
dhaig
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Everything posted by dhaig
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@roguebooks, from your description, I would venture you have a low voltage condition, with the AGM batteries below 3.0V, or your batteries are disconnected. The 601 code appears if either condition occurs. I knew my batteries were disconnected, since I had turned OFF all three of my Lithionics lithium batteries. As soon as I turned the batteries ON, normal conditions were observed. Good Luck. Don
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Yesterday, I retrieved our 2022 LEII from storage to prepare for a trip. When I placed the trailer in storage, two months ago, I turned OFF the three Lithium batteries, but neglected to turn OFF the Zamp Charge Controller. With the batteries OFF, the charge controller flashes code 601, indicating battery disconnected or less than 3.0V. I reviewed the 2022 Oliver Optional Features Manual, Abnormal Operation Mode table, page 402. Page 399 of the same manual shows the wiring connection, with two large gauge wires connecting to the batteries. The trailer was in a fully enclosed storage unit with no windows, during which time the Zamp Charge Controller display apparently flashed the code "601" the entire time. I completed the Proper Lithionics Restart/Reboot sequence specified in a Technical Service Bulletin issued 3/3/22 by Oliver, which does not involve any changes to the charge controller. Once the three Lithionics batteries were ON, the charge controller displayed the battery condition as nearly fully charged, essentially at the same level as when placed into storage. Cabin lights, brake and signal lights, stabilizer jacks and electric brakes all appeared to be operating normally, so I proceeded home with the trailer in tow. From this experience I conclude the Lithionics batteries must not fully turn OFF when their ON/OFF buttons are pressed, even though the indicators show the batteries to be OFF. The charge controller does not appear to have any other source of power, nor do I see any mention of an internal battery. Also, the solar panels were receiving no sun light and could not produce voltage to power the charge controller. I had not disconnected the solar panels from the charge controller. Thus, I assume the battery management system must continue to supply power to the charge controller, but NOT provide any charge to the batteries when they are in the OFF state. The charge controller also must have very low power consumption to display the "601" error code, with no significant consumption of power from the batteries over two months. Has anyone else made a similar observation? Can anyone provide details on how the charge controller and the Lithionics batteries interact when the batteries are OFF? I am still learning the characteristics of the Lithium Pro solar power system in our trailer. Thanks, Don
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@AlbertNTerri, my apologies for the delayed response, we have been in transit. The original post by @Calypso is included in the following thread: Scroll down about midway and look for the posting by @Calypso. There is a picture of an LEII and a white pickup truck in a desert environment. The towel bar referenced is visible in the middle of the curb side of the LEII. It is a single piece of PVC with suction cups at either end. This is what provided the inspiration for my expanded version. You can choose the amount of offset for the first bar/rail from the body of the LEII by using 90 degree couplings. As mentioned in my post, I have not yet load tested my three tube design, but am confident it can support a significant load of towels and other wet items. I encourage you to experiment with four tubes and share your experience on the forum. PVC tubing and coupling are inexpensive; time is dear. Good luck.
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I purchased the Viair 300P RVS inflator based on a review of the specifications and the recommendation of another Oliver owner. I keep it onboard our LEII. I purchased it for use when traveling with our trailer. I suggest comparing the specs, which are easily accessible on the Viair website. Smaller, lighter and cheaper led me to choose the 300P RVS over the larger models. I have other compressors at home used for a variety of applications.
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Opportunity for a FREE ZARCOR door window upgrade!
dhaig replied to hobo's topic in General Discussion
Based on the posting by @hobo, I contacted John Halter, Owner of Zarcor. We have scheduled installation of a Zarcor window on our 2022 LEII, Hull #990 in August 31. John is sending me paperwork for the free window and installation. Following the installation, I plan to post an update with photos, and possibly video of the installation. My thanks to @hobo for providing the information on this opportunity. Don -
I second the recommendation to contact a Truma authorized service provider. One such provider was key to resolving the problem I encountered with Truma WH not starting up. I would pursue phone and/or email contact w/Truma service provider before traveling to wherever the closest provider is located. Given your relatively remote location in NE Maine, the nearest service provider may be far away. I do not know of anything specific to check on the Truma WH accessible via under bed hatches. I assume you have verified it has power. Good Luck Don
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This may or may not be relevant to the current situation. In May I encountered a problem with our Truma Water Heater, which would not startup following a period of storage. See: In our case, I don't recall hearing any indication from the Truma Water Heater that it was trying to light. The link above includes instructions which resolved the issue.
