astrocaster

Herm is quite correct that there is a lot of conflicting information regarding the proper tire inflation pressure for trailer tires. Let me supply just a bit more food for thought regarding inflating trailer tires (as opposed to passenger tires) to the pressure indicated on the sidewalls, and why we choose to do so: It may well be that different trailer tire manufacturers have different approaches to the necessary inflation pressures for their tires. Although Goodyear recommends inflating their tires to the actual load requirement at each individual tire, using a load/inflation table, and setting the pressure for all tires on each axle at what is needed for the tire with the heaviest load, Duro Tire and Wheel recommends that their trailer tires be inflated to the recommended PSI on the sidewall (see point 1 under safety in the link below): http://www.durotire.com/productslisting.php?productspage=274 We currently have Duro tires on our Oliver, so we will continue to follow their recommendation. We've purchased tires at our local America's Tire (Discount Tire in some parts of the country) outlet and have always been pleased with their service and professionalism. They, too, recommend that trailer tires be inflated to the maximum inflation indicated on the sidewall (see the left panel and the first bullet under "Inflation" in the link below): http://www.discounttire.com/dtcs/infoTrailerTireFacts.dos Underinflation of trailer tires seems to be universally acknowledged as the most frequent cause of trailer tire failure. From all that I have read, and from the discussion I had with our RV mechanic, underinflation is particularly deadly for trailer tires, allowing the sidewalls to flex and lead to early tire failure. For me, the choice to inflate the tires to the PSI on the sidewall assures us that the tires are not underinflated under a variety of loads, as long as we make sure that we do not exceed each tire's load carrying capacity. Steve

Hi, Cherie, If you are talking about having trouble with LEDwholesalers.com, I am very surprised. We have ordered from them directly from their web site at least six times over the last year, and they have provided the fastest service we have ever had from an Internet order. We have received the goods within two days every single time. We have never spoken with anyone there, though. I am sorry to hear that you have had trouble. Steve

Doug, Yes, there are a lot of things to see and do here in the Sacramento area. One of the most interesting is to explore California Gold Rush history. We also have an excellent railroad museum. Perhaps that may interest you and Geneva. Here is a link: http://www.csrmf.org/default.asp I hope that the shake-down trip for you and Geneva goes well. We have found that there is a great sense of freedom in dry camping. It is good that you have a generator, in addition to your solar panels. In most of the places that we camp in the mountains, the campsites are shaded much of the day, and it is difficult to get enough direct sunshine for the solar panels to provide more than a few amp hours over the course of a day, even though we have our 100 W panel on a cord and can move it around the campsite and adjust the angle of incidence to the sun. I definitely agree with you that fly fishing is fun, even if you don't catch fish, especially when you are in a beautiful setting. Since we will be conversing more regarding specific plans and arrangements, I will send you a PM to continue the discussion. Steve

I just realized that in my previous post in this thread, I said that the refrigerator, furnace, and water heater are on the street side of the trailer. This is incorrect, of course: they are on the curb side. Sorry if I caused any confusion. I appreciate the fact that no one gave me a hard time about that! I believe that the fresh water tank is also on the curb side, so if you are towing the trailer with a full tank of water, then there is even more weight on the curb-side tire. Steve

I have correct my earlier post on this. Elizabeth says that we receive a kitchen sink plug/strainer. We just haven't been using it. Steve

