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I missed that. Scrolling too quickly, I guess. We carry two hoses. I think many people do. I'd never connect my freshwater hose to the black tank flush. No matter what's in between. Thank you, @John E Davies.4 points
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While it probably is a failed motor, it could also be a hardened mud dauber nest in there. Regardless, I don’t think you should attempt a field repair. If it were out of warranty and mine, I would take out the fan assembly for a look-see. Good luck, and please post a followup. If they list the parts on the repair invoice, ask for their prices too. That would be informative. At some point soon these older Trumas are going to be non warranty. If you have not registered it, do so, because it doubles the standard warranty. John Davies Spokane WA3 points
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Update - Pulled the white and grey wires to try the bypass test but my improvised jumper would not get continuity. However, when the white and gray wires were reconnected and system was recycled, the main blower motor activated with a great grinding sound. I had assumed that the motor was running, just quietly. Looks like the blower motor is possibly bad leading to the unit reporting the pressure sensor low as a overlay problem, not the root cause. This is looking more and more like a significant warranty situation, so I’m going to button it up, update my Oliver support case, and be thankful we are just out for the weekend and will be back in Dallas on Monday. Thanks everyone - fortunately we are new enough to our Oliver that we still remember how to deal with heating water for dishes and washing (lol).3 points
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Update: Are Ollie is fixed! *insert happy dance* After a cry for help that I posted in a local camper group a virtual stranger from my neighborhood came to our house today and fixed it! He discovered it was a faulty main ground wire. I cannot thank him and every single one of you who reach out to try to help us, we are eternally grateful.3 points
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2 points
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On the glue or no glue - I would expect the drawer bottom to be dimensionally stable since it's a thin sheet of plywood, which has grain of the separate ply layers going in perpendicular directions. There is very little movement with changing humidity along the length of grain - it happens more so across/perpendicular to the grain - so plywood is kind of frozen in each dimension by the criss-crossing grain (it will have nonzero movement, but so small as to be generally not a consideration in typical joinery like this). Similarly, the front and sides of the drawer have their grain going parallel to the slots in which the drawer bottom fits. So I wouldn't expect those sides or the front to expand or contract significantly along the length of that slit. It's been a while since I built any drawers or otherwise joined ply into solid wood as is happening here, so I remain open to some solid explanation for why what John suggests would cause a problem, but based on what I recall my woodworking boss teaching me about designing joinery to handle wood movement (c. 1981-82), I think this should be OK. One reference I just found which has a decent explanation of wood movement with respect to grain direction edited to add: this is different from the case of a solid wood (ie not plywood) door panel that’s held by channels in the rails and stiles of the door, because the solid wood panel will expand and contract in the Direction that’s perpendicular to the wood grain and so needs room to expand into those grooves during high humidity (and enough width to not come out of the groove in low humidity) and if glued in place will tend to split after a few expansion/contraction cycles. Btw at the wood shop where I worked we often made tables with solid wood framed tops with plywood inserts that were well glued to the frames. Sometimes we covered the plywood with tile, sometimes with laminate (Formica or a cousin). This would be similar structurally to gluing the drawer bottoms to the front back and sides, at least from the perspective of response to changing humidity…2 points
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Hello, I'm also towing with the new(ish) GM engine, the 3.0 diesel, which is in both the Chevy and GMC half-ton trucks. On a 800-mile trip a couple weeks ago I averaged 16.7 mpg. Before the recent changes in fuel prices, back when diesel was less than unleaded, I was very happy. Now, not so much. Plus i do have to add in DEF, which I used to get at Walmart (store brand) for $8 but now it's $14 for a 2.5 gal jug. When not towing, the DEF lasts for a long time. When towing, the engine uses more DEF. So, even though right now I don't like that I'm paying more for fuel than anyone else, I do like the mileage and the low-end torque that makes it a breeze at the freeway onramp or going up steep passes. PS to Tallmandan: I've done my own calculations on mileage when filling up and found that I'm actually getting 1 to 3 mpg more than what the truck computer says.2 points
