Jump to content

Leaderboard

Popular Content

Showing content with the highest reputation on 04/30/2020 in all areas

  1. I am about 99.9 percent sure they are using our camper for some of these videos. Dark blue and dark grey color scheme, and all of our chosen options. We have been waiting for months to finally see our Ollie and the shut down did not help. Getting to see our camper on the you tubes has got our excitement amped up to the next level. We are to excited to pick up our trailer Monday and thrilled it has been well serviced and taken care of during its time at the factory/service department.
    3 points
  2. We have a 2008 Tundra double cab 4wd with 5.7 litre. It has the factory tow package. We towed approximately 5000 miles since picking up our Elite II last October. Our travels have been from Tennessee to Maine and Maine to Florida and back. I added a plug in electronic brake and use the Andersen hitch. The truck is rated for 10500 lbs towing capacity with a payload of 1500 lbs. The 5.7 puts out 380 HP and 401 lbs of torque. Gas mileage is around 13 mpg around town and about 14-15 on the highway when we are not towing. On our trips towing we average overall about 11mpg. Mileage drops in hilly situations. On flat or during normal acceleration you hardly notice the trailer. I am able to tow at 1500 to 2000 rpm most of the time up to 65 mph. The trailer tracks well and I notice very little sway in higher winds. I am confident that the Tundra can handle any up hill grades. The truck has plenty of power. There are 2 areas I would like improvement, the gas tank is small at 26 gallons so I am looking for fuel at 180-200 miles. I also feel the brakes could be better. I contemplated getting a new HD diesel but thought I would see how well the Tundra would work for us before making that expenditure. The Tundra worked very well. I still would like like a new HD diesel for perhaps increased fuel efficiency, additional paylod, bigger brakes,exhaust brake, and no requirement for the Andersen hitch. The Tundra ride is comfortable to me. I give the Tundra B+ grade. As much as I want a new HD truck (and I do want one) with the newer gadgets, I have a hard time justifying the additional funds to replace a truck that I like, is comfortable to me, meets our needs, that has only needed regular maintenance, tires and brakes in the 12 years we have owned it. I think despite the fact that the Tundra is due for a major overhaul I think it is a very good half ton truck. Also in our area they are very much desired in the used market and bring good $ for a good truck. For what it is worth, the 2008 Tundra was the Truck of the year in 2008. If I didn't already have the Tundra when we purchased the Oliver, and needed to purchase a tow vehicle it probably would be an HD diesel, I did test drive all 3 brands of HD trucks. They were all good. I liked the Ford the most. For now it will remain the Tundra for us. Stay healthy and safe.
    2 points
  3. It looks like Jason (Oliver Service Manager) and the video crew are back at it again with two new YouTube vids on De-Winterizing and Sanitizing the plumbing. They can be seen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTKw-WOxFqs and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZlm5Mfvodo Bill
    2 points
  4. For my wife, anything below 68 is freezing, even at night. So we burn more but it is extremely variable. I haven't weighed the tanks when we snow camped as we generally didn't do it long enough. I'd say Ken's number is still pretty on the nose. Where we can (ie electric hookups), we run a small space heater under the bed (King Layout) to stretch our propane tanks in the winter. Also note that propane (in general) has issues vaporizing with extreme cold and propane furnaces generally have trouble with altitude both from an efficiency and sometimes reliability (safety switches don't register enough airflow). Our 2019 worked fine at 7,000 feet with the Atwood furnace. I do wish the Mopeka app would let me plot my propane levels over time.
    1 point
  5. Depends on if you run it 24/7, where you set the thermostat, and how windy it’s outside. No wind, mid 60’s on the thermostat, and 24/7 with it turned down to 60 at night, I plan on four-five pounds per day. I’m glad I got the 30# tanks for fall hunting in Minnesota.
    1 point
  6. Also another note on the Truma - with daily showers for two and cooking (also eats some propane) we burn about 4lbs of propane a week (furnace is off). With 2x 30lbs propane tanks we're set for a while. When we run the furnace, the consumption jumps a bit more 🙂
    1 point
  7. I would like to thank the Oliver service department for posting those maintenance videos on youtube. They will assist me and many others greatly. Job well done!!!
    1 point
  8. We've had both the dual gas/ electric 6 gallon standard (original), and currently a Girard tankless. We had hoped to have Oliver install a Truma when our original 6 gallon died, but they hadn't quite worked out the final arrangements with Truma. Hence, the gas only Girard. Pretty sure we were the first tankless ever installed by Oliver. The changeover was pretty seamless, as all the tankless models are made to fit in the same space, or usually much less space, than the originals. They're both good. Since we almost always camp without services, the 6 gallon was probably a better and cheaper choice, in retrospect. We used to just fire it up long enough to get a decent temperature in the water, and run hot only. The 6 gallon limitation helps remind you to conserve water, as it starts cooling off after you've used a few gallons. For those who camp with full hookups, the tankless provides those "endless" showers, with the grey valve open to the dump. The advantage to the 6 gallon is that you can switch to electric at full hookup campsites. It is true that the 6 gallons in the water heater can only be accessed by draining the water heater into a container. But, that reserve of six gallons is six gallons, if you really need it. It's also about 48 pounds of extra weight to drag around in the trailer. I prefer a five gallon jug in the pickup bed. Sherry
