Geronimo John

John D: According to Dell, the MTBF of servers in commercial applications varies widely based upon the ambient conditions, load andn setup. That said, for five of their best ones it is about 250,000 hours. A fun read about this topic can be found at: http://www.dell.com/content/topics/global.aspx/power/en/ps3q02_shetty?c=us Enjoy! Geronimo John

Wow, what a gold mine of good info and tools. Two tools that I use a lot are a small and larger curved jaw Vice Grips. Thank you for documenting your great tool selection and providing the rationale behind your choices.

MODERATOR: Please feel free to move this side topic to another area of the forum if appropriate. The topic of Ollie's jacks or "On-Board Leveling Devices" (OBLD's) that are used to level our Ollie's" is discussed elsewhere on our forum. For legal reasons they are no longer referred to as "jacks" so as not to be confused with real jacks as suggested above by Permit Bob. Personally, I call a John a John and a Jack a Jack. Ollie's "Jacks" (OMG, did I use that word?) err..... "On Board Leveling Devices" (OBLD's) are the same ones that OTT Owners have used for years to level Ollie, fix flats and rotate tires. Nowhere on our Forum, or for that matter anywhere else have I seen or heard of any information about Ollie's OBLD's failing when properly used. Nor have I any indication that the Ollie's OBLD's capacity have had their design compromised over the years. It does appear that due to Supplier liability concerns, their documentation was changed to discourage such uses, and as a result, OTT documentation had to be changed as well. I can understand the legalities. That said, our Oliver OBLD's appear to have far more capacity than that needed to raise up a side of our trailers when properly used. I suspect that many Olive owners continue to use their OBLD's as Jacks. I would wager that this renegade group of Owners also tears off their mattress tags even though the lawyers tell us not to do so! I would submit that the majority of this group does not carry an extra jack for this purpose. I suspect that if forced to, as a last resort, we would get creative with the one in our TV. Should you chose to use your Oliver OBLD, there are some safety thoughts that I believe prudent when changing tires. Some are: Pick an area that is "Side to Side" as level as possible with firm ground/pavement to change your tires. Doing so helps prevent "Side Loads" on the Oliver Jacks. Side loads can compromise most jacks including Ollie's! Keep Ollie fully hitched to your TV when changing tires. Put the transmission in park and FIRMLY set the parking brake of the TV. Chock the opposite trailer tires. Lock the trailer entry and instruct travel partners to not enter the trailer or come near the tire change process. I do NOT recommend deploying the front jack when changing Ollie or TV tires while connected to the tow vehicle. Deploying the front Oliver jack would likely apply additional stress to the trailer frame, and add little additional safety to the process. Break and final re-torque lug nuts (A Two Step Process) with tires are on the ground and at least partially loaded. Use dunage under the jack, especially in softer ground surfaces. Finally, keep all parts of your body out of harms way at all times. Whether you use your OBLD, or a bottle jack to change a tire is a decision every owner needs to think about. From a risk management perspective, I put more faith in the OTT OBLD's than I do a bottle jack under a frame or axle. Regardless of which "Jack" you chose to use, the process has hazards that must be managed. Think it through and work smart. Most importantly, if the situation is beyond your experience, play it smart and get help. Geronimo JOHN, not to be confused with an outhouse.

To be precise, all the equipment made by OTT is SAE. They have zero metric. However, the other items made by others may be a mixed bag.

Hello Darrel and Kim: In a few short weeks I'll be doing my first de-winterization on an Elite II. I have not seen a written preocedure for this, but I bet the Owners have one. As you stated, after restoring the anode and valves to normal position, (the exception being the tank drain line), I am thinking: A. Set valves to City Water positions and connect to the city water port and flush the sinks, toilet and outside shower with city water. B. Set Valves to Boondocking positions and connect to the boondocking tank fill port and fresh that line to the pump, sinks, and outside shower all with the water tank drain valve open. C. Set Valves to Normal positions and connect to the fresh water tank fill port and purge the fresh water tank (Drain remains open). At this point I should be confident that all "Fill" lines or other lines are pretty well purged, the fresh water tank is purged, and as such the vast majority of the antifreeze is also purged. D. Then I will close the fresh water tank drain valve and flow water from the city water fill line to fill the tank. E. Redundant I know, but I'll then use the pump to flow water to the sinks, toilet and outside shower. Owners: What have I missed?

The OTT Sales, Delivery Team and Service staff are all very helpful, and I give them high marks. However, I suspect that most prospective OTT Owners spent far more time here on this Forum getting the info they need and want. I know this to be the case for me last winter and spring. This forum and the "Oliver University" (Located under the Travel Trailers tab), provided answers to my questions that can't possibly be covered in a brochure or sales web site. The OTT forum is graced to have eight designated "Moderators", and several hundred owners that give their time to share experiences and knowledge from an owner's perspective. None of us get paid to do so, it is simply the nature of our owners to willingly want to help out new and future owners. In one respect, I think that the owners take as much pride in our trailers as does the OTT team does in making them. To this owner, one of the aspects of the OTT Forum that is most valuable is the depth of experience that our fellow owners have. We may not all agree on everything, but odds are the person asking the question, and many of us newer owners as well, will get several wise and usable responses to a question. In reality, to just about any question imaginable. I know that this has been my experience and hope that it is yours as well. So, welcome to our forum and ask away. I think you will be amazed!

