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Bill, With the type of meticulous care you take of ALL your vehicles, I don’t think you will encounter any ongoing issues with your Tundra. 👍🏻

Twice a year, prior to turning my ‘COW’ out to pasture, the COW Barn gets a good cleaning, aside from the frequent use of a leaf blower throughout the year, as necessary. Although fortunate to be able to stow indoors, pests must be kept at bay; specifically insects and spiders. It has been my practice to clean and treat using diatomaceous earth (DE), rather than harmful chemical pesticide and insecticide formulations on a more frequent basis. The proper DE for this use is food grade, not the type used in swimming pool filter systems. Here is the simple, but very effective process: The floor is swept clean with a push broom. At the time of this cleaning, previously applied DE is mostly piled along the walls as an intrusion barrier. Any critters crawling over is destined for death! The old DE is swept to a pile for disposal. A bulb applicator and bag of DE are readied. A scoop is used the fill the bulb. A liberal amount of DE is broadcast on the floor. It’s seemingly a lot, but this initial coverage will be swept to the side walls when the ‘COW’ comes home for prolonged effectiveness. When about three-quarters done, my equipment carts are rolled in and the remainder of the floor is treated. The COW Barn is then closed up for the duration of our trip. Prior to herding the ‘COW’ back into the Barn, the push broom is used to sweep the DE to the walls where is continues to effectively kill targeted pests. Since DE is commonly used to treat pests on outdoor plants, one could dust under and around their OTT sitting outside to reap benefit.

UPDATE: Jason followed up and asked if the trailer was still plugged into the 7-pin. Yep. Only here for 2 nights so we kept connected There is a safety thing that results in the awning automatically retracting so you don't drive off with it out The "Fire Drill is over"🙃

Assuming the video is spot on, with main bearing assemblies cast into the block, the likely fix will be engine replacements. 100,000 replacement engines cost alone will be well over a billion dollars. That's based on 100,000 engines at $10K replacement cost. But to amass that number of engines and teams to replace them will not be a short term effort. I have very high regard for Toyota and the fact that they have "Rogered Up" to the problem. I also know that they will fix it, and when it is, the owners will be very happy with their TV's. GJ

Very interesting video. And, this guy's point of view just may be correct. However, not being a engineer, I trust that these companies (Ford, Chevy, Dodge, Toyota) all have a bevy of engineers whose job it is to design products that live up to the required specs. I purchased one of the first generation 3.5 twin turbos when I got my 2011 Ford F-150. I was "nervous" about this decision because I've always shyed away from buying the first generation of any new automotive product - "wait until they get the bugs worked out" was the standard mantra. I took the "risk" because of all the testing that Ford claimed had been done on this new engine. As it turned out - I never had a problem with that truck and this led me to purchase another 3.5 ecoboost in 2017 and yet another in 2023. Yes, I may have been very lucky in that Ford has had issues with their trucks resulting in a number of recalls over the years. These recalls include engine recalls such that Ford actually totally redesigned the turbo truck engines. Perhaps I dodged those recalls because I tend to not keep my vehicles beyond 6 years and, therefore, never get anywhere near 100,000 miles on them prior to the purchase of a new one. When I started looking at new trucks in late 2021, the Tundra was high on my list given that the "best" truck I've ever owned was a Tacoma. Unfortunately, the overall specs of the Tundra just didn't measure up to the F-150 (payload being the main issue). I was told that these numbers should not get in my way because Toyota always is very conservative in calculating and reporting these kinds of specs. And, while I actually believe that the probability of this statement is most true, I decided to stay with the devil I knew versus the devil I didn't know. Certainly Toyota "tested" this engine that is causing "problems" and (I assume) that it met or exceeded the design specs. But, perhaps, as with the situation that caused Ford to redesign their engine, Toyota has run into an unforeseen issue that only started to show up during "real world" testing on engines that had been driven a fair amount of miles. Hopefully Toyota will get to the bottom of the issue quickly. And, I have little doubt that when they do Toyota will do the right thing and get it fixed. Bill

Crazy Horse is getting up in years and is misplacing his hair. So he has to take care of the floors daily.

David, You are very kind! Looking forward to camping with Ollie later this month!