Chris, I know that I do not have even close to the amount of RV experience that some others here have, but I have learned a lot about trailer axles, wheels, and tires in the last couple of weeks, and one of the things that seems to be stressed in all of the sources I have consulted, including the RV repair shop I have taken our Oliver to, is that trailer tires should be inflated to the pressure indicated on the tire sidewall, in order for the tire to have the load capacity indicated on the sidewall, and for maximum tire life. Unlike passenger tires, trailer tires--particularly those with sizes that begin with "ST" (for "Special Trailer")--are designed to be inflated at the pressure indicated on the sidewall, as their minimal and normal pressure. One other thing to consider regarding the additional wear on the outside of the curb-side tire, is that due to the domed shape of most highways and the fact that we usually tow our trailers in the rightmost lane, this can tilt the trailer a little to the curb side, and the outside edge of the curb-side tire may bear a little more weight than the other three tire edges on a single-axle trailer. With the Oliver, this tilt may be somewhat mitigated by the additional weight of the refrigerator, furnace, and water heater on the street side, but the tilt of the road may still be a significant factor, in my opinion, if the tires are not fully inflated to the specifications on the sidewall. It seems to me that an underinflated tire would flex more, and with the additional outward lateral force from the tilt of the road, the curb-side tire could flex enough to present much more of the outside edge for wear. Herm, I checked with our RV mechanic about the slight upward arch of the axle in the middle. He said that is how they are designed, to provide positive camber, as you suggest. Steve

Doug, Ahh, fly fishing! Elizabeth and I have a favorite Forest Service campground on the McCloud River near Mt. Shasta that we plan to visit in mid-September. We could plan to meet you and Geneva there at that time and do some camping and fly fishing together. The McCloud is a beautiful small river (a "freestone creek" in fly-fishing terms) and where we go has several waterfalls within walking distance, connected by a good trail. The fishing is for rainbow trout, primarily, and there are brown trout and the occasional brook trout. Don't expect large fish: 6" to 12" is normal, but I have caught them as large as 18". The small fish are sometimes the McCloud River Redband trout, a native fish that is a primitive form of rainbow trout and the most beautiful type of fish I have ever caught. The fishing can be very "slow" or very good on any particular day, but it is always a beautiful river and always a "great day" when we are there. An alternate plan for getting there would be for you to come to our house for an overnight and then we could caravan up to the campground (it's about a 4.5 hour drive from our house at 55 mph, with one or two pit stops). It all depends on timing and where you will be coming from. In either case, the campground is very easy to find and to get to. As far as fishing gear is concerned, I use waders, boots, and a wading staff most of the time. I use a 9-foot, 5-weight rod. Your 6-weight should work fine, too. We can discuss fly patterns and more details as we get closer to September, if this is something that you and Geneva want to do. I have about equal success with dries as with fishing nymphs with an indicator. Some folks like to use streamers, too. There is much, much more that we can talk about regarding potential places for you to visit in Northern California and Oregon. It sounds like your approach to camping and RVing is about the same as ours. Why don't you give us a call. Our number is (916) 392-2172. Steve

Chris, Our trailer did not come with a kitchen sink plug, either (nor a kitten with a quarter!). We haven't put much effort into finding one, though, since we use a Rubbermaid tub to line the sink to do dishes, and just dump the water when we are done. Steve

