Rivernerd

I found grease guns messy and frustrating too, until I bought a Lock-N-Lube spring-loaded grease gun tip. Expensive, but worth it for me when greasing about 30 zerks on my small tractor. https://locknlube.com/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIgcmI1PjK9wIVTsLCBB1yzA0JEAAYASAAEgJIGPD_BwE

There are pros and cons to the Nev-R-Lube bearings. John Davies posted this concern on another thread: "FYI a replacement Nev-R-Lube bearing assembly itself is extraordinarily expensive and it may require a hydraulic press to install it. So in the event of a failure you will need a tow and a professional automotive or machine shop to fix it - unlike a regular bearing design that can be replaced by a skilled owner with hand tools. A tow will be covered by your roadside assistance insurance, but down time and mental anguish will be high and the shop will charge maybe $100 for labor. You can buy a mechanical puller and do it if you feel capable. Most owners would not be…. http://www.dexterpartsonline.com/files/2036913/uploaded/Nev-R-Lube Bearings.pdf If the failure is catastrophic, it will trash your brake and perhaps your axle. If you camp in the West in remote areas, the NevR Lube bearings are a huge liability. Some RV shops won’t work on them. They DO fail. If you get this kind of axle, buy and carry a spare bearing, because the parts are not commonly found everywhere. The only way I would want this setup is with disk brakes that have slip on rotors. That way you can carry a complete spare hub assembly and change it yourself in half an hour, and then get the failed bearing replaced at your leisure. Google “Nev-R-Lube bearing failure”. PS, don’t overload your axles. Do use a TPMS so you will get a heat warning in time. John Davies Spokane WA" Our 2022 Elite II will have Nev-R-Lube axles. I plan to follow John's advice and carry a couple of spare bearings, so even if I must have the trailer towed to a nearby shop for repairs if I have a failure on the road, I will have the necessary bearings in hand to expedite the repair process.

Seeing one that "lives" in Garden Valley, Idaho convinced us to place our order. According to our Oliver salesperson, there are several Olivers owned by Idaho residents, in addition to the one in Garden Valley (where we live). There are a couple in the Boise, Nampa area. And, I know of at least one at lot closer to Moscow, in Spokane. There is no substitute for seeing, touching and walking through one. I recommend you coordinate with your Oliver salesperson, and make the trip. But, promise me you won't sue the owner if you take a fall! Oliver doesn't "backstop" owners who show their Olivers in the rare, but possible, event of an injury during the showing. This was discussed in an earlier thread on this forum, causing some to opt out of the "show your Oliver" program. Just be careful, and make the decision that you will return the courtesy of showing you the trailer by taking responsibility for your own safety.

Agreed. We plan to have insurance coverage in place the very day we pick up our Elite II. We won't leave home without it.

FWIW, my raft trailer has the EZ Lube grease caps because it has an EZ Lube axle. I have never had one of the "huge rubber plugs" in the center get lost or fail, even though I take my raft trailer on much rougher roads, to wilderness rivers, than I ever plan to take my Oliver on. Given that experience, and the comments in this thread, I plan to buy a set of the EZ Lube grease caps to keep as spares for our Elite II once we pick it up.

Please forgive what may be a stupid question. But what is to be gained by disconnecting the solar panels when the Ollie is parked in a garage with only windows? There should be very little power generated by solar panels receiving no direct sunlight. What am I missing?

Jason Essary yesterday posted an updated Rev. 7 Lithionics Storage Procedure. It advises that there is no need to remove the larger 315Ah battery (that comes with the Lithium Platinum Package) from the trailer for winter storage, because it has an internal heater. But, the Rev. 7 storage procedure for the smaller, 130Ah Lithionics batteries, that come with the Lithium Pro Package, still recommends removing the batteries from the trailer, storing them in a temperature-controlled environment and following the periodic charge/discharge procedure for winter storage. I infer this is because, unlike the 315Ah, the 130Ah battery does not have an internal heater. So, do the Lithionics 130Ah batteries installed by Oliver with the Lithium Pro Package still "come with a heating pad underneath the batteries" that is switched in the battery compartment? If so, as long as the trailer is connected to shore power over the winter (to avoid depleting the batteries when powering the DC heating pad), wouldn't that external heating pad thermally protect those 130Ah batteries, and obviate the need to remove them, store them in a temperature-controlled environment and follow the charge/discharge protocol specified in the new Rev. 7 Lithionics Storage Procedure? I ask because my wife and I have an Elite II on order with the Lithium Pro Package, and we live in the central Idaho mountains with harsh winters. The shed where we will store the Oliver has a 30A receptacle with which I can provide shore power all winter. I would like to avoid the annual removal/storage/charge/discharge maintenance procedure if I can.

