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One more thing. Your newer trailers have a device (ems) (probably progressive dynamics) protecting you from open grounds. That's why you need the neutral grounding plug. Most quality inverter generators (Honda, yamahs, and many others), use a floating ground, and it will trip out your protective device, without the neutral grounding plug . I know this sounds complicated, but it really isn't. It just is what it is. Buy the neutral grounding plug (maybe $15), or make one, use it when you plug in the trailer, and life is good. You don't have to understand all the electron magic. Just have the right bits.5 points
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I have been sitting in sunny and warm Florida the past 3 weeks, thinking about my low water pressure in bathroom. After buying, trying, and returning a new faucets bought from Amazon. I decided to dig deeper into a solution to my problem based on recommendations from this page . I use a portable soft water softener about 50% of the time. I will now use it 100% of the time! I went to the local Wally World and bought 3 gallons of white vinegar. I told my wife that I would decalcify the water lines . I told her that I thought there was less than a 50% chance this would solve the problem since I use a water softener half the time. Boy was I wrong! The vinegar worked its magic. Now, I have great water pressure. Thanks for those who contributed. I hope by posting this solution it will help those in the future! Thanks again! PS- The links to faucets from Amazon that Dave Wilson and Frank C were awesome!3 points
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The required protection systems (alarms) are always on - propane detectors, etc.2 points
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John's Sooo correct here. I guess the theme I'm try to communicate is find the "system" that allows you to add components to as you build. Example: when you add the Victron MultiPlus inverter/generator to the system, it eliminates problems before they happen by controlling multiple energy sources. Additionally, stored (battery) energy can supplement other sources - like shore power or generator power when needed - the amount is up to the user. I chose 8.5 amps as the limit from my stored energy when plugged into a regular outlet in my RV garage - the surge needed to run the RV AC. I also found the Victron apps got me well acquainted with the when, how and where as energy flowed in my previous RV.2 points
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I have camped for a couple of weeks in 106 degree full sun with my OE2 OEM Dometic. We keep the Dometic pretty full and try not to open it up a lot. Also, we mitigate the heat for the refer by parking the trailer so the entry is on the north or NE side to keep the refer in the shade as much as possible. Some folks deploy their awning to make the shade, but we spend a lot of time away from Ollie and have concern about winds launching the awning.2 points
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Must be why I always eat 3 donuts. đ And remember, âyou donât have to be hungry to eat a donut"!2 points
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Our 2019 Elite II has worked fine and no water problems until this last week. After setup at a campsite I was called to the bathroom to see why the bath faucet was running slow, or very little water flow. After checking all the other water flow accessories in the trailer, sink, outside shower, toilet all appeared to work as they should, but the bath faucet was running very slow and no water pressure to speak of. I have now checked the shower/sink head and the flow is not blocked in the head, I also removed the head and the flow out of the hose is also very slow and no pressure. I guess my next place to look is to remove the cartridge and see if there is any blockage there. Since both the hot and cold flow the same I would think that both the hot line and the cold line would not both have equal blockage in the two separate lines. I always heard of scrap plastic from new construction getting into the lines and stopping water flow, could this be the problem. One thing here, it worked just fine two weeks ago and this week we have this problem, any suggestions would be helpful, before I tear into it, thanks. trainman1 point
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2018 LE2, #333 I've searched the FB pages and Forum, and do not see this specific issue, so I did look first! I only know enough about this electrical system (or any electrical system for that matter) to be dangerous. so I'm no good at extrapolating the information that is already here. My apologies if I'm causing you to roll your eyes! Our trailer is stored where it is plugged in and receives 2 hours of charge per day. Went by today and found the batteries at 12.0 volts (during the non-charging part of the day) Turned on the power, display jumped to 14.3, which as I understand the chart in the PD manual, is normal super boost mode, then later dropped to 13.6, also supposedly normal. EMS was displaying E0, 60 H, and 112 (volts I assume) that dropped to 111 before I was done in there. I'm at a loss as to why the batteries discharged to 12.0. (I did pick up from the Forum I think that I need a bigger ga extension cord and no longer than 25 feet) So given the above, I'm stretched to understand why when I turn the power on, all seems normal (maybe except the 112 v? maybe should be higher?) but loss of charge over time. The trailer is in storage, but not fully covered, solar should be picking up at least some charge over time. There should not be any parasitic draw, nothing is on (I did turn the Main Cabin lights on when I went in there, but nothing was on before that.) I'll be grateful for insights, I know there are a bunch of electrical wizards here!1 point