@ John D: I like your set-up. High and tight, out of the mud and not underfoot. With the gauge at the trailer, it also pretty much guarantees that you will not accidentally leave it on the faucet when you depart!

I hook mine onto the side of the tongue box. Keeps everything clean and costs nothing. Speaking of "Pig Tail" style safety cables..... I really do NOT like them. They are a PITA to connect and worse than a PITA to disconnect. They were designed for people that pull their trailer with a host of different TV set-ups. Which for my one trailer one TV situation is totally not necessary. Chains are made to be cut to proper length. When so cut, they do not drag in the dirt and are easy to connect and remove. I bought a trailer with chains, but got a trailer with pig tail cables. It was not an upgrade in my eyes. Can I swap mine for chains PLEASE?

Now that was a nice Christmas Gift.

@Mainiac: Even if the pump was left on during winterization, I suspect that the impact would have been minimal as surely we all disconnect the trailer batteries to isolate them from any trailer electrical draw during the winter. As most, I then hook up a battery maintainer to the isolated battery bank in the trailer battery drawer.

Mike: I purchased the same SUPER magnet catches. I am amazed at the holding power and thought they would warp the door frame. Can you expand on the "Stick On Bumper's" you used? Thanks!

@ HOBO: Welcome to our Forum! You may want to fill in some info in your Profile, such as your tow vehicle and which Oliver you are purchasing. IF you don't have a pick-up style tow vehicle (TV), then you are most likely going to want to carry your grill in/on your Oliver. If that is the case for transporting your grill, four options come to my mind: Jerry rig a mount for it on the bumper (Ugly), the rear storage compartment, in the trailer tongue box or get creative with another option. You will find that very quickly you will fill up your rear storage space with items that need to go there (Search: "Milk Crate" or "buckets"). The front tongue storage "box" for owners that have not yet converted their TV to a pick-up, generally use the front box for muddy things such as "dunage" or "Chocks" (Lots of discussions on those two topics can be searched), maybe their "generator" (Another great Forum topic to search), or possibly a 2 1/2 gallon "gas can" should you be a boondocker or not have a mega gas tank in your TV. And some of us use the front tow box for all of those items. Problem is that most of the popular grills take up more space than is available to those owners that don't have a pick-up style TV's. I quickly found that the obvious spaces get filled with other higher priority things, or take up space (Front storage box) that is needed by things that get messy. I am now thinking of a grill that can be put into a storage case and sat on the floor of the bathroom for transport! That way if it "leaks", the impact and clean-up would be contained and easy to deal with. I would be very interested in hearing what other creative ideas our Owners have come up with for their grills. Should this be your situation, I recommend that you not "pre-buy" a grill, but wait until you shake out the storage spaces first. Then buy a grill that is sized to fit the place you plan on transporting and storing it. Sort of a "Measure twice and buy the grill once" approach.

@ Hobo: To search you first must log in. Then go to Forums/Recent Topics. There is a bar just below the words "Recent Topics". Enter in your search string. Try: "Outdoor propane grill and griddle recommendations". It will lead you to a robust discussion of this topic. The Search function of our Forum is a great resource. I use it all the time!

In addition to all of the above, we use it to provide ventilation to feed the Max Fan. Definitely needed. That said, I like Bill's suggestion that it should be tinted to match the other windows.

I bet combining the above would be fun and work best: String a set of LED lights in a tree by your neighbor's trailer. Hang the lights in a circle around a bug zapper, plugged into your neighbor's outdoor outlet. While wearing full dark cammo, it would be fun to watch in the dark under the cover of the Oliver Shade, armed with a "Lawn and Garden" Bug-A-Salt adapted with night vision sights. So that my wife can have some fun, we would need an Elucto Electric Bug Zapper hot wired to two 9V (in parallel of course) for any bugs that were blind and unlucky to wander into our Bug Controlled Airspace. Once our batteries run out, we would retreat into Ollie, open wide the window that we had converted the screen to "Mosquito No-see-um Netting" and turn on the Ollie Flying Pest Capture System (AKA, the MaxFan). After a few minutes, we give the flying bug collection trapped on the MaxFan screen a few spritz of 90% rubbing alcohol to dispatch them directly to Bug Valhalla. LOL!!!

I would first try placing a small piece of light translucent film/tape over the LED light sources that offend. If one does not darken it enough, add a second over it. Much easier than film/painting the cabinet doors.

Gary: Very creative solution. I think this combined with John D's mud/rock flap modifications would be a wise investment before our Alaska trip. Now for more than a few questions: Where did you find the closed cell foam? How thick is it, how much of it should we purchase? How many rolls of the special duct tap did you require? How long did it take you to protect your Ollie? About what did the materials cost for the effort? Thank you.

