Geronimo John

In my dreams, I would go for this vintage Dodge tug. It may even be able to keep with John D's Super Toyota!

Sherry: Thank you for posting the instructions! Working on mine now. Geronimo John

Mike: One item that Airstream owners hate is hail. I've seen the results of that combination and it was not pretty. This influenced my decision to buy OTT Hull 342. Geronimo John

I purchased for my work four 2018 sprinter vans. Love them. But loaded with the turbo diesel they are certainly not "Over Powered". Be aware that starting with model year 2019, MB has shifted production from Germany to Argentina. My gut says that with any model year change, especially one involving a change of factory, and ESPECIALLY with a change of country..... delay a year or two to allow the bugs to be worked out. The sage advice of going with what is proven is also a key consideration.... especially at $150K. My three recommendations in no particular order would be: Used Toyota Land Cruiser (Big wink to John D.) Used Ford/Ram 250/2500 with diesel Used Nissan Titan with Cummings Diesel For those that would like a less expensive option, the Toyota Sequoia Gen II with the 5.7L would be my choice. You can get into a very nice used one for about $15K. Geronimo John

Thanks John D. I agree. I looked into the turbo/super charger mods and due to cost fell as you do that it is not worth the effort. Basically prior to this summer, I updated all the maintenance items and replaced the rear bearings; so I have quite a bit of time and costs into it. Body is still real good and interior is as well. My 2018 Summer trip is completed with 14,000 miles on the TV and 8,000 on Ollie all in 13 weeks double crossing the USA chasing paragliding sites and competitions. Overall the Sequoia 4.7L managed and ran perfectly with zero problems. At this point on trade, it is only going to fetch $2 or so. Outright sale a bit more I suspect. My strategy is to run it another year (Summer 2019), or until I lose any major component. Thanks again for all the inputs you have been spot on every time. Geronimo John

I am on a very weak internet link, so my apologies if this response gets garbled. I purchased the Telesteps 1600E OSHA Compliant 16 ft Reach Telescoping Extension Ladder via Amazon.com Services, Inc. for $172.31. It is a 12 foot ladder, advertised as a 16 foot reach. I have used it extensively during the past month on a construction site. I am about 240 pounds and have made at least 300 trips up it. It is well made and fits EASILY in my Oliver Elite II closet at the front door. I would buy this ladder again and recommend it for use on our OTT's. Geronimo John

Popcorn Billy and Friends: A good starting point is to verify that the model of truck/SUV you are considering is over rated for the total travel weight you want to pull. Many recommendations on this subject is to use Travel Life tables at: http://www.trailerlife.com/trailer-towing-guides/ I am at the end of an 8,000 mile trip pulling an Oliver Elite II. My Ollie dry weight is 4600 pounds; and wet I am about 5500 pounds. My Toyota Sequoia, 2005 with a 4.7 L engine is rated for 6,000 pounds. After about 7,000 miles I have found that: On the flat land and rolling hills, it has done wonderful. In the mountains, as I was advised by several members, the 4.7 L is too small. So my responses to your question about a vehicle doing long trips pulling a 5,000 pound trailer with a 5,000 pound rated vehicle would be..... Maybe. If no mountains are involved, then sure but be careful and don't hurry. If mountains are involved, I would recommend getting a vehicle with more tow capability. It is not only about power. It is also about stopping and handling. I hope this was helpful. Good luck, and welcome to the best forum in the Travel Trailer Industry! Geronimo John

Question: Why are the black and gray water lines connected to the same discharge? At least if they were separate, we could still drain gray water without major fear of contamination in a serious way that we do every time we do elect to water trees with gray water. Geronimo John

Bill: My 2018 Ollie black water valve leaks until the discharge line is full of sewage. It complicated boon-docking GREATLY as I can not drain gray water when the discharge is contaminated with black water. Any suggestions? Geronimo John

Can anyone tell us what the mfg and model of the telescoping ladder he was using? It looks like it would be a lightweight space saver that could fit in our Ollie LE 2 closet. Thanks Geronimo John