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No, replace the whole rim and tire with much smaller DIA. set ups, Your not going down the road with them. Had to do that to a 8,000 boat and trailer combo and with my past Airstream . It did make working on roofs and wheeling the boat much simpler. Zoning limited my roof high limiting door header high. another way is shop dollies pull the tires and set the dollies under the spring mounts on the axles like auto body shops. all depends on how often you move it in and out of storage, for me boat went in when the water got hard and trailer came out until spring.1 point
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We don't have an Ollie yet but 2 hours of charging from the landline (120v outlet) at our house wouldn't be enough to keep up with the parasitic draws in our fifth wheel. It's connected to power overnight for 5 hours every day in the winter. Probably overkill, but I prefer that to dead or frozen batteries.1 point
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With all the gear out there today, there are literally thousands of ways to skin this cat. We use one or two really cheap, but somewhat bulky coleman 100 watt panels for "portable " solar. Each only weighs about 18 pounds, but they're pretty big. Not easy to haul, and store. I have a friend who made a collapsible pvc frame for an inexpensive thin and lightweight 100 watt flexible panel, and she's happy with that. She stores it under the cushions when she travels. Controller in the cupboards. We rarely deploy "portable " unless we'll be in a spot for a long time, and camped in the shade . Weight is a consideration, as is theft, for me. If someone steals my 5 year old, 100 dollar panel, well, they need it far more than I do. We have a furrion port, because I like the cover better. In the past, we had to use a cnlinko soldered tricky connector, because furrion didn't sell a connector without one of their overpriced panels. Today, you can buy a zamp or mc4 to furrion adaptor. Zamp sells one on their website . You can also buy an adaptor to reverse the zamp reversed polarity. Zamp claims its safer than standard sae (probably true, less likelihood of shocking yourself if you are careless enough to put your hand on the male connector), but it's really probably just one of their proprietary kind of tools. Is what it is . I'm always in the "don't get carried away" chorus. Use what you already have, and, if you actually find that you need more, then, buy more . As in, a cheap and simple panel, with good alligator clips, and a $20 pwm controller, might or might not be all you need. Or, you may need the whole enchilada. I don't know. We boondocked for over ten years with 2 agm 105 ah batteries, and 200 watts of fixed solar and a Honda 1000 watt generator, rarely used, til we installed a compressor fridge. The extra draw (60 to 70 ah a day) of the fridge definitely changed things up .1 point
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We have two generators. The little Honda 1000 that's been our BFF for 14 seasons, and a Westinghouse 2500, 2200 running watts. We disconnect the trailer after charging, but I wouldn't run a big saw or our air compressor while the trailer was plugged into the Westinghouse. We have charged makita batteries at the same time as charging the trailer. The Honda won't run much, at 1000 watts, but it's great for charging our 2 agm batteries, only.1 point
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Forgot this, your BVM-712 will show charging amps from the portable panel, as long as the wires are connected to the positive and negative buses, not right to the batteries, but you wonât be able to see actual details, just for that device, except by looking at the Zamp control display. You COULD easily replace the Zamp control with a Victron MPPT one, as CnC suggests above, and that way it will network with your monitor, so you can use the Victron Connect app to see all those cool functions of your portable panel, just like the ones on the roof. This one is in my WishList, I just havenât got to that project yetđŹ Victron Energy SmartSolar MPPT 100V 20 amp 12/24/48-Volt Solar Charge Controller (Bluetooth) FYI, https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/5329-how-to-victron-mppt-solar-charge-controller-underneath-the-street-side-bed/ If you decide to buy the Victron unit, then order a solar panel without the onboard unit, that will save some money right there. BUT you wonât be able to use the panel as a stand-alone charger, for example, to charge the battery in your truck when you are away from the Ollie. That is why I modified my Zamp with Anderson connectors, so I could use it both ways. John Davies Spokane WA1 point
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It sounds like you want to go first class on your upgrades. Before settling on your current intentions, you might explore the expanded benefits of a Victron solar controller and a Victron Multiplus 2k inverter/charger. After having upgrading to these items in an Airstream, I find I miss their capabilities in our Ollie. I know that I'll be changing our 2020 Ollie setup in the near future. I hate to spoil your plans, but I'd hate it more if I didn't point you toward the alternate options that I'll be making (again.) BTW, I think the Ollie is Sooo much better than comparable Airstreams!1 point
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We also used Banana Banners. We referred by Mainiac. Followed their instructions to apply the graphics. Very happy. We also put small images on the side and spare tire cover. I recently used them for some boat lettering too.1 point