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Missing Water Barrier in Window Caused Water Damage
dhaig replied to Spike's topic in General Discussion
My wife and I took delivery of Hull 990 on 2/17/22. There were very heavy rains in the area of Hohenwald the week we were there, or relatively nearby. The third or fourth night following delivery we were staying at David Crockett State Park, near Hohenwald. We discovered water was leaking in from the street side window by the bed, causing the cushion and bedding to get wet. We called Oliver Service and returned to Hohenwald for the problem to be addressed. We were notified our trailer was fixed and ready to go in slightly over 2 hours after dropping it off. When I inquired for details of the cause of the leak, I was told the window vendor had failed to apply butyl caulk to the fasteners in the window frame. OTT Service had applied butyl caulk to the fasteners and conducted a water leak test. This action appears to have addressed the issue, as we have not observed any further leaks around the windows. Oliver provided the service without charge to us, as a warranty claim. Don -
To my knowledge, GasBuddy is the reigning champ of apps to find the lowest price fuel. We have used it for many years and find it very easy to use. You can specify the type of fuel you required, including diesel. We search ahead when on road trips and plan our purchases to get near the lowest price without significant departure from our route. It is available for iPhone/iPad and Android devices, as well as a browser based website. GasBuddy relies on crowdsourcing for updates on prices.
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Regarding the cracked rubber shock bushings, those on our 2022 LEII show similar cracks. I noticed their condition the first time I went under the trailer to look for the Zero grease fittings. Our Hull 990 was delivered 2/17/22 and now has had approximately 3000 miles of use. In such limited time and use, I would expect the bushings to be dirty, but not significantly cracked.
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@Wildbrew, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. However, I cannot claim full credit for the external towel rack. I expanded on the idea from @Calypso, who made a single rod towel rack using a pair of suction cups. I see your idea as a general solution for mounting shelves inside an Oliver trailer, or outside. Your shelf caused me to think of making one for our 2 slice toaster oven, about which I posted recently. Or, an external shelf to hold my beer while grilling. What is the weight of your CPAP machine? Do you leave the shelf in place, unloaded, when underway? I had previously noticed the suction cups you used from HF and had wondered how one might be used. It had not occurred to me to fasten the fixed handle to a flat surface for a shelf. Obviously, if one suction cup is not sufficient, a second could easily be added. Well done!
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@Townesw, Kudos on the creative solution to supporting the Sidewinder where sloping terrain near the sewer connection is encountered. I don't know where you store the long pieces of wood, but I don't have any easy storage location for what appear to be 8 foot lengths. This caused me to think of alternative supports. I recently posted about constructing an external towel bar, using ¾" PVC tubing. Since I am already carrying three pieces of ¾"x 45" PVC tubing, I can add a fourth piece and 2- ¾" couplings and I should be able to achieve an equivalent support mechanism for our Sidewinder. Thanks for the idea! )
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@Rivernerd, I am sorry to hear or your poor experience with Specialty Products Technologies (https://www.specialtyproducttechnologies.com) (sptech.com), the vendor for the TrailerLife odometer, manufactured by Veeder Root. IMHO, their customer service response is entirely unreasonable. I suggest you phone them at (910) 862-2511 and ask for someone in a managerial capacity to whom you can express your dissatisfaction. Regards, Don
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Our 2022 LEII, Hull 990, is equipped with the Lithium Pro package, which includes three Lithionics batteries. These batteries have a built-in battery management system and an iPhone/Android app which connects to the batteries via Bluetooth. I use the iPhone version, Li3 Battery, which I downloaded from the Apple App Store. The Li3 Battery app provides a great deal of information about the batteries, their charge level and general state of health. I don't know there is any additional information I could possibly need to know beyond what this app provides. Obviously you need to be within Bluetooth range, approximately 10 meters, for the app to connect with the batteries. So far, I am impressed with the capabilities to monitor the batteries.
