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Showing content with the highest reputation on 10/04/2020 in all areas

  1. Hydrogen Peroxide to bubble organic matter from weep holes seems to be easier than pipe cleaners. Put 1-2 tablespoons of first aid grade hydrogen peroxide into the window troughs. Hear the fizz? Wait 5 minutes. Use a paper towel and q-tip to remove most of the icky stuff in the trough. Slowly pour about 1/2 cup of water into the trough to finish the flush. If you are successful, you will see water coming out of the slits on the outside. Don't pour the water too fast or you will have a wet mattress.
    4 points
  2. We do use a suction cup caddy behind the sink, similar to what @KWRJRPE mentioned. We use command strip hooks all over the trailer. Sticks great to fiberglass; be sure to clean the surface first with isopropyl alcohol. We use command picture hanging strips to hang pictures. Double sided tape is very useful, and I initially used double sided tape to put a cheap plastic towel holder above the sink. After several years it started to come loose, and as I had overcome my earlier fears of drilling into the fiberglass, I mounted a Kamenstein Paper Towel Holder, using the t-nuts that @mossemi had recommended. Edit. The command strip hooks are very strong, and we leave everything up on them when driving. Same for pictures hung with picture hanging strips. Velcro also works well for things you want to detach and reattach. Again. clean the surface first with isopropyl alcohol.
    2 points
  3. I am a big fan of HASKO suction cup fasteners (hooks). We use them for paper towel holders, kitchen item storage, hanging clothes, and other uses. Adhere strongly to Oliver fiberglass and can easily be moved around as needed. No glue mess. No holes. A simple suction cup attaches to wall. d as needs change. Can get them from Amazon.
    2 points
  4. Like Susan, we had a MB Sprinter based RV. Never had any issues with it, but the wheel sensor issue was quite well known and carrying a spare set of rear sensors was good insurance. They aren't hard to change on the side of the road if needed. I don't think having an RV coach on the chassis had any bearing on wheel sensor longevity - it's just a weak spot in the design. But so is the emissions system on the 3.0 diesel - many of which have now been recalled due to some "cheating" by Bosch and the various German chassis manufacturers. Also like Susan, we sold our MBS RV recently when we bought our Ollie. We are planning a long journey from Georgia to Alaska and I really didn't trust the MB chassis (or the Forest River coach). As mentioned, MB or Freightliner dealers are few and far between in certain areas. I know folks love their Fords, Chevy/GMC and Ram trucks, but it's hard to beat the reliability of a Tacoma or Tundra. The Tacoma still outsells the Ranger and Colorado, even though it is a dated design and not as feature-laden.
    2 points
  5. I have an Elite 2 on order and I'd like to hear from owners that have newer models and get their feedback on overall wiring quality. I'm interested in neatness of work, appropriate use of connectors (like butt connectors instead of wire nuts), tie wraps appropriately spaced and just overall layout and quality. My brother does high end home theater installations as well as marine electronics installations and I've helped him on some projects. He's super OCD and the quality of his work is impressive to say the least. I'm wondering if, once he starts to look at the trailer, he'll want to redo some of the wiring. Obviously without voiding my warranty. Thoughts? I've read several threads from owners that have older models. Just curious to know what the feedback is like on the later models. The forums are incredibly helpful. Lots of great information from people genuinely interested in helping others and willing to share their great ideas and modifications. It is very much appreciated. Thanks to all...
    1 point
  6. Is there good thread covering various approaches to fastening various types of modification items (mounted photos/prints, paper towel holders, clotheslines, etc. etc.) to different parts of the trailer? I've done a few stabs at searching and may just not be using the right search terms to turn an existing thread up. If there isn't such a thread, perhaps folks can post strategies and products here. Bolts/washers/nylock nuts, 3M VHB tape (so many VHB types to choose from!), velcro tape, 3M Dual Lock tape, 3M tape primer, etc. etc. I can make some pretty good guesses but I know some of you have seen what does and perhaps doesn't work (worth mentioning too!) and have opinions on all this!