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i recommend this basic heat-only thermostat, it works well, has a very small dead band (temperature swing) and looks very nice. My Ollie came with an Air Command AC and that isnât compatible with the fancy stat, so Oliver installed a clunky mercury switch type one, that failed after three years. This one has been working great since then. I donât care about programmable features, the first one up in the morning gets to raise the temperature. Emerson 1E78-140 Non-Programmable Heat Only Thermostat for Single-Stage Systems 1: Zamp SAE style connecters are junk IMHO, they are not waterproof, so you can get corrosion problems, and they use an oddball reverse polarity design. This is basically the same type as the (horrible) flat 4 pin trailer connectors that fail so often. I would replace any Zamp ones with standard solar PV connectors like this or else with Anderson Power Poles. That is what I did to my 100 watt Zamp suitcase panel. âŠ.. https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/5478-how-to-remote-mount-the-controller-of-a-suitcase-solar-panel-not-inside-the-trailer/ I like my 100 watt panel, that 140 watt one will be good too, but these are quite heavy and bulky. Make sure you have a place to store it, preferably in its case on end, not flat. Zamp has newer panels that are way lighter and less bulky, but they are super expensive. I have a Furion port, and it works fine but is a PITA to install on a cable, it has to be soldered and that is quite difficult with 10 AWG wires! And it is limited to 10 amps. If I had to do it again I would probably install this port: All of these PowerPole parts are very high quality and reliable, donât require soldering, carry a high current and are self cleaning as you plug them together. This is the system that ham radio operators love. They are NOT waterproof, if you camp ofter in a rainy climate, they would not be as good a choice IMHO. (But in rainy weather you will probably just store the panel away, as I do.) 2: solar port location is best as close to the batteries as possible, but ChrisMIâs suggestion is a good one too, especially if you are already swapping out the panel connectors. If you plan to add a DC to DC charger at the truck, then go WAY big on cable size, like 00. That way you can run a big charger, 30 + amps. 3 - hook the port cables directly to your battery positive and negative buses, with a 10 amp inline fuse or resettable circuit breaker in the positive wire. Use 10AWG or bigger wire, even if the port is close by. The solar charger doesnât have to âinteractâ with any of the other systems, that happens automatically anyway, based on battery voltage. I hope this helps. John Davies Spokane WA1 point
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I have been reading forum postings for nearly two years and have come across a wealth of useful information. In preparation for delivery of our LEII on 1/18/22, I have often wanted to retrieve information I had previously read, or to conduct a new search on a particular topic. Searching the forum postings using the native search capabilities has proven to be very frustrating and seldom producing the desired information. My son reminded me Google's search engine can be used to search within websites. To search the Oliver Travel Trailer Forums do the following: In your preferred browser, open a new tab and enter to the web address search box: google.com In the Google search box enter the URL of the forums followed by any number of search terms: site: https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums term1 term2 term3 Where term1, term2 and term3 are your search terms, separated by spaces. Use search terms just as you would when conducting any Google search. Following the URL of the forums you may include any of the web search refinements available for a Google search. See: https://support.google.com/websearch/answer/2466433?hl=en Examples site: https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums tongue storage box site: https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums tongue weight site: https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums storage ideas -facility site: https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums lagun table Overland site: https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums mudflaps OR mud flaps site: https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums basement heating site: https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums heat ducts Minnesota Oli site: https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums TPMS site: https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums hitch lock OR collar I expect you will find the Google search results much more useful.1 point
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We arrived on a Sunday and had service Monday and Tuesday. We picked up Tuesday afternoon and stayed at Oliver Tuesday evening . No fee. We found a hotel room for Monday night. We went to visit my wife's family in Aiken for a few days. Stayed at Aiken State Park. We are long gone now. We are in Destin Florida now at Henderson Beach State Park after spending time in Naples, Marco Island and Venice. Tomorrow we leave for Fort Pickens National Sea Shore. Then to Dauphin Island, New Orleans, Austin, Waco, and Fort Worth on our way to the Grand Canyon and Zion.1 point
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I was going to order a weather radio for our Ollie before Christmas but after reading about the various Midland models, wasn't sure how easy it would be to program the current location every time you are in a new place. I ended up not ordering because I wasn't convinced it was what we need and am still looking. There are some good phone apps that will do push notifications in the event of severe weather but without always having coverage at sites that isn't a complete solution either.1 point
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I checked and unfortunately my Furron model DV3300 radio does not appear to have a weather channel capability. I check the owner's manual and there was no mention of that capability. If someone knows differently, please let me know.1 point