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How To Install a Rear Cargo Carrier on an Oliver Legacy Elite II
dhaig replied to dhaig's topic in Ollie Modifications
Unfortunately, no, there is not, to my knowledge, a thread on drain/weep holes. @John E Davies may be able to offer more details, especially given his experience dealing with structural elements on aircraft. My understanding is that any buildup of water within a structural element is a a potential source for failure of the structural element in the event the water freezes. Such failure is most likely to occur when the trailer is subjected to sustained sub-freezing weather. For the rear bumper and the extended support arms under my cargo carrier, I plan to drill ¼” weep holes to allow any trapped moisture to escape. Since I live in Dallas, TX,I believe the prospect of freeze damage to be relatively low. However, in February, 2021, we experienced the “Texas deep freeze”, with temperatures at or below 0 degrees Fahrenheit for a week. The cost or prevention is low. I will drill the weep holes, but probably not until mid-September, when the daily high temperatures are no longer near 100 deg. F. I see no downside to having the weep holes to allow the moisture to escape. -
Our LEII, Hull 990, was delivered in mid-February, 2022. It is equipped with CooperLT225 /75R16 Cooper Discoverer HT3 tires: https://coopertire.com/en-us/find-tires/all-tires/discoverer-ht3 Treadwear up to 50,000 miles UTQG Load index/Speed Rating- 115\112R Load Range- E1 Tread Depth- 14.5mm At delivery the tires were inflated to 55psi and had rubber valve stems. Also, none of the wheels & tires were balanced at delivery. I recently took the trailer to a local Discount Tire location and had all five wheels/tires balanced and chrome steel valve stems installed on all wheels. The cost was just $112.06, with tax. Each wheel required a significant amount of weights to achieve dynamic balance. On several occasions, when checking tire pressure, the cores of the original rubber valve stems would stick open, allowing air to escape. On some of those occasions, I was able to use a pocket knife to probe the core and get it to reseat and close. The chrome steel valve stems provide a much more substantial mount for the TireMinder TPMS sensors on each wheel.
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Elite Gourmet ETO236 Personal 2 Slice Countertop Toaster Oven
dhaig replied to dhaig's topic in Ollie Modifications
@John E Davies, great recommendation on the flat plug 2 foot extension cord for use with the toaster oven. I had forgotten we have several of these around the house for making connections behind furniture, or other cramped areas. Thanks -
Elite Gourmet ETO236 Personal 2 Slice Countertop Toaster Oven
dhaig replied to dhaig's topic in Ollie Modifications
@John E Davies and @MountainMan, We decided to forego the ejection seat option due to weight and cost considerations. The circular black switch controls the nightlights/courtesy lights at floor level, now a standard feature, at least on 2022 LEIIs. We have not yet used these lights, as the glow from the various electronic devices onboard and ambient light through the entry door window provide sufficient illumination to make our way to the head at night. Don -
Elite Gourmet ETO236 Personal 2 Slice Countertop Toaster Oven
dhaig replied to dhaig's topic in Ollie Modifications
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Elite Gourmet ETO236 Personal 2 Slice Countertop Toaster Oven
dhaig replied to dhaig's topic in Ollie Modifications
The towel bar is from Amazon. I bought two of the 18" model, $14.98/each. The one you saw below the pantry is attached with a disk of VHB adhesive, included with the bar. The VHB comes attached to two plastic disks which slide over the ends of the suction cups. In this location I could not get the suction cups to stay attached, perhaps due to flexing of the wall of the battery box, so I resorted to using the VHB.. I installed the second bar in the shower, under the mirror. This one has stayed in place quite well using only the suction cups. I have save the two plastic disks with the VHB for the day when the suction cups no longer work. See: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JWS988Q/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Don -
