Jim and Chris Neuman
-
Posts
134 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Posts posted by Jim and Chris Neuman
-
-
When new, both curb side bearings on my 2021 Legacy 2 ran much hotter than the street side, hitting just over 200 degrees on a warm day. At about 11k I finally pulled bearings to have a look and found one outer set scored on one wheel and and the other outer bearing beginning to burn. Changed them all out with (supposedly) Timkens from Amazon which solved the problem. I doubt the bearings I bought were genuine due to low cost but they have worked up to date. Coming up on 25,000 miles on the trailer and plan to track down genuine Timkens for the next change-out.
Bearing replacement is tedious but simple for those with basic mechanic skills.
-
1
-
-
Katjo,
Thank you for the heads-up!
On 5/16/2023 at 6:11 PM, Patriot said:-
2
-
-
Be simple to put in a false floor which is designed for easy removal when and if the owner rethinks the modification or to return the trailer to a normal camping configuration if the owner decides to sell.
-
5
-
-
Not a powerboater by preferance but have spent a lot of time on them including a couple trips from WA to AK. If I were to buy another boat at my current age of it would be a powerboat because they are generally easier to handle if not as challenging or fun. While standing wet and cold at the wheel on the stern of my sailboat can be charming, especially in really cold, nasty weather, at '71 I admit there is something to be said for sitting warm and dry at the helm of a trawler type boat.
My own cruising powerboat preference would be a displacement type hull along the lines of a Nordic Tug. I'll keep this discussion down to vessels of around 40' or less (about all an older couple cruising alone can phsically and financially handle.
I am not a fan of those designs, such as some of the Rangers, which attempt to turn a displacement hull into a planing hull. A couple of problems there. First, they are incredible fuel hogs. Fuel up the tank of a boat that burns 20+ gallons an hour in a remote village on the way to Alaska and you are in for a serious sticker shock. Secondly, they are screamingly loud, which is fatiguing aboard the boat and irritating to others in the neighborhood. They also throw up a huge wake. It has been my experience that there is an inverse relationship between seamanship and available horsepower. A slower, more stable pace allows for far more accurate navigation, situational awareness and overall safety. Your chances of piling into a deadhead at 20 knots is far greater than at 6, especially in foul weather or high sea state. The damage done at high speed is far greater than a lower speed. A collision with a rock or other boat at 5 - 6 knots will normally mean an expensive hull repair. The same collision at 15 - 20 would entail no repair as your boat is going down ... fast.
Next to a pet peeve. Powerboaters driving heavy hulls at speeds which raise huge wakes. Folks of this type (I hesitate to call them sailors) are flat dangerous aside from being irritating. Case in point, a fine gentleman and friend who for many years kept his sailboat in a slip next to mine had a powerboat pass close beside him at the entrance of our marina on Admiralty Inlet in WA. The huge wake caught him off balance and he was thrown against the binnacle of his sailboat injuring his ribs. A few days later he was dead from a punctured lung.
Enough lecturing. After a lifetime of messing about in boats I would offer the following advice. If you are on a budget, buy a used, well equipped and lovingly maintained boat. The cost of the boat itself is only a starting point. I just bought two new sails for my relatively small (35') but circumnavigation capable sailboat. The main, genny and new roller furling setup ran over 20K. Best to let a previous owner foot that bill. Integrity of the hull and overall quality of the build are far more important than glitz and nautical bling.
-
4
-
-
If you take the leap from a trailerable boat to the various 30' + cruisers your costs rise dramatically and the amount of time and effort spent on maintenance can easily become overwhelming. Then there is the challenge of finding moorage ... you just don't tow a 15,000 # boat around with your Tacoma. Moorage is increasingly difficult to find in most areas with years long waiting lists.
I built my 35' sailboat from a bare hull starting in '77 and still own her Lived aboard for many, many years and enjoyed the heck of of her but don't recommend boats of this scale to the casual user ... have seen them sink many a bank account (& marriage). Know yourself, your finances, energy level and skill set well before you tread there!
Got to go now - heading to the marina to prep her for her annual haul out and bottom painting ... runs $1500+ per year for haul out, yard fees and material plus a week or so of labor. Fortunately our local marina still allows owners to do their own work ... a luxury which is harder and harder to find.
