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John Welte

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Posts posted by John Welte

  1. 7 hours ago, AlbertNTerri said:

    I could be wrong with my calculations, but it looks like your TV weight went up 600-620 pounds when hooked up which makes your tongue weight (600-620).

    Interestingly, the anderson shifts about 40 pounds from the rear TV axle to the front TV axle and shifts 20 pounds from the rear axle of the TV to the trailer axles (I thought it would be more than that), but...there you have it. 

     

    Trailer weighed in at 6440 pounds

    Albert, thanks for the math.  We have been in Denver for six days helping our daughter care for her two sons, 2 months old and 19 months old while her husband was in Italy for work.  Lots of work taking care of those little guys.  He's back now and we're heading to Hohenwald by the 29th.  Thanks again.  

    John

  2. Hi all math whizzes.  I took the tv and trailer through twice.  First time with the Anderson hooked up.  Second time without and third time with the tv only.  Does anyone know if doing those three weighs will give me the hitch weight and the trailer weight.  Here are the numbers:

    1st weigh-  steer axle 3120, drive axle 4260, trailer axle 5840. Gross weight 13220

    2nd weigh-  steer axle 3080, drive axle 4340, trailer axle 5800, gross weight 13220

    3rd weigh-  steer axle 3380, drive axle 3400, gross weight 6780

    The tv is a 2017 Ford Expedition.  Missing from the tv was my wife at 140 pounds and maybe 100 pounds of cooler and drinking water.  The fuel tank was full as well as the fresh water tank.  Black and gray were empty.  Thanks for any help.  Have a great week all.

    John 

     

    • Thanks 1
  3. On 10/19/2023 at 9:12 AM, Rivernerd said:

    The two of you like to live dangerously! 

    A reminder that absorption fridges use an open flame to heat the refrigerant when in propane mode.  The potentially catastrophic consequences of an open flame parked anywhere near a gas pump are enough to persuade me to use DC mode when on the road.

    John, as I recall you have solar panels and a 390 Ah Lithionics battery bank.  For what it 's worth, we always use DC mode when on the road, with the solar turned on.  Each time, when we arrive at camp, we switch to propane if boondocking, or to AC if we have hookups.  I then check battery State of Charge to determine how much the fridge in DC mode has drawn down our 390 Ah Lithionics battery bank, given the offset from the solar panels.  I have yet to find the SOC below 90% when we arrive at camp.  That 10% deficit is quickly replenished by the solar panels after a few daylight hours when boondocking.

    My brother died 6 years ago after he ignited a slash pile doused with gasoline.  My son quips that "Uncle Larry went down in flames...."

    Rivernerd, you are right.  Very sorry about your brother Larry.  We have the same set-up that you have.  I have always run the fridge on DC while traveling.  Like you my SOC hasn't gone down much.  Two days of travel with a boondocking stop brought me down to 76%.  Not bad.  If I ever ran it on propane while traveling, I would turn off the propane while fueling.

    John

    • Like 3
  4. 1 hour ago, topgun2 said:

    You do know that your question(s) just might start a "storm" of comments here on the Forum?

    Yes, I do travel with propane on.  In order to amplify the safety measures that are already built into these tanks, I installed "GasStop" propane shutoff valves (like THESE).  However, I should note that if I had the battery bank that you do - I have 4 six volt lead acid batteries - I just might run the fridge on a/c while towing.

    No, I do not turn off my propane while getting fuel.  However, my filler port on my F-150 is on the opposite of the rig versus where the fridge is located.  Hopefully, I'm smart enough to not drive into a "pool" of fuel that is laying on the ground and/or move if I can smell a strong odor of fuel.

    Bill

    "However, my filler port on my F-150 is on the opposite of the rig versus where the fridge is located."

    Bill, my filler is on driver's side like yours also.  I may try doing what you do.  I do have two gas stop devices.

    John

    • Like 1
  5. 12 minutes ago, rich.dev said:

    3 weighs if you have a weight distribution system/Anderson anti sway hitch....there are 3 "platforms/scales" at the CAT scale

    1) Weigh your TV and trailer with weight distribution enabled, front axle of TV on front platform/scale, rear axe of TV on the second platform/scale and trailer axle/axles on the 3rd platform/scale
    2) Same as above but weight distribution system disengaged, I leave it attached but just loosen the tension on the chains.
    3) Only TV, front axle on front platform/scale and rear axle on 2nd platform/scale.

