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First few months of ownership (Legacy Elite I) -


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Bummer!  Glad that you have the attitude to take these issues in stride.  Jason is a fairly busy employee - if he doesn't get back to you within 48 hours or so then I'd contact him again.  Hopefully you now have things fairly well sorted out and smooth sailing is in the future.

Bill

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2023 Ford F150 Lariat 3.5EB FX4 Max Towing, Max Payload, 2016 Oliver Elite II - Hull #117 "Twist"

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Yes,   Neither side was designed with a hanger that has an integrated bushing.    Dexter sells rear hangers with and without bushings.    Not sure why Oliver went with the one without the bushing.   Biggest concern is that the bolt and/or the bracket will experience some significant wear in the near future.    I will be keeping an eye on how much wear occurs over the next few thousand miles.    In the meantime I am in the process of purchasing some spare bolts to have just in case the bolt fails out on the road.

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2020 F250 Lariat Supercrew 6.7 Diesel 4x4

2020 Oliver Legacy Elite I  *   Hull #664 (April 2, 2022 Incident)

2017 Oliver Legacy Elite II * Hull #293 (Purchased Used April 16, 2022)

Located SE Texas Region

 

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You need to have your shackle bolts fixed, what you have described is not right or normal. All my wet bolts accept grease properly and all have bright cad plated bushings, so the grease squirts out to where it needs to go, between the moving springs and the shackles. Without a bushing the hole is open to the sky, as you discovered. Plus you cannot achieve correct bolt torque with no bushings, the nut threads will bottom out (damaging the nuts and the bolts) and the shackles can pinch the springs. As shown here, the bushings for the equalizers are pressed into those parts.

6AD5B77C-D308-4252-B66B-D1D29CD93EE9.thumb.jpeg.97fd565fe3beb1b2d06e78e3f1b3cbd4.jpeg

You need to open a service ticket and have all your hardware inspected and replaced if necessary. At the very least all the nuts have to be replaced. If the shackles or springs are worn from contact, they also should be replaced. Oliver should pay for it. You can get a mobile RV tech to do it if possible, rather than leaving it at some idiot dealer.

This is not something you should let slide at all, it needs to be correct. Ollies do NOT squeak and groan, it is a warning sign, a cry for help. The axle ubolts can and will bang hard against the frame, but the other parts, if greased properly, should be dead silent. OTH old style Andersen hitches can sound like the Spawn of Satan if the friction cone gets wet/ contaminated. Please keep us posted.

John Davies

Spokane WA

 

Edited by John E Davies
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SOLD 07/23 "Mouse":  2017 Legacy Elite II Two Beds, Hull Number 218, See my HOW TO threads: https://olivertraveltrailers.com/topic/john-e-davies-how-to-threads-and-tech-articles-links/

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Overland,

 

On the single axle (my case) the shackle is installed on the rear hanger and the shackle then attaches to the spring eye.    On the tandem axle the spring eyes attach directly to the hangers and therefore have the bushing.    Here is a YouTube video of what I am talking about.

 

 

 

Here is a photo of my front and rear hanger from the side.

E143D914-CFBB-4DF4-9911-18494345D2BD.thumb.jpeg.9ee687aeda2427a69b5cc969eda94762.jpeg26E59A1B-2BA1-48A1-8535-8A4955B518AD.thumb.jpeg.65ff4684d3306b25af8bbce087911de8.jpeg

Edited by QuestionMark
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2020 F250 Lariat Supercrew 6.7 Diesel 4x4

2020 Oliver Legacy Elite I  *   Hull #664 (April 2, 2022 Incident)

2017 Oliver Legacy Elite II * Hull #293 (Purchased Used April 16, 2022)

Located SE Texas Region

 

ABBCYTAKAZARCACOIDLAMSMTNVNMORSDTNTXUTWA

 

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QuestionMark,

Thanks for the updates. As an Oliver owner, I apologize for the poor initial quality issues you have experienced, Us Oliver owners are more accustomed to promoting them, not defending. As for your items -  Many of them are just unacceptable - period. We pay a premium price for these units - and although Oliver quality is above industry average, your experience is not. 

I could guess at what caused this poor performance, but that's Oliver's problem to solve. When you have a 6-8 month backlog, with customers clamoring for product, quality too often takes a back seat.   Clearly, Oliver has some work to do, with 700 units - and growing - Jason and crew will need - yet, another building to repair the quality back in. 

Good luck 

RB

 

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Cindy,  Russell and  "Harley dog" . Home is our little farm near Winchester TN

2018 Oliver Legacy Elite II - 2018 GMC 2500 Duramax 

"Die young - As late as possible"
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1 hour ago, QuestionMark said:

Yes,   Neither side was designed with a hanger that has an integrated bushing.    Dexter sells rear hangers with and without bushings.    Not sure why Oliver went with the one without the bushing.   Biggest concern is that the bolt and/or the bracket will experience some significant wear in the near future.    I will be keeping an eye on how much wear occurs over the next few thousand miles.    In the meantime I am in the process of purchasing some spare bolts to have just in case the bolt fails out on the road.