Not trying to quash any dreams here but be aware of what you are getting into!
-
1
-
1
-
-
Please let us know if your modification allows the lid to close. Be a great storage option (the cardboard box my 2200i came in is about shot).
-
2
-
-
Even better than new rivets, use a couple of stainless pan head screws sized slightly larger than the hole left from drilling out the rivet. A number 6 may work but, more likely, a number 8. Just take care not to open up the fastener hole in the fibreglass when you drill out the rivet. If these ever need to be backed out you just unscrew them eliminating the need to re-drill out replacement pop rivets.
Screw length should be just long enough to engage the full thickness of the glass skin. I did this when a light in the galley area failed. I believe a 1/2" screw would be adequate to engage the outer layer of the laminate without going completely through the coring - you don't want the screw to be so long that it pokes through into the cabinet.
-
3 hours ago, Wayfinder said:
Than you everyone. That's about what I was thinking too.
There's not much to tie on to with the Oliver, except the Anderson chains or chain holds.
The ground is sloped 3.7 degrees.
I have felt the need to tie the truck to trailer only once but the runaway chains are positioned just right for the job - they are built to handle the load of a Legacy II making a run for it.
-
If you do not need to use your truck than set truck brakes and leave it tied to the trailer with a substantial nylon line at least 1/2" diameter.
Tensioned slightly, the truck will keep the trailer from getting a running start. Just remember the line is there so you do not trip over it in the dark.
-
5
-
1
-
-
I often turn the lights on inadvertently when I am digging around in the basement from the outside access door. Moving the switch or placing a guard over the switch to prevent accidentally bumping it on would cure the issue. This thread got me thinking about the possibility of my having repeated my old bad habit when I was getting some stuff out of the basement yesterday ... just checked and sure enough the light was on. We have been packing for some Razor Clam digging at Cape Disappointment in a couple of days and had left the main light switch on in the cabin. If I could just remember to leave that off the problem would cure itself as it powers the basement light.
-
2
-
-
Katanapilot
Great trip! How was hauling the Oliver into McCarthy? Boondocking or camping along the road east of Chitina? Started in once and quickly decided the road would quickly reduce our old stick and staple trailer into it's component parts. Backed out with my tail between my legs. Heading back to AK next year and thinking the Oliver might be up to it.
-
3
-
-
We have had very good luck with the Garmin Overlander. If you are into more backwoodsy stuff the topo option is useful as is the campground database for those times where there is limited cell coverage. Mounted ours on a Biltright base with a long arm to hang over the front of the dash ... keeps the unit out of the windshield and gives easier access to both driver and passenger.
-
3
-
-
You will not have a great deal of trouble finding places to camp, especially if boondocking.
There are spots, Laird Hotsprings comes to mind, where dropping in could be a problem in the summer months but normally it is easy to find a spot.
Do you have the capacity to charge from your tow vehicle? If not, consider a small generator like the Honda 2200i. Even with solar panels finding the sun in June can be iffy.
The roads are generally quite good but do not pass up an opportunity to top off your fuel tanks whenever possible. On our last trip from Washington I hauled two full 5 gal gas containers but never needed to use them. If you doubt your tires condition, change them out ... it can be a long way between good tire stores. I am assuming you have a good GPS? If not, it is a good investment. I carry tire chains for the truck and cable chains for use on one axle of the trailer. Never had to use them during spring, summer and fall months but have encountered snow.
The horror stories about endless miles of bad dirt roads and lack of services are very old history. Condition of the roads will vary from very good to not quite so good but the main routes are quite pleasant. It used to be that you could hardly make the drive without losing a windshield but that has not been the case for 15 - 20 years. The only stretches of dirt / gravel will be sections under repair as pretty much the whole routh has been paved for years. Have fun and enjoy - your Oliver is more than a match for the trip!
Just one last thought - give yourself a lot of time (two months if possible). Your round trip is likely to be in excess of 7K miles and every few miles will present an opportunity for camping / hiking / fishing and enjoying a truly spectacular part of the world are limitless.
Have fun!
-
1
-
6
-
-
Standard flooded batteries are cheaper than AGM's but they are definitely not lower maintenance. AGM's are sealed and require no maintenance beyond keeping them clean and appropriately charged.
