John Welte
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Posts
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Posts posted by John Welte
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18 minutes ago, Jstone said:
I’ve been using the Anderson levelers as well, simple & easy…good to about a 4” lift. I recently had to use them at the max height they provide, and they were as stable as when set for less lift.
I saw a Bluetooth leveling aid that a person can mount in the trailer once the trailer has been leveled so that each time you're getting your trailer leveled at new sites, you just watch the monitor and know when to stop riding up on the Anderson levelers. That seemed to be a good idea.
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34 minutes ago, topgun2 said:
Yes - that list does exist! I'll see if I can find it for you when I have a few minutes.
Bill
No hurry Bill. I just figured that someone more organized than me, which would be a big group of people, would have put a list together.
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1 hour ago, Steph and Dud B said:
Yes. Getting close now. Finalizing plans and supplies for our delivery trip.
I have a 1956 German Rheinmetall typewriter with a sheet of paper in it where I type things that I want to bring to Hohenwald. It's a big job figuring out what to bring. Probably someone has already made such a list. I realize that everyone's list will be different, but there are probably a high percentage that everyone brings. Do you know of any list like that? I hate to invent the wheel again if someone has already come up with the wheel. What can I say?! I have a lazy side.
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6 minutes ago, Steph and Dud B said:
If the trailer is covered the solar will not be active, or at least not much. Shore power can be the trailer connected to a 15 amp outlet at your house with an extension cord and adapter. I think Lithionics wants to be sure your trailer batteries will be receiving a charge while their internal heaters are on. Having active solar panels will maintain battery charge even if your shore power fails. All of this applies to the Lithium Platinum package. The Lithium Pro package uses smaller batteries that would be easy to remove for the winter.
The document details appropriate state of charge and temperatures for long term disconnected storage. Batteries should be at 50% state of charge if being stored over 3 months disconnected.
Thanks very much. You're getting close to your pick up date! June if I remember for you.
John
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1 hour ago, connor77 said:
John W - I'm sure others will chime in but getting the cover on isn't that hard if you have two people. The new covers, as I mentioned, are pretty light. If you get each side "started" and just work from back to front it's not too bad to install. I could do it myself but it's way easier with two.
We have the Lithium batteries and we live in central Maine which can get quite cold so it was suggested to me by people on this forum as well as a tech at Lithionics to remove my batteries which I did. They are stored in a cool, dry place in my home. I feel much better about having taken them out considering some of our night time temps this winter.
"They are stored in a cool, dry place in my home"
Are they on a trickle charge to maintain them at 100%. I thought they had to cycle through a discharge/charge cycle. I have SO MUCH to learn about these batteries!
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55 minutes ago, Steph and Dud B said:
I just emailed the battery mfg (Lithionics) about winter storage last week. If you have the larger CS200 batteries and are storing them in cold winter weather, they recommend leaving the batteries and solar panels on and the trailer plugged into shore power. A quote from the storage procedures document they sent me: "If your battery has the Lithionics Internal Heater, and you are subject to winter conditions, keep the battery ON, solar ON and plugged into shore power. Shut down all appliances, lights, and other DC loads. You may purchase a very small charger from Lithionics Battery (KF Series) and power this from an extension cord if shore power is not available. This will keep the heater running and protect your battery." Note that these instructions are different than those posted in Oliver University. I assume they want the solar on as a backup to the shore power since a loss of shore power could cause the batteries to discharge from running their internal heaters. I've attached the document below. This is something I'll discuss with OTT at delivery.
I'd prefer to remove them for the winter but the larger lithiums are 68 pounds each, so that might be a challenge depending on how they're mounted.
"If your battery has the Lithionics Internal Heater, and you are subject to winter conditions, keep the battery ON, solar ON and plugged into shore power."
If the trailer is covered with that Calmark cover, is the "solar on", just a setting? Isn't shore power and an extension cord about the same thing? Maybe shore power is the 30 amp plug you see at campgrounds versus an extension cord that plugs into I don't know where on the trailer.
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3 hours ago, FrankC said:
Yes, we use the Calmark cover that’s made for the Oliver. Had it through 3 winters so far and it’s worked very well to keep the Ollie clean. The cover itself has held up very well also, no rips. It is a 2 person job to get the cover on the trailer. We bought ours directly from Calmark in 2019 but I understand that now the cover is only available from Oliver.
