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Showing content with the highest reputation on 09/22/2018 in all areas

  1. Our travels have taken us several interesting places this fall. A week ago we visited the Road America Speedway in Elkhart, WI to go to the VSCDA Elkhart Lake Vintage Festival which showcased several impressive machines including many pre-war racers and Can-Am enthusiasts reliving history. Clair was interested in watching the races and finding a 1960 Austin-Healey “Bugeye” Sprite similar to one his brother had. While viewing the race cars we saw this interesting racing rig that was being used to haul a vintage MGB race car. The area was pretty crowded so it was difficult to get good photos but I think you will enjoy this one anyway. Kathy
    5 points
  2. John, Thank you for bringing the flat washer issue to our attention. We receive the inverters from Xantrex with two flat washers, one lock washer and the nut installed on the chassis ground terminal. I personally called one of the engineers at Xantrex and he informed me that you are correct and that the lug or ring terminal should not have a flat washer under it. The ring terminal should be in contact with the chassis. He did however say that if it does have the flat washer under the terminal on the chassis ground, it should not be an issue since there is not much or any voltage drop. He said it would be more of an issue there was a flat washer under the battery ground. In any case, we want it to be properly installed and safe for our owners. According to Xantrex, they are shipped with the two flat washer in the case where someone would be connecting bare wire. I will update the Technical Service Bulletin and resend to everyone. I will also be updating that when a ground wire is present, to check that the appropriately-sized lug or ring terminal was installed and the corrective action if a flat washer is installed between the ring terminal and chassis. Please note that we are required to request all owners that receive this bulletin to have the missing or improperly installed ground wire inspected by a qualified RV technician. Even if you have fixed the issue on your own, we are asking you to have it inspected by a qualified RV technician. Thanks again for your help! NOTE: We have had an issue with the forums today and I just noticed the Quotes are not working properly. I'll have the team look into it.
    4 points
  3. After reading the posts on First Aid kits, I though a similar one discussing what tools and such the "well traveled" bring on their journeys to and fro. For whatever reason, I have gone from too much, the kitchen sink and all, to now minimizing what I bring. But with the numerous systems on my Ollie, I am considering a few things I haven't packed previously. I usually have an mixed drive socket set, assorted types/sizes of screw drivers, a wire cutter, multi pliers, a smaller vise grip plier, needle nose, electrical tape, gorilla tape, and one adj end wrench. I am adding a multi gauge tester, and what I need to change out a bad bearing (TBD). I will include in my spare parts stash a bearing set, all the needed fuses, and a grease gun with OEM grease. I always carry several battery powered light sources and a multi-tool, rope, a rag or two, and tire gauge in my truck. What am I missing, what do ya'll carry? RB
    1 point
  4. Hello all, Been a member for a decent chunk of time on the forums and I had some questions early on but the answers were pretty slim at the start. So I have had my Oliver for a couple years and we always leave the bed setup. My wife and I spend the majority of the time outside and find the little dinette plenty if we are inside. Early on I was looking for a sleep number type bed but kept running into issues be it a Queen size short and then you have space along the mattress that was left empty or you stuff pads in or a regular size mattress turned size ways but jammed in. At any rate I found the perfect mattress for the location and its very comfortable. We ordered two Ghost Bed Twin size. Ghost bed gives you 100 days to try out the mattress. We placed them inside the house and tried them out and found them comfortable. The attached images show them in place. It is a tight fit and the corner of each mattress at the curve in the back is pushed in slightly but not enough to cause a issue. I will be writing a different post in the modification section to show you how I handled access to the fresh water drain while the mattresses are in place. On a side note the mattress being two twins sit tight in place so they don't move around and also if you had to move them to get access its as easy as stripping the sheets off and lifting one side