gets worse and you're not too far already from Alcan Springs, it may be a good idea to go back. You're a customer. They have the tools and expertise and would certainly take the time to help you. If it is a bearing failure, they could change it for you, and likely under warranty on a 2023 trailer! They are a Dexter Authorized Reseller. At least call Lew or Tim. Let them know of your situation and get their advice and help if needed. If it doesn't get any worse, you could play it by ear and continue to Wyoming. Keep in mind a return through Grand Junction to Alcan Springs may be necessary if it gets worse. This sure beats being somewhere else in the country, far from home, not knowing where to go for service. Best wishes to you in your travels! JD

I'm trying my best to help, reading your posts carefully, advising based on my experience. My written words are not always kind, but I am a caring person. I understand the frustration you have endured. Love of your Oliver is likely equal to my love of ours with all I've put into its care. How is it you know this? Does "was" mean in the past? I believe the word AND to mean defects exist simultaneously in both truck and trailer. I cannot arrive at this conclusion from what you have written and it's more likely a one or the other issue. Before you do anything else, please pull another trailer that's not your Oliver. If you get the same error message, even once for a few seconds on your truck while towing an alternate trailer, then it's the truck's brake controller system that needs service and you Oliver is fine as-is except for wiring cosmetics. If you stay hitched to another trailer for most of the day, start and stop, tow it on and off several times and not a glimpse of the same error message, then Oliver service is required. You do not need garage or tools to rent a U-Haul trailer. Your issue is not likely the grommet on your brake backing plate, though yes there is a small chance it could be a brake wire shorting which the ammeter test could prove.

@ADKCamper, I don’t know, we still have the Dometic absorption fridge. My first thought is to drill small hole in the center of the floor carefully. Then poke a screwdriver down to see how much room you have. Then use a hole saw in the same spot so you can get a mirror down there, or maybe you have one of those endoscopic cameras. Very likely you’ll remove that bottom sheet. How was the original fridge supported? If the new fridge is designed to be floor supported, you’ll need to build a proper platform. I’d also search the Forum for keyword Nova or Kool. I remember reading a mod post on this model fridge. You also need to deal with the LP line. I’d want it terminated under the hull so no chance of leaking gas inside. The flare nuts on the T-fittings below are extremely difficult to turn without bending the copper pipe. Use two good wrenches and hopefully you can replace the T with a straight coupler. Something else to consider.

You must have a newer hull (signature?). I noticed at the Texas Rally, our courtesy lights are about half the lumens as compared to newer hulls. I leave our Exterior Courtesy Lights on 24x7x365, at home and at campgrounds (unless boondocking where full dark is appropriate). They create a soft light surround and help keep critters away, especially our Arizona Pack Rats! 🤣 Love to see your dimmer install, pictures showing full vs. dimmed light. I might add a dimmer in place of our Entry Porch Lights switch.