Is there a trick to getting it on or off? If you have the lithium batteries like we're planning to get when we pick up in November, do you have to do battery cycling to keep them healthy? We will be able to plug in at the house if that helps during winter storage in Portland, Oregon. I understand that there's a battery heater for the lithiums that comes on near freezing.
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Hi all, I believe OTT has a custom trailer cover that they sell. In looking at our parking area where our current tent trailer is, it looks like we could use that area. I had been thinking that I needed to pay $250-350/month for covered parking. Has anyone used that cover? My current cover lasts about two years, but even if I only get one year of use it's still cheaper than covered electrical RV lot storage. I imagine it's a chore to cover an Ollie. Anyone have experience with these covers? Thanks
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55 minutes ago, Mattnan said:
Thanks for flipping my last picture. Not sure how that happens. It has warmed up to 34 and that will be the high for the day. Down to the mid teens tonight. We got some melt. Not the best photo with this very old android phone but I bet few have seen Monument Valley like this.
That's a view that I haven't seen before. 😂
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8 hours ago, FrankC said:
The VIN is printed on the two labels on the lower forward street side of the trailer. To the right of the reflector in the photo. It’ll also be on your sales paperwork from Oliver. Unfortunately Oliver doesn’t do a more permanent stamped number on the aluminum frame somewhere, at least not on ours anywhere.
"Unfortunately Oliver doesn’t do a more permanent stamped number on the aluminum frame somewhere, at least not on ours anywhere."
Years ago the Seattle Police Department would engrave your Washington Driver's license near the crank (bottom bracket) on a bicycle to aid in revovery. Does anyone engrave something similar on the frame of their Ollie? Maybe at a rally, someone with a steady hand could do that. Engravers probably aren't that expensive.
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1 hour ago, SeaDawg said:
Darn, me, too. How the heck does that happen? I wake up in the morning, all clear-eyed and happy, then I swing my legs over the side of the bed and my knees tell me I'm not 30 anymore.🙃
This article might help you, if you decide to go with wax, and a mechanical advantage. (For the time being, still our choice, after 40 years. We'll see what the next decades hold.... )
Fwiw, Google practical sailor and best wax. There are choices beyond our labor intensive paste wax.
Discusses some orbital electric devices for waxing/polishing
https://www.practical-sailor.com/blog/waxing-and-polishing-your-boat
"Discusses some orbital electric devices for waxing/polishing"
Thanks, your response was spot on.
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55 minutes ago, SeaDawg said:
When my neighbors had their 22' boat professionally ceramic coated, they didn't "sand", per se, but it was a four day process, with very extensive prep. Lots of hand work, and chemicals. And rubbing compound, which is sort of a very mild abrasive/sanding. Much of which was removing/stripping old wax, and renewing some chalked areas. (I think their boat was 6 years old.)
It was beautiful at the end. Almost blinding in the sun.
It was "guaranteed " for two years. Can't tell you the end result, as they sold the house, and the boat, separately, 8 months or so later. They were already voicing some disappointment in the reduced "gloss" by the time they sold the boat, but it sat out in the Florida heat and sun, over saltwater, unprotected and unshaded, on a lift. Much different environment than our ollies.
I'll look forward to hearing Steve's review, after a few years. It would be really nice to omit waxing, twice or three times a year, as has been our practice. We're not getting any younger... and though the results of waxing are rewarding, it's not easy.
"We're not getting any younger... and though the results of waxing are rewarding, it's not easy."
I noticed on my last driver's license that I have gotten older compared to the previous license. Is there any way to apply the wax by some electrical device rather than by hand? I put screws in with a driver now and not with a screw driver. Maybe, hopefully, there's a faster way than by hand.
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8 minutes ago, ScubaRx said:
I have an appointment on 22 March to have a ceramic coating applied to Hull #050 by CGI from Murfreesboro, TN. It will take a couple of days to complete and the will come to Tupelo to do it.