    Make sure the 2nd and 3rd weighs are "re weighs", i.e you pay full price for the 1st weigh and much cheaper for the 2nd and 3rd weigh.

    Then punch the numbers into this spreadsheet.

    Towing calculations spreadsheet.xlsx 12.24 kB · 0 downloads

    Thanks.  I couldn't get the spreadsheet to open.  Thanks for the detailed order of weighing.

    John

  6. Hi all, we left Oregon for Tennessee and I stopped at a CAT scale.  That gives three readings;  steer axle, drive axle and trailer axle.  How do you get tongue weight and trailer weight?  Do you weigh with the Anderson attached or remove that for weighing.  I saw a thing called Smart Weigh that weighs each tire, but is only available in Florida, Texas and Arizona.  What do y'all do?

    John

  7. 1 hour ago, topgun2 said:

    I have much the same situation - if I attach my Oliver while still in the driveway the nose of the Ollie is way too high.  Therefore, a couple of days before departing on a trip I will turn on the fridge (not hooked to the TV of course) and let it get cold.  This way I can monitor the fridge and have time to correct a problem should one develop.  On the day of departure I will turn the fridge off, hook the Ollie to my TV and depart.  As soon as I'm on fairly level ground I'll stop, check the rig over and turn on the fridge.  This process only takes a couple of minutes.

    Bill

    Bill, I ran the fridge on DC both travel days, from Ontario to Evanston, Wyoming and again from Evanston to Denver.  The solar panels kept up for the most part and kept the lithium pro package close to starting SOC every day.  Do you travel with propane on?  When getting fuel do you then turn off the propane?

    John

  8. On 10/15/2023 at 3:39 AM, AlbertNTerri said:

    probably not ideal, can you keep it hooked up and just raise the nose 6-8 inches to be closer to level? just dont forget to lower it before driving off...

     

     

    Probably will just leave it level in the parking area and hook up in the morning next time.  

    John 

    • Like 2
  9. On 10/15/2023 at 7:17 AM, Ronbrink said:

    You really should consider getting a hitch that will level the Oliver when under tow. The optimum ball height should be 23.5” from what I recall. There are many riser type adjustable hitches available, check out etrailer.com then do a price comparison/Amazon availability search.

    IMG_6340.jpeg

    We are level while under tow.  We live on a hill so when the trailer is unhitched and in the parking area, the nose goes up about 12-18 inches after I unhook to get to level in the parking spot.

    • Like 1
  10. On 10/16/2023 at 10:39 AM, John E Davies said:

    LOL, my guess is that he is parked on a steep upward slope, there is no way in this universe that an Ollie can actually be towed with a foot and half of droop at the hitch. If I am wrong, please post some pictures.

    And yes, leaving the fridge on in any mode at that angle is very very bad for it.

    https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/8865-fridge-fires-if-you-have-an-older-hull-you-really-need-to-pull-out-that-fridge-now/

    John Davies

    Spokane WA

    John, you're right.  We were parked on our hillside all hooked up.  I had unplugged from the garage and the refrigerator was full so I ran it on propane for the night.  To hook up, the nose goes down about a foot to 18 inches to hook up to the tv.  No apparent damage.  In the future should I just leave it plugged in if I am getting ready to go in the morning and not use propane at that angle?

    John

  11. 16 hours ago, topgun2 said:

    The similar Camco pump at Menards is $17.79 (HERE) versus $7.49 at Harbor Freight.  I'll bet that the fitting doesn't cost anywhere near the difference in price.

    Bill

    That's the one we use and it works great.

    John

    • Like 1
  12. 1 hour ago, 2008RN said:

    ScubaRX,

    I love the idea of wiring to the Rear camera switch.  My Oli wasn't purchased with a camera. So I put in a camera year ago. My 2020 Oli fortunately was pre-wired with a camera Positive wire from where the switches are at to the rear upper section of the Oli. All I had to do was put in a switch in the panel and hook up wires. 

    I think from the rear camera wire, I could end up placing a repeater either in the rear, in the pantry, or in the vanity.   I already have a sender for the camera in the vanity, I don't know if having 2 senders in the vanity would interfere with each other.  