Bill, We gotta get our 🫐berries picked and then we’ll be on the road again. So far things are looking really good. We’ll see.👍🏻 David

I was asked to post some pictures of the rack I built to hold our BlackStone when we travel.

The newer rearview cameras that are installed by Oliver have a built in "hood/cover" that helps protect the camera from sun and rain and (perhaps) some glare. However, those of us with the older cameras no such "protection" is built-in. So, after seeing another one of these cameras where the owner (sorry, I do not remember just who that was) fabricated a hood/cover, I thought that I would try to do the same for my camera. I had some reasonable flexible plastic sheeting laying around the workshop that had originally been used during the installation of a "ceiling" under part of our decks on the house. I believe that the product was called "Underdeck". Anyway, using a bandsaw I cut out a rough shape and then used a heat gun to soften the plastic sheet such that I could hand mold it into the basic shape I wanted. Next, I refined the rough shape again using the band saw and then started sanding until I was basically satisfied. A bit more molding of the cover using the heat gun - note that I actually used the camera as a base for this "final" molding but was careful to not let the camera get too/very hot for the obvious reasons. Then it was a bit of hand sanding - this is not really that difficult given that the plastic is fairly soft. Perhaps the "final" detail of the project was the most difficult - the placement of the holes that aliened the outside bracket with the plastic hood with the holes in the camera body. Note that the bolts that attach the bracket to the camera body are not very long and with the added material of the plastic hood being involved there is not much room for error on this step. Finally, when I was satisfied with how it looked I spray painted the underside of the hood with ultra-flat black paint so that glare/reflection would be reduced. Questions? Bill p.s. Note: In the pics below it really doesn't show, but, the top of the hood does not rest directly on the top of the camera. This allows any heat from the camera and/or the sun to be dissipated such that neither should be subjected to too much heat. l This is the hood that I copied. I reduced and shaped the edges of mine such that there would not be any interference by the hood with the camera angles out to each side. The above is the camera mounted prior to making the hood. TopTop Back Front

I received an MSDS from Truma. For those who are interested, see Paragraph 13 on page 7 of the English language version. I think I’ll dump it in my gravel driveway rather than put it in my septic system. truma-watersystems-aquago-decalcification-tablets.pdf

Agree, hope they resolve this quickly. I'm not getting into manufacturer's names, but during 2021 purchased a new pickup and it stayed in the dealership shop during 2021 over 30 days during one time waiting to be fixed correctly. Next vehicle purchased was this 2022 Tundra. Had 4 recalls on the Tundra so far.

The Furrion S cameras may be a bit of a challenge, but I may try a molded plastic cover with 3M adhesive tape, or, I have some friends into 3D printing. If that did not void any warranty, a 3D printed white cover could be added to every Ollie with that Camera. I'm thinking the 3D printed cover could potentially look quite nice, if done well. It could also have screw holes used by the camera's provided screws.

some of my best memories in Wyoming involve hoppers in September

Here's notice a Tundra owner received this morning from Toyota Canada: "We would like to confirm that Toyota Canada initiated Safety Recall Campaign SRC RH0 (XH0) to resolve an issue related to the engine may stall. We would like to take this opportunity to advise at this time Toyota Canada is currently in the process of manufacturing the efficient amount of parts for this recall. We do apologize, however we do not have a time frame when they remedy will be available. Please be assured that we will notify you by first class mail as soon as the campaign remedy parts are available. At which time you can make an appointment with your dealership to have the recall completed at no cost to you. As we previously advised should you have concerns regarding this recall, please reach out to your dealership. We trust this information is helpful and thank you again for taking the time to contact us."

Bought the Dyson Humdinger handheld vacuum and thought this would be great for the Oliver if it had tube extensions to be able to vacuum standing up. Somehow I found tube extensions in the EU market and hopefully it becomes available soon stateside. Works great and is small/lightweight. Uses a mini hard surface roller that picks up sand and dirt efficiently. Mounted (VHB tape) it in closet for recharging. One of my favorite things in the TT with 3 kids and 2 dogs... Clean floors! To cleanliness, Mike After a little research... looks like the micro is what it is called. It is very similar to what I put together. https://www.dyson.com/support/vacuum-cleaners/cordless/micro

Fabio Holstein

“Also changed the differential oil at 1,000 miles and found metal shavings on the drain plug/magnet that was larger than expected. 😐“ I owned a 2017 Tundra for a short while and also found machining shavings in the rear differential so I guess that nothing has changed in 7 years.