Knowing for sure is the first step and unfortunately nobody has helped you with this. Service companies often blame the other side to be off the hook, as they charge you an hour for nothing. If your trailer is the issue, then you wasted time and money with 4 GM dealers. If tested properly, providing certainty "it's the truck" then you would be able to state this fact, not allowing them their BS. The U-Haul idea is a good one, though it seems perhaps you have dismissed the idea. There are other means, but since you are not an electrician it is a simple way for you to know whether your issue is in front of or behind the 7-pin coupler. BTW, I've known great mechanics that can rebuild engines and transmissions, work perfect brake jobs but no way in the world do they know anything about a 12VDC system other than installing a battery, and you found a dealer that wasn't even capable of doing that! Suspecting is not knowing! If you hire another tech to diagnose your Oliver wiring and this person does not test with an ammeter, then again you’re wasting more time and money! If you are drawing 6A at the two main brake power feeds, then everything downstream is working. You only get a 6A reading if the two magnets on that axle are working, pulling amperage (power from the battery) and properly grounded. If you have frayed wires touching metal, you will read 6A. Instead, it could read zero amps if the circuit is open or read way high, live wire touching ground. Either condition is dangerous when towing. It took me all of 5 minutes this morning to grab the ammeter out of my TV toolbox, walk to the edge of our property, pull the pin on the emergency brake, and connect the ammeter to run this test. Maybe the picture below will help in understanding. Of course, on our Oliver it shows 6A (6.06 actual). I run this test every time I grease the Zerks and do any suspension maintenance. I also check to find 3A at each of the four wheels, so I know the trailer brakes are balanced, working evenly. But for you, if you get 6A on both axles, it shows you do not have a wiring problem below and must be in the trailer harness wiring. I hope you try the U-Haul idea or in some way become CERTAIN in whether your issue is with truck or trailer. If it's the truck, you'e wasting a lot of time and money working on the Oliver, and vice versa. The first mechanic you hired should have determined this months ago! Without knowing you will continue to navigate blindly. If it is your Oliver, I hope you finally find a tech that understands trailer braking systems and has some competency in troubleshooting 12VDC systems. Checking a ground is not enough and btw the brake wiring in your pictures all looks pretty good to me. I'm sorry you have not found qualified help in so many attempts. Although, I understand you believe some of your service techs added value. Bottom-line it's been way too long! I worked my way through college installing auto alarms, cruise controls, auto-start, keyless entry and high-end stereo systems back in the day (70-80s) when these accessories were all aftermarket additions. It provided me with a solid understanding of automotive 12VDC systems. I've rewired EVERTHING in our Oliver for mods and to make many corrections where OTT wired things incorrectly. This post repeats a lot of what I wrote last night in my post above. I hope you take some of my advice to heart. In my shop, we'd be done with your issue in a weekend. I hope you take the proper next steps to end your living nightmare!

Wow, so many variables and it's more difficult when you have to count on service technicians, to whom are not all created equal. Yes, all 7-pin cables are the same. And yes, you can replace male head only (OTT is not always right). GJ did his and I did mine, been fine for 2 years. Changing out the whole cable is a bit of work. On my hull it's connected under the front dinette, past the wastewater plumbing (see pic). But who knows on yours since OTT hires random installers year-to year. In the picture you showed of a residential junction box, I don't see the trailer cable, the large black coupler cable, spliced down like you see in my picture. If you want to be absolutely certain whether your issue is the truck or trailer, take your truck to U-Haul and rent the cheapest trailer with a 7-pin connector! There is a lot less liability in doing this than borrowing a friend's truck or trailer, and less money than an hour of labor, shop rate at the Stealership! 🤣 See if you get the error message when towing the U-Haul trailer. The logic is binary. If it still shows the error, then it's the truck. Tow the trailer long enough and if it doesn't display the error code, then you have a wiring problem with your Oliver. So, if it's the Oliver, the next thing I would do is to test the brakes. Pull the pin on the emergency brake switch (the little cable you connect when hitching). Then take a clamp ammeter to the streetside, under the wheel well where you see two wires coming out of the hull, going to the brakes. Clamp onto only one wire, either wire of the pair. The ammeter should read about 6A on both sides (front and back axles). If it does, then all your brake wiring is good, so you can rule that out. (Don't forget to replace the safety brake pin when done.) If this test fails, then you have wiring issues at the axles, but don't waste time there unless you must. If the above test is positive, then connect the 7-pin coupler to your truck and run the same test. If it tests bad, then the brake wiring from the coupler back is bad (open) somewhere. Your next step would be to replace the 7-pin male on the Oliver. This will likely fix any Oliver-side issues. You don't really want to replace the entire cable unless you have too and OTT would likely charge a fortune to do this job. If towing the U-Haul trailer showed an error message, then it's your truck. What a shame 4 GM dealers cannot properly troubleshoot and fix the products they sell. If it was me, in a heartbeat I would disable the factory brake controller. Pull the fuses for it, buy an aftermarket Tekonsha controller and run new wiring to the female 7-pin outlet on your rear bumper (this is what I did from the start, since my older truck does not have a factory controller). This would cost about $200 in parts and likely 2 shop-hours to install, ANY trailer shop can do this, has the parts, maybe even the same U-Haul dealer could do it. I'd rather go to the dentist for a couple extractions than make a service appointment with an auto dealer, OMG! 🤣 And your story certainly shows why. Keep us posted and let me know if you have questions on anything I suggested. Best wishes, JD

