Leaderboard

This paper booklet comes in the box with the scale, and I think it is one of the best and most complete guides to safe trailer towing that I have encountered. I am confident that even the crusty old farts with 40+ years on the road will learn a few things. Download it, read it, and save it for future reference. http://sherline.com/Wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/lm_book2.pdf When I have tried out my new 1000 pound scale I will post a review in a new thread. I did set it on the ground and I stood on the post. The gauge read 150 and I weigh about 155, so that is a good sign. https://smile.amazon.com/Sherline-LM-1000-Trailer-Tongue/dp/B007REJTGI/ref=sr_1_sc_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1499310528&sr=8-2-spell&keywords=Sherline+tongueweight+cale John Davies Spokane WA

My water heater quit working on gas a couple of days after delivery. I did some basic troubleshooting and determined after ten minutes that the ignitor was not firing. The system would cycle on and off three times, then lock out with a solid red light. The overtemp switches were not tripped, and there was gas, which I proved by carefully sticking a long camp stove lighter in the burner hole. I clicked the lighter and the flame POPPED and whooshed out and burned all the hair off the back of my hand. Check, there is gas! Note to self: do not do this again... I called Jason at Oliver Service and asked if he could send me a replacement board so I could install it myself. He told me that they do not warranty the appliances and I would have to take it to an RV dealer for repair. Fine.... I found a new OEM module on Amazon for $79, and also a much better aftermarket one for about the same price, but it would require a new plastic cover. https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B0002MG2IK/_encoding=UTF8?coliid=IY2Y0Y0X7RVZF&colid=1X5H11EH41351 https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B007HRVXY6/_encoding=UTF8?coliid=I3LZPCEN833TPC&colid=1X5H11EH41351 Since it was going to be a warranty repair, and I am a confirmed cheapskate, I scheduled an appointment at a local shop in Spokane. They told me it would be three weeks before they could see me, and that they stocked a lot of boards for the Suburban heaters, so most likely they could fix it while I waited. I told them that I would be surprised if the job took more than fifteen minutes, and access to it was great. Three weeks later I showed up, checked in, watched with concern as they took Mouse away, and then I waited. Half an hour later I was called into the office. "The board is bad." ME: "Right, I knew that and I told your tech." "In order to do this under warranty we have to order a replacement board from Suburban, and it will take two to six weeks to get here, do you need the water heater to work before then?" ME: silence, counting to ten very slowly. "Sir?" ME: "I do need it to work on propane. Is there an alternative?" "We can install an aftermarket Dinosaur Electronics board, it is a much better part and has a five year warranty, and we have plenty of those in stock since the Suburban boards fail so often." ME: Sinking heart. "How much would that cost?" "The board is $129 and the cover is $10, and it will be $279 total with labor." ME: "I wish this was mentioned when I talked three weeks ago. Just put it back together and I'll order the part from Amazon and fix the heater in two days." "OK, fine, that will be $50 plus tax for the diagnosis." As I left, the tech who did the work told me quietly, "I left your old board on the floor at the entry, and I also left a used one that was in our junk box. We strip stuff like that off old water heaters when we scrap them. It will probably work fine for years. They sure did build your trailer nice!" I was floored and relieved, and my faith in mankind got a very small boost. I thanked him and left with Mouse, feeling a lot better. I got home, plugged in the board and the heater fired right up. Woohoo! My old (brand new) board that failed (water pump is to the left): The underside, showing the bottom of the fried resistor. The white foam strip goes on the PC board and keeps it off the mounting surface (the water pump and manifold assembly plate). If I had the notion, I could have replaced that resistor for less than a buck.... I don't know how I should feel about the dealer, their parts prices are _over_ MSRP and they sure try to screw you, but then the tech went way out of his way to make things right. He could have got into trouble with his boss, too. Moral of story: unless it is an expensive repair or you can live without a part for a long time, just fix it yourself or have a buddy do it for you. I hope to never go back to a dealer, ever. There is no way I was going to leave Mouse there, and then have everybody start crawling around inside, looking. John Davies Spokane WA

John, I have one of these scales too, and it really works well.

Alternative Mount for Andersen WD Hitch Attached are photos showing the Andersen WD Hitch mounted to the center box shaft of our Oliver Elite II, as described in my earlier post above. John Shkor, SailorsAshore

I noticed while washing the trailer....the cover looked slightly mis-aligned, so checked the nut. Took about 6 or 7 full turns to tighten it back up. Also, regarding washing...for those new to fiberglass and gel coat.... after owning several boats and now the Oliver, it's surprising the seemingly innocuous things that can cause a stain...in boats, suntan lotion, kids spilling juice, etc. can cause a stain that's very difficult to get out. Tree sap, bugs and unidentifiable road grime can as well. All this to say don't wait until the end of the season to wash your rig if you can help it. Helps to avoid little annoying stains that you wished you had taken care of sooner.

We aren't camping right now but we've spent a lot of time in the Oliver. We had three showings this week, two requested through Oliver and one just a drive by who left a note on our trailer door. We also spent the better part of a day with some new owners who had some questions before they left on their first long trip. All interesting people; a custom home builder, a physician, a clinical pastoral care provider and a State Dept person who travels in the middle east a lot but can't give any details about what he does! While it is fun to show our Oliver it's also fun meeting the interesting people who are interested in our interesting trailers. Mike

https://camelcamelcamel.com You add the Amazon item you are interested in with your "target price" and it keeps track of price changes, which you can view on a chart. It will alert you by email if the price gets down to your target value. It's pretty useful if you can wait weeks or months before buying. If you need it right now, all it does is tell you whether or not the item was priced competitively. John Davies Spokane WA