and placing it on the other. UPDATE Hello for some reason Im not able to reply to my own topic so I am doing this through edit mode. I have my bed setup as a permanent bed. My hull is 087# My cushions for the bed area are stored in my house. The reason I went to a Ghost bed is I have a bad back. What comes from the factory will make me sore after one night of sleep. The mattress I ordered was a Twin standard because the XL is too long to fit into the space without modification. These mattresses I originally thought I would have to slightly modify by cutting corners but as it turns out they as a pair fit in fairly snug with only slightly bending the corners. I also looked at other twins on the market (Bed in a box aka. online beds) and none seemed to have the same measurements. Most would be too large or require more modifications like cutting them. At any rate my update for this is the camping trips I have had so far after the mattresses have been some of the best trips I have had in years. Previous to my oliver I had a Toyhauler that had a full size sleep number queen bed and that was great. That being said I would highly recommend avoid toy haulers because man from year one I typically had to pay 1k to 3k a year in repairs. Turns out that back wall missing sure causes issues with the entire thing flexing more. Anyway we love our Oliver and the only thing I would recommend would be Oliver to rethink their black/grey water system. I have owned TTs and RVs and the Oliver sadly has been the most difficult to deal with when it comes to draining. The rest were as simple as pulling the handle and it drained. With the Oliver if you do not raise the tongue height you never fully drain it. At least thats my experience. Sorry off on a tangent. Anyway at the end of the day some of us keep our beds down full time for ease of use. And the mattress I purchased Im thrilled with.
    1 point
  5. We have the smaller Elite1 with the full size rear bed. We had been just throwing a sheet over the seat cushions and putting our sleeping bags on that. Worked OK for two seasons but recently ordered this 100% latex foam topper from Amazon and it has been incredible. In fact, we like it so much we bought another one for our home bed. I took the foam to a mattress shop to get cut to match the curves of the Oliver (I made a template), they didn't even charge me. It's 2" thick and we just put it on top of the seat cushions. I also had the single piece of foam cut down the middle to make it easier to take up and store in the van if I need to set up the big table for company. Just another option for those wanting a little cushier bed. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00UYGAH4O/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1 Dave
    1 point
  6. I don't think there is a way to save user-specific bookmarks within this forum. My method is to copy the URL of the post and paste it, along with some notes, in an outlining program. I can then search for any term, in this case "composting toilet." You could do the same in any text editing program such as Word or Google Docs. Another strategy would be to save bookmarks within your web browser. I think all browsers will allow you do to this, and probably most will allow you to create folders to organize these many bookmarks. Many browsers have the capacity to sync your bookmarks between multiple devices.
    1 point
  7. Thank you for that very descriptive and helpful input into what is going on here with this grounding issue.
    1 point
  8. The overload protection and GFI outlet are designed to protect you from power leaving the unit; i.e., the 120v circuit. They don't, however, protect you from power entering the unit; i.e., the 12v circuit. That protection is provided via the "ground" cable and the fuse that I was asking John about. By and large, the danger from the 12v circuit isn't electrical shock. Your skin has enough resistance to prevent much 12v current from passing through your body. Not that it can't happen - just that it would have to be a special circumstance, like if you had a cut on your finger or if you touched your tongue to the positive terminal. General rule: don't lick your battery. The danger from 12v, or specifically 12v powered by a large battery, is fire. Each of your batteries is capable of releasing thousands of amps in a short circuit, which is easily enough to weld with. Even protected batteries like the ones I have can release hundreds of amps before tripping their protection circuits. So how a fire might occur is if a 12v wire inside the inverter comes loose from vibration, or rubs on the case of the inverter until its insulation is worn off. If that bare wire touched the case, then