Prior to delivery of our 2022 LEII in mid-February, I posed a question on the OTTO forum asking how many owners had installed odometers on their trailers, and if they had, what brand they had selected. I was surprised to learn almost no one had installed a hub odometer, with most relying on manual logs for mileage tracking I did not want to be bothered with keeping a manual log, knowing I would inevitably forget to enter tow vehicle mileage when towing our LEII. Undaunted, I began to search for a suitable hub odometer. I found few offerings for travel trailers, but did come across the TrailerLife Odometer line. On their website is a Ratio Selection Guide for determining which model odometer best matches the outside circumference of the tires on the trailer. I checked with Oliver Travel Trailers to confirm the tires to be installed on our LEII were 225/75R16 Cooper Discoverer HT3. On the Cooper Tire website I found these tires have a diameter of 29.21", a width of 8.5", mount on a 16" rim and make 710 revolutions per mile. The calculated rolling circumference= 29.21" x 3.1416= 91.73" I contacted Veeder-Root, the manufacturer of the TrailerLife odometer product line, where their tech support recommended using Model 714. They also recommended using one of their wheel center caps for a 4.25" wheel center hole for a 6 lug wheel. Otherwise, a hole must be drilled in the center of the standard Oliver hub cap to accept the mounting stud of the odometer, I placed an order for the Model 714 odometer, $84.99, and the wheel center cap, $15.99. The total was $104.56, including $3.58 for shipping. Front View Profile View The TrailerLife odometer and wheel center cap were delivered one month after I placed the order. A week or 10 days after placing the order, I called to inquire of the expected delivery date. Only then was I told the item was backordered and could be six weeks for delivery. Fortunately, I received the odometer and hubcap in time to take it with us for the LEII delivery date. On our LEII delivery date, the weather in Hohenwald was miserable, with pouring rain and cold, with temperatures in the low 20s at night. I asked Oliver to install the hub odometer, which they did during the delivery process for $20. I thought this was reasonable and was glad to have the odometer installed at the time of delivery. I asked to have the odometer installed on the street side rear wheel, since this is closest to the primary service connections and storage.. I don't believe it matters which wheel the odometer is installed on. The hub odometer now shows we have covered over 3,000 miles since delivery. I am sure the miles reported by the hub odometer are far more accurate than I would have manually recorded. Being a first time RV owner, I was (and still am) focused on learning the systems on our trailer and the procedures for using it safely. Manually recording the mileage traveled was not high on my list of priorities. I am keeping a log of our travel destinations, maintenance, modifications, etc. Don
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TireMinder TPMS and Signal Booster Installation
dhaig replied to dhaig's topic in Ollie Modifications
I don't recall the alligator clips. I did find an instruction sheet in the box which mentions the alligator clips. I would never have considered using them for reliable connection to a DC power supply. Either the polarity doesn't matter, or I got lucky. In any case, the signal booster works fine. -
We are big fans of our Breville BOV450XL Mini Smart Oven at home. However, the size of this toaster oven precludes use in our 2022 LEII, Hull 990. We have the HighPointe EC028KD7 Convection Microwave in our LEII, which we have used a number of times since pickup in February, 2022. The convection feature works well as an alternative to a conventional oven, however, it cannot match a toaster oven for toasting bagels, bread and English muffins. Thus, I began the hunt for a small/compact toaster oven which would be used in the LEII. I searched reviews of toaster ovens recommended for RVs, on Google as well as Amazon, but all were too large, claiming capacity for 4 pieces of toast or 9 inch pizzas. Finally, I searched Amazon for a 2 slice toaster oven and the few results included this Elite Gourmet ETO236 Personal 2 Slice Countertop Toaster Oven. I ordered one which arrived a few days ago. We tested it by making several slices of toast and it did a commendable job. We have not yet tested it in our LEII, but I am confident it will provide the desired toaster oven functions. I may need to provide some heat protection for the fibergranite counters in our trailer. Below are photos showing how the Elite Gourmet toaster oven fits in an LEII. The first photo shows the toaster oven on the counter in front of the pantry, with clearance to open the pantry door. Side view on pantry counter Plugged into electrical outlet with 3 foot extension cord We purchased a pair of these 3 foot extension cords rated for 1625 watts, to power our coffee maker and other appliances with very short cords. Stored in the curb side overhead compartment The Elite Gourmet ETO236 is rated at 650 watts power consumption. I expect we can easily power this toaster oven from our lithium batteries for the 4-5 minutes required to prepare toast. Most toaster ovens require 1200-1500 watts. For $35 is looks like a good solution. Regards, Don
