Jim and Chris Neuman
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Posts posted by Jim and Chris Neuman
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This used to be fairly common on cruising sailboats. Downside's include vibration, which can be severe and irritating if the vane is attached to the hull / frame of the trailer. Another significant downside can be noise ... depending on the quality and balance of the installation, this can be significant. While living aboard my sailboat, I had a neighbor who lasted only a few weeks with his new windvane installation before he took it down due to noise and vibration. Glad he did because, even though we were friends, I was about to make a midnight visit to his boat with a cutting torch 😁
There are many cruising sailors who have successfully used a vane system while offshore with success.
Could be fine on your own property where the system will only bother yourself - taken out in public I am not so sure. Seriously, if you are going to do this, choose your system carefully and keep your neighbors in mind.
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Your mosquito's and biting flies are not out in May & early June? What a bunch of slackers. We could bring you a bunch of Cascade mosquito's as seed stock ... they are out early! 😁
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I should add that the lava rocks we used to replace those supplied with the firepit were slightly larger (1-1/2 to 2" in diameter) and, more importantly, of higher density. These rocks radiate more heat in use than the originals. I believe the original rocks supplied with the pit were synthetic as they had the weight and consistency of a fake fire log but I do not know this for a fact. Since lava rocks run a wide range from extremely dense to light and porous (some float), it is possible the originals were real.
We also use more rock by volume ... enough that the lid just locks down for storage. This added volume, in addition to the increased density of the rock combines to provided greater heat output. Even so, heat output does not come near to matching a wood fire.
One downside to this is that cool-down takes longer with the heavier rock. This makes no difference at night before bed but when used in the morning prior to travel the denser rocks must be left to cool much longer than the lighter stuff before storage.
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As a data point for folks wondering about fuel consumption, we have run half a dozen 20# tanks through our fireplace over the last year and seem to be consuming about a gallon per evenings use ... 4 - 5 nights at 2 - 3 hours per session. You can turn the flame up or down which changes the consumption rate. Our fire pit is one of the smaller ones ... maybe 18" across.
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Thanks Mike,
We have a 5.5' bed on the F150. Probably go in sideways but not an ideal situation. Otherwise, the Clam seems ideal.
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Mike & Carol,
How do you store your Clam? The long package will not fit fore & aft in our 5 1/2' pickup bed. Not real excited about hauling it on the roof rack. Everything else about the Clam looks real good.
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Kirk,
A good excuse to visit Craters of the Moon. One of our favorite spots.
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The propane firepits lack the charm and warmth of a traditional wood fire but they are an option as campfire bans become the norm in our dry, Western forests. We set ours up for use either by direct hookup to a tank or by tying a longer hose into the Oliver's external hookups. This requires the purchase of an additional longer hose and adapters to allow for the use of the original short hose supplied for direct tank hookup as well as the second, longer hose. We set up ours to allow for the use of quick disconnect fittings on both hoses.
Heat output is not up to the standards of a real campfire, nor is the fire as fun. You don't get the snap and crackle of a real wood fire and there is no point in jabbing the propane flames with a stick ... always a source of amusement with a real fire. On the plus side, smoke is a non-issue and it does provide a focus point for friends to gather around. We were able to increase heat output by adding a bunch of small, pourous lava stones, courtesy of a local volcano. These stones are heavier than the fake rocks that come with the propane firepits and soak up (& radiate) far more heat. Make sure to use appropriate, completely dry stones to avoid the small, nasty explosions that can occur when heating water soaked stones.
Speaking of things campfire, we recently purchased a small electric chainsaw for use gathering wood. Boy, what a time and labor saver! I should add we get 5 - 6 long nightime sessions (2 - 3 hours each) out of a 20# cylinder if we don't crank it up too high.
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2 hours ago, TexasGuy said:
Been offline for a bit. I tow my LE II with 2021 F150 4WD with max tow package and 3.5EB. Have towed over 6,000 miles since pick up and truck tows like a dream. Very happy with how the truck handles trailer and EB engine handles weight with no issues. One reason I often use cruise control is to keep speed down. The 3.5EB actually tows more than V8 and I have average 12.5 mpg towing.
Good luck with search.
My experience with our 2021 F150 3.5 EB / FX4 / max tow truck mirrors what TexasGuy is experiencing. We have maybe 10K on the F150 while towing our Oliver. Could not be happier with the truck ... a great match for the Legacy II.
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Steph & Dud,
It is but the Cabin envelopes the battery box except on one side and any heat within the cabin will warm the battery box. This is not total protection but does give you a buffer. Outside temp here in Port Townsend, WA is now 40 degrees (at noon) but the batterys are showing at 54 degrees - this with a small space heater set on it's lowest fan / heat setting. Blocking off air flow from the outside of the battery box and insulating the exterior door will offer additional protection for Lithiums. I would not block off outside air from a wet cell.
If one were to mount a permanent heater with ducts into the space between the hulls as well as the interior of the cabin, this would give you a great deal of protection. Just thinking out loud here.
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During the winter I have kept a small electric heater running in the cabin of my sailboat for the last 35 years. It tends to get wet and cold on the coast of Washington and a heater kept on low heat will help dry the air and keep the mustiness out of cabin and lockers. It is also important to have some outsinde air venting through the cabin.
I have given some thought to permanently installing a very small, wall mounted electric heater in our new Legacy II but have not gone anywhere with that. Anyone explored that option?