    I have though about buying a TST system in the past, but I just figured on doing stuff the old fashion way.  Now with this thread, I now think it is something that is more of a must instead of nice to have option.

    A tire pressure monitoring system was the first thing we bought to bring at delivery day.  We have the TST and like the monitor on the dash.  After you set the parameters, you don't have to watch it as it will alert you if the tire pressure or temperature goes outside of your settings.  I think it's a must have item.

    John 

    • Like 2
  13. 4 hours ago, Steve and MA said:

    As I recall, the instructions that came with my TST kit recommended installing the booster near the sensors and to connect directly to the battery.  We installed ours in the battery compartment.  It's about as close to the sensors as you can get, and there's no need to route the wires through the hull or under the frame.  It's not a switched connection, but if you're worried about draining the batteries you can just remove the 2 amp fuse for storage. 

    Steve

    Steve,

    Did you use alligator clips on the battery terminals?

    John

  14. 10 hours ago, Patriot said:

    John,

    I will weigh in here -
    Per the TST tech I spoke with you will require the booster for TST to honor your warranty and for the TPMS to operate at its maximum potential. It takes a few min to connect the repeater. The TST tech also told me that using the system without the repeater you could easily have RF interference and you can easily loose your signal. 
    My TST monitor is always on while plugged in and charging. When I unplug it from charging,  it will shut off via the switch. I highly recommend you consider installing the booster/repeater for a proper install.  3 years in and my TST TPMS is working great. I do monitor my tires when traveling for heat and tire pressure. The monitor is so easy to read right there on my dash eye level. 
     

    Cheers & Safe Travels from SW Colorado!

    Patriot🇺🇸
     

    How is the booster installed?  I haven't installed it yet.  Any directions for doing that?  TST phone number?

    John

  15. 2 hours ago, jd1923 said:

    Thanks @John Welte, @Mike and Carol and @topgun2.

    There are several reasons why I'm interested in the new Dill product, vs. TST and other like products. The Dill sensor is installed in the tire on an integrated valve stem vs. small plastic valve-stem-cap devices mounted outside in the elements. Dill sensors, like OEM automotive sensors, advertise a 5 to 7-year battery life. So, you replace the batteries when you replace tires every 5-7 years.

    Another feature is not having to mount and wire a proprietary screen! Just read the tire data from your cell phone. Soon I will be mounting a small screen for gauges integrated to the truck computer (OBD II port), to read EGT on the diesel, trans temp, and much more! I have a good place to mount that, down behind the cup holder and really do not want anything on the dashboard. Full specs are not yet out on this new product, to be released by October end, but you must be setup a cell phone alert when tire pressure or temp is outside of control limits. Having the data view portable will also be handy when filling tires. I'm holding off on my new tire purchase until these are released, price and full specs advertised. 

    Sounds interesting.  The main thing is to have a tpms with the trailer and you're doing that with this new product.  5-7 year battery life sounds great.

    John

    • Thanks 1
  16. 2 hours ago, Mike and Carol said:

    Same here.  We’ve used TST for 7 years, no booster.

    How long do your sensor batteries last?  I bought a package of 12 CR2032 from Costco that were on sale for about $12.  I think that I put them on when I picked up our trailer in November last year.  Do you just put new batteries in every year or wait for a loss of signal message?  If you're not on the road is it still draining the battery?  My wife retires in 13 days, so we will be doing more traveling.  You two are out a lot.

    John

  17. 1 hour ago, jd1923 said:

    Thank goodness your family and your Oliver is all OK!

    Years ago, pulling an enclosed cargo tailer from TX to AZ, we had a trailer blowout. Honestly, it's amazing that your OTT and connection to the TV is so solid, that you did not know the blowout even occurred - OMG!

    Ours was so drastic, that I immediately felt a tug on the truck steering wheel! The belts from the tire tore the fender off completely and it then damaged the siding of the trailer (cheap alum, not our OTT fiberglass). Got a new tire, miles down the desolate dry western highway. Of course, had to park the trailer and run an 85-mile roundtrip with the wheel. 