Didn’t Toyota had early turbo failures on this engine? I know turbos are not very tolerant of contaminants in the oil.

That is one sexy cow, as is my OLEll, often referred to as my ‘Condo-on-Wheels’!

Just one of the reasons I purchased lithium phosphate batteries. After being up close and personal with a lithium ion battery that was on fire I really feel for those fire fighters that encounter these things. Bill

Moo!

Those diatoms are wily little beasts - even after 175 million years! HA!

I was first to suggest on our forum to use a relay to solve the humidity issue by controlling power to the fan by piggybacking on the power to the compressor. Several months later the Air Stream team working the same issue executed with the idea. GSM Bear posted the below DIY guide to do so in an Air Stream. Here it is: GSM BEAR V2 RecPro Houghton Interior Fan Mod v2.pdf I will be executing it in July. I also will be doing the Thermistor Relo hack as well. My DIY for an OE2 is in draft state. But running the thermistor wire between the hulls is a theory and I have three options. The best one was documented to me by. AndrewK. He provided some specific guidance on how he and now others have run rooftop solar wires between the hulls from the buried solar port on the roof in front of the MAX Fan. But this has not been done from the A/C area, As such, I'll hold onto my DIY guide until I have done so later this summer. GJ

I installed the 13.5 KBTU heat pump. It already has a soft start program that ramps up the start. Some folks have the Soft Start installed in addition. No need for it with my Honda 2200. The 2.5 KW and Soft start I believe was a knee jerk reaction to the Yamaha 2000. That unit has an undersized motor and will not pull up most AC's. I ran my old Dometic, which pulled a lot more power than the Houghton, on my Lead Acid batteries with a 2,000 watt inverter. Worked fine. BUT... did not last more than an hour max. I strongly suggest adding a separate A/B switch for the AC unit. Here is my DIY guide for doing so. DIY - Add Air Conditioner Power ATS.docx I also recommend installing a 3,000 watt inverter when your factory 2K one dies. DIY - Renogy 3000 Watt Inverter Upgrade Thoughts.docx The max current draw of the smaller Houghton is well below the Honda (as well as the 13.5K unit) generator's surge AND running amps. Several of us are running the larger units on 2K Hondas. I suspect the smaller would as well. Now for the 800 pound gorilla question: 9,500 or 13.5K Houghton's: With the RELAY & THERMISTOR hacks, the larger unit works exceptionally well as the recycle time and humidity issues are fully resolved. So no worries once hacked. Our 2018 OE2 has a single layer of Reflectix insulation. We camp out West in very hot almost zero shade areas most of the time. We are not in the trailer much during the day, so we may cycle on the unit occasionally, but boondocking it is never left on all day or night. (No shore power and only a Renogy folding suitcase solar). For our use, when I want A/C, I don't want to wait 50 minutes for it to cool down Ollie. Combined the above usage characteristics lead to our getting the 13.5K unit. I have heard, but still do not fully believe, that at some point after our unit OTT doubled the Reflectix insulation. (VERIFICATION REQUESTED). IF VERIFIED, and if your camping is not generally in extreme conditions, and you have solar or shore power, then I would go with the 9.5K unit. Hope the above is beneficial. GJ DIY - Add Air Conditioner Power ATS.docx

To John & Chris, and all those above and those that will follow, I LIKE THIS THREAD. We are into 44, albeit more of an equation, it is still a good solid 44. What we have discovered and experienced over that last 3 & 11/12’s years of OTT ownership is, when camping in ‘SNY SD UP’ or travelling in the TV and being in such close proximity of each other for weeks & months is, we are on our best behavior and more tolerant of each other's individual quirks. By that I mean, ‘where would one go if you need some alone time’, not in the TV, not in the TT, so, we accept that and enjoy all the new adventures, adversities, breakdowns (a work in progress) and the Uff da’s together. For us to be able to ‘Go Camping’ just brings out the best in each of us, and we like that. We have learned to enjoy being within 6’ of each other day & night and the wonderment of it all that brings us TOGETHER. B~Out,