    1 point
  9. Dang, you are absolutely right. Very solid points that I did not think about. Instantly regretting the decision, ol sales man got me with that one.
    1 point
  10. ??? .... That extra water is not actually usable. If you are connected to an outside water source and sewer, you have limitless fresh water. So that 6 gallons doesn’t matter. If you are using the onboard fresh water supply, the pump replaces the hot water in the tank with cold water, and it will suck air when the fresh tank is nearly empty. In that case, the last 6 gallons trapped in the water heater are not at all usable. Unless you turn off the heater, let it cool, go outside with your big socket and drain the tank into a bucket. If there were an inside valve arrangement that would allow the water pump to be switched to suck water from the (turned off and cold) water heater, then that might be a nifty way to use the extra water, which otherwise is essentially inaccessible. But I think it would be a pretty cumbersome arrangement.... the best way to save fresh water is to use the composting toilet. John Davies Spokane WA
    1 point
  11. Yes, a big thank you to Jason and Oliver Service. The videos are extremely helpful.
    1 point
  12. I'm going to order a "Lube Shuttle Hobby Greasing package" today and start testing. We have Ollie, 2 utility trailers, motorcycle trailer, and Ollie's TV with U joints to grease & maintain. Going with the standard narrow coupler and not a locking coupler to start with. Have one tough to get to universal joint grease fitting that's hard to get to with a locking coupler. https://advancedenginetech.com/product/lube-shuttle-hobby_greasing_package/ Just got off the telephone with AET Systems that sells "Lube Shuttle" grease guns and grease in the US. They have worked out an agreement with ACE hardware so Lube Shuttle products can be purchased starting 1st quarter of 2020 or no later than 2nd quarter of 2020. They're also talking with Tractor Supply and Home Depot, but cannot say if an agreement has been reached yet. Something different from what we're accustomed to in the US, their grease coupling is metric M10X1 thread. Grease couplings in the US are 1/8NPT thread. If you replace the coupling, M10X1 threaded coupling will be needed. Their G 200 EP grease (two tubes included with package) in the "Hobby Greasing Package" meets NLGI 2 spec. Dexter uses Lithoplex Red MP #2, also meets NLGI 2 spec. Grease Dexter uses: https://www.docs.citgo.com/msds_pi/C10198.pdf Lube Shuttle G 200 EP grease: https://advancedenginetech.com/product/airtec-g200-grease/ Here's an informative AET video:
    1 point
  13. Having a great day as we picked our Oliver hull 512. We had pleasure of meeting Topgun Who was at the factory having some service done. As has been said by others, the more you dig into the design details on these trailers the more impressed I am. Hope to see you down the road. Steve - “Carnivore”
    1 point
  14. Spike - I too am a BIG fan of dielectric grease. A couple of times a I take a "Q-tip" and clean out both the truck and pigtail connection areas. Then using another "Q-tip" I lightly coat each contact with grease. Never a water problem. Bill
    1 point
  15. Water was coming in between the porch light and hull probably entering through mounting bolt holes or hole for electrical wire on our older style light. When sealing the older style porch lights like we have, 3M 4000 Marine sealant or Marine silicone sealant can be used. This sealant is not used on black gaskets that I believe you have. Your porch lights have a black gasket between the light and hull. It's possible water could enter the hull if your gasket is not sealing properly and Captain Tolley's might stop it, after reading information about this product. When you visit Oliver they can replace the light's black gasket over the area where the leak is located. We find leaks with a water hose pouring over the area that might be leaking, like you. Oliver can test for leaks, but if you know where the water is coming in, will be helpful information for Oliver. Care needs to be taken when tightening screws on fixtures with or without gaskets on the outer hull to prevent damage to the gel-coat around the fixture. When camping, if I'm not prepared to permanently fix a leak, also keep a roll of white electrical tape. Used this tape on the exterior where the water is coming in to temporary stop the leak. Believe SeaDawg recommended another kind of tape in another thread they keep on hand for temporary repairs, too. We purchased Ollie used and found a few leaks. Once the leaks were corrected, have hardly had any issues with Ollie. Main thing for us now is keeping the weep slots clear!!!! Here's the style porch lights we have:
    1 point
  16. Bobfirst, Thanks for the information about ASI 335 currently used by Oliver. Talked to ASI a few minutes ago about applying ASI 335 silicone, they said using alcohol for surface prep on a clean surface is OK with ASI 335. Next leak reseal, plan to use ASI 0240 adhesive remover/cleaner before installing ASI 335. http://www.thesealantandadhesivesource.com/asi-335-neutral-cure-silicone-sealant-adhesive/ ASI 0240 can be used to clean surface when silicone residue is being removed before installing new silicone. http://www.thesealantandadhesivesource.com/asi-0240-adhesive-remover-cleaner/
    1 point
