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MAX Burner

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Posts posted by MAX Burner

    HOW TO: Upgrade the Bulldog coupler and Andersen Hitch to 2 5/16"

    in Ollie Modifications

    Posted

    @John E Davies - We used a black Sharpie to mark the position of the Bull Dog before removing it from the aluminum box beam tongue:

    IMG_7673.thumb.jpeg.af773557d1fc9a62281494b8cc6d3ad8.jpeg

    The insert sleeves were in good shape.  There was slight damage on the edge of the aluminum beam above the rear hole from the Bull Dog rotating up and down, as well as wallowing of the front hole on the Bull Dog itself:

    IMG_7676.thumb.jpeg.cfd31dbf93316709e275aa9d9d5c786a.jpeg

    IMG_7677.thumb.jpeg.b82694622c4afa34219fdbd54fc275db.jpeg

    We clean-up all the associated parts and re-assembled following John's suggestion using the jack-stand to fix the Bull Dog correctly in position prior to applying torque to the 3/4" locknuts:

    IMG_7683.thumb.jpeg.ceb9f1b1b0a03bda7df1fdb20af89d2d.jpeg

    You can see the Bull Dog is now about 3/16" higher than its position before removing it - due to the wallowing out of the front holes (which may have been caused either by years of towing while under-torqued or from original drilling at the OTT factory):

    IMG_7682.thumb.jpeg.52af5b2f63bb636636d71e4d4715f152.jpeg

    We test-towed the rig on a short 25-mile run after completing the effort and the Bull Dog did not appear to have moved.  We're headed to Eagle Nest, NM this Friday to escape the heat for a long weekend away - just under 500 round trip; we'll see if the "fix" holds.... knock on wood!

    Cheers,

    A & D

    • Thanks 1
    • Like 1

    Water Pump suddenly stopped. What to do?

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Have you tried to get a voltage reading at the pump with your VOM?  

    If you don't have a VOM, you could also test for voltage at the pump positive (red wire) with a test light probe:

    IMG_7669.thumb.jpeg.13bf52d0ffa9d429d3f64da177f4b71a.jpeg

    Realize that this is a basic question, but at least you'll know if the pump "is" or "is not" getting power.  Battery voltage at pump & pump not running = bad pump.  If there's no power to the pump, you're probably "ok" to assume the pump is functional.  We've had several pumps fail over the years and that's why we travel with a spare.  

    One is none.  Two is one....:

    IMG_7670.thumb.jpeg.f019fcc90d4603d0c9a3b8ca6ff3721b.jpeg

    Keep us informed of your troubleshooting progress - good luck!

    Best,

    A & D

     

    • Thanks 1
    • Like 1

    Prime deals on Battleborn and Renogy suitcase solar

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    On 7/14/2023 at 3:02 PM, SeaDawg said:

    I'd look at a bunch of reviews, and  maybe talk to owners via email, before I'd put "really cheap" lithium in my trailer.

    @SeaDawg:  Excellent point, brother!  

    The last thing any of us FG egg owners (FGEOs?) would want to experience is making way down an out-of-the-way washboarded road and turn to our better half and say, "Honey, did you hear an explosion back there?" while you gaze in the rear view and see that your hauling a giant burning marshmallow!

    Just say'n...

    • Haha 1
    • Wow 1

    LED Light Bar on Bumper...

    in Ollie Modifications

    Posted

    Background:  Using @John E Davies's modification (HOW TO: Connect a STANDARD SAE 4 pin harness (or 4 pin with backup lights) to your OLIVER FACTORY 7 pin wire), May 15, 2022); as inspiration, we installed the same LED light bar (Amazon $90) on the bumper to compensate for blocking the tail lights when carrying cargo/bikes.  Our application for the light bar is for a permanently mounted fixture and not removable when the 2" carrier assembly is disconnected from the bumper.  Others have mounted it to the carrier assembly exclusively - we decided to have the light bar function with or w/o the carrier attached to Casablanca - so, it gets mounted to the bumper in our case.

    IMG_7663.thumb.jpeg.611749873a0673428c1a4b0f282f908c.jpeg

    Process Description:  The light bar is shipped with a 4-Pin harness and male/female plugs and a separate (16AWG white) wire for the backup light feature.  First thing we did after receiving the light bar was to connect it to the factory 4-Pin female plug on the TV to function check the assembly.  It is a 2-row multi-color light bar (red, orange, and white) which illuminate depending upon the driver's input.  Basically, marker, L/R, brake, warning, and back-up lighting features are present.  Function check proved successful - we didn't want to get too far down the installation path and find out we've received a bad unit from Amazon (been there, done that...).

    The light bar comes with metal clips as well as a 3M-type adhesive strip for mounting.  We decided to mount the bar about 1/3 down from the top of the bumper using the 3M strip for best observation/view from those following behind.

    Determining the routing for the power harness was interesting and somewhat different than John's "How To" procedure.  First off, we learned that the wire colors from the light bar were non-industry standard going into the provided 4-Pin plug, but coming out of the opposite 4-Pin plug the colors were standardized.  Furthermore, as you may know, and as John described, the 2017 OTT 7-Pin wire colors are non-industry standard either.  We needed to make a wire color/function matrix for what would be 5 Anderson Power Pole connections in the bowels of the TT because we would not be using the light bar provided 4-Pin connector.

    Power runs from the OTT 7-Pin harness located on the street side under the garage floor; left-rear most area just outboard from the waste water dump mast.  The light bar electrical harness will pass through the left-rear bulkhead in the proximity of the small round red reflector left of the spare tire cover.  Through a Blue Sea Systems Cable Clam (Amazon $23), the harness passes through the aluminum diamond plate deck into the waste water hose compartment, then through the bumper to the light bar.