    1 point
  7. 🤔 ... So, disregarding price differences and mounting space, if a guy wanted a 200 AH battery bank (160 AH usable), should he go with one big battery or two smaller ones? I am thinking that if I had two small ones, and one failed, I could disconnect it and keep camping on the other one. If I had a single big one and it failed, I would have to buy a cheap Walmart lead-acid junker and use that while the failed one was getting repaired. But all the solar and onboard charging parameters would be wrong for the L/A one.... rats. If I have two, and one fails five years from now, can I simply add a new one or must they be replaced in sets to keep the capacity equal? Or are they smart enough to compensate for a new one and old one being joined together? Really, I looked hard about this last question online, and did not find it mentioned..... I am pretty sure that folks with big residential solar banks swap out different aged batteries all the time, how is that working out? Thanks. John Davies Spokane WA
    1 point
  8. Yes you can. All you have to do is change the type of battery and the controller will adjust it's charging profile. Andrew
    1 point
  9. You might want to ask that question on Will Prowse's DIY solar forum. Adding an additional lithium battery to a bank isn't uncommon. In this thread, I didn't see a response from Will, but several very active members responded. https://diysolarforum.com/threads/add-another-battery-to-the-bank.4258/ It's still a question of "weakest" battery, I think, but the degradation is so much slower with lifepo4. Sherry PS, if we ever change up to lithium, we'll use the biggest two we can fit in the tray. Same reason. Also, one of the reasons we've never used 6v batteries in our two battery tray. If one goes, we're dead in the water, so to speak. On the boat, each bank of 6v's has multiple batteries. If something goes wrong, we can cut out one pair. The 2008 Ollie Elite tray only has room for two batteries. Sherry
    1 point
  10. We attached our paper towel holder first with double-sided tape to be sure we liked the placement. About a year later, Paul fastened it with small bolts through the underside of the cabinet. We use industrial velcro for a lot of quick access items. Flashlights, remote controls, etc. Rough face on the trailer, soft on the item. The clear bins, sold for bathroom storage, have been in use for over twelve years. We leave them up when we travel. They're fastened with suction cups. These little bins have given me a lot of extra storage in the tiny kitchen. I have two suction cup towel rings, as well. Lots of command hooks spotted around the trailer. Command strips are great. Sherry
    1 point
  11. We will be towing our Ollie with a 2013 F350 SuperDuty, diesel, supercab, 4-wd XLT. I know the 6.7l engine doesn't get the best reviews, but we have had zero issues with it. With low mileage (less than 60K) it is still worth nearly as much as when purchased (we did get a great deal, end of year and it doesn't have all the fancy options many want). We purchased it to tow a 30' 5th-wheel and for towing an equipment trailer. Though we certainly don't need a 1-ton tow vehicle for our Elite II, we plan to keep the F350. It is well outfitted for towing with built in brake controller, heavy duty alternator, and hill-hold (saves brakes when descending steep grades). More importantly, it doesn't have as many of the electronic engine controls found on newer vehicles. Here is one comparable to ours. We paid $40,000 new 😁
    1 point
  12. If it comes to the dreaded drilling holes in the fiberglass, I prefer pop rivets. Flatter heads better grip less chance of rivets backing out or striping threads like screws. stick on fasteners is my first choice.
    1 point
  13. My only input on the wiring with years of different Rvs its the best wiring I have ever seen.
    1 point
  14. John, I emailed Jason per your suggestion. Andrew
    1 point
  15. We used a similar but not as elaborate setup with our previous TV. Two 80 Watt panels on Thule load bars on the truck cap. Since we camp under trees a lot, it was nice to be able to park the truck in the open to recharge. We are looking to do the same with the GMC 2500. We used a 30 gal Valterra tank for water. 8x16x60 size from the tanks at the link below. The tank was rectangular so it took up minimal space at the front of the truck bed. https://www.valterra.com/product-category/rv-products/aftermarket/freshwater-products/fresh-water-tanks/
    1 point
  16. What I’d love to see Oliver do is glue in a 1x2 strip of PVC all the way down both sides of the trailer and then attach everything to that - plumbing, electrical, and HVAC.
