Leaderboard

@ImeldaPress these latches under the drawer and lift up Very likely this drain coupling has come apart. Or the blue clip that holds the sprayer hose to the faucet tube is missing and the hose has slipped off of the tube You may have to remove this plywood panel to make the repair. While you are in there make sure the refrigerator plug is plugged in well

Interesting. I’ve done real clay bar work on cars, but not on my trailer. I think I’ll check out the synthetic clay. Mike

Sure - I like spending your money and I've already got enough different kinds of paint prep things in my garage 😅. Seriously, it sure would be nice if this works well. Bill

To all our Irish (and Irish for the day) friends, hope you have a happy day! Corned beef is resting, Irish stew is in the crockpot, beads and hats are by the door, and friends will be here at our home soon for our traditional celebration. We've been blessed with a beautiful afternoon here in Florida. A little tune from my new favorite young Irish artist (who resembles one of my nephews, especially that engaging Irish smile) to start the party. "May your troubles be less and your blessings be more, And nothing but happiness come through your door."

Owned an F150 3.5 EB Supercrew 4x4 with max tow package when we bought our Oliver. (Bought the truck first). It had a 12,700 tow capacity, but only 1580# payload which ended up being an issue for us. Our gear + our EII tongue wt. of about 685# constantly left us right at the payload (or a little over). The F150 had plenty of power, and we got about 12.5 MPG towing. However, we felt a bit uncomfortable on long downhill steep grades. The Ecoboost 1/2 ton was about the same mass as the trailer and we felt pushed at times. We didn't feel comfortable for mountain driving and eventually we upgraded to an F350 which we have now. If I knew what I know now, and was buying the Truck for an EII, I would go with either a 3/4 or 1 ton. (When we bought our F350 it's price was identical to the F250 trim level, so we went with the bit bigger payload unit. Oh...here's a chart I made while shopping for Fords. It shows the PAYLOAD sticker (from door) numbers for various configurations. * Note that a stripped down F150 (XLT) can have a 1900 LB payload in the longed configuration. * The F250 High Capacity Option adds another 592 lbs of Payload . * Jumping from the base F250 to the F350 adds 1240 lbs of payload. For most folks towing an Oliver EII the sweet spot is probably a F250 or F250 + High Capacity Option. C. Short

Ok sorry for my bad.

I am trying to finalize my solar options before a May 15th deadline. I've asked OTT for several pricing options not listed. They are now planning to Victron MPPT controllers and to Newpowa panels instead of Zamp but will not tell me when they will switch but it will be this year 2022. Ron

Sure, I ordered one already. I also decided to buy a random orbit polisher, so I went ahead and bought another $175 worth of pads and potions from Griot's Garage. 😉 Now I just have to find a Dewalt 20-Volt MAX XR Cordless Brushless 5 in. Variable Speed Random Orbit Polisher with (2) 20-Volt 5.0Ah Batteries & Charger that is in stock somewhere ... I did find a couple of "open box" ones on eBay for less than $380, but everybody else seems to be Not Available or full MSRP ($600). John Davies Spokane WA

I normally use a degreaser to get off sap and other stubborn crud on the gelcoat. Has anyone tried this clay bar substitute? https://www.griotsgarage.com/brilliant-finish-synthetic-clay/ Here is a great review: https://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/product-reviews-by-mike-phillips/106302-review-how-griots-garage-brilliant-finish-synthetic-clay.html I use a real clay bar on my cars, but when you drop it on the ground, you are screwed, you have to throw that piece away because it traps grit. With the Synthetic Clay you just rinse it and continue on. I may order one to try. Any comments? John Davies Spokane WA

Virtually any late model 1/2 ton will do the job if properly equipped with towing package. However, you will need to watch the 1/2 ton's payload capacity very closely and you should use the Andersen weight distribution hitch. The 3/4 ton will generally not be a sensitive to the payload issue. The Ford you mention will get you between 11 and 12 mpg towing the Elite II while getting over 20 mpg when not towing at interstate speeds (65mph). The 1/2 ton is generally easier to live with when you are not towing (i.e. it is smaller). The 3/4 ton is easier to tow with particularly if you get a diesel since you will have an engine brake. I can't speak for the diesel since I've never owned one. Good luck with your decision! Bill

If you are willing to invest a week or two in a low-impact fix, try Kroil, repeatedly applied over a couple weeks. Amazing stuff and worshiped by folks who work in corrosive environments like salt water boat yards. Re-install with a quality anti-sieze. Not as much fun as the "bigger hammer" approach but more likely to leave you with functioning components. You can always bring out the bigger hammer later.