    I'm going to purchase and install these from Dill. Our truck is 23 years old, so it did not come with TPMS. You can buy a set of 4, or 8 and monitor pressure via Bluetooth to your phone. I will purchase 8 and install inside of my OTT and TV wheels. Dill's new product will be available late October from Tire Rack (first reseller). For truck and trailer you would buy two sets (pat # 1604-V).

     

    Dill TPMS.jpg

    Dill New.png

    A TPMS is crucial to have.  Check out TST and compare to the one you posted.  It comes with a monitor that you can see on your dash and gives you pressure and temperature readings.  We have that one and even though we haven't set up the booster, we have no problem getting the measurements from the Oliver LE 2.  I have four sensors for the tv and four for the trailer.  Tireminder is another brand.

    John

    • Like 1
  18. 1 hour ago, SeaDawg said:

    @SomeDaySoon, I'm sure you can add to the conversation on Canadian campgrounds, among other things.  A lot of us truly enjoy the welcome of our northern friends and neighbors, and your beautiful Provincial and territory parks.

    Welcome from #12.

    Love your chosen screen name, but I'll probably be listening to that old Judy Collins  song (that I loved) in my head for awhile....🤣

     

    Great song.  I grew up listening to her.  We had wonderful music in the 60's and 70's.  

    John

     

    • Like 1
  19. On 9/19/2023 at 11:28 AM, Brian and Brandelyne said:

    @Ollie-Haus Chris - great idea, I also like the idea that the porch lights stay bright for looking outside when boon docking.

    BTW - we were just on a trip to VA to go to my mom's funeral and "Whitezilla" died hard! Engine failure on the 7.3L. We were fortunate that we were 2 miles from a Ford dealer and they took us right in but unfortunately, the engine will have to be replaced and the truck is 6 hours from home.  I had to rent a ridiculous F-350 dually with the turbo diesel and a long bed @ $900/week to get to VA and back. Then we had to tow the trailer all the way to TN and then drive the truck all the way back to London, KY to drop it off (had to drop it where we rented it) and then rent a car to go back to TN while we wait for the new engine.

    It seems the lifter on #3 CYL kept sticking and it would cause the exhaust valve to stay open resulting in a #3 CYL misfire. I chased that for several months by changing plugs, wires, and even a coil pack for #3 then it finally showed why it was doing that when the lifter froze and caused the push rod to bend resulting in a horrible noise. I was hoping it was a rocker arm or something similar and easy to fix but NO.

    The dealership, and two others I have talked to, said this is the first engine failure they have seen on a 7.3L gas. Not sure if that makes me feel special or just unlucky. 

    I will post a report on the Tremor forums as see if anyone has had a similar experience but haven't seen anything there so far like this.

    Cheers,

    Brian

    I am sorry for the loss of your mom.  The engine problems sound awful too.  Hope the rest of your year is better.

    John

    • Love 1
  20. 2 hours ago, Brian and Brandelyne said:

    @Ollie-Haus Chris - great idea, I also like the idea that the porch lights stay bright for looking outside when boon docking.

    BTW - we were just on a trip to VA to go to my mom's funeral and "Whitezilla" died hard! Engine failure on the 7.3L. We were fortunate that we were 2 miles from a Ford dealer and they took us right in but unfortunately, the engine will have to be replaced and the truck is 6 hours from home.  I had to rent a ridiculous F-350 dually with the turbo diesel and a long bed @ $900/week to get to VA and back. Then we had to tow the trailer all the way to TN and then drive the truck all the way back to London, KY to drop it off (had to drop it where we rented it) and then rent a car to go back to TN while we wait for the new engine.

    It seems the lifter on #3 CYL kept sticking and it would cause the exhaust valve to stay open resulting in a #3 CYL misfire. I chased that for several months by changing plugs, wires, and even a coil pack for #3 then it finally showed why it was doing that when the lifter froze and caused the push rod to bend resulting in a horrible noise. I was hoping it was a rocker arm or something similar and easy to fix but NO.

    The dealership, and two others I have talked to, said this is the first engine failure they have seen on a 7.3L gas. Not sure if that makes me feel special or just unlucky. 

    I will post a report on the Tremor forums as see if anyone has had a similar experience but haven't seen anything there so far like this.

    Cheers,

    Brian

    I am sorry for the loss of your mom.  The engine problems sound awful too.  Hope the rest of your year is better.

    John

    • Like 4
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