Hi, Doug, Elizabeth and I would very much enjoy meeting you and Geneva out here sometime when you are in Northern California after the beginning of July. Our plans are not set for mid and late summer, other than the FGRV rally in Bandon, Oregon. We have lived here for 14 years and lived in Eugene, Oregon for 7 years before that. I would be very happy to suggest some special places to camp and things to see or do, beyond the obvious. We camp mostly in the National Forest campgrounds, in the Sierra Nevada and Cascade Mountains, usually on trout streams--I have been an avid fly fisher for many years. We also love Kings Canyon National Park and Lassen Volcanic National Park. In most of the campgrounds we go to, you can expect to find fresh water spigots distributed throughout the campground, but not dedicated to any sites (they are shared, and hoses are not allowed to remain connected beyond a few minutes). Therefore, you can pull your trailer by one of the water spigots and fill up as you enter and then go on to your site with a full tank. In some national forest campgrounds, instead of piped water, there are pumps to bring up wonderful water from wells. In these cases, we have to use the Oliver's pump to move the water into the freshwater tank from a 5-gallon plastic water container, or other such conveyance. Most of these campgrounds do not have dump facilities (although some campgrounds in national parks do), so we have to make other plans for that. We try to limit the need for a black water dump by using the toilet facilities (usually pit toilets in national forests and flush toilets in national parks) of the campground during the day. I have seen some folks roll blue tanks down to the pit toilets to empty them. I am sure that many on these forums can share their experiences of staying in their Olivers for more than a few days at a time. We like to spend most of the time out of doors when we camp in the mountains, so if we are going to be in a place for more than a couple of days, we set up an outdoor camp, including a pop-up canopy, a "camp kitchen" arrangement, and propane stove, and we eat most of our meals outside on the picnic table. In that way, the Oliver becomes a wonderful refuge from the weather and a great place to sleep. Geneva may be encouraged to know that (in our experience, at least) the mosquitoes in the mountains here are only active for around an hour or so in the morning and about the same in the evening, and they are easily discouraged by DEET. Elizabeth had great trouble with mosquitoes when she lived in Wisconsin, but not nearly so much camping here. If you give me some additional information, either through this thread on the forum or in a PM, regarding what you and Geneva like to do and see, I would be happy to tailor some specific recommendations. For example, if you like aquariums, the Monterey Bay Aquarium in Monterey is not to be missed. Admission is a little steep, but it is worth it, if you allow the time. Elizabeth and I spent two whole days there a few years ago. In any case, as you suggest, I will PM you sometime after the summer begins to see how our respective plans are shaping up. By the way, will you be observing, participating, or supporting someone participating in the Senior Olympics in San Jose? Steve

Thank you, Sherry and Geri, for responding to what must seem like a plaintive plea from the hinterlands! Sherry, thanks for recommending fiberglassrv.com and "egg meets." In fact, Elizabeth and I have our reservations and are very much looking forward to the one in Oregon in July. It will be a big meet. We understand that one other couple with an Oliver plans to be there, and they are not active on the Oliver Forums. Please do pm us if you plan to be near here at any time, or even if you would like info on things to do or places to camp in this part of the country. Geri, I have been following and enjoying your blog. Sorry to hear about the axle and the delay-- you don't want to keep those catfish waiting! Thanks for the invitation to stop by at your workamp hot springs if we are in the area while you are there. Steve

Hi, Cherie, Thanks for answering my post. I have been told by folks at Oliver that there are at least two other Oliver owners in California and one in Washington; and, of course, the Hewus family there in Arizona. I am sure that you are correct that most of them are just not active on the forums. We think it would be fun to meet other Oliver owners and see how they have customized their trailers, and we will take our opportunities when we can. Steve

Wow, that is a nice interpretation of you two and your Oliver! Your friend, Ben, does good work. As with Earthdancer, this reminds me of photography and drawing classes quite some time ago (for me, at least). No Photoshop: just covering the lens of the film camera in between short bursts of drawing with flashlights and/or candles. In this connection, I am still in awe of the way Picasso did this back in 1949, "light painting" complete images of bulls, bullfights, etc. in just one take, with one continuous line. Steve

Cherie, I just watched the interview. It is informative and enjoyable, and features your Oliver well. Thanks for sharing. Steve

Thanks for the information. Which air conditioner do you have? Steve

Congratulations, Larry! More time for more fun for you both. May your geocaching world expand! Steve

It certainly seems like there is an active group of Oliver owners in the southern states, what with all those Unofficial Oliver Rallys, Jug Fishing Campouts, Matagord Madness, and others. I would love to hear that there are Oliver owners on the West Coast, too. Anyone in California, Oregon, Washington, or Nevada? Will you be attending the FGRV "2009 (7th Annual) Oregon Gathering" in Bandon, Oregon, July 16-19, 2009? Elizabeth and I will be there and look forward to meeting many others, especially Oliver owners. Thanks, Steve

