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I would be pretty distracted by strippers too...... John Davies Spokane WA

Yeah, there’s been no moderation or censorship that I’m aware of. After all, I think I was the one who first brought up the tire pressure issue back when so it isn’t like we’re at odds over the matter. SherMica, you’ve had nothing but kindness and help from the moderating staff so please don’t accuse us of things we haven’t done. I mean, moderators have supported you on the forum, contacted Oliver to try to finally get this issue settled, given you personal contact info to try to help, and one actually drove to a campsite to help you. Apparently that’s not enough.

We had our first boondocking experience this past Friday when returning to Texas from picking up our Oliver. It was a short overnight stop through Harvest Hosts (our first time using them) at Melrose Plantation in Melrose, LA. Just parked in their parking lot and the next morning after breakfast we took a tour of the plantation before heading home. It was a fun stop with lots of history. And look at the size of the 150 year old trees with resurrection fern growing on them.

Got these at Kohl’s but also available on Amazon. They are silicon and stick to the inside of the trailer without any adhesive and are moveable. The brand is Tooletries and they are a little pricey but well worth it This one is called the Harvey. They work great. I forgot to remove the razor before travel. When we arrived 6.5 hours later the pillows had bounced in the floor but the razor was still firmly in place! We also got the soap holder called The Benjamin. All of them have drainage holes in the bottom and can be removed to clean if needed then reapplied.

Tire pressure, and other stuff- I think that Oliver delivers the trailer at 80 psi because that is industry recommendation, assuming that the trailer might have a maximum load, which might need the maximum psi. It is up to us to make an educated decision as to how to operate our equipment, and to listen to industry and user experts. How many of us follow the manufacturer's recomendations on anything without evaluating the purpose if the manual makes confusing or misleading statements? Other delivery issues do not have such a justification. While my main job was being a firefighter, I have always had a second job/business/career. Customer service, with the fire department and for my self-employed businesses was critical for repeat business and customer satisfaction. I had a two-way radio business. I tested every radio prior to delivery. I stayed up all night, literally, for a delivery of more than 300 radios I had to make. I could not claim that it was the radio manufacturer that was the cause of a problem. It was my reputation and responsiblity for the radio to work. When I took in a radio for repair, I would replace small broken items, do a thorough cleaning, and even repaint dial markings as part of my regular service. I retired from the fire department 6 years ago, but have continued to work doing fire origin and cause investigations and other failure analyses. I perform the duties of a forensic engineer. My written reports are what the client, and subsequent lawyers and others, use to evaulate me and the quality of my work. I cannot have misspellings, typos, grammatical errors, formating errors, poor photographs, etc. I pay people to review my work, to make sure that everything is right, then I review it again. And this is not safety stuff. So not only do I have issues from a legal viewpoint, as a person who conducts failure analyses, but to allow a trailer to leave the dealership with potential life safety issues is poor customer service and potential legal trouble. There is no excuse for allowing a trailer to have no brakes for 200 miles assuming that the brakes will self adjust, and nothing will happen within the first 200 miles when driven by a person who possibly has towed nothing in their life. Or brake wires that are not connected. Or a door that comes open while driving. Or a door that cannot be opened, with people inside or outside. Or a power cord plug that falls out, or worse, only comes out of the receptacle part way, creating a high resistive connection that results in a fire. Or glue on gel coat that is nearly impossible to remove. Or improperly finished gel coat. Or other issues. It's customer service. It's quality control. It's public relations. It is reputation. Through my research, I have bought a decent trailer. It has a layout that I like. Through the forum and other sites, I have learned about potential issues at delivery, and other problems that may occur during the first few months of ownership. Design and construction seem to be quality. However, if it were my company, which it isn't, I would take a few hours prior to delivery to operate all appliances and equipment, tow it for at least four or five miles to make sure that the brakes work, and other aspects of the axle work. I also have a very small ham radio business. Industry standard, for the highest quality electronic equipment, is to operate, or at least power up, each piece of equipment prior to delivery. I'm still looking forward to delivery on St. Patrick's Day. I plan to stay two nights at Crockett for an extended shake down. I don't expect to have any problems, but I need to verify that everything works. And it was a good day for old guys. John

