Leaderboard

Oh boy, another one bites the dust! Those little notched pins for the freezer door hinge broke off on ours too, and now the door won’t stay closed or seal. I searched the net for new parts and nobody had the left spring holder assembly. But while searching, this post popped up and I found out Im not alone! Apparently Norcold is out of business and these parts are no longer available. So short of replacing the whole fridge, I figured out a way to repair them. I cut out pieces from 1” x 1/16” brass bar to “sister” onto the broken spring holder assemblies. Holes were drilled for a 3/16” brass pin and 1/16” rivets. I filed notch’s on the brass rod to match the original pins and soldered them into place with plumbers flux and solder. I trimmed the excess, and filed it flat. The new brass piece was riveted onto the hinge with 1/16” diameter x 1/4” flat head brass rivets. Fortunately I had all the brass and rivets in my stash, but most hardware stores carry this stuff. It was a little tricky to install the hinges with enough spring preload, probably because the repaired hinges were stiffer and wider than the originals. Here’s what worked for me: Put the repaired right spring holder assembly in it’s final position on the fridge wall. Remove the right door mount clip from the door. Install the left spring holder assembly onto the door mount clip so it has spring pre-load. Mount left side door with spring holder/clip assembly onto fridge while maintaining spring pre-load. While holding door in place, use left door clip to wind some pre-load and screw it on the door. Hope this saves someone a new fridge! Cheers, Geoff

This is most likely a good part of your problem. Raise the front of your trailer a few degrees. This makes the water in the gray tank run toward the rear of the trailer and the air bubble in the tank to move forward toward the front of the trailer. This is where your gray tank vent pipe is attached and it will facilitate easier entry of the water plus exit of the air.

When doing a modification to install an outdoor valve control switch (Electric valve control… with a twist,) I realized that an outdoor pump switch would also be nice when doing valve operations. Not only that, but the pump switch is handy for the outside shower too! To understand this modification, it helps to know about 3-way and 4-way switches. The two existing pump switches are common “3-way” switches like you would find in a hallway to turn the light on from either end. To add a third switch to the circuit, then you need a “4-way” switch, but they are less common and not readily available in RV style switches. Fortunately though, the more common Double Pole Double Throw (DPDT) - On/On switch can be modified to make a 4-way switch just by adding two jumpers. This modification requires removal of the cubby/shelve under the bathroom vanity, and it’s a good opportunity to do the “Bathroom Vanity Cubby Modification“ by Frank C, it makes access to this area a whole lot easier. With the cubby removed, locate and cut the two grey wires going to the bathroom pump switch, these are the “travelers” that go to the main pump switch. Splice four new wires to the cut grey wires and route them under the dinette to the new switch. I used a rubber booted DPDT switch and mounted it in the outdoor storage area on the front facing wall. It snap-fits into a 3/4” hole. The new wires were protected by split sheathing. I also added an optional LED indication light for the new 4-Way switch, which is powered from the pump’s +12v whenever the pump is energized. Amazon LEDs are ridiculously inexpensive and easily mounted in a 3/16” hole. I hope someone finds this useful. Cheers! Geoff Shopping list: DPDT On/On switch No KDH3BNA1BBB (From Digi-Key company) 3/8” split wire sheath Optional 12 Volt 5mm LED Light with LED bezel Holder

Our door can be open a "crack" without the light being on. Clean it, dry it out, and that crack is plenty. I put a dish towel between door and frame, and a weight against the door to keep it from being opened accidentally. I use a spare bottle of rv antifreeze as a weight.

I just put some painters tape over the button and turn the fridge all the way down. Keep the door open and a little baking soda inside.

I've got no solution (other than pulling the plug on that LED) for the fridge light(s) problem. But, in order to keep any odors at bay while in storage, first take a half dozen newspaper pages, crumple them up and stick them in the fridge and freezer with the door(s) cracked open. Bill

Less is more, IMO. Go on a couple short local trips. Make notes of things you wish you had. Things you have you and didn’t use remove when you get home. Bothers me to buy gadgets that don’t get used. Recent trip to Texas, realized we needed a fly-swatter (not necessary in AZ). Stopped by Walmart and spent $1.49 plus tax. All you need to get started are your basic bathroom and kitchen needs. Also with merely a half ton truck and rather small engine, weight really matters, unless you’re not ever traveling in the mountains! 🤣 I would keep your Oliver under 6400 lbs. We do so and we have a 3/4 ton TV. Understand your truck GVWR and stay well under. Again, less is more!