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Right about 80 today with a nice breeze and fairly low humidity. It will also be like this for the next two days. However, yesterday it was low 90's and high humidity. And, starting this coming Wednesday it is forecast to be back near record high temps (low to mid 90's) but I don't think that the humidity will be as high as last week. Bill2 points
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I respect the opinions here and acknowledge there are valid reasons this is not a 100% safe idea. My feeling was that several things were in place that made it OK: Y-valve that is only open to the flush when I open that particular faucet output that always has positive water pressure flowing out of it San-T-Flush has a check valve Black like I attached has a check valve Regardless, you folks have given enough reasons that this isn't the great idea I thought it was. Thank you.2 points
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The garden hose check valve is not sufficient to protect the public fresh water system. If you are going to continue this practice, you should add a back-flow protector valve. If there is every a drop in pressure in the public water system, you could be syphoning your black water contents back into the public water system. A VERY UNSAFE PRACTICE, and if someone from the town's health department every saw you doing that they would take you to court and fine you. As alternate to your system, you could buy a Camco Rhino Heavy duty Portable Waste Wholding Tank which you can buy on Amazon. Please be careful with out public water systems. As a retired sanitary engineer, I think your practice2 points
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First - thanks so much everyone for the responses and detailed ideas / discussion. Will try to hit all the questions in one spot here. Electrical skill level. Have not killed myself or anyone else yet 🙂 but definitely not where you guys are. Know which parts of a multimeter to stick where a good portion of the time, and my solder joints hold together but are not works of art. Did learn how to wire a 220 spotlight circuit while it’s hot from an electrician in my college theater days, a skill I try to avoid using. Took some photos - which I should have done the first time for additional orientation. Attached below. @John E Davies will try the jumper test right after coffee. Checked and reseated all the wires I can reach on that harness, none appear loose except the orange / blue main blower which seems to wiggle a bit even when fully seated.2 points
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First off, let me say that I do not have any practical experience troubleshooting the Truma AquaGo. I do have one but I have never had any issues with. If you looked up the error code, I assume you have the manual. I wonder what item 4a does? It is located right next to the EPS, so it may be a method to test the EPS. Mossey2 points
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Did you or your helpful neighbor take any photos of the faulty main ground wire, and the properly connected main ground wire that provided the solution? Those would help others, including me, to more quickly diagnose similar problems in the future.2 points
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Now, the issue will be trying to bring your lithionics batteries back to life, if they're really 9 volts,,as you suggested, in an earlier post. Usually, to revive lithium you need to charge very slowly, and separately, from what a friend told me, to bring cells back into balance. Any suggestions, from those of you with lithionics? I still run with agm batteries.2 points
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They don't come much (if any) better than Anita! Be sure to bring that camera with you - not only will it help you to remember what you saw, but, in the event you actually do write that check, it will serve to help you down the road when you are trying to remember what is exactly behind "that" wall. Also, don't be afraid to ask questions and look at anything that interests you. Certainly you can take as much time as you desire on the tour - I'm certain that you will be impressed. Bill2 points
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Anita at Oliver called yesterday to make sure we got the printed brochure in the mail, and to answer any questions we had. We had a nice chat, but the old saying of "you don't know what you don't know" definitely applies here. Since we are currently in a 5X8 squaredrop (a boxy teardrop) without plumbing, gas, or any appliances built in, and basic electrical, everything about a potential purchase is unknown. We've done a *lot* of reading and YouTubing over the last couple of years, but I know there will be tons of questions down the road if we go this route. That said, Deb received her "golden ticket" from Maker's Mark as an ambassador, and her bottle is ready for pickup in Loretta, Kentucky. (Side note; she doesn't even like whiskey, but signed up for the free stuff they send at Christmas every year. 🤣 ) Meanwhile, Choice Privileges emailed me and let me know that I need to use my points on a stay before August 1, else lose them. So after Maker's Mark, we're headed to Hohenwald for a factory visit and to tour the Elite II. Who knows whether we'll leave with one less check in the checkbook...2 points