A plastic scraper works well, they are used for getting off stuff like window decals. They are also great for removing sealant without scratching the gelcoat. FOSHIO 2PCS Plastic Razor Scrapers Knife with Contoured Grip + 100 PCS 1.5 inch Refillable Double Edge Plastic Razor Blades John Davies Spokane WA

I’ve had the audio drop issue as well now and then with the Jensen system. Always seemed to happen when a TV program would return after a commercial, but not with a DVD. And it seemed to happen most often at campgrounds that had DirectTV as the television feed through the campground cable hookup. And once the audio cut out completely and would not work at all. You mentioned you did the reset, just curious which one. There are two reset functions mentioned in the manual, one by pushing the Enter knob function for Bluetooth resets, and the other reset is the little hidden button. I did have some success fixing the audio issues by doing the little button reset function on the Jensen receiver. There’s a tiny hidden recessed button on the front panel for a reset. Number 21 on the illustration. Check your Jensen manual. Ours is a 2019, Hull #461, but your receiver may be different. And I too am looking at upgrading the receiver at some point.

Yeah, for the moderators, trying to keep these threads on topic must be like herding cats. 😆

We cover ours with the Calmark cover. But you’re right, the Ollies are meant to be outside, so covering it isn’t about protection so much as just keeping it looking good. It’s not like you can easily run the Oliver through most standard car wash places, and it’s a lot of external surface area to keep clean so it’s a pain to wash by hand, especially the roof. Since it’s a gloss white finish it shows dirt pretty quickly, and we all just want to keep our Ollies nice and shiny as much as possible.

The previous owner (in Michigan) kept it outside. This is my first winter with the Ollie and I kept it outside as well. It gets snow on the Ollie and on the solar collector but it seems to melt guickly on the solar collector and if not I have taken a brush and cleaned off the collector. Even this winter, the sun has kept the batteries charged up. I also plan to wax the Ollie, spring and fall, so hopefully that will be sufficient instead of installing a cover. I haved also debated if I should cover the Ollie in the winter with a cover or a temporay shed but then I would feel I should plug it into power so the batteries stay charged. At this point, I do not plan to install a cover or keep it inside in the winter.

Feasible, but undesirable IMHO. Rust, mainly. It will be very hard to keep looking nice. You could get the parts plated after drilling and cutting. I strongly recommend 6061-T6 aluminum. It is very easy to work with and will always look great unless you tow in winter (salt/ mag chloride). Plus it matches the main frame material perfectly. If you don’t have a nearby non-ferrous metals supplier you can order online, for example: https://alcobrametals.com/aluminum/tube-rectangular/6061-t6-rectangular-tube Thanks for the kind words, they are greatly appreciated. Post some pics when you are done. FYI, Stone Stomper uses square steel for their front skirt arms, those and the hardware are yellow cad plated, it seems to be quite durable and looks fine. No signs of rust after four years. I ordered extra parts in case the got pranged up or started looking bad, but so far they have not been needed. John Davies Spokane WA

I just returned from a camping trip and I'm now having my tires balanced as well. I've chosen to take them off one at a time and send them in to be balanced by my son (who is a mechanic), so it will take me 5 days to complete - he has a small car and can only fit one tire at a time. 🙂 I had the first one done yesterday and my son said it was "pretty bad" - although it wasn't as bad as the one Ray found - it only took a little over 3 ounces. I'll report back on how the other 4 tires are (in a week) but I'd say based on what Ray has reported back and what I've seen with my first tire, balancing is going to make a difference.