  17. DonBob, I felt the same way on our first camping trip after buying Ollie used, the dinette window leaked. Once I started looking for possible leak sources, they were not too hard to find. Oliver fixed the dinette window leak. The dampness in your closet could be from the black tank vent roof flange. I forgot to mention I removed the sealant on the black tank vent roof flange and resealed it. Some of the sealant used by the factory is easy to remove, but some is tough to remove, too. Please keep us in the loop on progress.
    1 point
  18. DonBob, Last year resealed the Maxx Air Fan exterior mounting flange & screws. The Maxx Air fan also has a neoprene seal between the mounting flange and fan assembly. Also tightened 2 of 4 bolts securing AC to the roof last year. We towed Ollie in heavy rain through Oklahoma a few weeks ago. Found dampness between the insulation & roof's rear outer shell afterwards. Checked AC mounting bolts again last week and found 2 of 4 bolts to be loose again, not sure if they were the same loose bolts originally found. The AC gasket sandwiched between the AC and outer camper hull looked OK, so snugged both loose bolts. Not sure if this was the source of the leak, but I always look above the area where a leak is found. Believe your unit model may be found online for exact instructions or in the original component brochures included with Ollie. "Evenly tighten the bolts to a torque of 40 to 50 inch pounds. This will compress the roof gasket to approximately 1/2". The bolts are self locking so further tightening is not necessary". https://www.dometic.com/en-us/us/products/climate/air-conditioners/air-conditioners-for-rvs/dometic-penguin-ii-_-20669 Towed & camped in heavy rain again +5 inches in 24 hours, will probably check later this week for dampness between shells. Found a leak coming out of the rear Oliver sign & LED light assembly. This leak dripped from the LED housing between the camper shells around the rear window and out of the bottom of the window on to the curbside bed. Had to remove the LED lens and reseal to stop the leak. Another leak was a porch light, all four were removed and resealed (ours has the older style housings). The porch light over the dinette window allowed water to get in between the inner & outer shell over the dinette window, water dripped out of the top of the window frame on to the dinette table. Resealing the exterior light over the dinette window corrected the problem. Sometimes when heating on cool nights, condensation will form on the interior of the outer shell, too. I believe all campers will eventually have leaks, but the nice thing about the fiberglass Ollie, when the leak is fixed, you don't have to worry about wood rot. Hope this helps.
    1 point
  19. We washed and started waxing our Ollie yesterday. After we finish waxing the Ollie today, will start work making a new white gasket for the Furrion 110V external power receptacle. Using fiberglass boat cleaner/wax with UV protection, removes any stains found on our Ollie. Last month purchased White 1/8" thick Neoprene FDA food grade 12X12" sheet made by Allstate Gasket from Amazon. Will work on the gasket this afternoon and post if I'm successful or not with the project tomorrow. If successful will post photos, too. Since we have the old style LED porch lights, don't have issues with ours, but assume gaskets could be made for the late model porch lights, too. Next Ollie project is to repack wheel bearings and replace wheel seals. This will have our Ollie ready to camp for this season and looking forward to more Ollie adventures!!!!!!
    1 point
  20. GJ - Apparently you are not the only one that feels this way about the F150. It hasn't been #1 for 40 years without some reason or the other. I had never owned a Ford product prior to my first F150 in 2011 (and then my second in 2017). Actually I was a Toyota fan after a great experience with a Tacoma. But, finding that the Tundra interior was not to my liking and the dated mechanics I went looking at Dodges. While I understand that the current year's interiors are very nice, in 2017 I was not impressed and reviews of their transmissions were not glowing. I also briefly considered GM (1/2 ton) products and really liked the exterior but I remembered that when I see a truck coming toward me, for the past ten years or so, with one front light out it will be a GM product 9 times out of 10. If they can't fix that then what is the point? Anyway, as I've said many times before on this Forum - there really isn't a "bad" 1/2 ton truck on the market these days and I'm sure virtually any one of them will do the job (equipped properly of course) but I'm still very happy with my purchase of the F150, 3.5 ecoboost, FX4 with tow package. I have never had a hint of an issue on the flats, in the mountains, paved or unpaved roads. Certainly I agree with your (GJ's) grading. Bill
    0 points
  • Recent Achievements

    • HooterinTN earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • Randy earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • Randy earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • Randy earned a badge
      One Year In
    • carl ferguson earned a badge
      One Year In
    • carl ferguson earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • RLFriedberg earned a badge
      First Post
    • Lisa Rae earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • carnivore went up a rank
      Explorer
    • Jheim earned a badge
      One Year In
    • Michael Maller earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • Michael Maller earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • Gracie earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • Doug S went up a rank
      Enthusiast
    • Ty J earned a badge
      Very Popular
    • charlie earned a badge
      One Year In
    • neck101 earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • bkd earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • bkd earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • Big Cat earned a badge
      One Year In
×
×
  • Create New...