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Shortly after arriving home from our delivery trip to Hohenwald, I installed a TireMinder i10 Tire Pressure Management System (TPMS), with six sensors, a monitor and a signal booster (installed later). Four of the sensors were fitted to the valve stems of the four trailer wheels on the ground, one on the trailer spare and one to the tow vehicle spare. The sensors transmit tire pressure and tire temperature status continuously to the small monitor in the tow vehicle. The 433 MHz RF signal booster is to ensure the signals from the sensors reach the monitor. The TPMS is quite configurable and can support up to 10 sensors simultaneously. Thresholds can be user specified and the system is preconfigured to create alerts for slow leaks or catastrophic loss of tire pressure. I first mounted the sensors to all the six wheels. The sensors appeared to have no problem communicating with the monitor in the tow vehicle. I deferred about a month installing the signal booster. Mounting the sensors is quite straightforward, requiring only insertion of provided disc batteries to the sensors, then screwing the sensors onto the valve stems. I like the inclusion of a lock nut to secure the sensors to the valve stems, using a provided small wrench. TireMinder Air Pressure & Temperature Sensor TireMinder i10 Monitor On each spare wheel I added 36" long extension hoses ($11 each) and 90 degree valve stem extensions ($7/pair), based on a recommendation from @John E Davies. The TireMinder sensors are mounted to the end of the extension hoses, which are routed through the wheel spokes to the accessible side of the spares. The valve stem extensions allow the hoses to be attached to the valve stems with no danger of kinking. These accessories eliminate a huge PITA- both spares are stored with their valve stems inaccessible. The trailer spare mounts with the valve stem facing the rear wall of the trailer. The tow vehicle spare is stowed valve stem down in a well under the cargo area at the rear of the vehicle. Now the TPMS reports the tire pressure with no hassle. Even if the spares require addition of air, the access is easy, without removing the spares from their storage positions. I always intended to install the signal booster, but had not settled on the best location. The installation instructions recommend locating the signal booster on the undercarriage, toward the front of travel trailers, with the antennas pointed toward the ground. The signal booster requires 12 volts DC for operation. I searched the OTTO forum seeking information on locations chosen by Oliver LEII owners for mounting such signal boosters. I found references to mounting signal boosters within the doghouse or in one of the upper storage compartments, neither of which appeared to offer ease of connection to a 12 VDC supply. Other owners indicated they had not installed the signal booster, since the monitor seemed to reliably provide tire pressure and temperature information. While vacuuming fiberglass dust from all areas accessible under the interior access hatches, I found what appeared to be an ideal location for the TPMS signal booster. The hatch under the rear dinette seat is the location of the Progressive Industries Surge Protector, mounted to the wall on the aisle side of the compartment. Adjacent to that location is a large area of unobstructed wall. Just below the surge protector is a ground bus and on the forward wall is the rear of the DC distribution panel. I believe this is a very desirable location for the signal booster. It is located low, slightly forward of the axles, in a protected space near the needed power supply. TPMS Signal Booster Location The TireMinder Signal Booster is attached to the fiberglass wall using an Industrial Velcro Coin, which enables easy removal. TPMS 12 VDC Power Switch I chose the top of the Progress Industries Surge Protector to mount a switch to turn the 12 VDC power supply to the TireMinder Signal Booster ON/OFF. The signal booster has a green light to indicate the power is ON. The wires from the signal booster are very thin and are both black (despite the instruction manual indicating one to be red and the other black). I don't believe it matters which is +12 VDC and which is Ground (GND). I routed the wires along cables in