The 7 wire cable is totally separate from any solar circuits. It is standard equipment on all trailers, while the rooftop solar and side solar ports are add-on options. The only place where they interesect at all, is at the battery terminals. John Davies Spokane WA

Patriot: I was suprised I could not find it on West Marine. Try Google to find the 3M Ultra Marinewax. Amazon was one of the hits I saw. I like Meguairs Flagship premium cleaner wax as well. They also have their regular Meguiars wax. Used them on my sportfishing boat for years. https://www.meguiarsdirect.com/meguiars-flagship-premium-cleaner-wax-32oz.html

I'm with you there. We wax twice a year, anyway. 3m ultra marine may be $20 a small can, but it's good for two seasons or more.

$1280 was my quote for Sunbrella. I passed. Wax on, Wax off.

You can try a vinegar flush, to dissolve any deposits; use the winterization port to suck in a weak vinegar mix (1 gal per 5 gal water) through the plumbing and also into the (regular) water heater. Let it sit for a day, drain and flush well. Be aware that the vinegar water going onto concrete will etch it slightly (leave a very clean area). It won’t hurt, but if you don’t want to look at it for a year or two, do this where it won’t matter, or where it will hurt your lawn. John Davies Spokane WA

This is Goose Island Campground, just east of Moab. We got a lovely campsite right on the Colorado River. This is a BLM campground, so only a picnic table and pit toilets; this qualifies as boondocking in my book.

Big Bend - one of the gravel pit campsites down by the Rio Grande

Here'a a fun project that provides you a backup 12v Pump for your Ollie. I bought a spare 12V Shurflo water pump to carry with me on our coming long long adventures around the US. I decided to build it into a water transfer pump that I could use for multiple uses and still have a backup pump. Some ways I can use this transfer pump: Transfer fresh water from portable tanks and bladders directly through the Oliver fresh tank port. (This is without using the boondocking port.) Use as a pusher pump for a bladder to the street side water port on the Oliver Use around the campsite as a portable pump for wash stations etc. Use as a backup pump should my main pump fail. Electrical Consideration: I designed this so it can hook it directly to the Zamp Solar Port on the side of the trailer as the 12V source. That SAE Zamp port has direct connection to the batteries in the Oliver. I wanted to make sure to create a fused connection, and also be sure to wire it to match the Polarity on the Zamp port. I put a matching ZAMP port on the pump case, and build the fused connection cable out of a pair of fused SAE solar cables. The fuze is closest to the Oliver's ZAMP port for safety. (Zamp also sells an excellent "replacement" cable that could be used for the project.) ZAMP Solar Port Polarity is reversed from typical SAE Connectors: Zamp wires their solar ports in a way that the + lead on the solar cable coming from the solar array is into the plastic covered end of the cable. (That's opposite normal SAE use. They do this to protect users from plugging into the solar array and touching the male exposed connector.) Here's a basic material list (if you want specific part numbers of connectors etc. PM me on the forum.) I bought all of the material from the combination of Ace Hardware, Harbor Freight and Amazon. Total cost $190.73 1) Case: $39.00 Apache 3800 Transit Case - : Harbor Freight ( Interior Dim: 14 7/8"x10 5/8" x 6 1/8") Fits pump perfectly bolted into the case without the bottom foam. 2) Shurflo Pump model 4800, $72.00 - : Amazon/RecPro 3) Inline Shurflo Filter Model 15-085-00 included with pump - : Amazon/RecPro 4) Basic Fresh water hose (white) - $17.00 : Amazon cut to use short pieces for pump connections and used the other pieces as the input side hose (with a rigid piece of 1/2" pex as the drop lead) and outlet hose with repaired male end connector. 5) Qty 1 - Inlet side Female Swivel Garden Hose Connector (barb connector style) $1.50 ea - : Ace HW 6) Qty 2 - Male Garden Hose Connectors (barb connector style) one used on outlet, one to repair the outlet hose. 7) Qty 4 - 1/2" stainless pipe clamps - $4.00 : Ace HW 8) Qty 2 - SHURFLO (244-2926 1/2" x 14 NPT x 1/2" Barb Straight Wingnut Swivel Adapter - : Amazon 9) Qty 1- Zamp Waterproof Solar Port - : Amazon 10) Qty 1 - SPARKING 6' SAE To Ring Terminal Harness Quick Connect/Disconnect Assembly & 10A Fuse + SPARKING 2' SAE Quick Connect Harness (this is to make the other side of the cable) - : Amazon 11) Qty 1 - Fastronix SPST HD 20 Amp AC/DC Toggle Switch with Weatherproof Neoprene Boot - : Amazon So here are some pictures of the finished project in the transit case. Case in closed ready for travel position: Case opened to show hoses and electrical connectors stored inside: Contents removed so you can see the pump connection setup: Hoses and electrical connectors shown beside case: Handle side shows DC connector (that matches the ZAMP port wiring) and on/off switch: Inlet side: Outlet Side: Assembly comments and learnings: 1) Pump body - originally I was going to mount it onto a pvc board but found that the depth of the transit case and height of pump worked out better if I could simply bolt into the case. I used 4 bolts with baking washers to secure the pump into the case. 2) Port locations - I tried to figure out a way for the ports to exit out the handle side of the box, in fact I bought some elbow connectors for the pump, but quickly found that they interfered with the closure clasps. As a result I went for a simpler straight side to side flow. 2) Electrical Switch Location - My initial hole for the switch ended up interfering with the closure clasp once the switch was installed and in the ON position. I decided to plug that hole with an automotive plug and move the switch mounting down a bit further. (See handle side view.) Pump Performance: 1) I used the pump yesterday to pump a 6 gallon container of my tank sanitizer solution into the fresh tank. The pump operated smoothly and the 6 gallons were pumped into the tank in 58 seconds. (The pumps spec is 3 GPM ...so it met that spec.) 2) I also tried the pump on the street side water inlet, and the pump would cycle on and off as I turned on and off the sink faucets. So another use is to hook it up to a bigger bladder tank external and use it as the main water supply. (*Note - The pump has a 55PSI max, and is factory set for 45 PSI working shutoff pressure.) The case stores nicely run the Oliver Elite II basement on top of my water filter holder. Possible upgrades: 1) I might add a stainless vent pair on the box so I can run the pump with the box closed. The vent would allow for airflow in/out and adequate cooling space around the pump body if running for a longer time. 2) Build a Zamp (SAE) to Anderson Connector so I can plug this into my truck power port's that I'll install this summer. 3) Try running this pump off of a small rechargeable 12v Lithium Battery bank. Make up appropriate 12v connectors. Questions and comments welcome. Craig Short Hull 505 - Galway Girl