I am with John Davies; I prefer quality pleated paper air filers. But, your anecdotal report piqued my interest. It is my understanding that today's engines have many sensors and onboard computers which adjust engine performance in response to changing conditions. Could your experience last year over the [spectacular] North Cascades Highway have resulted from your 4 Runner engine's response to the different air flow characteristics of the paper filter?

Yes, in my case.

Nope. No Virtual Private Network at our home.

FWIW, I get the same message every time I log in after rebooting my desktop PC. I thought it was a Windows quirk, as I also get similar messages from Google after logging in following a reboot. Could be a setting on my computer I don't know how to adjust?

Is targeted marketing of commercial services allowed on this forum?

By the phrase "type of battery" in the above-quoted comment, I meant lead acid type, as opposed to lithium type, not car-type lead acid vs. deep cycle lead acid. All lead acid batteries, even deep cycle ones, are beyond their useful life at 7 years. "Most deep cycle batteries can last up to six years with proper care and charging (depending on the frequency of use). " https://www.mkbattery.com/blog/how-extend-deep-cycle-battery-life

Regardless of whether the furnace runs on another set of batteries or not, you should replace your 7-year-old wet cell batteries. They are the same type of battery used on most cars and trucks. I have never gotten as much as 7 years out of such a battery without failure. Of course, the failure usually occurs in cold conditions, consistent with your report. With regard to your 12.7V readings, old lead acid batteries sometimes give unreliable readings. I expect new batteries will solve your issue.

Any travel trailer is going to leak at some point, because roof penetrations are unavoidable. The more critical question is: "What will get damaged when a leak occurs?" We have an Elite II on order precisely because we are concerned about water damage inside the trailer. My wife and I were persuaded by the Oliver double-hull design, complete with scupper holes in the bottom hull to allow any water that gets between the two hulls to drain out. We also like that there is little wood inside the trailer (just the galley cabinet) to be water damaged. We considered an Airstream, but were not interested in the plywood subfloors still used on many models, along with the much more extensive use of wood inside the trailer. Like all trailers, Airstreams have roof penetrations for AC, fan, vents, etc., so leaks will eventually develop. Once wood products behind walls get wet, they will develop mold and rot. Google "replacing an Airstream subfloor" to find out how many Airstream owners have gotten to deal with mold and rot in their subfloors. No thanks. Check out forums for other travel trailers, and you will find hundreds of horror stories about water damage resulting in rot and mold in the mass-produced "stick and staple" trailers. You will also learn that post-sale customer service from those companies falls far below the high standard set by Oliver's outstanding Customer Service Department. The results of our research persuaded us that if potential water damage, including avoidance of mold and rot, is a top priority the Oliver is an excellent choice.

According to Jason Essary in his 2021 Full Delivery Walkthrough video, no. He explains that all circuits in the trailer are protected by the GFCI under the dinette seat, except the refrigerator circuit.

John Davies, your tutorial is excellent, as usual. As one with an Elite II on order, I asked my Oliver sales rep about the non-GFCI refrigerator receptacle. I was advised that it meets "RVIA standards," but was also told that Oliver engineering would take another look at the issue. I expect those RVIA standards are the minimums, such as for run-of-the-mill "stick and staple" trailers. IMHO, premium-priced trailers like the Oliver should do more than the minimum, particularly when it comes to safety. I note that a GFCI refrigerator receptacle could be problematic. It would be a PITA to pull the drawers and remove the access panel every time there is a nuisance trip. John Davies' hard-wired, waterproof j-box avoids this issue. If our Elite II comes with the same non-GFCI receptacle with standard plug that has been used for years, I have a different solution in mind: replace the breaker for that circuit with a GFCI breaker. More expensive than John Davies' solution, but much less work to implement. As an alternative, BillATX could replace his loose receptacle with one of the newer tamper-resistant ones, which I find hold plugs almost too well, then also replace the breaker with a GFCI breaker. I expect that would entail less work reaching through between the drawer supports, which sound terribly uncomfortable to my bad back.....