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2 points
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John, Useful advice on dealing with the drawer releases. However, I suggest NOT glueing the bottoms of the drawers to the sides. The drawer bottoms typically rest in a groove in the drawer frame and are purposely NOT glued to permit movement of the wood as temperature and more importantly, humidity vary.2 points
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These drawers are not at all intuitive when it comes to taking them out of the galley cabinet. It is dead easy if you pretend that you are a simpleton and don't over think things... . Stand over the end of the open drawer, reach under the sides at the very front with both hands. Put your fingers underneath on the inner edge of the orange release thingies and squeeze, move your fingers toward your palms. The latches will release and you can lift the drawer up and out, away from the slides, which will probably spring back out of sight. That is the "self closing" feature at work. Here is what is going on: The drawer is held to the latch assembly by two TINY SHORT screws. They are known to strip out the soft wood. Sometimes you will find the drawer lying up by the bathroom door with spatulas and other stuff scattered everywhere. Tighten them gently, they will move! If they are stripped, install longer ones. FYI this is a six year old drawer, Oliver may have altered these parts. For example, mine don't have the inner safety latches. Note that you might want to wear disposable gloves. EDIT: one member installed 1” long screws, driven into new holes at an angle, and found that to be a very solid way to do this. Here is the end of the slide, showing the opening that catches the latch. THIS IS SO VERY COOL! I just discovered it after all these years.... On the bottom of each slide, about 5 inches in from the end, is a tiny pin that sticks down. When reinstalling the drawer, you can use it to pull the slide outwards until it clicks into the latch. It keeps your fingers away from the grease too. Finally, you can flip each drawer and lay a thin bead of wood glue around the joint between the bottom and the sides and let it sit overnight. It will dry almost clear, so don't worry about minor mistakes. Plus nobody but you will ever know. I do not recommend gluing the inside of the drawers, that will show and it also has some sort of protective clear coat, so the glue might not stick. This thread is very much related: ... https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/2151-how-to-galley-drawer-travel-straps/ John Davies Spokane WA1 point
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With towing MPG certainly a bigger consideration these days, I thought I would share the fuel economy numbers from my last two trips up into the Colorado mountains and back while towing my LEII. (Water tank full outbound and empty on return) This is a stock 2021 Silverado 1500 with the 3.0L diesel in-line 6 cylinder. If you are considering a new tow vehicle, this truck has been solid and comfortable. Power and control towing both up and down the mountain passes in Colorado. The only shortcoming is limited payload in the truck and use of WD hitch, as has been discussed here for all half ton trucks - but these haven’t been a problem for me so far. Almost 17k miles and zero problems.1 point
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Kimberly and I have had our inaugural road trip… and feeling pretty good about my understanding of the various systems of our new Oliver. A big thanks all in the forum! IMG_5046.MOV1 point
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I do find that four days is pretty much max on our Black Water tank before it need dumping. I do start out with 3-4 gallons of water in the tank, I feel I want my tank pretty much fluid and no chance of clogging up, that's just me, not necessarily need to be done that way. Yes I have a Honey Pot and carry it with us when we will not have sewer dump at our campsite. I have a sewer dump at home, so dumping and flushing 2-3 times is no problem for us, I like my tank clean when not in use. trainman1 point
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Great picture, see the tube coming down under the pressure switch? That means it is NOT a sail switch. It is a differential pressure switch, with a sensitive diaphragm. It would be possible to carefully functionally test it with a vacuum tester, like a Mity Vac, but that would be risky without detailed specs from a repair manual. It actually looks similar to the $10 one on my home humidifier😳 Make sure the hose is secure at each end and not pinched. If it is open to the air at the far end, it could have a bug in it. Good luck. John Davies Spokane WA1 point