I found these at TJ Maxx and 3 of them fit side by side perfectly on the middle pantry shelf. They are clear and don’t block the view. Only 2 will fit on top of bottom. The first ones I got was a set of 3. The next trip they were individuals for $3.99 each.

Susan not sure if you found what you were looking for or not. I saw this one at a local camp store today when we went to purchase a heater screen.

MEOW!

Yes, but, one question so often morphs into another, doesn't it? 😄

If one reads this entire thread, it appears that at least to some degree there is discussion about "apples" and "oranges". The original poster was asking about a storage situation specifically with a small solar panel. A small solar panel should still have its own controller but in the event something would happen to that controller the Oliver batteries would not be damaged (at least in the short run) due to over-charging. In addition, since these panels are small they are also relatively inexpensive. Thus, if stolen, the amount of money at risk is reasonable. A suggestion was then made that instead of purchasing a small panel a larger one would be better in that it could also be used in situations other than simple storage. This is true except that since the larger the panel, the greater financial risk for the possibility of theft and the greater risk of battery damage in the event the controller fails. No matter how big or how small these external solar panels are, the electrical connections should be basically approached in the same manner - proper polarity (positive to positive and negative to negative), proper voltage (panel voltage output and appropriate wire sizes/length) and proper control (via a solar controller and/or size of panel) of what and how much electricity is being sent to the batteries should all be considered. Bill

I agree, but since this would be attached to a building on my parents property, I went with who my dad has regularly used for the past 5-10 years.