We built this guide based upon 4 years of travel: https://4-ever-hitched.com/ggs-blog/f/oliver-outfitters-guide?blogcategory=Camping+Equipment Give it a look. Craig & Rose hull 505

This modification improves electric valve control by adding a rotary switch to select the four different valve line-ups: Normal, Freshwater Drain, Boondocking, and Winterization. I was really inspired by JD1923 and C&M Currie who replaced their quarter-turn valves with electric valves so they didn’t have to lift the bed mattress to change valve positions. This is a fairly extensive modification because the heater vents had to be removed for access to the valves, the new electric valves had to be installed, a recessed enclosure was needed to protect the switch, and number of new wires had to be run Four of the original quarter-turn valves were replaced with two 3-way electric ball valves in the orientation shown in the photo. I used 3/4” valves with 1/2” adapters and SharkTooth PEX fittings for better flow. A little heat helped to slightly bend the PEX pipe into position, and the valves were clamped down with 1” electrical PVC clamps. A 1/2” electric ball valve was used for the freshwater tank drain. There was limited room to work in this area so it helped to pull out the PEX drain pipe where it penetrates the floor. The switch was mounted on the forward facing wall of the outdoor garage where it’s more convenient to conduct the valve operations. To keep it out of harms way, I made a recessed mounting plate out of 1/8” hobby plywood and moulding stock as shown on the drawing. The plywood can be cut with a razor knife if needed. The following legend helps explain how the rotary switch is configured. It shows the original five quarter-turn valves and the replacement motor operated valves. It also shows the four switch positions as they correlate to the valve line-ups, and the wire terminals used per the wiring diagram. Original Oliver Valves 1 2 3 4 Drain New Valve Identification Switch Position Switch Terminals Valve Line-up A (3-way valve) B (3-way valve) Drain 0 None Normal* Open Closed Closed Open Closed 1 1-2 3-4** Freshwater Drain Open Closed Closed Open Open 2 5-6** 7-8*** Boondocking Closed Open Open Closed Closed 3 9-10 11-12** Winterizing Closed Open Closed Open Closed * Valves in the de-energized position ** Terminals used for optional LED indicators *** Terminal-8 is Jumpered to Terminal-10 The rotary switch needs jumper wires that can be pre-wired on the bench using ring terminals. This will keep them in place while connecting the field wiring using the included forked terminals. The valves use very little current so the +12Vdc can be picked from any convenient power source and protected with a 5 amp fuse, I used a nearby breaker. An internal capacitor powers the valves back to the “Normal “ position when de-energized (Position-0.) Five wires were encased in 3/8” split sheathing and routed under the floor to the valves. This included three power wires for the valves, one ground wire daisy-chained to each valve, and one spare wire for an optional pump LED that I’ll cover in a different post. I also added an optional 1/8” plywood label board with LEDs to indicate which valve line-up is selected. I printed out a switch label, had it laminated, and glued it on piece of 1/8” plywood with holes drilled for the LED’s. This was a fun project and just as I finished, I had a big surprise! 😃 Another Oliver owner, Taylor.Coyote, just happened to drive by. 😃 It was great to meet Chris and I look forward to meeting again. Cheers! Geoff Shopping list: 2 - U.S. Solid 3/4” 3-Way Motorized Ball Valve #USS-MSV10004-G 1- U.S. Solid 1/2” Motorized Ball Valve #USS-MSV00007 4 - 3/4” NPT male - 1/2” PEX fittings 2 - 3/4” NPT male - 1/2” NPT adapters Four position, 12 terminal (6 contact) rotary switch Taiss #LW26-32 0-3/3 3/8” split wire sheathing Misc. PEX fittings Optional PEX crimp cutting tool Optional PEX crimping tool Optional - Amazon 12 Volt 5mm LED Lights with mounting bases

Nice mod and great write up! Thanks! Mike

I think you can probably eliminate the pedestal surge protector, you should already have a hard-wired EMS (Electrical Management System) in your Ollie. Since your TV is a half ton PU, my advice is to carefully consider what you plan to put in the bed because it’s pretty easy to exceed your max payload capacity. I feel your pain on that hitch lock!

My 2 cents: We've done fine with just the Norcold 3-way trailer fridge. It holds more than we expected. Harbor Freight has inexpensive multimeters. We have the Progressive Industries 30 amp surge protector. It's an outlet tester, too. https://a.co/d/7r1GfAS We have the Fort Knox hitch lock. A bit cheaper. https://a.co/d/2mTY5Z7 Trash can that hangs on pantry door: https://a.co/d/c1gUm5B Agree on Magma pots, TPMS, and rubber chocks. Especially TPMS! I'm too tall for a shower floor cover. We have a small mat that fits the shower floor. During the day it keeps dirt, etc. off the shower floor. In the morning, it becomes the bath mat. The are other products reviewed on our blog. Have fun shopping.

Your list is pretty good. Although you might want to make sure you will use each item enough to warrant storing and taking them. Space is a consideration Here are a couple of additional things that I always take: - Small plastric storage bins for inside the pantry (take some measurements and look on Amazon) so your items stay in place while traveling - Since you have a F150, Anderson No-Sway Hitch - Anderson Levelers - 3 Anderson jack blocks (to reduce the length of travel for the electric jacks) - Camco Waste Tank (so you do not need to break camp to empty a waste tank) - Some replacemnt fuses (check the sizes that you have in your trailer) - Small electric Dehumidifer - Tire changing iron to loosen the wheel nuts in case of a flat - A second 30 amp power cord (and adapter to connect both cords) for time when one cord can not make the distance to a CG power pedistal. - Two water hoses to connect to a distance water source. - TPMS system to monitor tire pressure and temperature while in transit. - Trailer wheel chocks for use while disconnected from the truck. - Maybe a RV GPS. The Garmin RV 890 is great. You can program your trip, find gas, find CG's and it will keep you off roads that have height restrictions. - Lubricant to pour down the waste and gray tanks to lubricate the tank valves Welsome to the forum. Happy travels