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Found this, is it similar to yours? If so that switch is super easy to remove, two wires, two screws.If you don’t want to remove it, get a small piece of electrical wire and “jumper” those grey and white wires. If the heater lights, the switch is faulty. Do NOT leave the jumper wires in there and run the heater more than a few seconds! Short test only. How far down this warranty rabbit hole are you willing to go, and what is your electrical skill level? John Davies Spokane WA1 point
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4a is part of the water pressure/ temperature relief valve, you lift it up to vent water, and to clean any debris from the seal if it is seeping. This is just like the one in your residential water heater. Question, do any roving (mobile) RV techs have the ability to troubleshoot these units? John Davies Spokane WA1 point
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I don’t have a Truma, but the diagrams are pretty self explanatory. How far back in the exhaust can you see? Do you have access to a small telescoping inspection mirror or better yet, a boroscope? That would let you see up that elbow as far as the fan wheel. Is there a screen in the exhaust opening? If not you could have a bug nest. Does the fan start to turn or is it dead? Can you physically touch the EPS? If so, can you remove the connector or the switch itself ? You could do a resistance check of its terminals. The fan is controlled by FOUR switches, all have to work or the heater won’t light! If even one of the temp switches fails, the fan won’t start to turn (no power available). The EPS senses the correct airflow, then closes. So if it is bad, the fan will start to turn, then stop (power is interrupted). The furnace has a sail switch with a similar function, and you can physically move the vane to test it. I don’t know if the Truma one is built the same way. Knowing the Germans, probably not. I don’t think you can do much in the field without risking the warranty, and I don’t think Truma sells repair parts yet in this country. The switch is quite expensive. Did that help at all, or just muddy the waters? Good luck. John Davies Spokane WA1 point
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Thank you.. It is what it is. I'm used to the awkward posture to "get it right." For me. I've read dozens of rv installation posts, on other forums and blogs, and I just don't want Oliver owners to make the big mistake. If the blog links to a purchase point, probably discount the opinion. Its doable for us, with the urinal. And my self training. Definitely NOT something I'd consider for the Ollie.1 point
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I do like the water meter idea as a backstop to the SeeLevel gauge when flushing.1 point
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I cannot comment directly, but I recently met a Colorado guy in remote NW Nevada at a hot springs, he had a recent Winnebago Revel 4x4 camper, He was all over our LE2, he said that he wanted to get an Elite to pull behind the Revel. He seemed very knowledgeable about RVs in general. So I don’t think it would be a problem as long as you are aware of tongue weight limitations and don’t fill the TV with ammo and anvils…..😬 What are the payload specs for your particular Sprinter? Which roof? Have you considered borrowing or renting a 5000 pound trailer to tow for a weekend? Even a U-haul loaded with two yards of beauty bark would work as a test mule. I think it would answer all your questions in the space of a few miles, especially if you live near any serious grades. And welcome to the forum. John Davies Spokane WA1 point
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Great photos!!! We spend plenty of time in the NC mountains! We have not camped at Lake Powhatan, yet. Will check it out camping with Ollie. Hope y'all have a fine time!1 point
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Buy a better quality double check valve to isolate the sewage from the fresh, your garden hose check valve is nothing but a vacuum break and they are less than reliable, There should be a check valve inside the Ollie, but you can never be too safe when dealing with E. coli. The inside one could jam open. I have some reservations about the overall design, but if you are always very careful, you may be OK. Or may not be😳 https://www.waterregsuk.co.uk/news/newsletter/categories/installer_news/non-return_valves/ Try reposting your pics, I don’t see anything but urls, I can open them in a new window but that is awkward at best. Save the images onto your device or computer, and then attach them to the post. That uploads them to the forum server. Like this…. John Davies Spokane WA1 point