Makes me wonder if the refrigerator receptacle is GFCI protected, like other 120V receptacles in the trailer. Does anyone know? If it is, then the NEC may allow it to be located in a potentially wet area, like a receptacle next to a bathroom sink. I hope you don't mind my answering my own question. Watching the 2021 Legacy Elite II Full Delivery video again today, I was struck by this statement by Jason Essary at 52:07-52:14: "Here at the front dinette we have the GFCI. All other outlets in the camper do route through this, except for the outlet for the refrigerator." (Italics added). So, unless the outlet for the refrigerator is a GFCI, it is not GFCI protected! IMHO, it surely should be in that potentially wet location. Does anyone know if that refrigerator outlet is, in fact, a GFCI?

When you call Oliver's Service Department, see if they can tell you which brand of faucet was installed in your specific Hull #. I presumed it was a Delta with the blue clip because I saw the blue clip in the Townesw photo. But your new photo demonstrates that the two connections are not the same. Even Delta uses different clips for different faucet models, like the black one pictured here: https://www.amazon.com/Delta-Faucet-RP32522-Quick-Connect-Clip/dp/B000UB9U96/ref=asc_df_B000UB9U96/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=167155689281&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=14985865155053231365&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9029558&hvtargid=pla-273474638602&psc=1 In addition to the "blue clip" models, I have also installed Delta faucets with this kind of black clip. Maybe Oliver Service can send you in the right direction? This incident, and the one referenced by Corvus above make me wonder if Oliver has installed some kitchen faucets that don't come with a clip, and thus the failures? You might ask them about this. If yours was a "clipless" faucet that failed maybe they would send you a replacement without charge? I would also invest in a water sensor, like the one listed by Sakthorp, above. I plan to place one of those under the kitchen sink in the new Elite II we are picking up in the fall! If you go the tape route, I recommend Gorilla tape, cut into 1/2" strips and tightly spiral wrapped, over duct tape. If you can't find a clip that fits, and you do end up taping to get you through your trip to Utah, I recommend you replace the faucet with one that includes the clip after you get home. Hope this helps! Good luck! And, please report back with what you learn from Oliver Service.

I reported the performance of our Tundra on downhill grades with a trailer in response to your reference to engine braking and hill-assist features. We bought our 2019 Tundra before we decided to buy a travel trailer. Since we own it, we plan to use it to tow the Elite II, but with an Andersen WD hitch because the Tundra doesn't weight much more than the Elite II. If we were now in the market for a tow vehicle for the Elite II, we would likely swallow hard (knowing we are giving up some reliability), and go for a 3/4 ton GMC 2500 or 3500 with the 6.6L gas engine and trailer package. Why? (1) Toyota does not offer a 3/4 ton pickup, yet a 3/4 ton provides a larger safety margin towing an Elite II; (2) our local mechanic has a low opinion of the reliability of Dodge pickups; (3) diesel fumes nauseate my wife and (4) Ford does not offer a Double Cab, which we prefer over either an extended cab or crew cab. So, we concur with your leaning: get a 3/4 ton for safety, even though it will not be a Toyota.

Does anyone know? Makes me wonder if the refrigerator receptacle is GFCI protected, like other 120V receptacles in the trailer. Does anyone know? If it is, then the NEC may allow it to be located in a potentially wet area, like a receptacle next to a bathroom sink.

Yes. It is on my long list of things to check at the factory. I also plan to test the water systems, both with "city" water and from the fresh water tank while at the Oliver campsite, then pull the drawers under the sink again to verify no leaks before we leave Hohenwald.