Thanks You Good advice to start out with bare minimum and outfit as you go Adding stuff as you determine you need it. I have done a fair amount of homework on the TV and weights but obviously don’t have everything dialed in yet

We purchased an ICECO electric cooler during Prime Day's in 2023. We also purchased a 100AH 12V LiTime lithium battery for an optional power source. It’s not very big and it does fit under the tonneau cover as many of the electric coolers do. It has proved useful over about 3 months of camping. We recently used it during Hurricane Milton while the electricity was out. Mossey

1/2", 12,000 lb Hammer Locks installed. Great addition. Thanks Patriot.

Might something like THIS work for keeping that door closed? Bill p.s. "invention is the mother of necessity" and I really like your work.

Spent the day in Apache Junction with friends. The friends included the man who hired me at Motorola in 1989! Got back to camp and noticed another Oliver! Spent the evening with Gary (Hull #1200) from Colorado. A great ending of our weekend trip. Back home to Prescott tomorrow. Thinking of a short stop in Scottsdale for pickleball and lunch.

We have a round rug that fits in the square bathroom floor. It stays there until shower time and then, like others do, it becomes a bath mat during showers for when you step out of the bathroom. We’ve never seen the need for the fancy teak floor coverings. They do look cool but seem like a bit of extra work. Mike

Something I recommend over using vinegar in the Natures Head is a pet odor eliminator like Petzyme. Without getting into details I can tell you it has made a big difference in the hot humid Florida climate. This is not just a coverup deodorant the enzymes (urease maybe) do seem to make a difference. There are other brands but their fragrance was a bit too strong for us.

Thanks. need to have a response to the post by Nov 24th to enable us to make the name swap happen. Until then , I will bump this thread so it stays active and near the top of the posts here.

I second this suggestion. I installed the Truck System Technologies TST 507 TPMS on our Ollie and our previous TT. Wouldn’t consider towing a trailer without this important safety equipment. Now on clearance for $149 at TechnoRV!

I overlooked a few things We are parked inside with the windows open in insulated building at our house and so far haven’t needed the dehumidifier, but I’m sure we will need it at some point Natures Head, I got a little tiny trash can for the toilet tissue disposal and a sewer hose for dumping the grey tank came with the trailer we have the Anderson leveling set but not the red buckets for the jack feet to land on I plan to start out with marine treated rough cut 8x8 cut offs left over from a pole barn build for the jack feet to land on , if I get tired of loading and unloading these substantial hunks of wood we can make the move to the plastic buckets we also have the power cords and water hose with inline filter and the water pressure regulator the previous owner had a full collection of fuses in a plastic box 👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻 we have a big breaker bar and lug nut sockets along with some tools

Congratulations on your 2022 Oliver. I'll chime in on pots, pans and knives. Check out the Magma line of pots and pans made for boating and camping. The 7 piece set nest together and fits in the galley overhead compartment. They are durable and we are very happy with how they perform. For cutlery Victorinox makes a wide variety of affordable knives that perform well and they're durable. When we were outfitting our Oli there were a few people that had an Amazon page with items they purchased for their Oliver. I can't find the links at the moment but hopefully someone else can and post them for you.

We love Lost Dutchman. Took this last winter. Paula

Full Moon over the Supertitions…

Mike, I knew you would recognize the picture without introduction (rustic campsite 131).

You need a neutral ground plug like this one https://www.amazon.com/Southwire-Company-LLC-44400-Generator/dp/B07F4R7BDL/ref=sr_1_4?crid=1U28YA880VP37&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.I-pLsdfsMyYCXEnn08O01KLUWNGgc26-op4qZF23eekGNYeLblqAXvM7jvBKtuyHFrxtHpXL5f6cL8FSi43Z7i0-Ghxnmndu2ScDGmdjoijtou40TOc4LQdmFPl_YTpxWreQi_NPNlG_7bxGLMmP5WcTg-GKlhR9MhCt0RYGTgW1t8Eh9g5AVLeSX4ubHy4QUgnhQ6LxszOW4yIDEK1R4Cc6DfCqmaDugvAB7mSsIRc.dTWhDb8tlbu6JiBaZ1olHYxHljGMDsnniRy5XQOetGk&dib_tag=se&keywords=generator+neutral+ground+bonding+plug&qid=1712764295&sprefix=generator+neutr%2Caps%2C317&sr=8-4

My inverter wouldn't switch from battery to grid mode when I connected to shore power. The mechanic found that the neutral cable into the transfer switch had come completely loose, so the inverter in fact wasn't getting any shore power. It has been reconnected, snugged down tight, and so far, everything is working properly.

These measurements refer only to the area covered by the flooring of your choice. Mossey