Flooded batteries require topping off with water (preferably distilled) on a regular basis and also present an explosion risk.
-
1
-
1
-
-
Although we have the heaviest suspension then available in the F150 when we bought it in '21, we still found that there was a bit of porposing while towing when you encounter severe frost heaves or a road bed which is extremely uneven.
Added a set of air bags under the rear springs and that cured the issue. I also suspect the problem can also be mitigated through more robust sidewalls than found on stock tires (20" rims on my truck). Probably beef up the next pair of tires and shocks when replacement of the originals becomes necessary.
Still, I find the F150 to be a very, very comfortable ride and is a fine match for the Legacy 2. I don't think there is a wrong choice between the 5.0 and the 3.5 ... both are fine, proven power plants.
-
4
-
-
2 hours ago, Bryan in NC said:
I was going to replace my Tundra after my wife and I picked up our LE2, but I ran across the truck in my signature line that I couldn’t pass up. The truck became available after the guy who placed the order ran out of patience. The F-150’s 2,571 payload rating is over twice that of my Tundra and its 13,000 tow rating is nearly 50% higher. I'm not so naive to think the truck can be safely operated at those capacities, but the upgraded suspension, rear axle, and longer wheelbase should help with stability when we load up for extended camping. And, as a bonus, I don’t think we gave up the Tundra’s range since the F-150's tank is nearly the same size. Anybody else towing with a 5.0L F-150 that can to share their towing MPG (I have the 3.73 rear)? I’ve read it's highway MPG is around 10 when towing 7,000.
Not a 5.0 but milage on our 3.5 Ecoboost is running right at 12 MPG after about 23,000K in the mountain west. We run a canopy on a shortbox FX4 with the max tow package.
-
Lucky you did not get my Dodge Ram. I have had to replace two rear ends, the transmission, shocks, front end linkage parts, wiper motor, cam sensor and numerous other deeply buried enjine parts. Finally gave up and dumped it at a bit over 110K.
Even with highly regarded trucks, some of us win the lottery!
Only 30K on my 2021 F150 3.5 but no issues so far ... holding my breath.
-
2
-
-
I found three areas under the sink of our Legacy 2 (hull 770) which were badly leaking, causing a mess and delaminated drawer cabinet plywood. Two were located at both ends of the sink drain pipe trap/elbow. The collar which tightens the compression seal on one end was not tightened during manufacture and was literally pouring water. At the other end of the elbow the joint is a slip fit which normally would be glued together. In this case it was not and the leakage, although more limited, was still significant.
At the compression fitting the collar was tightened, as it should have been at the factory, and the leak stopped. At the other end of the trap I obtained a silicone reducer sleeve, available at Amazon among other places, and used it to enclose the slip joint (hose clamp at each end). This allows the elbow to be removed or replaced if necessary).
The other major leak under the sink was due to a split in the 1-1/4" overfill hose on the top of the fresh water tank. This split was due to the installation of a hose which was far too short to make a gentle curve from tank fitting to the hull drain. Instead of getting a hose of the right length, the installation crew bent the hose over nearly 70 degrees at the tank fitting, causing a split which poured water into the space between the hulls as the tank was filled. In order to access and fix the split hose, it was necessary for me to cut an access hole in the bottom of the drawer cabinet which enabled me to get at the hose/barb. I spliced in a section of hose long enough to allow a gentle curve in the overflow hose.
In general the manufacturing of these trailers is far superior to be vast majority of RV's on the market but, speaking as someone who spent his working life in manufacturing, you cannot at any point drop your guard and slack off on your QC measures. In my case, the most superficial of QC inspections of these three potential failure points would have revealed their obvious leak potential. As it is, my grading of Olivers QC has gone from a B+ to a C.
-
1
-
1
-
1
-
-
Like most here, I would be happy to show our trailer for free. I have been asked by Oliver if I would participate in showing to two potential buyers. In both cases I spoke with the buyers to set up a date and time which works for all involved. In both cases I arranged to be home and available at the appointed time and in both cases the buyers did not show nor did they have the courtesy to let me know their plans had changed.
Money was not the motivation for my willingness to show our Oliver, rather a desire to pay forward the kindness of other Oliver owners who were took the time to answer our questions when we began to explore the purchase of our Oliver. I hope our experience has been the exception to the rule.