Yeah, except it popped off and is no longer fit for highway use (around town OK). I would replace it ASAP with the 12.5K 2 5/16" coupler. Glad I made the upgrade before something like this, and more so since our trailer is much older. The heavier Alcan Springs will keep the Oliver from porpoising. It will be less forgiving, and over a bump could creat force in the opposite direction. Given this failure, it would have happened eventually since the sagging 1750s are more foregiving. Sounds like your back or near home. John, you do not want a repeat episode! Please get it replaced! This is what I purchased which is still reasonably priced today => Bulldog Collar-Lok Trailer Coupler 2-5/16" Ball 12,500 lbs 3" Channel Tongue w/ High Profile Latch | TrailerJacks.com

One try will be your last! What frustration in reconnecting it every time we towed. I don't need the big socket and hammer anymore! We have a much lesser truck than your new beauty and I did need it until I upgraded leaf springs on the trailer. No more porpoising, so no more need for it. 😎 Ours has been taking up space in my shed for a year. You just gave me an idea to reuse the chains for new safety chains on the Oliver. What you got there is a new boat anchor for your river raft! 🤣

Yeah, I imagine the hope was to increase sales, but the original sales model was best, should have been left alone. Dealers are going to promote/sell where they get the greatest sales volume and profit margin which is not Oliver.

We can ask @pjt, but I'm pretty sure after you run, cut, flare and connect the copper lines the system has to be evacuated for a period of time with a vacuum pump. Then you let the pre-charged freon out that is likely stored in the compressor/condenser unit.

That makes sense. I’d put them both back in for the season and just fill one given that’s all you need. I always keep both full, ready for any trip, but agreed would let them go empty in your case, easier to lift out and back in. Best wishes, JD

Have never heard of winter storage of LP tanks before. LP cannot freeze at any sub-zero temps, even if you're camping on the North Pole! Why not reinstall them both, secure them as designed, and keep them there always? It's OK if one is empty.

The waddling will occur with the 1750s every time you hit uneven pavement, like driving up the apron to a service station or taking a bridge seam or RR tracks on an angle. I've heard all 2026 have D52s and if the label states such it should be so. To be sure, you cannot tell from the front picture, since OTT used a 6-stud bolt pattern on all (5-stud is standard for 3500 axles). You must get under the trailer, look at the back of the brake backing plate. If you see on the back 5 studs in a pentagon shape, they're 5200 LB axles. The 3500s with 10" brakes have 4 mounting studs in a square pattern.

Yeah, reason enough. They certainly do look better, and the Google search assistant sure found all the good marketing copy. I'd like to know how shocks are rated technically. If I had one of each brand new, I'd push them on a scale and see the force in LBS it takes to compress the shock! Not sure that is a valid test but could see relative difference. What I found on our hull, same Monroe shocks before and after the Alcan Springs upgrade is the hull used to waddle like a duck and would porpoise (without the WDH) on the 1750 springs. Switch to Alcan 2750 LB leaf springs, same Monroe shocks, and there is barely any movement in any direction. I'd bet I can take the shocks off and it wouldn't matter, because the leaf springs have much less movement. I also believe the top-heavy E2 sways so much with the 1750s, t causes the shock failures (and spring failures for that matter). I have a 7K dual-axle flatbed trailer at home. It was designed with no shocks. I load a SxS and dirt bikes on it. It doesn't move around at all since it has a low center of gravity. It has 1750s but loaded weight is only about +/- 4K LBS. These came off our Oliver after we got it in 2023, yeah UGLY! 🤣 They used to be yellow years ago. At least they were MADE IN U.S.A. I'll order Bulldogs when the Monroes fail, unless there's something better when needed.

Alcan is a Dexter authorized reseller which is mainstream in the trailer business. It's a lot of work to become a reseller, just to sell a few parts. They might have accounts with mainstream shock companies, Monroe, KYB, Bilstein, and whatever the 4x4 Jeep guys use in Colorado! Why install new shocks on your Oliver? You only have a few months and maybe 2K miles on the Monroes. I purchased new Monroe 555001 shocks in 2023 when I first serviced my suspension. They were bad, 3 of 4 shock were blown. I would have tried Bulldogs, but we had not heard of them back then. I replaced axles and leaf springs two years later and all 4 Monroe shocks tested good, so I remounted them. IMO, they're not mission critical anyway.