Larry and Steve, Thank you for your helpful responses. I will consider it sufficient to get the anode screwed in well enough to be securely seated and not leak, even if it is not screwed all the way in. I'll be careful regarding any excess teflon tape, too. Steve

Back in November, I removed the hot water heater (HWH) anode to drain the heater in preparation to winterize our Oliver. The anode which I removed is the original one and is partially corroded, as expected, yet it appears that it could be used for a few more camping trips, before needing replacement. I have also purchased a replacement anode--the CamcoRV "RV Water Heater 9 1/2" Anode Rod," which the packaging says is an "aluminum 3/4" MPT for Morflo/Suburban Water Heaters." It is CamcoRV's product number 11563. From all that I have seen on this and other boards and on vendors' websites, this is one of the standard replacement rods for the Suburban HWH. The problem I am having is that I cannot screw it all of the way into the HWH. It binds up and will not turn further than about six revolutions; there are about four more revolutions of thread at the head of the rod remaining at this point. It also leaves about four revolutions of threading on the HWH itself to go, before the rod would be totally screwed into the HWH. Interestingly, I have discovered the same problem in trying to screw the original anode rod back into the HWH. However, since the original rod has four fewer turns of threading than the replacement rod, it does come closer to being totally screwed back into the HWH. I would need to get it about 1 1/2 revolutions further into the HWH to have it fully screwed in. Before attempting to screw either of these rods into the HWH, I carefully removed with vinegar some white deposits that had formed on the threads of the HWH that were closest to the tank. These had been exposed to the water in the tank during its use, since the OEM rod's threads did not extend far enough to cover them. Then, I carefully traced the groove of the threading from beginning to end in the HWH with a pick/stylus, removing any remaining deposits. Thus, by both visual and physical examination, the threads of the HWH appear to be in very good condition. Still, neither anode rod can be fully screwed in. I have tried several methods to screw the rods in: using Teflon pipe tape, using plumber's lubricant, even chilling the rod in order to take advantage of potential expansion/ contraction differential. I have the appropriate socket and a very long breaker bar, and I am applying so much torque that I would be concerned about breaking something if I applied more. I have read all the posts I could find on this forum and two others discussing replacing the HWH anodes, and I have been mindful of all of the tips and pointers I have seen. I have particularly attentive to not cross thread the rod when inserting it into the HWH. In fact, the rods both turn very easily and have just the expected amount of play in them through all six turns, until they cannot be turned further. So, with this background, I would appreciate any advice you could offer. In particular: (1) Have you experienced a similar problem and how did you solve it? (2) I believe that if I screwed either of these rods in as far as I have been able to--about six revolutions--after applying teflon tape or other gap sealer, there might not be any leak. Is it absolutely necessary for the anode to be screwed all the way into the HWH to perform its function, if it is screwed in enough not to leak? (3) This fitting seems similar to what I have experienced in some pipe fittings, where the diameter of the fitting actually narrows, as is the case with tapered thread pipe threading. Is this fitting actually tapered? It certainly seems like it might be. Thank you very much, in advance, for your advice! Steve

Just got our April 2009 magazine, and there on pages 46 and 47 is a very positive article about the Oliver Legacy Elite 17-foot model. WooHoo! Steve

Just in case anyone is wondering about LEDwholesalers.com as a vendor, we have ordered many of their LED products directly from them over the last year or so and have been totally satisfied with the their products and service. In fact, we purchased seven G4 LED replacement units from them for our Oliver's puck lights about six months ago. These are the ones with six LEDs instead of the newer ones with ten LEDs that Larry is getting. We have found the replacement units with six LEDs to provide sufficient (but not bright) light, and we got the ones with warm white color, rather than the white white version, which is also available. The former are 3100 K, and they seem about the same as a regular incandescent bulb, and the latter are 7000 K (if I remember correctly), which seems too bluish and harsh for our tastes. Even though we are satisfied with the LED units we installed, we may order two or three of the brighter ten-LED units to use in some areas of . Steve