    IMG_7650.thumb.jpeg.0236e83120494edf6f9ad7a0395fba16.jpeg

    Removing the black mat, 3 floor panel wood screws and removing the floor panel exposes waste water dump mast, red/blue/clear PEX lines, and several split combed electrical harness as shown above.  Also above, note the sacrificial wood piece placed on bulkhead to avoid an incidental perforation of water & electrical targets in the vicinity of where hull penetrations will be drilled from outside.

    We removed the small red reflector, cleaned off residue from its adhesive and prepared the drill site with blue painter's tape.

    IMG_7647.thumb.jpeg.a5a949d6c2aa8d04aa44fa32a6e443e6.jpeg

    The 4-piece Blue Sea Cable Clam (rubber gasket, base, grommet, and compression cover) requires a cable penetration hole and 4 mounting holes for the base.  Carefully measuring, marking, drilling the holes places the Clam where the reflector used to reside.  Cable penetrations were then drilled in the diamond plate deck and on both sides of the bumper - wiring harness was double heat-shrinked and grommeted at each penetration to avoid chaffing.

    IMG_7665.thumb.jpeg.541e6849101290b1e1f8ae882305f6e3.jpeg

    Once the "power run" penetrations were made good, we connected the 4 non-standard LED bar wires to a corresponding set of standard 4-Pin wires using Anderson Power Poles which make for a clean connection bus.  Finding and isolating the non-standard 7-Pin wires within the OTT harness was next.  As John described in his "How To" post, there are 3 buses easily accessible, one each for back-up, ground, and marker lights.  The L (red) & R (brown) are found in the same split comb as they exit and head for their respective light assemblies.

    The Anderson connectors are convenient in the manner in which they can be attached "side-by-side" - used for years in the HAM radio community, they provide a positive connection even when coupling different gauge wires; which was the case here:

    IMG_7656.thumb.jpeg.465550d038ac9e2c2059289d89f1812f.jpeg

    Penetrations were chamfered smooth and the harness was "double heat-shrinked" and grommeted at penetrations to avoid chaffing.

    IMG_7659.thumb.jpeg.5c44423d0dbde06ca852b2ca7e8f7172.jpeg

    (Unknown why this pic insists on rotating itself....!)

    Function checked light bar - all good, zip-tied 7-Pin harness, replaced split loom, screwed in garage floor panel, placed mat in position, closed garage hatch and got a cold one.  I'm happy with this mod - D likes it, too with an enthusiastic "thumbs-up"!

    "Ravel-ON!"

    Cheers,

    A & D

     

    • Thanks 1
    • Like 11

    Adding Water Accumulator to pre 2018 Elite II

    in Ollie Modifications

    Posted

    On 7/2/2023 at 10:53 AM, John E Davies said:

    Vertical is a little better, if you do not winterize with antifreeze, there will always be a some water trapped in the cylinder. If it is mounted with the valve up, then gravity will assist in draining that out when you empty the system, or blow it with regulated compressed air.

    We don't have a need to winterize, so we installed the accumulator horizontally with access to the Shrader valve.  Easy install including the longer ShureFlow hoses for the "quiet modification."  We've mounted a small mountain bike hand pump on the underside of the forward curbside hatch cover for easier accumulator bladder air adjustments.  We've played with air pressure settings between 20 and 40psi; settled on 30.  With this pressure, water seems to flow longer from the kitchen sink before the pump starts.

    IMG_7642.thumb.jpeg.fd4cdda74ec71c6826c9f1d4f86c0318.jpeg

    FWIW:  It does seem to run a bit quieter, according to D.  However, I can barely hear it at all...

    Cheers!

    A & D

    • Like 4

    HOW TO: Upgrade the Bulldog coupler and Andersen Hitch to 2 5/16"

    in Ollie Modifications

    Posted

    On 7/26/2019 at 6:01 AM, John E Davies said:

    Uh oh.... Not good - a 1/2" bolt inside a 5/8" hole:

     

    FYI:  I've noticed that the Bull Dog rotates UP slightly when raising the front of the trailer while attached to the TV hitch.  I've torqued the nuts to 93ft-lbs, but it still literally "pops" up about 3/16" when raising.  Not a good sign.  I'm planning to remove the Bull Dog this afternoon to inspect the holes as you've shown here....

    • Like 2

    Truma A/C, Low versus night mode

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    On 7/12/2023 at 6:03 AM, Mike and Carol said:

    I’m hoping the Dometic Freshjet works out, it sould make switching to a quieter AC easier.

    We've got the factory Dometic Penguin II AC unit on our rig, and I'm told by my better half that our's is pretty loud.  A great working AC unit otherwise, IMO.  The integrated MaxAir Soft Touch 'stat was a game changer mod for us...FYI.

    However, working around loud sounds my entire life, has left my hearing WAY less than adequate.  Add to that a nice layer of constantly screaming tinnitus, and its not motivating me to swap out our fine-cooling 'Ol Penguin because its "too loud" - largely because I don't hear how bad its noise really is.

    But, that said, I take everyone's word how the Penguin got its moniker, "NoiseMaker"!  Especially, D's!  

    We've replaced several AC units ourselves over the years high atop Vintage AS rigs - these replacements were because of an INOP/unservicable unit, not because they were "too loud."  With all this into account, I'm detecting another AC replacement on my radar screen.

    We too, look forward to the jury's decision regarding the Freshjet's performance - as it would be nice to have a relatively straightforward AC R&R effort.  Changing out a Dometic for a Dometic sounds appealing rather than trying to engineer a size 13D foot into a size 9B boot.

    We shall keep a weather-eye on Dometic Freshjet posts!

    Not so quietly staying cool,

    A & D

    • Like 3
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