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Also check out the Overlander.
These Garmin units are far more resource rich and user friendly than the GPS that came in my 2021 F150.
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The factory weight of our hull 770 was 5020# as it left the factory last May.
We went with the Anderson, Lithium package and 30# tanks ... the only things in your build that will really effect weight - the propane tanks and Anderson add weight and the Lithiums will lose you quite a bit of weight over a wet-cell battery setup. Your composting toilet will probably prove out lighter as the "loaded" weight will be less than a full black tank. I suspect the weight of the head itself will be a wash or perhaps a bit lighter than the standard head. I am also guessing the Truma may be a few pounds lighter than the standard water heater / tank combo but do not know this for a fact.
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While building boats, I have successfully sealed the edges of fibreglass using a laminating epoxy such as West or System Three. It is tedius but can be done effectively. It helps to seal an edge, let it cure and then give it a light sanding before re-coating. Mask well and remove the masking tape immediately after sealing in order to clean up any uncured epoxy which may have wicked behind the tape. If you fail to do this before the epoxy cures the tape will be epoxied to the glass.
You can color the epoxy to match the epoxy resin if you desire. The whole process is time consuming and, as I said, tedious.
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Had to laugh when the Tang photo popped up. Years ago, while hiking the John Muir Trail in the Sierra's, we had bears nab the food bags we had hanging from a tree. The only thing the bears did not eat was the Tang and Mountain House freeze dried dinners. Slit the bag the Tang was stored in, tasted it and then set it aside. A bear of taste and refinement!
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Successfully painting gelcoat can be extremely difficult and prone to failure. It can be done by those with the experience and equipment to pull it off but for a beginner, the potential for a real mess is very high and reversing the effect may or not be possible. The only sure outcome, as stated by others, is to lessen the resale value of your Oliver.
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Recently picked up a 2200i up at the Sportsman's Warehouse in Bend, OR. Likely other branches also stock them.
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So long as your rack does not hang below the rack receiver hitch to the point where it gets in the way of pivoting the bumper down to access the waste hose, you will be OK.
It would take an odd bike rack to to this but I suppose it could happen.
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Geronimo John
Had the same issue with our 2021 F150 FX4 crew cab and 2021 Legacy II. As set up by Oliver the gate would hit the hitch were it allowed to drop all the way down - we never let it do that but it was inevitable if I left it alone. We had some minor porposing on some poor roads at speed and fixed that with a set of air bags on the truck. When pumped up to 40# or so, they lifted the back of the truck up about 2" - high enough that I inverted the receiver hitch 180 degrees and reinstalled the ball bracket so that it dropped the hitch down enough to bring the trailer back to level.
Adjusting the hitch only took a couple minutes and solved both problems ... porposing issue largely eliminated, gate no longer hits hitch and trailer is back to level.-
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You can find hardened bolts that are toughter than over the shelf stainless (usually 18-8) but in this instance stainless will be plenty strong and will not corrode. Stainless does have the nasty habit of galling if the alloy of the nut and bolt are similar or identical and can sieze up to the point where the nut cannot be backed off without shearing the bolt. This has become particularly problematical with the imports which are flooding the market in recent years. In installing a new hydraulic ram on my boats autopilot, I recently had some 3/8" stainless bolts / nylock nut combo which siezed up simply threading the nut onto the bolt under no load whatsoever. Taking a moment to smear the threads with lanolin anti sieze solved the problem and will aid in backing off the fasteners in the future should it become necessary. Lanolin is your friend when using bolts to fasten dissimilar metals, particularly in a corrosive environment like around saltwater or in high humidity areas. The brand I use is Lanocote which is readily available in marine supply stores, A 4 oz. plastic jar lasts a very long time. I am sure there are other brands every bit as effective.
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If you visit any seaside harbor you will likely see a forest of aluminum masts, booms, tuna towers and all manner of structures made, primarily of 6061 T6 aluminum, much of which is unpainted and unanodized. 6061 alloy holds up extremely well in harsh marine environments. After nearly 40 years of living in saltwater year round, the 6061 aluminum mast, boom, downwind poles and most other major rigging components on my 35' cruising sailboat are virtually unscathed. Yes, you will get an extremely thin dull coat of aluminum oxide built up but that is not a bad thing as it offers a level of protection to the alloy.
A freshwater rinse after use on suspect roads is worthwhile but I would not sit up nights worrying about occasional exposure to road chemicals ... I would worry more about the steel axle frame. The aluminum Oliver frame will undoubtably outlast most of us owners.
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Here in the Northwest our "cascade concrete" can weigh up to 20# per cubic foot. Wet, dense snow / ice a foot or more in depth can mean the equivalent of a couple of heavy guys standing on your panels. Best to keep it brushed off.
Lot's of snow weight computers on the web for the interested.
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Any good brake shop can handle this ... probably better than a trailer repair shop. Les Schwab comes to mind.
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I would not let snow build up on the solar panels. The panel frame is supported only out on the edges with no center support and the panels themselves are supported only around the perimeter.
Glacier National Park - 2022
in Campgrounds & Parks
Posted
The Glacier shuttle bus system working the major campgrounds out of West Glacier is an excellent way to access trailheads and other POI's. Great way to ease traffic on the "Going to the Sun" road and ease the stress of navigating an overcrowded road system at the same time. You can drop at one of many trailheads, make your hike and pick up a return shuttle at the other end. Great system.