Shame I'll miss ya. By the third week of September I'll be at the North Carolina beach soaking up some of the last rays of summer sun and enjoying the nice warm ocean waters. As much as I'd love to be fishing hoppers during September in the Rockies, I simply have not found a way of being in two places at the same time.🤔 Bill

We also have a 2023 LE2, model# is next to the light switch, should be CR130EL

Carol has simply got to learn to relax - obviously, she is working way too hard!😁 Bill

Mother Neff State Park is a nice little Texas State Park just south of Waco. The land was donated to the state of Texas by the mother of Governor Pat Neff 100 years or so ago. It was the first state park in Texas. We stop here often.

Elite II, new 11 Sep 2023. Freedom XC Pro 3000W model 818-3010 Xantrex Inverter, 3 Lithionics Lithium batteries. upon connecting to shoepower on third stop of trip there was no 120v power availble in the trailer. After checking all the normal points we discovered a loose wire connection under the removable inverter cover, A/C out load wire had come loose. This is the Top Orange Compression Connector. Secured wire and restored 120v power. Note: Inverter is off both at the inverter box and the Xantrex remote panel. 8 Oct 2023. Used battery heat due to below freezing temps. Inverter is off. Two hours later xantrex Control App sends Alert msg. E-08, E-21 and E-16 alerts. Utility Power not available/Qualified due to poor quality of AC power. Output overvoltage. No errors on the Xantrex Remote panel. 22 Oct 2023. Used the inverter, turned on at the remote Xantrex panel. Ran Truma air conditioner for one hour. No other loads on the 120v draw. Turned off Truma air and the inverter. Several hours later Xantrex Control App sends Alwrt msg. The app recorded 14 error codes. In coordination with Oliver Service excellent staff (Jason and Mike) plus an input from Xantrex Tech Support a reboot was completed of the inverter. Inverter has reset and is performing as expected with no error codes under numerous utilizations.

Sadly, I'll not be going that far south - I'm staying in Wyoming again this year (mainly around the Cody area). Have fun though - the mountains are always a great place to be. Bill

Maiden voyage with Starlink went great. SO nice to have a fast internet connection remotely. Magnetic feet on metal VHB'd discs worked flawlessly at 70mph in windy conditions. Didn't move a bit, despite being out front with no wind buffering.

That Houghton a/c 48v is 48v dc only, not 110 ac. Can't be run on 120. I guess the point is to run directly from battery, no loss from inverter. Clearly labeled "not for marine use", so that's not the reason. 24 and 48v systems are common on boats, stepping down to 12v, or separate 12v bank for lights, etc. 24 and 48v systems are often designed for big winches, windlass, bow thrusters, and electric drives. Eliminates long runs of heavy Guage wire, power loss, heat gain, etc. I was really surprised to see that on the recpro site. Can't imagine it's a big market.

Unbroken side

No failures with 30,000 miles so far on our 2022 Tundra. Changed the engine oil at 1,000 miles, then 5,000, and 10,000 miles trying to get rid of debris from engine manufacture. Also changed the differential oil at 1,000 miles and found metal shavings on the drain plug/magnet that was larger than expected. 😐

@Sparkinson; Concur with @jd1923's assessment 100%. Another option is to open your 7-pin and disconnect the charging wire from the plug housing inside, fold the wire back and tape it. Either way, you'll still have a full-up operational 7-pin outlet on your TV. Just say'n...

@josmith68: Welcome to the Oliver family, Johnny and Juanita! With just over a week prior to your pick-up date at Hohenwald, please be prepared to be overwhelmed with a massive amount of new OTT operational information! Try taking a lot of video coverage -- it may help to remember key functions. Always know that you can reach out to these forums for an assist should you need it. Congrats on the retirement from one who's flunked it twice! HA! Cheers!

Same here. When one travels with a couple "knuckleheads" like we do -- the handheld is definitely a "must-have": FYI: We converted the handheld's charging supply to operate on 12vDC - makes it way more convenient w/o having to fire-up the inverter.