-
1
-
7
-
-
1 hour ago, GAP said:
You are right about aluminium in marine environments but that is different then the effect of whatever scary material they are spraying roads with. That said, while the metal on the axels and suspension on my trailer is certainly beat up, the frame still looks surprisingly new which is why Im holding off for no on spraying the Fluid Film. BTW, this stuff is a grease not a paint. Much the same as beeswax that you use to oil leather products. Washes off with water and soap. I sincerely doubt there is any chance of it having anything but a positive protective effect on the frames of our trailers. Easy enough to find gory details on the website. https://www.fluid-film.com/
I can see using an anti-corrosion spray on the ferrous metal which makes up the axle framework. That makes sense. I was referring to the 6061 aluminum trailer frame. I built and own a 35" sailboat with a 6061 mast, boom and other components and, after 40 years living in saltwater, there is essentially no corrosion on any of the aluminum parts (the mast and boom is painted with AwlGrip). I spent the last 30 + years of my professional life as a sales manager with an aluminum extruder where we annually punched many millions of pounds of extrustions of all types using many different alloys including 6061 - it is remarkable stuff.
The one compound I do use religiously is an anti-galling gel on fasteners. You must also protect against contact with dis-similar metals ... mounting say a bronze winch directly against an aluminum mast or boom is a sure route to serious corrosion of the aluminum.
I am not against the use of waxes on gelcoat. It does help with aestetics and can extend the number of years your Oliver will have that brand-new look. My point was that a good gelcoat will put up with a lot of abuse and can be brought back to as-new appearance with surprisingly little effort.
Take care of your Oliver but don't be afraid to use it ... they are tough little trailers and built to be used and enjoyed.
-
1
-
4
-
-
I would not paint any aluminum part unless you have extensive experience with aluminum coatings. Coatings which will work are expensive and difficult to apply. Rattle can sprays from your local hardware store will shortly fail.
Go to any marina and you will find uncoated 6061 aluminum masts, booms, etc. living very happily in a marine environment The surface will oxidize over time which provides a degree of protection. If you find yourself up to your frame in saltwater give the trailer a good hosing off in fresh water. After a winter of road salts it is good to do the same. Otherwise, don't worry about it.
Waxing the hull is a good idea but even left unprotected modern gel coats are extremely durable and will easily outlast anyone old enough to be able to afford an Oliver 🙂
-
1
-
4
-
-
On 12/3/2022 at 11:37 AM, Geronimo John said:
Jim: What air bags did your use?
Looking at doing the same on our TV.... for the same reasons.
GJ
GJ
I used bags made by Air Lift in Michigan. They were a bit more costly than the Firestones and were more highly recommended by the dealer (Les Schwab Tires, a chain in the Northwest). Mine are the 5000 series and have twin nylon fill lines. So far I am very happy with them. I will occasionally have to top them off a few pounds but leakage is minimal. They are rated to 100# but I find 35 - 45# does the job quite well. They will lift the rear end so adjustment of the Anderson hitch was necessary but simple.
A set of heavier shocks would help as would tires with tougher sidewalls than those that came with the pickup.
They have tamed the porposing greatly.
Jim
-
2
-
-
When chosing rock to add to your firepit, do not use river rocks or any rock which might soak up water. The explosion you can get from water cooking off in some river rocks can be quite impressive. Porous lava rock, 1-1/2 to 2" in diameter, is a good choice, especially if you can find a place and time to cook any moisture out of them before use around people.
-
1
-
2
-
-
Be aware that there was a change to the size of the dash tray starting with the 2021 model year of the F150. The Builtright rack from previous years does not fit the new tray. Builtright did not know this at the time I ordered my rack for my 2021 F150 but exchanged the old style rack for a new one which they have since built for the newer trucks. The back-up plate Builtright made for the new rack also did not fit but I was able to Bubba up a fix.
Result, our 7" Garmin Overlander now hangs from the long arm over the front of the dash, lowering the screen and moving the GPS out of the windshield. A very nice system once you get it sorted out.
-
3
-
2021 Elite 2 wheel bearings
in General Discussion
Posted
CRM
Thanks for the source info!
Jim