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Gotta love autocorrect. It's made some of my posts pretty humorous, too.1 point
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Many states are decriminalizing calcium. I'm worried it will be a gateway mineral and lead our camper to harder stuff. đ1 point
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We had similar issues with hard water deposits. We now travel with a water softener. I just changed out the anode in the hot water tank and it was completely consumed. Itâs been about 2.5 years, should have done it a year earlier. The last time I changed it was after 18 months and there was still about 30% left. 18-24 months is probably about right. I also flushed quite a bit of junk out of the tank, but also had that when the anode still had life left. Mike1 point
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I had the same problem with poor flow. Additionally, I had a constant weeping of water from under the handle. I tried the process where you run vinegar through the lines and let it soak. No improvement. I purchased a new cartridge and attempted to change out the old one thinking a bit of debris was the problem. I couldn't find any instructions on the web of how to disassemple this type of faucet. For the life of me, I couldn't get the old cartridge out even with the correct faucet socket. (I think someone over tightened the cartridge retension ring in an attempt to stop the weeping) I eventually removed and replaced the entire faucet assemply which fixed both problems. Hopefully you're not faced with replacement. If you are, there are some things to note. The shower head hose which Oliver provides is clad in chromed metal and is much nicer. The replacement faucet, I ordered off the web, came with a vinyl hose. The Oliver hose is also shorter. This is presumably because there are two long bolts down in the cavity under the sink. A longer hose could easily get caught on these bolts and therefore not deploy long enough to be used as a shower. My (not so elegant) solution was to place zip ties across the end of the bolts to keep the hose from getting between the bolts. In hindsight, I should have contacted Oliver to see if I could order the faucet from them but I defaulted to Amazon and had the new faucet in two days. But, I now have a full flowing shower.1 point
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Iâve had the same problem with mine but it seems related to the use of either vinegar for sanitizing or the winterizing solution. I think some of the rubber seals in the faucet head are affected/swell up from exposure to the chemicals, reducing the flow. I just replaced the sprayer head and problem solved. Cheap and easy fix. Dura Faucet RV Kitchen Faucet Designer Toggling Pull-Out Sprayer Replacement - for Dura Faucet Faucets Only (Brushed Satin Nickel) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009Y06H3Q/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_5WEG1XNWRCRX50546YVP?_encoding=UTF8&psc=11 point
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We had the same issue a few years ago. Check for plastic bits or hard water debri in the faucet filter and in the line behind the toilet. Mike1 point
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What is the temperature where you are camped? The bathroom is usually the coldest place in the camper, and if you didn't have the heater on overnight, or didn't keep the bathroom door open, is it possible that the lines in there froze? Longshot, but you never know.1 point
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I have a Garmin InReach device (I spend a lot of time riding gravel roads in the absolute middle of nowhere) and never thought to use it for detailed weather when things start to look crazy. I've mostly used it to decide how many layers I would need for that day's ride. LOL. Thanks for the tip. I'll make sure the device goes with us on every trip now. mb1 point
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Four prong approach: 1 - My Oliver Furrion radio has weather band but no automatic alert for severe weather 2 - A stand alone weather band radio (THIS ONE) that also has shortwave radio and automatic alert 3 - A satellite communicator (THIS ONE) that has weather but no automatic alert 4 - Garmin 890 has a weather function but it must be interfaced with a cell phone and I don't believe that it has an alert function. Bill1 point
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We have a simple weather radio in our fifth wheel. Have found it to be effective in most areas we camp. It does have an old-fashioned extendable antenna, like the old TV "rabbit ears," that improves reception. It squawks when there's an alert and we push a button to hear what the alert is. It is NOT one of the fancy programmable ones where you can select only the single county where you want the alert. We found those are too cumbersome for campers on the move (although that is what we have at our house). Will have to figure out where to put the radio in our new Ollie...1 point
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I have a receiver and it just did not work for my needs. I especially wanted to be able to receive tsunami push warnings on the NW ocean beaches, but 75% of the time it would not even pick up the regular weather broadcasts. Too many mountains between me and the stationsâŠ. Neither does it work in most of the more isolated inland areas in the PNW. I bought a plug-in 25 foot wire antenna for it, that can be hung out a window or draped over a tree limb to âtheoreticallyâ get better reception. I keep the radio around at home for an Armageddon situation, but that is all. If you want reliable weather info when your cell phone is dead, get a two-way satellite communicator like an inReach and pay for the optional detailed reports as you request them. They will not âpushâ alerts, but if the sky turns nasty you can download the latest info. I have one of