Did you just get the one quote? You need three, at a minimum. That will give you enough info to tell what bid is a realistic figure. Make sure each specifies the same product, and breaks down labor and materials separately. I just got a bid on an installed gas shop heater and it just was a flat price, which sucks. I asked them again twice for a breakdown, no response, so that contractor gets crossed out. Once you know the material cost and how many man hours it will take, you should know better. John Davies Spokane WA

I do not believe that this is correct - at least not for when I purchased my CalMark cover five years ago. IF I had wished to have a "port" or "zippered flap" or "door" or "access panel" for the purposes of battery maintenance or electrical connection, I could have asked for it to be sewn in. We did discuss sewing in clear panels in the top of the cover for purposes of allowing the solar panels to "see" the sun but CalMark convinced me that it would not be a good idea. As far as battery maintenance - as long as I loosen the draw cord at the bottom of the cover, I have no problem getting under the cover, opening the battery door and sliding out the batteries. Besides not incurring the extra expense of having the access door installed in the cover, I don't have to worry about possible chafing of the zippers on the finish of the Oliver either. Bill

I used all the standard waxes over the years on cars, motorcycles, etc, but I’ve become a big fan of the newer “ceramic” waxes available. I used the Meguiar’s Hybrid Ceramic Wax spray wax this past fall and it’s great. Sprayed on while the surface is still wet from rinsing after a wash. Then dry with a microfiber towel. Really creates a very slick tough coating.

Ours has spent its entire 13 years outside. It has been partially shaded by the house, and some palm trees, but that's it. We wax twice a year. The fiberglass is fine, it's the white vinyl and plastic that gets the brunt of the uv. Our front jack cover used to be white. It's pretty yellow, as is the door window trim ring, which is also some type of plastic on our 2008.

We store ours at a storage facility. It is covered and has electricity. It gets dusty after a few weeks there, so I end up giving it a quick wash before we travel. I used to keep it plugged in to keep the AGM’s charged. Now, with lithium’s, I don’t. I turn the batteries off. If it wasn’t covered I would keep the batteries on and let the solar keep them charged.

I am not “accusing” anyone. Thank you all for attempts to help. Apologies for any misunderstanding with that. Best to all.

Connor77 - thanks fo the info on the different fabric now used by Calmark, I did not know this. I had a similar quote on the Calmark for $1200 shipped to our door last year. They kindly took my call, but at the time they were closed down due to the pandemic. I ended up finding a used 2019 Calmark for a reasonable price right here on the forum. When I received it, I washed it with as it hung off our deck and then naturally let it dry. They are nice covers, but heavy for sure. With the relatively short winters here we did not use it on our Ollie this season. I am planning to hang onto it. - Patriot

Thanks John, Oliver suggested a vinegar purge as well.. but didn’t provide the recipe... thanks for that! we are on the road currently, I’ll give it a try when we are out of the camper for a couple days..

I just measured my 2021 Elite 1 battery tray. It is approximately 14" wide x 14" deep, with a 9" tall opening (to enable pulling out the battery tray). Thus, I think two Lithionics or two Battleborn batteries would fit according to the dimensions shared by @Starshine above. I have the AGM batteries in my new trailer and will keep them until they are no longer sufficient or wear out. Thanks for all of the valuable info.

Sheri has an Elite I, single axle, if that makes a difference for locations of wiring. I am learning from her issues as I pick up my Elite I in 16 days. As things bounce around in a trailer, wiring and connections can come loose. I used to install mobile radios as my second job and for fun, so became used to properly installing electronics, connections and such. Not good to have a radio loose power, or an antenna connection come lose in an ambulance or fire truck. I can say that I have never had that occur. Aircraft electronics follow specific connection protocols to avoid such issues. Solder connections are not always the best - other systems are used in aircraft, depending upon issues. If wiggling a connection "fixes" the problem, the problem still exists, unless it was a loose conncector that was improved by the wiggle. But the error indicates a "short", which would not be a connection/connector issue. The connectors should be protected (again, emphasis on should) so nothing should come across the connectors/junctions to cause a short, or nothing should be in the area that could cause a short. If stranded wire was used, a stray wire that was not properly seated in the connector may have found its way to another connector. This would be at the back of the display panel, or at any factory made connection. The insulation on wiring may have been chafed or exposed, allowing the wiring to come in contact with another conductor. Or the error message occurs for issues other than a short. Sheri has been out a couple of weeks since picking up the trailer. Simplest cause would be something conductive falling across two exposed connections along the black water circuit, or an insulation failure. Connectors at the back of the panel shouldn't cause a short, unless there was a stray conductor. This is still a part of the shake down cruise, finding what might have been missed at the factory prior to delivery. What came loose during that short time? John