We live in the wet and tree covered side of WA State. Here's a post from our blog on using our upgraded Lithiums with the Existing Solar Panels and Zamp Controller: https://4-ever-hitched.com/ggs-blog/f/lithium-battery-upgrade Look down the blog post near the bottom for this section: ***************************** Roadtrip Testing in June With the physical installations complete we'll be testing the system during our June road trip. We camped in Kalaloch Campground on a mostly cloudy weekend with tree cover and shad for 1/2 the day. Here's our State of Charge data for the dual GTX 315's in our trailer (Hull 505) over a few days of boon-docking at Kalaloch on the WA Coast in June 2021. NO Generator Use, No Shore Power. 340W Solar on Roof and 30A Zamp Controller On Board No direct fully sunny days Power Uses: Ran the max fan at night on low for air circulation and most of the afternoons Used the microwave sparingly to do some popcorn. Didn't do the Oven. Did NOT run AC as in our setup we have a 2000W inverter, not connected to the AC. Watched TV (we have a DC powered TV) each night for about 2 hours (streaming from downloads on the tablet.) Ran 2CPAPS all night for 8 hours. Did NOT run the generator nor hook up to any shore power. DATA: Starting AH: 630AH Total Capacity (both batteries) 8:00 AM Day 1 was 100% Partial Sun 6:40 AM Day 2 was 90% Rainy Day 6:13 AM Day 3 was 83% Rainy Day 8:27 AM Day 4 was 75% Departure Day Total Used AH: 178AH or ~60 AH/day Remaining AH: 452 AH (sum of both batteries) I estimated with the dual 315A Batteries we could last between 10-12 total days in overcast conditions like those we experienced with our normal power use model. We can't run the AC because we only have the 2000W inverter and it's wired into the plugs for the trailer that power the Fridge, uWave and other outlets...but NOT to the AC which has it's own dedicated 30A breaker. My guess is if we had the bank of 3 Lithionics which are part of the Lithium Pro Option (390AH) we could last about 7 days in slight overcast conditions. Dual 315GTX's in the Platinum Option enable about 5-6 additional days of off grid camping given our use model. *Your use model may be very different* We'll be testing full sun as we travel in Aug-October and we will post an update. Hope that data helps some folks!.

I highly recommend that everyone pull drawers and check this area early and add it to your routine check list. I discovered ours had started leaking at the latest four months after taking possession and suspect it was leaking on delivery day. The source of this leak was the faucet where the water lines screw into the the base at the handle. I replaced it with a household Dura faucet.

You might even say you were "shocked" to discover that? 🙂

Yes, any faucet can work. The original faucet on our Oliver had no sprayer. Not sure when they started putting those in. This is what I installed: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B012I44QG4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1 It fits the same as the old one. Has a pull down sprayer and looks original. Mike

We recently met a very nice couple with an Oliver at a campground. I was walking around their Oliver and we were talking about our trailers when I noticed water trickling down the curb side rear stabilizer. I asked if I could look under the curb side bunk and after looking for several minutes I could not find the source of the leak, but from where I was seeing the water running from underneath the insulation I suggested that he pull the drawers and take a look under the kitchen sink. We exchanged phone numbers and I left. With in just a few minutes of leaving their Oliver I received a text saying that he had done as I suggested and he had found his p-trap coupling loose and water from the drain dripping on top of the fender well under the kitchen sink. This leak made its way between the insulation and inside of the bottom hull to the opening where the rear stabilizer goes through the bottom hull.

Speaking of refrigerator plug, since your plumbing has been leaking a lot, unplug shore power so that the outlet, which may be full of water, won’t zap you. I doubt if that location meets code, I was pretty amazed when I discovered this setup years ago. Normally you don’t put 120 volt AC electricity directly below plumbing connections. If it can’t go in a dry spot, it needs to be installed in a waterproof enclosure. Bill, I borrowed your pic….. John Davies Spokane WA

Not sure yet, I know there's a place in brooklyn that has been described as a mosquito heaven (I think that's the place with views of the stature liberty). As far as I know there are no good places close in just as the other folks have mentioned but the advantage of being able to walk out of the camping area and get on the subway in my mind out weighs having to spend 45 minutes or an hour on the train everyday coming in and again going out, but that's just my personal preferences. If you opt to go for the place in Newburg (which sounds like a nice place), I would highly recommend staying away from the train during rush hour because then you'll have most of the train to yourself

If you do get that, can you give your 2 cents worth (5 cents worth, due to inflation)?

I replaced my faucet 3 or 4 years ago. It’s just like a residential faucet, so there should be many YouTube instructional videos. I replaced mine with a Delta bar faucet that could be pulled down with a sprayer. Or, any plumber should be able to do a repair or replacement. Mike

If you are at all "handy", have the time and want to save a bit of coin HERE is a YouTube video that shows you how to make your own version of Andersen Levelers. Bill

Just FYI here's my explanation of our Lithionics Upgrade ...may be useful for those reading this thread. https://4-ever-hitched.com/ggs-blog/f/lithium-battery-upgrade Craig - Hull 505 - Galway Girl

Just thought of another potential place to check - the door window! Some blue painter's tape around that window and a garden hose should let you know it that is OK or not. Bill

It took me weeks to finally confirm it was the door. The weather seal looks okay. I will take a much closer look at it soon, again.

The "proper" configuration for those valves should be shown in a drawing that is included in your delivery instructions. In addition - many (if not all) Ollies have a diagram of these proper positions taped under the street side bed so that they can be referred to while making adjustments. If your particular Ollie doesn't have this drawing then I'd suggest a copy be made and taped in that location. Bill

Yes, yes, yes. Certainly if you are traveling solo these are a big help. Unfortunately, the Andersens are rather expensive and there are some users that have reported that these "slide" when used on certain surfaces. But I've had no issues at all in seven years of use. Bill

I found these at TJ Maxx and 3 of them fit side by side perfectly on the middle pantry shelf. They are clear and don’t block the view. Only 2 will fit on top of bottom. The first ones I got was a set of 3. The next trip they were individuals for $3.99 each.

Not for nothing, but I put our paper towel holder over the bed, instead of the cooktop. I had reservations about a big roll of paper over flames.🤔 And, I can use the back burner without concerns . In 13 camping seasons, it hasn't bothered us above the bed.