Jump to content

herm

Members
  • Posts

    144
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Posts posted by herm

  1. I haven't had any monitor problems yet, but I find it annoying that water pump starts sucking air with 13-19% water remaining in the tank (with the trailer level). I assume tipping the trailer back allows you to pump the tank empty. Not really a problem...just an observation.

     

    Usually if the tank monitor fails it's due to "debris" on the sensors; however, since you're also having problems with the other functions on the panel, it may be something else. You should know that the battery level reading is not terribly accurate to being with, and I don't consider the readings meaningful unless I haven't been applying a charge or a load to the battery for a several hours. I believe a completely dead battery will display 11.7 volts, but I've never let the battery run down below about 12.2 (which I'm guessing is around 50% charge).

     

    I know this doesn't really answer your questions, but I'm sure others will chime in.

     

    Herm

  2. DougI,

     

    I could be wrong, but I think there is some sort of mechanical adjustment that can be made inside the thermostat. If I remember to take a look at it this weekend and learn anything, I'll let you know. Or, maybe someone else has already checked into this?

     

    Herm

  3. I don't have a macerator, but I concur with others that the safest thing is to pour straight RV antifreeze (-50F is typical) into your empty black tank (I don't recommend grey because I find it's harder to ensure that it's completely empty), and pump it out with the macerator. I assume we're talking about just riding out a short-term cold snap in the 20's, where the rest of your plumbing is probably safe in a heated trailer.

     

    Anything colder, or if the trailer is not being heated, I would do a full winterization of the plumbing. I provided instructions in a topic a year ago, if you want to see how I do it. In fact, being that it's 30F right now and lows around 30F for the next three nights (and few degrees colder in the suburbs), I'm considering winterizing this weekend. Another camping season has come to an end. :cry:

  4. Just to add to Sherry's comments about the axle comparisons Paul & I made on Monday, it sounds like the defective axles were manufactured with way too much camber. And the replacement axles are likely the same product, just built with the proper (minimal) amount of camber. That's my understanding at this point.

     

    Our two trailers did in fact have the same axle product numbers; however, there was a subtle difference in wheel camber. Seadawg's tires met the pavement perfectly square, while mine are slightly leaning out at the top. Since the trailers weren't sitting side by side, it was difficult to compare axle camber in a meaningful way, but it appeared to me that Seadawy's axle was just a tad straighter.

     

    It seems that I don't have anywhere near the amount of excessive camber that those with blown or unevenly worn tires have experienced. And it's entirely possible that my axle is within an acceptable range of camber. Only time will tell, and thanks to everyone here, I know what to watch for.

     

    Herm

  5. Seadawg, we thoroughly enjoyed your visit as well. But, "grillmeister" is a bit of an exaggeration...seems that the size of the grill really fooled you.

     

    We've heard a lot of good things about Asheville, but have never been there. If the timing works out, we might join your little rally.

     

    Herm

  6. Pam, I've got #38, and it has the original axle. I don't have unusual tire wear after about 2400 miles, and it's not obvious to me whether or not the amount of camber is within tolerances. When I pointed out the axle camber to my local dealer a few weeks ago, he seemed to think it looked "normal". I may need to get in touch with Oliver in order to determine whether I have an issue or not.

     

    I will say that my axle appears to be symmetrical, with equal camber on both wheels. It sort of sounds like the defective ones had excessive camber on only the curbside hub. If I'm reading things correctly, it also sounds like the replacement axles aren't exactly straight, but rather have a very minimal amount of arch/camber to them, which could possibly appear straight once installed on a loaded trailer?

     

    Herm

  7. I have to admit, I'm wondering if the cambered/'kinked' axle is going to cause problems for me in the future too. Even when fully loaded, the camber doesn't flatten out, and that concerns me a little. I was led to believe by another forum member that the problem was a defective axle, not an improperly speced axle. This is the first time I've heard that the replacement axle is a straight axle. I'd be curious to know if it carries the same 5,200 lb. rating as the original one.

     

    Herm

  8. I'm not saying what I'm using is the "best", but I've been using the Camco products because it is readily available locally and is formaldehyde free. I believe there are even more environmentally-friendly methods out there, but I haven't tried them yet.