I have completed most of my version of the transfer pump. Will receive Zamp outlet, Zamp extension cord, and inline fuse to finish the install early next week.

"I'd like to buy a vowel please Pat". Black tank monitor shows "sht"? Seems appropriate to me. Sorry, I know this is zero help to SherMica and not trying to poke fun at her issues, but I just couldn't resist.

By adding the butterfly vent, high in bathroom wall, we have had the bathroom heat a lot better. The door doesn't have to be open. The air circulates a lot easier and hence relieves pressure on the fan. Would think restricting any airflow into the furnace return air vent might raise the noise as the fan works harder. Also by restricting heated air from the cabin, it would have to bring in unheated outside air through the drain/vents. By shutting slightly the heat vent near the return it forces the heated air further through the system.

Well my build sheet is submitted! Thanks to everyone for sharing all your experiences. This forum has been a tremendous resource- much appreciated. I did decide to go with LE II. Two primary reasons. The LE I was just too short. I would be constantly grazing ceiling with my head. Secondly I just kept coming back to how much more practical floor plan was for my needs. Look forward to picking up in May!

I think the very best time to buy a travel trailer is when you have the time to use it. We never looked at our Ollie as a financial "investment, " but we do feel we've had a great return in memories and fun.

I received this from a friend who lives in Nevada. Struck my fun bone thought you all might enjoy.

When I picked up our new trailer we had to go back to Oliver the next day for refrigerator service. There were hours of idle time just waiting around for service. While chatting with the employee who did the walk through the previous day, I was asked if I’d lowered the tire pressure yet. I told him I had. He nodded, smiled, and said “Good”. Don’t worry about lowering your tire pressure at pickup. I believe it’s expected that the new owner will do this as their very first trailer personalization.

Certainly your plan of driving over to WalMart is fine. However, I'm sure that the delivery guys will not kick you out of the delivery area while you adjust your tire pressures. This will be particularly helpful if it is raining. Not withstanding the advice above, if a tire that is not in the sun or on very hot pavement increases its temperature more than 10 degrees, you should consider increasing the pressure in that tire(s) - as JD pointed out previously, under inflated tires will run hotter. Same is true for your tow vehicle Speaking of tow vehicles - as you increase the weight on those TV tires (particularly the rear tires even when using a weight distribution hitch) you should adjust the pressure to account for that increase in weight. I run my rear tires 4 to 5 pounds higher when hitched and I use the Andersen WDH. Bill

We forum members are also horrified, why does the Service Dept not adjust them correctly right before delivery??? This has been a well kmown issue for many many years. Have you bought a TPMS kit for the trailer yet? It should be at the top of your Honey Do list. Get one that also shows the tire temperature. A properly inflated tire flexes a little (it is not rock hard), cushioning the frame and hull over rough surfaces and bumps. It will heat up a little as you cruise the freeway, as will the pressure increase slightly. It is neat to be able to check each one to see what is going on, plus the spare tire, which obviously won’t react like the ones doing all the work. John Davies Spokane WA

Last month we camped with some friends in Castle Valley, UT, which is east of Moab, in our two travel trailers. This was socially distant camping – eating outside at separate tables and wearing masks when needed. We decided to have the two trailers antiparallel, so that the doors would face each other, and the awnings, rugs, and tables would be in between the two campers. The fall colors were really nice!