a few things could happen: 1) If there is no ground whatsoever, it might not do anything, since the current wouldn’t be able to find a path back to the battery. It would, however, electrify the case of the inverter and if any stray bit of metal should touch it and complete the circuit to the chassis, then it could arc and start a fire. 2) If the case of the inverter is bonded to the 120v ground (almost certainly it is), then the 12v current would find its path back to the chassis via that 120v ground wire. And since the current from the batteries is so high, the relatively small ground wire would quickly heat up and eventually melt, possibly causing a fire in the process. For good measure, it would also melt off the insulation on its hot and neutral neighbors, creating a 120v short. It's possible that your battery fuse would blow before any of that happened, but since that fuse is fairly large, it very well might not. 3) If you have a heavy gauge "ground" wire attached to the case, the current would find that path back to the chassis, and prefer it over the 120v ground since it has lower resistance. That cable is (should be) large enough to handle a current that would blow your main battery fuse, cutting the current before it has a chance to heat that cable up and melt it. If you don't have a fuse then you're back to melting ground wires, which is why I asked John to make sure he had one (my trailer did not, for reasons that hopefully don't apply to any others - though there is no fuse block noted on any of Oliver's wiring diagrams, so maybe best to check). I put "ground" in quotes, since it really just provides any short an alternate path to the chassis. Even with your jacks directly on the ground, not much current will really go to earth. The only time your trailer is truly grounded is when you're plugged in and the trailer "ground" is connected to the service ground. I do think it's fair to ask how likely any of this is, and personally I'd put it in the quite-unlikely-but-entirely-possible category. So it should be fixed, though I think Oliver's email was a bit dramatic. I don't really understand why they're telling people not to use their inverter, since the potential problems seem unrelated to the inverter's use. Perhaps I'm the one missing something. Better advice, imo, would be to disconnect the unit from the battery; or short of that, until you attach a ground, treat your inverter like an extension of the battery, and don't lick it.
    1 point
  9. Yea..... Everything listed above and then some. 1/2" Hammer Drill with bits, SDS Plus with bits. Both will drive awning stakes almost thru concrete really fast. A full set of wrenches from 1/4" to 1-7/8 that live in the truck tool box under the hood. Everything up to a 24" Crescent wrench that I end up using mostly to help others change their drop hitches to level their trailers more often then I thought... Then the 4" angle grinder with both cut off and grinding wheels. Still my most used tool that stays right under the driver's seat. Then this year for the first time I started carrying my Dremel tool with a ton of different heads and that has really become one of my most used tools. Yes... There's lots more but that's all mining related like my metal detectors, a #2 Shovel, rock hammers, and then there's the blasting equipment, but that's another story :) Reed
    1 point
  10. I have a Elite and very happy with it. 80% of the time, it is just me, 20% my wife travels with me. The Elite has everything I need. However, I would question the use of a Tacoma as your TV. Yes, it may be rated for the weight, but you will find the truck struggling with steeper grades and certainly mountains. By the time you add your camping gear, full LP tanks, food etc, you are pushing the max weight I have a 03 tundra with a 230 hp engine. It is sufficient. My friend has a 14 tacoma. He is unable to tow my Elite over nearby mountians more than 40mph and the gas milage is terrible. You may want to look closely at where you would be pulling Ollie, your gear weight and and maximum pulling/towing weights.
    1 point
  11. My system does have a big inline fuse for the inverter supply cab, it is mounted (and a little hidden) at the back wall of the front electronics compartment (under the rear dinette seat). There is no disconnect, I may add one of those but it is not a priority for me. Thanks for the info. John Davies Spokane WA
    1 point
  12. We love our Elite I because it is so nimble and easy to get around with. We are medium height and have no pets so it is great for us. We also didn't want to get a larger tow vehicle than our 4Runner V6, and it handle the Ollie well. We've been all over the US with the combo.
