Jump to content

SeaDawg

Moderators
  • Posts

    9,749
  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    347

Posts posted by SeaDawg

  1. So, it does fold up, right? Most of them I've seen, including build your own, fold up. 

    Our home, our boat, and our Oliver are powered by solar. A solar oven is a natural choice, for many of us. Even if for just perfect days .

    • Like 1
  2. 5 hours ago, Galileo said:

    Yeah, that knucklehead wearing a sweatshirt when it’s 80F is me…. Long pants always.

    As for the road you mention - I got one of this stone guard “mudflaps” looking thing that slides over the hitch ball carrier. Haven’t used it yet…..

    Lightweight long sleeves and pants.

    I'd not think about that road with an Oliver in tow. We did it in a small class c, and it was a b1t#h. No matter the mud/stone guards, any trailer would be tough on that road. No way. , and, we are not perfect day travelers.

    • Like 1
  3. My best advice is long pants, long sleeves, light colors,a hat,  and a high powered fan. I too hate wearing repellant, but I don't often spray my skin, I spray my clothes. So, they stink, not me. A fly_mosquito net can be necessary sometimes.

    At the Arctic circle some years back (def not a recommended road for fiberglass trailers, its a really, really crummy road), we took rapid fire photos trying to get one of us smiling. Not even the dog could smile, with all the mosquitos. We had intended to camp at the freezer campground, but opted to return to fairbanks.

     

    Screenshot_20250302_142216_Chrome.jpg

    • Love 1
    • Wow 2
  4. 2 hours ago, topgun2 said:

    This very issue is what made me delay getting a ceramic coating in the first place.  I had been told that once the first application had worn then the only way to get it renewed was to sand off the first application and start over.  I thought that this just might lead to a "problem" down the road.

    In a rather casual conversation with the CGI guys a couple of years ago they advised me that the coating they used did not have to be totally removed in order to re-coat/re-fresh the finish.

    Bill

    That's interesting.  I'd like to know more about that.

     

    • Like 1
  5. Not always. Sometimes,  wives lead the way. Or, at least help.

    Every couple has different dynamics..

    I care, and watch, learn, and help with planning and procurement. I know others do.

    But, I was oldest (girl) in family, so dad taught me a lot. Learned more as 40 year apprentice engineer, to engineer husband. We work together. 

     

    • Like 3
  6. We are in year 7 or 8 with our agm batteries.  

    Don't rush the change up to lithium, especially if you rarely boondock. When you do boondock, keep the batteries atv70 per centbor better, imo.

    Great customer service from lifeline. You probably had a bad cell in one battery.  Best to replace both, at the same time.

    • Like 2
  7. On 2/1/2025 at 9:54 AM, Sandman said:

    Earlier this week we went camping without shore power. It was sunny every day and the battery charged to 100%. At night, with the inverter on running the TV, Truma furnace and refrigerator, the batteries ran down to 10v in less than 90 minutes. I plugged the  trailer into the 30 amp outlet on my powerboost F150 and recharged, but it ran down again.

    The next day it fully recharged with solar, and that evening it behaved the same (ran down quickly.)

    Have you pulled the batteries, and had them checked? The 12v compressor fridge really doesn't draw that much power, nor, likely, your television.  Our 12v dc draws about 20 to  26 ah overnight.

    We have run a compressor fridge on agm batteries for several years.

    We don't have an inverter, and dont use the television. Do you have the standard 6 gallon water heater? Since you normally camp with hookups, could it have inadvertently been left on 110 electric? That would definitely drag the batteries down, very quickly. 

    • Like 3
  8. The victron batteries and gear are expensive,  but used by many offshore sailors, for many reasons. Separate components are easier to replace than entire batteries, service available around the world. Great technical support, from what i hear from my sailing friends. 

     

    • Like 2
  9. Y

    @Steve-Gwenne, you will enjoy a very special relationship with the grandchildren. I know I do. My little grandson is my little buddy. I have the joy of spending 4 days a week, sometimes 5, watching him grow and learn, and play with me. I count myself lucky to be able to experience these days. I'm sure you feel the same.

    My daughter spent her days with my parents until she was three, and still has so many wonderful memories of those days.

    Who knows, you may even find that the grandkids  enjoy the Ollie as a playhouse, and an early introduction to camping, even if it's just in the driveway, and daytime. (Our daughter loved camping in the boat, as a little girl. ) All the rounded corners, and  stovetop closed away, make the Ollie ideal for Littles, with a bit of thought in childproofing outlets, bath door, etc. , imo. 

    If you're not going to camp other than maybe local for the next 18 months, I would definitely not change out the tires now. Cover them. I wouldn't worry about flat spots, as we had to worry about with bias tires and old school radials.

    Depending on where you live, waxing with a good marine wax twice a year provides a lot of protection.  

     

     

    • Thanks 1
    • Like 5
  10. 3 minutes ago, Cameron said:

    Tomorrow will be my 100th night in the Ollie since I left on my round-the-continent trip in early September. I'm on the way home now so I think I'll hit 102 nights before the trip concludes.

    You might be more than that... Sept, oct, nov, dec, jan.

    Long trip

    • Like 2
  11. Nice idea. Maybe someone artistic will step up. I like it!

    We never have kept up with nights, just miles. 160k plus, and we've slowed down a lot since covid/2020. And infant  grand baby, who limits my travel, but brings me daily joy, this year! 

    We've already traveled so many places with our Oliver, and foreign camping with rented equipment. None of them compare to the smile I get every morning from my grandson. 

    • Like 6
  12. 3 hours ago, KeysConchs said:

    Hello John. I just saw your question.  Our tech said that all the battery wires must be the same length which necessitates making the cables going to batteries in the battery compartment as long as the cable needed to go to the 3rd battery under the streetside bunk.  We have opted to stay with 2, 300 aH batteries at this time.   

    Ww have been toldcthis by friends in the marine industry,  as well. Thanks

    • Like 1
  13. The way Oliver plumbs the black tank does not lend itself to use as a spare freshwater tank. It can be used for extra grey water. 

    Adding a freshwater tank to the truck bed has been done by a number of folks. We have a water bladder we can use,,as needed, to be carried in the truck bed.

    • Like 3
×
×
  • Create New...