Hey, Mountainborn, Glad to hear that your excitement only ended in needing new tires! I don't understand one thing, though: If you dislodged the breakaway brake cable pin when you pulled out of the SCUBARX's driveway, why didn't the Oliver's brakes activate immediately at that point, rather than some time later, while you were on the parkway? Don't the brakes activate as soon as the pin is pulled? Thanks, Steve

Congratulations! Let me second Tumbleweed's recommendation that you register your Oliver in your home state as soon as possible after you bring the Oliver into the state, to avoid late fees. They are really high here in California! Your state's motor vehicle department web site should have information regarding how long you have to get it registered. Steve

Thank you for the compliment, mountainborn! And you are right about the storage: the D-shaped brackets swivel at their top and bottom connections to the panel, so when I remove the two support struts, they fold inward for storage. In fact, they fit entirely within the profile of the panel itself. The support struts are simply attached with hinges that I use machine screws and wing nuts to secure, so they only take a minute to detach. By the way, for this setup, I used the existing mounting holes in the aluminum panel frame, without drilling any myself. The box on the back is the connection box that is part of the panel as it comes from the manufacturer. The the cable is passed through a grommet in the box and hooked to the panel's terminals. The charge controller is mounted inside the Oliver, so that you can control and monitor the panel from inside. I still have one thing to do with this set up. In order not to lose much of the power generated by the panel over the 40-foot run of the cable back to the Oliver, I chose an AWG 8-2 cable, and it is quite stiff and heavy, and, therefore, not as easy as I would like it to be to stow and to deploy. So, I plan to develop a way to quickly detach the cable from the panel and handle them separately. This will probably involve cutting the cable as it emerges from the box to a one or two foot length and attaching a robust male/female plug system to the cut cable ends. I would want to get one that locks in place by rotating it, like the one installed by the Oliver folks on the other end of the cable to plug it into the Oliver. So far I have not been able to find this locally, so I will contact Oliver for their assistance. Yes, I did get the photo posting thing figured out! Thanks for providing the reference for me. I'll enjoy sharing more with the group in future posts. Steve

Larry, Good questions. I invite you to have another look at the response I posted early in this thread. Elizabeth and I decided that any solar panel we had would need to be able to be moved around to find the sun, since we, too, would normally be camped mostly in the shade. So, we have a 100W panel attached to a 40-foot cable that plugs into the Oliver near the water connections. I have designed a mount for the panel that is pretty easy to set up and that allows the panel to be oriented in a "landscape" format, to make it less liable to be caught by the wind, and it is easy to rock up and down, as needed, to follow the angle of the sun. It is also very easy to lift the panel a little to swivel it right and left. Here are a couple of pictures I took of it before I painted the wood: The two "D"-shaped supports are held in place by the removable struts and they swivel inward for storage, to pack flat. (Thank you very much, Pete, for the compliments on this setup. I enjoyed showing it to you.) We have found that the panel produces far more charging amps when it is oriented perpendicular to the angle of the sun, and, therefore, we adjust the angle of the panel rather frequently. It is very easy to do with this setup. We are concerned about security, since it would be easy to steal the panel. So far, we have not left camp when the panel has been deployed. This has not been a problem for us, though, since Elizabeth usually stays in camp and reads when I go fishing. Also, it seems that most folks don't easily recognize this as a solar panel, due to its unorthodox mounting system. When we are away from camp, and at night, we simply unhook it and stick it in the back of our Suburban. I would be happy to share more info regarding this mounting system, Steve

Our Polar Cub actually doesn't make so much noise, considering that the entire unit is just a couple of feet from our heads, if we are standing in the rear of the Oliver. We got this A/C rather than the more electrically hungry Duo-Therm unit, so that we could run it with our Honda EU2000i generator. We have done so on several occasions with no problem, when shore power was not available. Steve