    1 point
  13. I would underscore everything that Sherry said. We love the size of the Elite. You can tuck them in just about anywhere, and it is a very cozy shelter. But.... If you are much over 5'10", you might feel a little cramped for headroom. I'm 5'10" and can stand tall in the main cabin with maybe 1.5" clearance. In the bathroom I have to stoop a bit to take a shower, but not so bad. For two folks, you learn how to move within the trailer. It's like being on a boat. The Elite is also narrower than the Elite2 so if you're more on the plus side, you may appreciate the extra width of the Elite2. Since this is our first trailer, we decided to go smaller and am glad we did. Everyone has different requirements and are of different sizes! We don't travel with pets so that is not a concern for us. Best to visit one or both if any are near by. The Elite will also be quite a bit lighter (but still pretty hefty) and have less tongue weight if you have a smaller TV. Good luck. Dave
    1 point
  14. How to inspect and clean the TWO vent air filters. Yes, there are two, one at each side opening. It is really easy if you do this when the toilet is removed for servicing and cleaning. I set mine on a workbench for easy viewing. Front exhaust filter. Remove the two housing machine screws and lower the unit onto the nearest star wheel arm to support the delicate fan wires. Remove the two fan screws and carefully pry the fan and filter away from the rubber gasket. Leave the gasket undisturbed. Seperate the fan from the filter. Blow off the accumulated dust from the filter and the fan blades (hold the fan with a finger so it does not spin). Reassemble. My filter was visually clogged with fine coconut coir dust but it was still pulling air. Note: if you keep the coir moist with fresh water from the sink sprayer, it reduces the amount of fine particles that might get sucked into the exhaust fan when the wheel is rotated. If it is allowed to dry out (turns a very light brown color on top) it will send lots of dust into the filter. Rear inlet filter. Remove the housing and then the filter, clean and reinstall. This filter was barely dirty. This was the first time I have cleaned these in 18 months. The manufacturer recommends to check them every two weeks. LOL.... I think annually is fine, unless you have really fluffy dogs that shed. After cleaning the fan did move more air. It is really important to keep positive flow of air through the toilet for it to function well. John Davies Spokane WA
    1 point
  15. Back of Beyond: Thank you for your thoughtful post. I am impressed that nobody trashed me. It speaks well of Ollie owners/potential owners. Information is power and what I’ve learned from people’s posts gives me several more threads to follow. I’ll need to look at Consumer Reports when I get back into the states mostly for reliability information. Regarding international travel take a look at our blog: http://footloose-travel.tumblr.com Click on “archive” at the top and you can see pages of thumbnails by the month. You can contact me directly at: tatlmt@yahoo.com John & Charlotte
    1 point
  16. I hope you do. I think the original Legacy is often ignored. It's not only cute, and nimble, it has all the same amenities. Though not as big a bed, and not quite as much storage. The truck bed, and bins under the big dinette bed, make up for that. That said, it's tighter quarters, for sure. But, we love it. But, we don't have a big dog, and we're average size people. Our little dog is 9 pounds, and sleeps on her bed in the small dinette seat. Everyone has to respect each others share of the space. We camp a lot in shoulder season. The outside space is great, under the awning. A number of times, we've delivered bigger motorhomes, but we've never been tempted to change it up. Hull #12 will likely go to our daughter someday. Sherry
    1 point
  17. Love the title. We do have the big hammer...? though we don't carry all the above... I'd add duct tape, a 12v tire pump, and a jump box. Plus a credit card, two cell phones on different services, and good Sam's premium towing insurance... Have yet to use the towing insurance, but it's good to know you have it. Sherry
    1 point
  18. What you said plus: large and small Channellocks and Cresent wrenches, torque wrench, electric impact gun with deep impact sockets for truck and trailer wheel nuts, wire stripper/terminal clamp, Fluke non contact thermometer, Fluke AC voltage detector, dead blow hammer for hitch, ratcheting pipe cutter, 1/2 inch hex key, Teflon tape, snap ring pliers and extra cone for Andersen hitch, hand cleaner wipes, blue shop paper towels, cable ties, extra tire air pressure gauge, 3/8 inch drive ratchet extension, lots of small spare stuff. Going to add a close quarters PEX ring crimp tool: http://pexcrimper.com/index.html Reason for 1/2 inch hex key: http://olivertraveltrailers.com/topic/check-your-hose-attachment-fittings/#post-134357 Reason for 3/8 inch drive extension: http://olivertraveltrailers.com/topic/jack-crank-extension/#post-127187 I put this coupler on my grease guns: Bill
    1 point
  19. I don't pick up my Ollie until November but my tow vehicle will be 2016 Nissan Titan XD Crew Cab /w Cummins 5.0L V-8 Diesel Engine. This truck has been marketed as a "5/8", something between a 1/2 ton and 3/4 ton truck. I get between 18-20 mpg in this truck just driving around. I'm sure that will go down with an Ollie in tow but impressive none the less. The sticker price is real nice too.