OMG Ken, wow! I see you are from the beautiful land of 10,000 lakes, frigid temps half the year and a whole lotta street salt! (This is one reason why I started the thread, re listing your location.) Good addition though. I would not think that part to be so easy to source. When I used to restore old cars, before working on the paint (which I jobbed out), I would remove EVERY piece of trim. Now it appears I am in the restoration hobby again with an old Oliver! The 2nd pic is the rear of my '59 300E (owned it 1992-2010). All trim, all stainless, all chrome, everything was removed. Then it only cost me $200 (1996 dollars) to get the paint buffed/detailed, on a 10-year-old lacquer repaint. It did cost 1000s more to rework the stainless, chrome the bumpers, purchase NOS lenses, etc. and likely 1000 hours of sweat equity (don't have that energy anymore, half-day labor now vs. a 10-hour day was normal back then). When I get around to paying $$$$ to get the exterior fiberglass redone professionally, I will remove many trim pieces like this, so they can hit the whole panel with a buffing wheel. Until that day, ours will get duller as I collect parts like these, prioritizing jobs like a new AC unit. Check out the doghouse handle on your hull a 2018 vs. ours a 2016 life in the southwest! I will remove these handles for the finish work, use a light polishing wax and remount them.

We decided to RO2N in Laurel, MS... Very "green" here compared to what we're used to in the SW! Headed to Dallas in the morning... Safe travels, All!

We’re overnighting at Lake Catherine State Park near Hot Springs, Arkansas. Like most Arkansas state parks this one is nice. There are wooded camp sites and sites right on the lake. It’s 12 miles off of I-30, we’ve stopped here several times when we’re headed east or on our way home.

XPLOR is in the Lake Side Wild! After spending a few days at Santee Lake SP in SC and yesterday we touched down at Watsadler COE CG on Lake Hartwell. I think we landed a really beautiful spot. It’s so nice to see all these lakes brimming full! After a have to have a campfire 🔥, and a little nectar of the Gods, we really enjoyed a great nights sleep with a cool breeze flowing through XPLOR at 65d with no need for AC. Note: all the sites here are really nice and with my lifetime America the beautiful pass we paid $32 a night with one night free. That’s a win! 🏆 So on to lake hopping across 3 states to the rally. Our next stop will be Lake Guntersville! Safe Travels All! Cheers! The solo loblolly pine in the center of this photo caused us to pause briefly and think about the “Appeal to Heaven flag”. A signal of strength, resilience, justice, liberty, and a moral compass and relying on the higher power of God. Onward! Patriot🇺🇸

Made it through last night fairly "high and dry" - although there is a slight after-smell of wet huskies in the camper... Oh, well, it's how we roll. T-storms started again early this AM (0230) through about 0445. Nobody slept - coffee came early and prep for R&R operations with Dusten Bowden (18-year veteran of OTT). The Dexter Nev-R-Lubes swapped without even a hiccup... ABOVE: Removed and replaced the rear axle first then attacked the front... ABOVE: Note the size difference between the 12" and 10" drums... about 19% more braking surface area. ABOVE: Took about 3.5 hrs for the axle R&R, back on the road now and headed toward Nashville over the next several days. Had to stop for this pic - here's "3 hearty cheers" to Jim Oliver for designing what we consider the best TT for the money in the US RV market! Roll-on, regardless...

We’re camping at David Crockett Birthplace State Park until we head to the rally. This is a small park near Johnson City and is the childhood homestead of Davy Crockett. Only about a third full right now. It’s a nice park and a good location to explore East Tennessee. Campground Store The Nolichucky River runs right by the campground and it is running very high. The camp hosts warned everyone this afternoon to be ready to evacuate if the storms continue.

Arrived at the "Mother Ship" mid-afternoon today. Mike, by happenstance, we also found ourselves in Site #3, no one here -- perhaps because there's a major T-storm headed this way from the southwest. Flood warnings and possible twisters from now until about 1645... Maybe not as peaceful as when y'all were here! The boys liked all the attention from Sarah and Josh in the showroom: The new bathroom door/hatch is fantastic on the 2024's -- it would be cool to see if it's retrofittable in older models. Gett'n real rainy here! More later... Cheers!