Okay, there is no way to sugar coat this. The wrong hangers were used and your concern will be realized, on schedule. The only acceptable remedy is to replace these hangers. I'm confident OTT will be receptive to this.

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I'm really sorry to read your list of troubles. Most items should have been sorted out before or at delivery .

The single axle should not make noises. Ours doesn't,  even after 100,000 miles. 

I'm sure Jason and his crew will get it all sorted out, but it's disheartening,  I'm sure.

 

 

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11 minutes ago, BackofBeyond said:

When you have a 6-8 month backlog, with customers clamoring for product, quality too often takes a back seat.  

Oliver will likely churn out more trailers next year than any year prior. When a trailer costs this much, word of mouth and reputation is everything and it cuts both ways!

I have no doubt that Oliver will fully resolve all of the issues outlined. The process to prevent issues from happening in the future requires far more work unfortunately.

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2019 Toyota Land Cruiser

2021 Oliver Elite II, Hull #748

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  • The title was changed to First few months of ownership (Legacy Elite I) -
  • 3 weeks later...

Just a quick note to let everyone know that our new door window frame came in today.   Happy to report that it was easy to replace and is now as good as new.   Please note that you have to have special plastic "keys" to get the old frame to release and install the new one.   Oliver had the "keys" sent with the new frame so I could replace without having to take the trailer anywhere for repair.  

After removing the old frame it was clear that the initial install at the door factory did not have the frames lined up correctly when pressing together, thereby breaking a few of the clips.

 

As for the squeaky suspension, Jason is sending me some new bushings for the springs and new u-bolts/nuts as the factory installed ones were not "balanced" between the two sides.   I will report back once I replace both and see if I am successful in eliminating the annoying squeak.

On a lighter side, I think my wife and I have somewhat agreed to nickname the trailer as "Squeaky" due to the suspension and shower floor.

 

 

 

Edited by QuestionMark
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2020 F250 Lariat Supercrew 6.7 Diesel 4x4

2020 Oliver Legacy Elite I  *   Hull #664 (April 2, 2022 Incident)

2017 Oliver Legacy Elite II * Hull #293 (Purchased Used April 16, 2022)

Located SE Texas Region

 

ABBCYTAKAZARCACOIDLAMSMTNVNMORSDTNTXUTWA

 

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On 12/1/2020 at 5:45 PM, Overland said:

Thanks for the post.  IMO, that's a worrying number of initial quality problems. 

I completely agree with Overland's assessment...

This post was really helpful QuestionMark but also quite disconcerting.  Many of us live quite far from TN and, personally, I would have zero interest in traveling (back) there to have my trailer fixed especially after only a few short months of ownership.  Great that they're sending parts but unfortunate that they're expecting you to install them yourself.  As RB mentioned, we pay a premium for these trailers. 

Some of these issues impact being able to tow an Oliver safely - they are not just concerns around premature wear and tear.  I really hope they get their production quality and QC back on track.

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ALCTKYMENHNYNCPATNVTVAWVsm.jpg2021 Elite 2 Hull # 832 "Bucket List"

2021 F250 7.3L Gas / 4.30 AR

 

 

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To be fair - I do not know about the agreement between Oliver Service and QuestionMark regarding his particular situation.  QuestionMark has been very nice in both reporting his difficulties and in letting us all know how things developed/were resolved by Oliver.  However, in all of the cases that I'm aware of Oliver Service has given the owner the option of taking the camper to a RV repair facility for needed warranty repairs or (if they feel comfortable/qualified) to do the repairs if the owner can do the repair themselves.  This is not to suggest I accept nor condone quality control issues such as those reported by QuestionMark.  But, Oliver has a long history of "making things right" when things do not go according to the way they should.  Yes, things of this sort should never happen and, yes, it is a real pain in the tail for all concerned when they do happen.  But, contrary to virtually every other company I've ever dealt with, Oliver does whatever is necessary to make things right and to correct production QC issues if that was the culprit.

Bill

Edited by topgun2
correct spelling/context
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2023 Ford F150 Lariat 3.5EB FX4 Max Towing, Max Payload, 2016 Oliver Elite II - Hull #117 "Twist"

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I must say Oliver (Jason and the Service Team) has been great and have asked if I would want to repair on my own or take it to a shop.   I have chosen to do the repairs myself as the overall issues have been mechanically easy to fix, once the parts arrive, and having my trailer sit at a shop that is backed-up is not ideal.   It would have taken me longer to drive to a potential shop than it took me to replace the window frame and doing it myself ensures it meets my expectations while educating myself on the inner workings of the trailer.   The door window frame problem took a little longer to resolve due to the shortage of parts from the manufacturer (Lippert).   The suspension bushings and u-bolts won't be a problem for me to just take care of myself as well as it is the same type of deal as the window frame.  The squeaky shower floor is a lot more involved and I would rather wait until we take the trailer back to Oliver as they have the tools/knowledge to fix quickly and correctly.   Overall, we have been very happy with the Oliver Trailer and the Service Team's response to our questions/fixes.  