these devices and HIGHLY recommend it, but donât get more than the standard weather info, one of them counts as one message on my plan. Premium reports are $1.00 each. The report does include icons for dangerous winds: Frequently Asked Questions on Weather for inReach But it still wonât warn you of a tsunami wave headed toward your beach picnic, for that you will need to stay within earshot of the sirens scattered along the coast, you need to be within a mile to hear one đłAnd close enough to high ground to be able to run there in less than twenty minutes. I like visiting that coast, but wonât camp at water level and wonât beachcomb unless there is high ground very close by. For when your phone works, the FEMA app will push all kinds of emergency alerts. Too many IMHO, so you tend to ignore themâŠ! Plus it is no good at all if you are moving around often, aka camping, because it doesnât know your actual position, only the saved locations. John Davies Spokane WA1 point
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We have the Clam Sky Escape Shelter which is one of the larger ones. It's 6 sided, measures 12x12. It is fully netted on all sides and top so you can see out to the night sky. It comes with the wind/rain walls, a rain fly top and a floor. You can use it in any combination. We have the shortbed F250 with the 6.5' bed and it fit straight in. We camped over Thanksgiving weekend with our grown kids & grandkids. 11 of us in all. On Saturday it rained from noon until 1am for 13 hours straight without stopping. It was great to have the shelter. We were able to fit everyone inside in chairs for dinner and during the day we had a smaller table set up for the kids to play games. It can be used over a picnic table easily without the floor installed. When the weather is nice we don't put any of the sides or top on and just use the netting to keep the bugs out.1 point
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I agree with you 80%. Though it does sound like you had the wrong fridge. I think that compressor fridges have a marginal value over 3-ways, but only if your particular needs fall in the areas where they excel. And, only if you're willing to up your electrical storage and solar to match their consumption, because they will definitely pull some power - and it's a power drain that you can't just cut off if you're low on battery. It would be nice if Oliver could offer a compressor fridge as an option for those who want them. So, get one if you want one, but don't if you don't. IMO, for the same expense and work, adding a nice compressor fridge/freezer in your tow vehicle will add far more value, and will really impact the way you travel.1 point
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This is the second version of the our Storage Box. I find it interesting that when we were considering an Oliver, we ruled out the Storage Basket Option, because we thought it would add to much weight to the Tongue. The used 2019 Oliver we bought already had it so we took advantage of it, after we measured the Tongue Weight to make sure it was within our TV's Specs, Loaded 580 LBS. The Box is simply 1/2 Plywood inserted inside the Aluminum Basket. Note, the Piano Hinge Top and it's Drain Tube underneath the Hinge to keep water out. The Marine Cleat is part of out "Land Yacht" theme, We lock out E Bikes to them. Note we hook the Safety Chains to the eyelet on the front when not in use. Also a Trailer Level Gauge and Electrical Cord is stored in it's holder mounted to the front. The third pic, show inside the Box. I mounted the Tools/Items we use again and again! Also on the Back panel are Stainless Steel Vents to reduce condensation build up, which they do. Finally, note the Lock/Key which are Color Coded (Yellow) to the 2 locks on the Storage Box/Tailer Hitch/E Bikes/and everything else I can think of. The Latches are from the Marine Industry, again a Nautical Theme. Note we hook the Safety Chains to the eyelet on the front when not in use. Also a Trailer1 point
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That Northern Tool box looks pretty well constructed, but I did not see a gauge or thickness. Many of the aluminum tool boxes are way too thin, they are flimsy, bend easily and offer zero security. Many are made from dead-soft aluminum which has minimal strength. (Your trailer frame is high-strength tempered aircraft aluminum, like 6061T6.) Unfortunately there are so many horrible aluminum boxes out there that it is risky to order one sight unseen. Maybe go to a ranch supply store and look for a good heavy commercial one.... donât buy one from a box store. OTH I think you should consider a plastic box. This one is the same size, has a lifetime warranty and wonât look nasty after a few years of stones chips and road spray. And it has no diamond plate to slash your fingers. Being plastic it will keep the tongue weight down. A spritz with 303 Protectant annually should keep it looking decent, or if faded you can use a âback to blackâ car trim product to restore the color. https://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Cargo-Organizers/DeeZee/DZ91717P.html I have not seen that one, but it gets a 4.7 star rating, you wonât find ANY affordable alloy box that gets that kind of score. Read the reviews and look at the pics here to see what NOT to get in an aluminum box. .... https://www.amazon.com/Better-Built-73010284-Truck-Tool/dp/B00JHMYINC/ref=zg_bs_15737921_9?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=WVHNG57BTCSRKT8SXGNX Finally, consider what will happen the day you screw up and jackknife the trailer into your truck when backing. Which box would you rather have making an intimate contact with your new Ramâs sheet metal? This is one reason I moved my Oliver tray to the back, I could not stop worrying about jackknifing. Sooner or later, it happens to everybody. John Davies Spokane WA1 point
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