As the founding member of the National Organization to Summarily Wipe Out Oliver Swooshes Henceforth, I must say that swooshes are only meant for slab sided trailers and RVs that need camouflage to disguise the inherent blandness of both the vehicles and their owners. A simple stripe would do nicely, Oliver.

Misc. Stuff Since I'm carrying my impact driver, I thought a small work light that uses the same batteries would be useful to have. I keep one small tool roll with some brushes, picks and other do-dads that might come in handy. Most of these you could pick up at Harbor Freight since they don't need to be the highest quality: Craftsman Pick Set - just a small, cheap set that I had in the house. Any similar set would do. Craftsman Retaining Ring Pliers - these are cheaply made, but also very compact GearWrench Inspection Mirror GearWrench Telescoping Magnet - for retrieving all those bits Wire Brushes In the center console of the truck, I have one of these dividers (they make them for all makes and models), which allows me to carry these tools in addition to the normal center console stuff: Fluke 107 Multimeter - I think this is the smallest multimeter they make. I really like it. The case I use is this one. The bit driver, bit set, the Plano box of ¼" bits, and mini pliers that I mentioned above. Scissors Raptor Shears - when we travel, this goes in my backpack along with the first aid kit. Folding Utility Knife with spare blades Pocket Knife - no idea what brand X-Acto Knife with spare blades Tweezers An ancient Gerber Multi Tool, which I can't remember using last. I'm not a big multi-tool guy, but I can see how they'd be useful. I also keep my headlamp and a flashlight in there. I keep a set of work gloves stuffed in each driver side door, in hope that I'll remember to wear them, and one set for my wife in the glove box. I also have a wad of heavy rubber gloves for dirty work stuffed in the rear storage tray. For emergencies, I keep a set of warning triangles and some LED flares behind the back seat next to the jack. And you've got to have an ice scraper, and I like these frost scrapers, too - mine sees a lot more work than the actual ice scraper does. I keep a box of drill bits and a keyless chuck for my impact driver. Alternatively, you could get a set of bits like these, so you don't need the chuck. In a box in the bed of the truck, I keep a rubber mallet, which is useful for knocking loose chocks. In the trailer, I keep a PEX crimper for the few spots that might require one.

It would not hurt to cover the entire area that would get blasted by road spray and hard debris, and the front facing surface of the rear bumper too. All surfaces in line with the tire tread need to be protected, so coat pretty much the entire underneath curved part of the hull, plus the exposed gelcoat around the back of the wheel wells. (That area does not get protected by flaps, but it is not highly visible so I can live with damage until it gets bad enough to cover with bedliner spray). If you plan on driving on unsurfaced roads, you won't be able to match the protection you get with flaps. They stop the debris from hitting in the first place. Plus they protect the city and tank fill water fittings and stop big stones from ricocheting off the back bumper and into the rear lights and gelcoat. I have found jagged basalt stones the size of my thumb lying on top of the rear platform before, and nothing but dust after installing flaps. They are really very effective. Plus they protect cars following you from stuff thrown by your tires.,. that is a bonus. John Davies Spokane WA

1 x 2 x 1/8" wall, I do not know the radius diameter, I think it is 0.25" but not positive. See the 4th post on that Stone Stomper thread. ...Here is the metal source (local to me, great prices): https://alcobrametals.com/product/AQ1.00ER This is one of the front flap bars, it is drilled differently from the rear mudflaps: http://olivertraveltrailers.com/topic/how-to-stone-stomper-gravel-guard/ There is no need to use the radius corners, but I do think that they look classy compared to square ones, and they save your knuckles from scrapes when you are washing the trailer. The 1x2" rectangular shape is way more rigid than a 1x1" square tube, be sure to drill some "failure holes" as shown in that thread, so the bar will fold rearward gracefully if hit hard, instead of transmitting all the impact energy to the subframe. You do not want the subframe to get damaged if you run over a truck tire retread or a scrap of lumber at freeway speeds. John Davies Spokane WA