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Showing content with the highest reputation on 05/17/2016 in Posts
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Good that you got it working! Don't know the frequency used for transmitting; I chose a unit from TADI Brothers as their frequency doesn't have interference issues with BlueTooth (I use it in my truck with my phone.) They also have a nice over-the mirror clip on monitor I like because the cab rear view mirror is worthless anyway when followed by a big white box! http://www.tadibrothers.com/catalog/backupcamerakits/7-mirror-with-120-rv-backup-camera3 points
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When ordering my Oliver I considered simply adding on the rearview camera option. However, I had a couple of problems with this in that I felt the price of the unit Oliver had was a bit steep and I didn't want another screen on the dash of my truck (I already have a GPS - 7 inch screen, the Ford F-150 screen, and my 8 inch tablet). So, it was off to Amazon to see what might be out there. On Amazon I found a cheap camera and separate WiFi transmitter from a company called Sunroadway. After reading the mixed reviews I thought that for the total of $70. I'd give it a try. But, first, I called Anita at Oliver asking if they would install the wiring and a switch near the door. As usual, Oliver came through and for $125 they did a very nice job including installing the camera and transmitter on delivery day. But, I'm a little ahead of myself. Long story short, the WiFi transmitter that I received from Amazon didn't work. After a couple of weeks of testing, pictures and emails to the company, they stated that the unit "they" sold me was counterfeit. Not sure just how that happened, however, I sent the entire order back to Amazon and they, nicely, refunded all my money. I then found a company called Rearview Safety (http://www.reviewsafety.com). For $130 they are selling what appears to be exactly the same thing. But after a phone call and asking multiple questions in this regard, they convinced me to give their unit a shot. It arrived a few days later and I tested it in my workshop with good results - see picture below. Right from the start I was concerned that the WiFi sending unit for the camera would not have enough power to get the signal from the rear tire area, through the camper and up to the dash of the truck. Since I was ordering the Oliver option of the WiFi Ranger anyway, I figured that if there was a weak signal, I could use the Ranger to boost it and would be OK in the cab of the truck. And, if that didn't work then I would simply run enough wire in order to re-locate the WiFi sending unit from the rear tire area to the front of the camper. The next thing was how and where to exactly mount the camera. I didn't want to drill through the shell of my new Oliver for what I think are obvious reasons. Even though a higher camera mount position is generally more favorable than a lower one, I thought that mounting the camera in the spare tire cover would be sufficient for my purposes - general backing up procedures and a quick monitor of what was behind me (tailgaters, etc.) while going down the road. From pictures of the Oliver I noted that the spare tire cover was not at a 90 degree angle to the ground. With a quick call to Anita I found out that the angle to the ground is 84 degrees. I decided to make the back of the mount for the camera have a cut at 5 degrees which would allow for a 1 degree downward slope to allow rain water to run off - given the 130 degree view range of the camera I would change that to a 4 degree cut if I were to do it over again in order to get a slightly reduced view of the sky. So, here is how I made the camera mount - I took what is a Crystal Light Drink Mix container and drilled a 9/16 inch hole in the bottom for the lens. In order to give solid support to this light weight plastic and to give the lens some additional protection, I took a piece of Styrofoam, traced the container's outline onto it and then using a band saw Cut the Styrofoam slightly too wide for the container so that there would be a slight squeeze in order to get it into the container. Before inserting the Styrofoam into the container with a 5/8 bit I hollowed out a small area to allow room for the camera body in the Styrofoam and drilled a 7/32 inch hole through the Styrofoam to allow the camera cord to pass through. After test fitting all parts they were assembled. Blue tread lock was used on the camera lens cap and latex caulk was used in the camera recess and in the cord channel to both seal and hold the camera in position. Obviously when putting this together I made sure that the camera was set in the proper position for both orientation and level. All that was left at this point was on the delivery day, another 7/32 hole was drilled in the spare tire cover, the camera wire fed through, the WiFi transmitter was attached to the inside of the spare tire cover and the power wires were connected. Initially the WiFi sending unit did get a good signal to the cab of the truck. But that signal seemed to be dependent on weather, traffic, and "who knows". Therefore, I now use the WiFi Ranger to boost the signal of the sending unit and have had no problems getting a good picture in the cab. Given the location of the camera, if it is raining, the lens gets dirty, thus hurting the view. Also, there is about a half second delay between what REALLY happens and what I see on the screen of my tablet in the cab of the truck. All in all, for a total of about $250, I'm very happy with the results. In the pictures are the mounted camera, the switch that Oliver installed so I can turn the camera off/on, the workshop test with grid lines showing - these can be turned off if you do not want them. Bill camera switch mounted camera camera view with grid lines2 points
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Anybody use this? The stock Dexter suspension is pretty much garbage, the plastic bushings and thin shackles wear out in no time. This system isolates road vibration and is much stouter, and can be greased every few thousand miles for quiet reliable operation. There are no negative reviews for this system, it makes a huge difference in trailer ride quality. https://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/21609645.cfm It's inexpensive but the labor will use up a few hours. http://www.nickstruckparts.com/k71-652-00.html I wonder if I can order axles through Oliver with this stuff pre-installed...? Comments? Have any high mileage Ollie's had suspension issues? Have you looked at your bushings _lately_? LOL, I am not trying to scare people, but the reality is that the standard parts are not intended for prolonged use or exposure to harsh environments like dust. They just don't last. BTW the picture above is wrong, the grease zerks should be installed facing inboard so you don't have to remove the wheels to lube them! John Davies Spokane WA1 point
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Quick followup, just picked up our Oliver from Toms Alignment here in the Bozone. They did check for alignment but said it was dead nuts perfect. The EZ Flex suspension system is now installed and it is quiet as a church mouse either going over bumps on the road or leveling the trailer. Its only a short drive from our house to the repair shop so I haven't put it to the test for ride quality but from what I could tell the towing did seem somewhat smoother and more compliant, a good thing. The guys working on it thought the kit was awesome. Inspecting the old parts, the following is what we observed. Some plastic bushings in fairly rough condition but not as bad as I would have imagined, but rust and lots of it everywhere, inside and outside of the bushings as well as the bolts and races the bushings fit into. If there ever was any grease in these areas, and I doubt it, that grease had long left the building. Some bushings did have cracks and splits along the length while others still inside their through holes or races had some flaking. Will try and do a test ride later today or tomorrow and report back on the ride and towing improvement if any. Hope this helps.1 point
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After our first night at Fall Hollow we drove up to Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area. It straddles TN and KY and is less than 200 miles from Hohenwald. We stayed two nights at Hillman Ferry State Park. This is a fairly big park. There are sites right on the lake that have water and electric hook ups, folks were fishing from their sites. We opted for all services w/e/s just 50 yards back. Pads are gravel with picnic table and fire ring. Sites are well spaced and almost fully shaded. They had showers and rest rooms located throughout, although we didn't use them. It was nice. We would go back.1 point
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