the compartment. The pink zip ties appearing in the photos provide clues to the routing. I arbitrarily selected a position on the Ground Bus to mount one of the wires to be Ground. The other wire was routed to the rear of the DC Distribution Panel, mounted on the forward wall of the compartment. Fuse position 14 was unused, so I selected it and connected the second wire from the TireMinder Signal Booster, using a crimp-on connector. Finally, I inserted a 3 amp fuse to the front side of the DC Distribution Panel, position 14. DC Ground Bus DC Distribution Panel (Rear) DC Distribution Panel (Front) Summary Although I had encountered no problems with the communication between the tire pressure/temperature sensors and the TireMinder Monitor, I believe having the signal booster installed reduces the risk of loss of communication between the sensors and the monitor. I have been leaving the signal booster on while traveling and turning power OFF when in storage. The signal booster draws only 75mA (Transmitting) to 14mA (Inactive). I tested the range with the signal booster installed and powered ON. I was able to walk over 300 feet from the trailer with the monitor receiving signals. I have been impressed with the TireMinder TPMS system. I have not mounted the monitor in the tow vehicle, but keep it on the center console, where I can view it as desired, and also hear any alarms which may occur. I purchased the TireMinder i10 and six sensors from TechnoRV (https://www.technorv.com/) for $279.65 (no shipping and no sales tax).
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How To Install a Rear Cargo Carrier on an Oliver Legacy Elite II
dhaig replied to dhaig's topic in Ollie Modifications
@John E Davies, Thanks, John, for kind words. Thanks also for reviewing and commenting on my design approach. In answer to your questions: Yes, I did write the dimensions on the wooden mockup pieces. As I mentioned in my writeup, I also took one of the original support arms to the machine shop and explained the most critical dimensions are for the horizontal holes through which the clevis pins pass to secure the arms to the receivers and the vertical slot. I had initially assumed I would need to provide dimensional drawings to the machine shop. However, when I asked if they needed drawings, they said no, the dimensions on the wooden mockups and having the original support arm were sufficient. Thanks for reminding me to drill drain holes! I had planned to do so, largely from reading some of your write-ups. I agree with the need for them. This is relatively easy to do with the support structure in place. I composed the article initially using the Safari browser interface for Gmail on my MacBook Pro M1 laptop (MBP). I used Gmail because I am very familiar with its behavior, particularly the autosave function. I had to break the article into two draft emails when I reached the 25 MB limit of Gmail, after which it loads images to Google Drive. I wanted the images kept in place in the text flow. Once I completed composition and proofreading I copied the contents of both draft emails into a new topic page in the owners forum. Not having previously composed a long article directly in the new topic page, I was concerned about possible loss of content before completion. All of the photos were taken with my iPhone 13 Pro Max, which automatically stores the images in Apple's Photos/iCloud. I created a smart collection in the Photos using keywords, to make it easier to see all of the related photos together. I selected photos for inclusion in the article and exported them as JPEGs to the Downloads folder on my MBP. I used Apple's Preview app on my MBP to do some minor cropping of the photos and used the annotation features to add arrows, circles and text. I got lazy and used a grey filled rectangle to mask the license plate in a few photos, rather than take the photos into Photoshop for a more elegant edit. The Preview app is surprisingly robust. I do not know of any comparable utility in the Windows or Android worlds. I have previously used Window PCs extensively, but the Android world is foreign to me. I suspect you use a similar annotation process, having seen many of your annotated photos. Finally, yes, posting informative articles is time consuming. I spent most of the day yesterday drafting and editing. I also found I needed to take a few more photos yesterday, in addition to those taken during work on the project. I also had to confirm some measurements and materials details. I have benefitted significantly from reading your well crafted articles and those of many other contributors to the forum. I feel an obligation to contribute. Regards, Don