     

    Even though the Camco green TST has some coconut oil lubricant in it, I have also added the straight coconut oil separately once just for preventative maintenance. I can't say it was necessary, but I don't think it can hurt.

     

    Herm

  9. Gail,

     

    Your idea of disconnecting the battery between trips is a good one, since you don't have access to shore power. I try not to leave mine unplugged for more than 1-2 weeks max, as the voltage will have dropped to 12.4 by that time. Letting the batteries go completely dead is bad and will shorten their life. The only other option I can think of would be to connect a small, portable solar panel (if you have it stored in a secure outdoor area) to compensate for the continuous draws.

     

    Herm

  10. Well, I'm happy to hear that the handling of the trailer with a blown tire is not as horrible as I would have imagined. It seems that the only explaination for the nearly 2 blowouts is defective tires, so naturally it would have been nice to establish exactly what they were. I too was a bit leary of the chinese made BCT's, which were the standard tires at the time, but they've served me well so far. Thanks to JuniorBirdMan, I now know they will survive the Texas heat too.

     

    When getting hub temps, are you just measuring crome cap that covers the actual hub? I've always wanted to get one of those infrared thermometers, but never had a legitimate need for one. Now I do!

     

    Herm

  11. Thanks for sharing your experience, DCK. I too would love to know what brand/model tire is was that blew out. I haven't had any problems with my BCT load range D tires, but I don't think they've ever seen 100 degree temps yet. Since I've never experienced a blow out before, I'd be curious to know how difficult it was to bring the trailer to a stop (and from what speed).

     

    Herm

  12. I don't have the Oliver documents handy, but I believe the one-year warranty is bumper-to-bumper(tongue). So, not only do you have individual warranties for the various products, but also for the entire trailer itself. Personally, I don't think you should be penalized because certain work is more difficult than on a "standard" trailer - that's not your fault. I'd give Robert a call and see if they'd reimburse you.

     

    I'm a little alarmed to read that it might be necessary to remove the shower wall to replace a refrigerator! I hope that's not true. Anyone know for sure?

     

    Herm

  13. I'm happy to hear so many of you have had such great sevice on your trips to Hohenwald. I'm tempted to make a trip down there for a pre-one-year inspection, though it would have to conincide with other travel plans to be feasible/practical. We'll see how the rest of the summer goes.

     

    Jerry, I'm curious why you removed the roof antenna, as we have had decent results with ours (Windgard RS-1500). Are you using something else now?

     

    Herm

  14. Sherry, you've have to let us know if/when you pass through the Twin Cities...it would be great to meet the two of you.

     

    As for our own plans, being that we're heading into the nicest part of the year here, we don't expect to travel far. Maybe we'll do something longer-range in the fall.

     

    Herm

  15. I enjoyed reading all the comments from those that have spent some serious time in their Olivers...a lot more time than me. In general, I agree with much that has been said. Here are my comments (though you'll have to take them with a grain of salt, being that ours is barely broken in):

     

    Cabinet Doors: I too have had some problems in this area. It seems like there's too much play between the doors and the track guides, allowing the doors to jump out of their tracks. But perhaps that's better than the alternative which is that you can't remove them at all without great difficulty, as others have reported.

     

    Hot Water Switch and Water Pump Switch: Yes, having these incorporated into a single panel along with the monitoring panel would be fabulous and look much more professional.

     

    Propane Gauge: Frankly, I'm more than satisfied with the semi-transparent tanks. Yes, that means I need to lift the cover to check the level, but that's good enough for me. It would be nice if the SeaLevel panel was integrated somehow, but I wouldn't give up the fiberglass tanks to make that happen.

     

    Battery Compartment Size: Camping with a dog means we really need the outside shower. Even though she's just a little schnauzer, she can get awful dirty in a hurry. Plus, we don't camp off-grid too often (right now, anyway).

     

    Battery Door & Propane Cover: I too would love the ability to lock these areas, whether legal or not. It just seems like common sense, especially considering the cost of the items inside.

     

    Excessive T-stats: Yes, I wish I had less. I am having trouble with my current A/C t-stat, and along with fixing this issue my local dealer is investigating the possibility of tying in the furnace too. If it works, I'll report back. At least that would eliminate 1 of the 3 (I also have a MaxxFan t-stat).