John Davies and All: We are approaching the half way point of my initial Ollie voyage, just hitting the 5,000 mile mark. Just wanted to comment that you were right in stating that I would wish I had the 5.7 Toyota Sequoia motor vice my 4.7 (Unfortunately #1). I do very well in the flats running at the elevated western states posted speed limits. My chunk is the "High Speed" one (Unfortunately #2) and my Sequoia really likes to be run best fast to get the RPM's into the torque band. But when I hit the hills, the torque and HP deficit becomes an issue. Maybe changing the rear end to the towing one would help, but I think an upgrade to a 5.7 version would be a better approach. Any thoughts? Geronimo

Bill: Thanks for the template! SHEETS: I have read many reviews of the "Cot Sheets" being sold on Amazon and frankly the quality of the sheets sold seems to be pretty poor. Does anyone have a good sheet set recommendation in addition to the AB Lifestyles ones listed above? Thanks, Geronimo John

Steve: I was at the factory last week and saw what I believe is your trailer. If so, please PM me. thanks, Geronimo John

http://www.doityourselfrv.com/rv-tire-blowout-tip/ http://www.doityourselfrv.com/rv-tire-blowout-tip/ Thanks Randy! I totally missed the "LINK" meaning. Geronimo John

Drats. It will not let me add a hyper link to the video! GJ. Trying again:

Moderator, this is a tad off topic, but related. Please move it as you deem appropriate. Thanks +++++++++++++++++++++ John and Fellow Owners: Now that I in the TPMS group, I was wondering about current thinking concerning a rapid tire pressure loss event. What are your thoughts about this video? http://www.doityourselfrv.com/rv-tire-blowout-tip/ http://www.doityourselfrv.com/rv-tire-blowout-tip/ Geronimo John

I have owned a Honda EU 2000i generator for years and would run them 14 hours a day all week while on our Lake Powell House Boat two or three weeks a year. In over ten years it has never failed once. For my Ollie (May 2018) I will be getting their new EU2200i. It is 1" longer than the previous and 10% more power. Sadly it cost almost double the cost of the competition. But to me, having an absolutely reliable generator is essential. And having the extra 200 watts gives us options and will not be stressing the generator should we need to do long run A/C use as well.

I can foresee that not having a pick-up truck bed will eventually result in a storage space crunch. So to delay that time, I am trying to be very efficient in what and how much stuff I will load Ollie with. I know that I must have a grease gun and the special red grease that the EZ flex requires. Your very helpful post congers up a couple of thoughts: A. Your post said: "The first time I did it, it took a full 14 oz tube, plus a little more." is important. For the above reasons my preference is to use a small grease gun with the 3 OZ Red Grease tubes. If I have to load up 5 tubes or more of it for the first time, that's probably not real good. So, I have to ask the question: Why would OTT not do the initial grease load up on the EZ Flex while the trailer is at the factory? B. After your initial "cavity fill" of grease, how much grease do you now use per service? (Reason is to get a feeling if I can still use my smaller grease gun after my initial cavity fill.) Thank you for your post. You are the first I have seen to indicate how much grease we will actually need. Since my initial Ollie voyage will be at least 8,000 trailer miles, grease is on my mind. Geronimo John

Mark: what is the status of your 2 5/16" ball request? thanks, Geronimo John

I spent several hours trying to find the 3 Oz tubes for my mini grease gun. THANK YOU for the extra effort and this post.

thank you!

What do you have mounted above the lower access hatches? They look like a pair of long tubes. Thank you, Geronimo John

John D: First, really cool way to avoid deterioration of the under side of the Ollie! A. I assume you are standing off the rubber from the frame with the spacers to avoid corrosion of your steel sub-frame. Correct? B. Scrap used conveyor belting is very available. It is used at airports, warehouses, mining, bulk material yards, equipment rental places and many more. Just look for an conveyor in a yard and you will find the old belts piled up. The former users of it are generally very willing to just give it away. What happens is that it physically gets damaged and they usually replace a lot more than just the damaged section. So there is just about always a lot of good belt sitting there waiting to be cut off. Another quality idea and execution from John D! Thanks, Geronimo John

John D. Very excellent. Are new trailers being modified at the factory before delivery? Thank you, Geronimo John

My TV is a Sequoia. So I need to keep it either in the trailer or in the storage bay below. I'm not yet familiar with the "O" grills. Are you referring to the O Grill 900T made by Pro-Iroda? Thank you, Geronimo John