@John D: You are right about the Python Cable Locks. They are junk. Product Review: What do you think of carrying a length of logging chain and two security locks? Where added security is needed, park Ollie's tongue near a suitable tree, rock or table. Lock one of the chain to this site anchor, and run the chain to Ollie's frame.

Frank C: Don't forget two buckets for washing Ollie!

Interesting specifications. I would be concerned pulling an Ollie E2 with only 260 lf-ft and a 20 gallon tank. Hopefully the diesel version will remedy these low numbers.

What a great way to score some Father/Daughter time!

Frank: I have a SUV TV so my storage for "stuff" pretty much has to be in Ollie. As such, I took great care on what I carry and selecting storage containers for the hold that I can use for multiple purposes. Milk crates are less valueable on the road for most needs. Also, the 6 gallon ones are often too heavy to move when out of reach in the back storage hold. As such, I use only one "4 gallon" milk crate for the very heavy items in the hold. It is placed in the far back of the rear storage area. I also have one in the back of my TV. As suggested by Phil at OTT, the Fortiflex 20 QU FB-120 Bucket works perfectly in the Ollie hold. I highly recommend getting them at the Tractor Supply Company, 608 EAST MAIN ST, Hohenwald, TN 38462, 931-796-2528 Store #1346) after you pick up your Ollie. Be sure to get the Fortiflex buckets with the FLAT BACK. They are designed as a feed bucket that can be hung a wall. That flat section allows you to dense pack several of these buckets very efficiently in the hold. When I arrived at tractor supply, they very graciously allowed me to bring outside to Ollie some of their 20 qt and 8 quart Fortiflex buckets. I went with a mix for flexibility. I recommend getting buckets sized for different contents and sized to fit in the hold. For example I have a large blue one for my garden hoses, water filter and the collection of clean water related fittings you will end up with. I have a red large one for the Furion electrical cord, and a 27 foot 12 GA 20 amp extension cord coiled up. In this red bucket I also have all the electrical connectors you will end up with. I have two stacking 8 quart buckets for washing Ollie. Stacked they fit in the hold, and I use them for the cleaning supplies you will end up with. Granted the milk crate works great for my heavy stuff (Bearing supplies, spare brake pads, sockets, ratchet etc.), but the cords, hoses and cleaning/waxing supplies work best for me in the Fortiflex's. Hence I recommend more buckets and less milk crates. (Note: You will want two buckets for washing Ollie.) The pearl is to go to Tractor Supply with your stuff you want to store in the hold. Then play with their buckets to see what works for you best. Also suggested is getting a Home Depot/Lowes trash picking up wand before going to Tractor Supply. This tool has a gripper on one end and a long handle. The gripper works well to get the milk crate that I keep at the far end of the storage area. It also works OK on the bucket rims as well. It would be very handy to have while you are at Tractor Supply playing with your buckets. :-) I hope some of the above helps.

Gary: Really helpful info! Thank you. Which Mr Buddy Heater did you use? How did you get the propane to it? Where in the trailer did you park your Mr. Buddy for overnight use? I assume, maybe correctly, that you used the Oliver on-board furnace, and only used the Mr. Buddy when it failed. Is this correct? Thank you,

Amazon.com: Maxtrax MTX02FJRMAXTRAX MKII Vehicle Recovery and Extraction Device, $299 John D: Thanks for the Maxtrax suggestion. I had seen them in use in Africa, but had put it way deep in the memory bank. Will they fit sideways in the back of your LC? If not, where do you transport them? Thank you once again,

Kathryn and Chad: I agree with JD on the top off road/durable SUV if cost is not an issue is the LC 200. But the new Land Cruisers are really expensive. There are some available in the used market, but because they are so so strongly sought after by the off-road users, even the used LC's are very pricey. I looked at the LC as my first choice, as they really are designed to be durable and reliable for 20+ years. But the availability and cost is an issue. A good non truck TV fall back is the Toyota Sequoia. I use an ancient one (2005) as my TV. Unfortunately, (as advised before buying my Ollie Elite II by JD), the high speed rear end and the small 4.7L engine just would not cut the mustard in the mountains. He was spot on. If you look at the Sequoia's, be sure to get the 5.7L engine, 4WD with towing axles. The extra 100 lf-ft of torque of the 5.7 vs the 4.7L is a tremendous advantage over mine. Due to the age and mileage on my TV, I am looking at vehicles that are both durable, and powerful. I think that the F250 would be the best long haul TV, but finances may drive me to a used Sequoia that was set up as a tow vehicle. The Toyota forum is hinting that they will be bringing out a new updated Sequoia in the next year. That likely will reduce the cost of the used ones that will be put on the market as trade in's for new ones. Just something to consider. One key factor is how many passengers you need to carry. If it is just the two of you, then maybe a standard cab F250 may be a very reliable and safe selection, but not have the length issues you are concerned about. If an SUV is desired with its greater passenger room, then the Land Cruiser (Best)/Sequoia (Good) are options to at least look into. What ever way you go, it is very important that you get towing axles, not the high speed ones... especially if the primary purpose of the vehicle will be towing your Ollie Elite II. Geronimo John