The photos tell the story; thanks for those. The "black water line" you reference connects the two parts of the hose that supply water to the pull-out part of the faucet. The two parts are designed to "click" together and be water tight, held together by a clip that is usually blue. Can you find the clip? If so, I recommend you try pushing the two parts together, then secure them with the clip. If you hear a (very satisfying) click, and the clip seems secure, then run water through the faucet and into the sink, then verify there is no leak at that joint. If it doesn't leak, I'd leave the drawers out for a couple of days to let it dry out, aided by a fan, then test each day to be sure there is no further leakage. If it leaks, or if the clip is AWOL, I would replace the faucet with any standard faucet from Home Depot or Lowes. Replacing the plywood is a major project. I don't yet own an Oliver, so I don't know what supports the plywood in that area, and therefore what would be required to cut the water-damaged wood back to a "joist" that could support a replacement piece. I hope someone with an Oliver can chime in here. But, proper replacement of the plywood might require removal of the entire cabinet under the sink, including drawer glides, etc., cutting out the rotted part, then patching in a new piece, replacing the cabinet, etc. Uggghh. Before committing to that route, I would allow the area to thoroughly dry for several days, aided by a small fan. I would then scrub down the entire damaged area with a 10/1 water/bleach solution (90% water, 10% bleach) and let it dry aided by a fan. I would then scrub it a second time with the water bleach solution, rinse it with clean water, then let it dry again, with a fan. If done thoroughly, that should kill the mold and mildew. I would then apply 2 coats of a mold and mildew-killing primer. Kilz and Zinsser are common brands. https://www.homedepot.com/p/KILZ-Mold-and-Mildew-1-qt-White-Water-Based-Interior-and-Exterior-Primer-Sealer-and-Stain-Blocker-L204604/308880646?source=shoppingads&locale=en-US&pla&mtc=Shopping-BF-F_D24-G-D24-024_022_PRIMERS-Multi-NA-NA-LIA-NA-NA-FY21_Multi_LIA&cm_mmc=Shopping-BF-F_D24-G-D24-024_022_PRIMERS-Multi-NA-NA-LIA-NA-NA-FY21_Multi_LIA-71700000075826637-58700006498654198-92700058683659541&gclid=Cj0KCQjw29CRBhCUARIsAOboZbKRQh3-hFhcRWkMTa0atxXTbXPq-07ksX-WbroktVhk_ID8pcc3WMoaAqekEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds After the paint is dry, I would cut and screw a piece of 1/4" hardboard (a/k/a Masonite) over the top of the entire accessible part of the water-damaged, but now treated and primed, plywood. If 1/4" interferes with the bottom drawer glide, try a piece of 1/8" hardboard instead. Out of an abundance of caution, I would then prime and paint the entire affected area, including the new hardboard, with two coats of a shellac-based primer. Below is a link to one option: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Zinsser-1-qt-B-I-N-Shellac-Based-White-Interior-Primer-and-Sealer-00904/100398380?source=shoppingads&locale=en-US&pla&mtc=Shopping-BF-F_D24-G-D24-024_022_PRIMERS-Multi-NA-NA-LIA-NA-NA-FY21_Multi_LIA&cm_mmc=Shopping-BF-F_D24-G-D24-024_022_PRIMERS-Multi-NA-NA-LIA-NA-NA-FY21_Multi_LIA-71700000075826637-58700006498654198-92700058683659541&gclid=EAIaIQobChMInKuf5ZzR9gIVeh6tBh3-CAT8EAQYAyABEgKNZfD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds The shellac-based primer will help prevent mold, mildew and dry rot should you have another leak. It will also add another sealing layer, and leave the finished assembly almost as good as the original. It is lots of work, and will require many days of dry and wait time. But if it were my trailer, I would choose that route over tearing out and rebuilding the floor under the galley. So much more can go wrong with that kind of rebuild..... Good luck!

I have owned a Tundra with 5.7L V8, 6-speed auto transmission and trailer package since 2008. First a 2008, and now a 2019. They both have the "Select Shift" feature ("S" on the gear display below the "D") which allows you to manually control the transmission with a thumb wheel on the gearshift lever. I have towed several different trailers ranging from 3K lbs. to 6K lbs., sometimes with passengers and a loaded pickup bed, up and down the mountains of Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana during those 14 years. I have been able to sufficiently control my speed with the thumb wheel going down steep hills, being pushed by the trailer, that I rarely have had to engage the brakes. One of the reasons we bought the 2019 Tundra when the 2008 got old (in addition to our love of Toyota reliability) is this feature. I find it remarkably useful when towing in the mountains.

Oops! I presumed you were referring to the Elite II. If it is any consolation, I'll bet the redesigned 2023 Elite will cost a lot more than your 2022...