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Wish you'd posted earlier today. We were within 5 miles of you. Took a trip to WNC farmers market, for a case of tomatoes to take home. And a few other items. If you need produce, cheese, etc., this is a very fun place to visit. (Even if you don't ) Every trip, we take home honey, jams, cheese, in season produce, etc.. Toe jam is one of my favorites to buy for friends. And, moonshine jelly. Lol. My mom loves the no sugar added apple butter available in a number of stalls. There's a guy from Jamaica selling weird blueberry and other hot sauces and BBQ sauces, who makes amazing sauces. (Lwser enclosed climate controlled building) Prices are better in the lower indoor shed,usually. I love the black wax hoop cheese, in vac pac, upper house. And, jalapeño pimento cheese. Oh, and the Amish butter. I love good butter. In the lower sheds, open air, down the hill, it's mostly local grown, great prices. Some have smaller baskets. Many are cases and bushel bags only. Definitely worth the drive, and the visit, from your location. Moose Cafe, on the highway just barely beyond the entrance has an all you can eat breakfast. I don't love breakfast, but my husband does. Their hash brown casserole is almost as good as my own. Their homemade biscuits are complimentary, with local apple butter. I'm not fond of biscuits, but theirs are awesome, as is the apple butter. Bacon is really good, too. I like their trout. I just scrape away the breading. Asheville area is really big on farm to table dining. We don't eat out a lot, but Asheville makes it worth the trek into town.1 point
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Thanks for the responses. The leak is definitely from the marker light(s) as I have them all taped off now and no leaking is taking place. I guess I will rebed the loose marker lights into the trim ring on the exterior with RTV Silicone as Oliver originally did. The ones that feel solid I will leave alone. I'll then reseal all of them on the inside with more carefully applied sealant. I'll also try to redirect the wiring so any future leaks will be directed between the hulls and not on to the floor of the attic. Dave1 point
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I'm sure you've gone through a lot of troubleshooting with Truma. And, I don't have one, so I don't have much to offer. Elevation shouldn't likely be your problem , as the campgrounds aren't that high at dnp, but maybe try it at kenai (sea level ) and see what happens. If you can't get the truma fixed, I'd look at getting a camp shower, and use campground showers when possible. (Not easy at national park facilities. Especially Denali. When we've been there, showers only availableat the lower rv campground, which you can'teven drive to, by their rules. Had to shower in our motorhome. ) There's a Cabela's in Anchorage, a mile off highway 1, on your way to kenai. At this time, they have a battery operated pump/shower in stock. Put cold water in a small bucket, add hot heated on the stove, and use it in your Oliver. It will at least keep you refreshed and clean til you get home. You could order it now for pickup. They have limited stock. Bass pro has a store there too, but none in stock. Bonus, Anchorage has no city sales tax. Stock up for your trip to kenai at a nearby Costco or Fred meyers. Prices are high compared to home, but definitely better in Anchorage than kenai, in my experience.1 point
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With a 2021 Ram 1/2 ton eHemi pulling an E2 with a camping load in the bed... A recent 5000 mile trip through mountains and flatlands got as good as 16.5 mpg and as poorly as 11.5 mpg per tank of gas. The best day was with tailwinds - the worse day was climbing elevation from 1200 ft to 7000 feet. We typically average around 14 mpg at 65 mph per tank on days without head/tail winds. The Ram has lots of pulling power and the tow/haul function holds the cruise except on VERY long 6 degree down grades. Charlie.1 point
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Currently in our area diesel is about 15% more expensive than regular. Seems reasonable given the higher stored energy. Normally I expect 25 to 30% better mpg but higher maintenance costs for sure. With our one ton pulling the E2 we get just over 15 with the cruise set on 70, higher on the backroads. I’m curious what a gas 3/4 or 1 ton would get with the cruise set at 70…1 point
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Great use of tech but I am going to wait for v.3 which will use smaller, watch batteries. I heard the stacks are going to be built like Pez dispensers.1 point
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This may be the answer to the problem of not enough charging stations. https://iplayerhd.com/player/video/dae6a69a-adb1-4692-aaba-cff7e6bcd4931 point
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@John E Davies, I haven't found the easter eggs. 😐 But here's my "smile photo." I call this tree on our property in NC my t-rex tulip tree. If you squint, you can see the open jaws, and neck outline. This time of the year, the tulip poplars are in bloom, near the top, where the little blooms kind of look like tulips. In the lower branch/bottom jaw, you can see the blossoms. They look like teeth from a distance. These trees are usually kind of cone shaped. T rex is reaching for the sun, obviously.1 point