I know that OTT recommends to use wax, but I wonder if a ceramic coating is more durable. Wax seems kind of 19th century somehow. I saw an ad for a ceramic coating that is just spray on and wipe off. It's hard to know the technical advantages of each coating. 🤔
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31 minutes ago, Boudicca908 said:
Through research online, I think this is the one that John Davies purchased. It seems to be available (order for ship to store or ship to home from Home Depot). Their price is about $150. It can configure in a LOT of different ways -- as a step ladder, as an extension ladder. So the 14' reach is when it's extended out as a straight line, not when it's "A frame" shape. But it's fairly compact. Their website has complete dimensions, so if you have your Ollie already (I don't) you can measure if it would fit in the closet.
Here's the mfr page -- https://www.wernerco.com/us/products/ladders/multi-ladders/MT-00IAASeries/MT-14IAA
"Their website has complete dimensions, so if you have your Ollie already (I don't) you can measure if it would fit in the closet."
We get ours on November 7. I think you're ahead of us. I am just getting things or researching what I think we will need. Thanks for your comments.
John
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38 minutes ago, topgun2 said:
For what its worth - I carry my collapsible ladder in the closet. A bungee around the vent pipe keeps the ladder firmly against the wall between the closet and the bath.
Bill
Bill, what size did you get and which manufacturer? Are you happy with it? John
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3 hours ago, CnC said:
John, I returned the collapsible 12.5 foot and got the 8.5 foot for the road. I didn't feel like I needed to carry the taller one with me on the road.
Charlie.
Can you do what you need to do with that? You can reach the top with that I would assume.
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3 hours ago, CnC said:
We purchased a collapsible and found it too lengthy and too heavy. We returned it and got a shorter, lighter one that we can use to reach the Ollie roof. If we need to get up on the roof, we'll use taller ladders at home.
Charlie.
How tall was the one that you took back? I am thinking of a 12-12.5 foot long one. They weigh under 30 pounds and go to 32 inches when down.
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1 hour ago, SeaDawg said:
This thread?
Or this?
I'll look forward to people who've used any of them.
I read through the first thread. I didn't see the second one. Thanks for finding that. I do a search on the topic so I don't duplicate questions. I do my search on my Samsung phone. Maybe there's more functionality on a laptop or desktop. Thanks again.
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I did a search on collapsible ladders in the forum and it appears that the 12 foot or 12.5 foot telescoping size is what people are using. Are you all happy with them and what brand did you get? I see about five different weight limits (200,225,250,275 and 300 pounds if I recall correctly) and a few manufacturers of these. The thread that I saw was from 2019. I am looking for current recommendations on these ladders. I weigh 200 pounds, 6'1". Thanks
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27 minutes ago, Mike and Carol said:
Quite a pile of bicycles!
Probably just need air in the tires and lube the chain and they're good as new, or maybe not!
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1 hour ago, Boudicca908 said:
I can tell you that since I made my 50% payment, nothing can wipe the smile off my face!
Certainly cheaper than the 2023 model!!
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50 minutes ago, Steph and Dud B said:
Build sheet sent. Wallet lighter. Colors picked and street awning included. Thanks to all for the feedback! Can't wait to get a hull number!
Congratulations! I always say that money is just paper with pictures of dead presidents. I might feel differently when I send in 40k on the first payment. That will be in August.
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1 hour ago, SNY SD UP said:
one addendum,
if you go to the TRNP Southern Unit near Medora, they have the Medora Musical, if you are into that.
B~Out
I went to that and it's impressive. Well worth the money. I don't recall it being super expensive either.
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15 minutes ago, SeaDawg said:
One of our local friends got a new, more powerful ebike this week. He and his wife rode over to show us this morning.
His helmet from specialized . Com has a gizmo that detects crashes, and sends a text with gps location to specified person. Pretty cool, I think, since he sometimes rides solo. I'd never heard of anything like it.
I think it's this. If anyone is interested, I'll him ask him more about it tomorrow. Today's conversation was mostly about his latest ebike.
I had never heard of it before. Two of us are heading out for a two month bicycle trip so it might come in handy. What kind of e-bike was it? Mine is a Story with a 350 watt hub motor. 7 gears, 5 levels of assist. Some come with mid drive motors down by the pedals with 1000 watts, but they're a few thousand more than mine. I would be interested in a folding e-bike.
New (almost) Owners
in Introduce Yourself
Posted
I have gone on a few multiple month bicycle trips carrying everything and each trip I carry less. The first trip I had so much that I couldn't close the panniers completely. So, you're right, go with the minimum.