Yeah Chris, it's not easy to see. Apples to apples, you can measure change in axle height top-to-top, center-to-center, or at the bottoms. Thinking centers, it's difficult to add up. Maybe looking at the bottoms is easier. When under-slung the bottom of the axle sits on the leaf springs. When over-slung the bottom of the axle is lowered by the height of the leaf pack and the height of the axle diameter. Please look again and see if you can see it this way. I've looked at now many times and would like verification if my thinking and math is correct! 🤣

Don't you already have a mountain home? It's that fiberglass egg-looking thing! 🤣

And I see my comment got you to update your profile page! CONGRATULATIONS to you on your new Oliver! 😂 Thank so much for the pictures and advise, much appreciated! Thank you @srthomsen and @FloraFauna too! All feedback is helpful. Steve, I also like seeing your installation pics. You installation looks very clean, would be even better with the wall mount which I'm leaning towards. The piping on mine would go vertically like in yours and then T at the top for the two rooms. I guess I better plan on that electrical shut-off box!

Sorry to hear this and more so because I really like the design of your rear toolbox! I like how it has cabinet doors, opening to the rear, allowing the surface to be a tie-down area or spare work table. The boxes with hinged tops do not allow for such. I think about this every time I read a related post. I don't need one with an 8 ft open truck bed, but if I did... I would first remove the fiberglass cover and spare tire. Then mount the spare in the back left corner of the TV bed using a simple spare tire mount available on eTrailer and elsewhere. The cover would become a new garage ornament, a conversation piece! 🤣 This would delete a lot of rear weight which is the most important issue with adding weight to the rear. Ever LB in back lightens the trailer tongue weight and the Oliver with 8-9% tongue weight is already a towing safety issue. Very few Oliver owners seem to be concerned re this matter. With the spare gone, a custom cargo box could be +/- 10" close to the hull. This also helps the weight issue (shorter lever arm). Maybe you can move the spare and still use your awesome toolbox. Later mount the box pulled up closer to center. If there's no room in the truck bed, the spare tire could be frame-mounted on the streetside of the doghouse using the same standard bracket. 😎

Agree, these are not very helpful. First where they touch is lower than where the frame would touch, so you will bottom more often. Also, if too much pressure is exerted, then what Dudley wrote. Application for skid rollers is for a trailer with very thick steel frames like Toy Haulers or car haulers. I would not expect them to play well with the relatively soft Oliver aluminum frame.

I believe going from from an Under- to Over-slung suspension adds quite a bit more than 2" but you've done this on another trailer and I have not. When I study this simple graphic focused on the top of the axle, it appears the top of the axle drops 1) the 3" diameter of the axle plus the ~2" height of the leaf pack. This adds to about 5" for the Oliver. Then Bill posted a picture above that looks about 5" taller and the link supplied wrote re an Under- to Over-slung suspension change. (Graphic posted again for ease of viewing.)

I have not read here that anybody has done so to date, but John E Davies who was active years ago wrote some about modifying the Oliver suspension from an Under- to Over-slung suspension. I tow in the NF and BLM of Arizona often, descending steep and deep washes and have so far never scraped the rear. This suspension change would give you a 5+" lift (diameter of axle plus height of leaf springs), and this comes with negatives. Mainly just climbing into the cabin would be a pain, reason why I tow with a 2WD truck, vs. a 4WD truck with a lift! No, I'm done with trucks or trailers where I'd need to climb up like that! 🤣 I'm not seeing a 2" lift option and only 2" may not answer your needs. I've got neighbors with driveways like yours, wow! I'd suggest leave the Oliver alone and fix your driveway. You'd appreciate it when driving your grocery-getter too. Talk to a concrete contractor or build a proper set of ramps specifically for this purpose. Please let us know and post here with pics and comments if you do convert your Oliver to an Over-slung suspension! 😎