     

    Int./Ext. Switches: Yes, having the lighting seperated in this fashion would be nice, especially considering there are 2 spare switches on the panel that are currently unused. Depending on how much work is involved, I may try to do this mod in the future.

     

    Door Window Curtain: Yes, it's certainly needed and should be a standard furnishing as you suggest.

     

    Tow Hooks: My biggest problem with the threaded links is that when opened, they barely fit around my hitch loops. I have to wiggle them on and take power-coated paint with it every time. I have the spring-loaded variety on our boat trailer, and they seem to be a safe solution too and definitely quicker to install/remove.

     

    Manual: Other than the winterization section (which was previously discussed as needing more detail), I have not needed to consult the Oliver owner's manual. I too would appreciate having some schematics for future mods.

     

    Other Items: I agree that a 225/75R15 spare should be on the list for improvements on future models. I suspect in the early models, all 3 tires did match. It's probably just that the spare cover hasn't caught up to the other running gear changes yet. I could do some more nit-picking over minor fit/finish items, but I don't want to send the wrong message about how we feel about the Oliver. In general, we are very happy and there's really no other trailer on the market that compares. Plus, it's sort of cool to have something unique and rare (at least for now).

     

    Herm

  16. I just want to say that I am very happy with the MaxxFan (see link in first post) we had installed on our Oliver. I'm sure none of the current owners would want to replace their existing Fantastic fans, but the MaxxFAn is an all-in-one solution that works (and looks) great. The only problem I've noticed is that I need to provide a generous amount of air intake while running the fan at the lowest speed settting; othewise, I get an annoying reverberation (harmonic resonation?) noise. The largest drawback, as has been said earlier, is that it consumes a bit more power.

     

    Herm

  17. I also remove the shelf for travel, largely because of the way I secure the TV, using a cushion on top of the table to stabilize it somewhat. I still need to come up with a better solution, but that's a whole 'nother discussion. I've been throwing the shelf and the table leg in the closet, but I like mountainborn's idea to put it under the seat...something I never even considered. I might be a little worried about breaking something down there, but it's good to know that it does in fact fit down there.

     

    Herm

  18. Cherie & Chris,

     

    I sympathize with your frustration over this issue. Fortunately, this appears to be an isolated case, unless there are others afraid to speak up. I have not seen any water in my Oliver, even when the entire roof was covered in snow and started to melt sometime in March. But outside of the bath fan and plumbing vent, we don't share any rooftop equipment in common. Any attempt to help you diagnose the problem would be pure speculation, so I'd rather not do that. I'm sure there's nothing I could add that you haven't already considered yourselves.

     

    However, if I were in this situation and needed to pinpoint the source of a leak, I would start by performing a hose-stream test over specific areas of the roof. For example, to test the vent fan, I would tarp off areas to either side of the fan (making sure the edge of the tarp or plastic sheeting was watertight with the roof), and then sprinkle water over the roof with a garden hose. Eventually, you should be able to narrow it down to the source of the leak. Perhaps there's a better way, but that's the first thing that comes to mind.

     

    As to the comment regarding type of caulk/sealant, I really think just about any sealant should hold up one year. More than likely the sealant is missing or poorly installed in just one small area. With all the goodies on your roof, you probably have a lot more penetrations and therefore opportunities for leaks to exist. Have you already checked the wiring penetration for the solar panels yet?

     

    Good luck, and please let us know when you determine the cause.

     

    Herm

  19. Thanks for providing the supporting links, Steve. In light of this, I will err on the side of caution (and perhaps give myself an extra margin of safety) and inflate to the 65psi max. pressure. Also, I should point out that my tires are made by BCT (Beijing Capital Tire), and I could not find any documentation by the mfg. that supports my previous opinion. Thanks to everyone who contributed to the discussion!

     

    As to the issue of curb-side outer-edge wear, hopefully Chris & Cherie will let us know if the increased tire pressure solves anything. Since they are a non-directional tire (at least mine are), one could extend the life by rotating side-to-side...a relatively easy task thanks to the power jacks.

     

    Herm

×
×
  • Create New...