Our spot on Sigsbee Island (Naval Air Station Key West). Not a bad place to hang out for a few months. BL

Grand Codroy RV camping - Very nice private park, would recommend staying 2 or 3 nights to see the area. Sandbanks Provincial Park - The road from Hwy 1 to Burgeo has a lot of pot holes and takes a long hour. This was our first real excursion off Hwy 1, it doesn’t seem so bad now that we have experienced a wide variety of the roads in Newfoundland, it’s not hard to find worse roads. The campground and surrounding area is very nice especially if you like sandy beaches. We stayed 3 nights which was the right amount of time for us. Blow Me Down Provincial Park - We stayed 4 nights at the park, for us it was the right amount of time we like to hike and there are several nice hikes in the area Gros Morne National Park, Berry Hill Campground - We stayed 7 nights here, there is a lot see in the Gros Morne area. Pistolet Bay Provincial Park - We booked 7 nights but departed after four. The park is very remote with no services, but nice enough campground. There is a nice little beach to swim at. We enjoyed L’Anse aux Meadows and the town of St Anthony. Mountain Waters Resort - We stayed one night here to recharge our batteries. We visited Port au Choix which is worth seeing, there is a private campground on the ocean I think I would stay at if I did this again, It’s much closer to Port au Choix and far fewer bugs. Sir Richards Squires Memorial Provincial Park - We stayed 2 nights which was plenty unless you are an avid fly fisherman. It is a nice campground like all the Provincial Parks we stayed at. There are two roads to the park, 422 west of Deer Lake is a partially paved long road with many pot holes. We didn’t enjoy that drive so tried the other “road” out that intersects with 420 just north of Hwy 1. I strongly recommend not using that “road” it’s more like an off road trail in many spots. Crescent Lake RV Park - We stayed 3 nights here at this top notch private park. Very nice trail around the lake it’s on. The owners are very friendly and helpful. ***** Run Provincial Park - This is a beautiful park, the only downside is it’s about a 15 minute drive to Twillingate which we really enjoyed. We stayed 7 nights here there is a lot to see in this area. We took a day trip to Fogo Island the main attraction are the historic buildings on the island. Tera Nova National Park - Newman Sound Campground - We ended up canceling this reservation due to electrical issues at the park and our batteries were low after a week in ***** Run without any hookups and not much sun. We stayed at Shriners RV park which had full hookups, good cell and WIFI service. We spent 4 nights at this campground which was adequate to see the area. Lockston Path Provincial Park - Long 5k gravel road to get to the park entrance. Once there the park is nice similar to a lot of other provincial parks. The Bonavista Peninsula covers a large area, the highlights were Trinity, Cape Bonavista and Tickle Cove. Four nights gave us enough time to see the sights but does require a fair amount of driving. Butter Pot Provincial Park - Decent campground very similar to other provincial parks, clean, well maintained, nice sites. We stayed 4 nights which was plenty for me. I am not a big fan of cities and crowds. Most of St. Johns is like any other large city, except for the downtown area. Heading Home from St John’s we stayed at: Notre Dame Provincial Park - Beautiful provincial park with sites backing up to a very nice lake, good cell service, sites have electrical hookups. Barachois Pond Provincial Park - Another beautiful park, one of my favorites There is a lot to see in Newfoundland, highlights I wouldn’t miss are the Gros Morne National Park, Twillingate area, Bonavista Peninsula and St. John’s downtown area and signal hill. There are many other very nice places to visit if you have the time, just not quite as spectacular as the above, depending on what you like to see and do. There is much of Newfoundland we didn’t see. There are many RV campgrounds not on any maps I had, plus boon docking opportunities. We did not have any issues making last minute modifications to our schedule and finding places to stay. I reserved all of our camping for the entire trip, if I had to do it over I would probably have a less rigid schedule of reservations. We never found any campgrounds to be completely full, but you will need reservations for the prime sites.

Barachois Pond Provincial Park, morning view 30 feet from our camp site, this was one of my favorite Provincial Parks in Newfoundland. This is a huge park with many beautiful sites with lake views or a secluded spot in the woods.

Oliver told me to put panty hose over the vents..I found some QUEEN size white panty hose and cut the panty out and they fit pretty good..cheap fix. Take them off before turning the refrigerator on.