My objective was not to give people the impression that Oliver trailers are not the best trailer out there but rather to share some of the things we have learned since picking up the trailer as it might help someone catch it earlier than we did and get it resolved before leaving the factory.  We consider it much like the process when purchasing/building a new house and developing a punch-list of items to have fixed or addressed before moving in.   Yes, I agree that Oliver should have caught some of these but we know that nobody is perfect and sometimes things get missed.     

 

 

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2020 F250 Lariat Supercrew 6.7 Diesel 4x4

2020 Oliver Legacy Elite I  *   Hull #664 (April 2, 2022 Incident)

2017 Oliver Legacy Elite II * Hull #293 (Purchased Used April 16, 2022)

Located SE Texas Region

 

ABBCYTAKAZARCACOIDLAMSMTNVNMORSDTNTXUTWA

 

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In response to Mainiac's question above:

That would be a cool idea.   Might get confused with the Joker in Batman tho.   🤣

Edited by QuestionMark
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2020 F250 Lariat Supercrew 6.7 Diesel 4x4

2020 Oliver Legacy Elite I  *   Hull #664 (April 2, 2022 Incident)

2017 Oliver Legacy Elite II * Hull #293 (Purchased Used April 16, 2022)

Located SE Texas Region

 

ABBCYTAKAZARCACOIDLAMSMTNVNMORSDTNTXUTWA

 

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5 hours ago, connor77 said:

Great that they're sending parts but unfortunate that they're expecting you to install them yourself. 

I  had a couple of warranty issues and Oliver reimbursed my local RV shop to fix the issues.

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Texas Hill Country | 2016 Elite II #135 | 2020 Ram 2500 6.7L

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We made the trip to the factory at the end of November and placed our order and deposit for our new LE2, and though we won’t pick it up until late 2021, we’re excited and hope the year goes quickly.

Already following the forums and learning a lot.  Really appreciate you sharing your experiences with the new Ollie as it will help us when it’s time to pick ours up.  Being newbies, we’re finding the willingness of Ollie owners to share, teach and problem solve with each other, displays the greatest feature of owning an Ollie ... support from this unique family of owners.

Looking forward to being part of this wonderful group!

Bob & Deb

 

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1 hour ago, Ollieboba said:

We made the trip to the factory at the end of November and placed our order and deposit for our new LE2, and though we won’t pick it up until late 2021, we’re excited and hope the year goes quickly.

Already following the forums and learning a lot.  Really appreciate you sharing your experiences with the new Ollie as it will help us when it’s time to pick ours up.  Being newbies, we’re finding the willingness of Ollie owners to share, teach and problem solve with each other, displays the greatest feature of owning an Ollie ... support from this unique family of owners.

Looking forward to being part of this wonderful group!

Bob & Deb

 

All questions are good questions and there are a lot of owners ready and willing to share knowledge and experiences.  Hopefully, what you learn here will get you up to speed and comfortable for your pickup!  Mike

Texas Hill Country | 2016 Elite II #135 | 2020 Ram 2500 6.7L

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Thanks ?mark for the info. I should be picking up an Elite I in March. In addition to these few issues, what have you found so far that you have done to improve your use of the trailer? What have you, and others, wished had been installed/added/available?

I am getting a few things ready for my trip from, and back to, California. My dad always carried a spare water pump, generator/alternator, starter and ignition system. What might I need to carry for the trailer?

My list of what I should have that probably won't be provided: chocks, extension cord, security -wheel and hitch lock?, adapters (electric and mechanical), water hose and filter, ground cover for beneath awning, grease gun, basic tools, antenna mount(s) (ham radio) - what am I missing?

Thanks

      

2014 Toyota Tacoma 4x4

2021 Elite I #758       

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1 hour ago, JRK said:

My list of what I should have that probably won't be provided: chocks, extension cord, security -wheel and hitch lock?, adapters (electric and mechanical), water hose and filter, ground cover for beneath awning, grease gun, basic tools, antenna mount(s) (ham radio) - what am I missing?

Besides normal camping stuff (chairs, grill, etc) you might want to include a set of spares fuses to include a 30a slow blow fuse for the jacks.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GZOIR1O/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Also, I like to have some blocks to put under each jack and some of the big yellow Camco lego’s for leveling.  I think Oliver provides a water pressure regulator now, but if not I’d get one of those, too.  Mike

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Texas Hill Country | 2016 Elite II #135 | 2020 Ram 2500 6.7L

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