    1 point
  20. Just sold my 2016 Winnebago Travato. I'm new to towing, am thinking about an Elite I, maybe an Elite II and am looking to get the right tow vehicle. Would love some suggestions; I realize there are different specs for a I & II. Ford is coming out with a new Ford Ranger in the spring of 2019 with a towing capacity Ford says will exceed 7,700 lbs, but the exact capacity has not yet been released. I'm thinking of waiting for this. Any thoughts?
    1 point
  21. The performance numbers for the 2.7 are impressive, but I always like to have a bit of breathing room between what is "required" and what is safer, more comfortable, and easier to live with. Therefore, I got the 3.5. Its faster, and can tow more. However, if I had planned to keep a truck for more than 100,000 miles, I would have given very serious consideration to the V8. I never really consider diesels simply because I do not normally keep a vehicle long enough nor do I put enough miles on them to come anywhere close to having a diesel pay for itself. I've said it numerous times before - I do not believe that there is a "bad" 1/2 ton truck on the market at this point. Find the range that satisfies your "requirements" for what you are going to use it for and then pick the one that gives you the most overall value for what you are going to have to spend. Bill
    1 point
  22. Welcome to the world of Oliver! You pose a question that will generate plenty of opinions, most will probably come from folks with personal experience towing an Oliver, and perhaps some from folks who will prefer to quote marketing data, and internet chat room factoids. In my experience, the folks in the Oliver forum are very kind and knowledgeable with their answers to these type questions. What you choose matters not to me, however I would like to pose a few things that may make a difference in your choice. In every case - double check the actual ratings posted on the vehicle in question - the marketing blather and sales person are not reliable - usually. Like you, we plan to spend large amounts of time traveling about the continent - and as so, what you carry, how much, and where it all goes becomes important. Space for "stuff" is limited in the Oliver, therefore the TV becomes somewhat of a storage unit. I am leading up to - PAYLOAD. Yes the tow ratings, powerplant, fuel type, and on, are important, but when you start looking at the "legal" ratings posted on each individual 1/2 ton truck like vehicle, you may find you are within the tow ratings, but have little room to carry anything else. And at the top end of the weight ratings the powerplant may also be in a similar position. Additionally, the vast majority of 1/2 ton trucks will require some sort of weight distribution hitch. Generally, when you find a truck rated to handle "all" the weight you will have in total, the powerplant, chassis, gearing, etc., will be more than sufficient. I have a lot of experience with the Ford ecobost 3.5, it is a fantastic powerplant, and I would have used as my TV, except for the payload ratings of the Transit van it powered. A few adults, a large canine, and a couple cases of beer and I was getting close to fully loaded. Because I wanted a truck with a camper shell for additional storage and convenience - I went to a 3/4 truck with a diesel powerplant - and 2400lbs payload, the rest was way more than needed - HP, torque, chassis components, and powertrain well mated for towing an Ollie. . One thing I didn't expect - was how comfortable and effortless towing was with this setup. Higher mileage, longer days, are not near as tiring as with my previous 1/2 ton. I would love to talk to you about you international experiences - in a few years that hits our travel timeline. Good luck in your search.
    1 point
  23. For all those planning to attend the 2019 Rally, I'm offering up my place to camp before or after the rally. We have a "farm" with plenty of open space, water, and a place to dump you tanks if needed. Electricity is available, but most likely just a 20 amp circuit. We are located on the south side of Tim's Ford Lake, in Winchester TN. Our location is about 20 min to Jack Daniel Distillery, Lynchburg, TN about 40 min from George Dickel Distillery, Winchester, TN. We are about 1 hour to Chattanooga, and 2 hrs. to Nashville. Lots to do if you have never spent much time in this area. Easy entry off a paved road, and grassy treed area for camping. For more information you can contact me by email : rrbounds -- at ---- gmail ----- .com.
    1 point
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