    1 point
  17. I’m pretty sure that those bus bars come with covers. My guess is that it was lost in production. Andrews wiring is so much nicer than mine. They’ve definitely improved. One thing that I don’t like though is all those wire clips screwed into the hull. I’ve discovered more than a few of mine that went all the way through. Take out the screws and you see daylight. Good thing Oliver doesn’t build boats.
    1 point
  18. AndrewK, those "highly visible" locations under the dinette and bed have always looked pretty nice. How about the hidden areas, behind the round access potholes, or up in the rear attic behind the two side panels? That is where the older hull numbers had problems, where the main harnesses connected to the peripherals like radio, solar controller, switch panel, etc. Those were a mess.... I agree with bhncb - that main positive bus bar needs a cover, regardless of where it is located. A negative bus can make do without one. A dropped wrench on that big exposed hot bus could ruin your day and maybe burn you. You have to plan for the worst case scenarios, not hope they will not happen. Have Jason send you a cover!. Thanks, John Davies Spokane WA
    1 point
  19. One could take delivery in the un-winterized state, test all systems overnight, return to the Oliver Service department the next day (or even a couple of days later) and have Oliver winterize the new Oliver while you watch - or go to breakfast, lunch or that exciting shopping trip in the Hohenwald WalMart. If it was me and if I was worried about this issue I'd ask that this testing and winterization be part of my delivery. Bill
    1 point
  20. Back in the day prior to Oliver having "issues" with a host of production quality control things, each Ollie was individually wired. Sometimes by one person, sometimes by another and even sometimes by a combination of people. Then in order to get better control of quality control many things were "standardized". Indeed, one of those things was wiring. Now, all wiring for all campers is done the same regardless of what options any particular camper is destined to be originally outfitted with. So, if one does the factory tour they get to see relatively large tables where the wiring is laid out and on these tables are diagrams of what color wire, connector, splice, etc., goes where. This process insures (as far as anything that we humans are involved with can be) that each and every Oliver that comes off the production line is wired the same and is proper as per current electrical code. In addition to the benefit of having a new Oliver already wired for any options that are to be added after original delivery, the relative ease of completing the wiring on a large table right at waist height should make things like splices and connections much more secure than the way it was formally. However, is there is "possibility" that a connection, splice, buss bar cover, screw, clamp, etc., could be or not be tightened or placed in the "right" location? As long as humans are involved, of course the answer is yes. Bill
    1 point
  21. Hi all. Continuing the topic of the slow draining grey water waste. It does seem that all the valves are working correctly so I tried the suggestion of tilting the trailer to the back so that it might drain better. So I parked it on a 30% slope and that did the trick of complete and fast draining of the grey water. So now I know at the dump station I am going to have to raise the front of the trailer and maybe that passenger side a little too. I may have to unhook the hitch from the truck to get it raised higher and may take more time at the dump station. I may not be the most popular person at a busy dump station. 😀 Anyone have experience on high I should raise the front of the trailer and maybe what angle the trailer should slope from front to back? I guess the bigger the slope the faster it will drain. Thanks all for the suggestions. This is really a very useful forum.
    1 point
  22. I’ve had my champion duel fuel for over 5 years gone through two hurricanes 24/7 operation 7 and 10 days operating full bore with the ac on Florida weather. No problems 🤞
    1 point
  23. Thank you to everyone that replied. I am going to cancel the order for the BB GC2 cells. I have measured my tray/compartment and it has inside dimensions of 14"W x 21"D x 12.75H to the aluminum block for the door latch. Overland's photo verifies that the standard batteries work without any modifications, other than the custom cables needed for the connections. Does that black tubing contain the main lines to the distribution panel and solar? There certainly no end to the different types of lugs in the link that bhncb posted. What tooling is needed to make your own battery cables?
    1 point
  24. Rats, I got a bear. I don't need a generator, but knowing I can't have one makes me want it.
    1 point
  25. Pam - See the very first post by Foy above (top of page). His price for the shower mats is $199 plus shipping. Bill
    1 point
  26. I put these on this year. Quick trip to Lowes and pretty cheap. Also thought the plastic vs. aluminum was a plus. YMMV, but working good so far.
    0 points
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