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Oliver used to offer a twin bed model for the elite. Across the back was a 30 inch bunk, and small dinette dropped down to a 24" bunk. One of my camping friends modified her Casita to have a standard home size 38" twin east west across the back, and built a slide out platform with legs to widen the side dinette to 30". It made the aisle narrow, of course, but still allowed her to take her handicapped friend camping.1 point
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Welcome to the forum, I'll let others answer your questions. I would like to comment that I think you will miss the ease of maneuvering and finding a campsite if you buy the bigger trailer. Since you want to stay "primitive" it really does make things harder. We just spent two weeks in the Basin and Range area of NV and there were MANY times I wished for a smaller footprint! We also had to pass up a lot of great spots, because we just couldn't fit. Including in Great Basin National Park. This one at Steens Mountain OR (BLM) worked: You are correct, your LC200 will tow the LE2, but it will definitely work much harder, especially on long grades, and you must use the Andersen hitch. The LC200 has a short 120 inch wheelbase, and IMHO it really is better matched with a lighter trailer and perhaps an off-road coupler. Plus the towing mpgs are horrendous, especially if you add tougher LT tires and some accessories. The smaller trailer will not require so much wasted fuel and it will extend your cruising range a little. My truck with mud tires, snorkel, roof rack and cargo carrier rarely gets 10 mpg in the West, towing 6000 pounds. We paid an enormous amount for gas on this short trip.Fortunately, free stays in public lands and Harvest Host/ Boondockers Welcome sites helped to offset that. I can't imagine how costly it would be to tow with a Land Cruiser and stay at resorts ;( Oliver has suspended production of the LE for a major redesign, it will be interesting to see if they do some really cool stuff like independent suspension and disk brakes. We can only hope. We need more Land Cruisers! John Davies Spokane WA1 point
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My wife took this with her iPhone 11, no retouching at all except a very slight adjustment of the Brilliance. South central Washington Palouse wheat fields on a WA 127 pass between Dayton and Dusty, the day after a bunch of rain. We had a delayed cold and dry Spring, then it got warm and very wet and the fields just exploded. I have lived here for nearly two decades, have driven through this area many times, and have never seen it so lush and vibrant. The stems are about four feet high and no irrigation is used. Look closely for a couple of cool “Easter eggs”. John Davies Spokane WA1 point
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1 point
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That is an important consideration, definitely. In this case I am not concerned since the drawer sides and bottoms are both made from wood. If they were different materials, then definitely do not glue. I think this is one of those situations where you have to decide whether you want the bottom to bow down and perhaps fall out of a groove, or stay in place and possibly crack. If an owner is concerned, he can Google “floating drawer bottom”, do some reading in the woodworkers forums, and decide for himself. BTW, I live in, and generally camp in, an arid part of the country, so prolonged high humidly or dramatic moisture changes is rarely a worry. And a couple of my drawers are quite heavily loaded, they are not all filled with plastic utensils or lightweight personal items. Thanks very much for the comment. John Davies Spokane WA1 point
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SeaDawg Moderators Posted May 22 So, I came across this the other day-- Separett's new Tiny composting toilet. As toilets go, it's rather pretty and sleek. And small. But a big capacity. And, like all the other composting toilet, a pretty big price tag. Comes in two versions, with a urine hose, or with a urine tank. Vent adaptor from Swedish 50 mm to us 1.5 inch vent pipe. Seat height is about 3" lower than nature's head. I wonder if the odor from the fan would really be any worse than the odor from the nature's head fan, or the vent stack from the Oliver black tank? I'm sure I'll see it pop up on one of the youtuber sites soon. I saw this on the Air Forums and thought of you and your post about the Separett Tiny. https://www.airforums.com/forums/f446/part-l-tmi-review-of-the-separett-tiny-1270-01-a-224421.html Mossey1 point
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If its a short one day trip and its the only place to go a small garbage bag lined in the standard toilet works fine. Nasty but works.1 point
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