Steph and Dud B

I've been doing some online reading. There are several different roof sealants that manufacturers use on fiberglass trailers. Dicor lap sealant is one of them and I found a lot of posts referring to its use on various makes of fiberglass trailers. It is messy, but by most accounts it flows well to seal cracks. It does break down faster than some but is easier to maintain with a top coat or remove and replace. So, it looks like it's an acceptable sealant for this purpose. And, of course, we still haven't heard if it actually is Dicor up there.

I'll bet it sounded like a simple, straightforward swap-out when you started. 😮 Hope it goes smoothly from here on out.

The bracket in that photo doesn't even looked sealed. There's a section where the Dicor didn't even touch the roof, a gap where the bracket bends up by the bolt, and that open hole in the middle. Seems like a lot of places where water could get in. Hoping there is additional sealant underneath, around the roof penetrations...

100% with John here. I don't know why OTT uses Dicor for this. It's safe for rubber TPO/EPDM roof membranes, but that doesn't apply to Olivers. On the fiberglass sides of all my RVs I've always gone with Geocel Pro-Flex RV Sealant https://www.geocelusa.com/product/pro-flex-rv-flexible-sealant/ . Very nice stuff and seems way more appropriate for the roof penetrations on an Ollie. It doesn't chalk up and crack, either. Sorry to see that picture.

Will be interesting to see what the new Girard awnings have for a seal.

Nicely written report. Thank you. I will say I also cringed when you talked about speeds from 70-75 MPH. Having a trailer in tow adds so many variables to the equation that I want a little extra safety buffer if something goes wrong. RVing is supposed to be relaxing and fun. I'd rather take my time and arrive less stressed.

On a related note, I talked to Jason at Sales yesterday and I asked what the plans are for the Truma A/Cs. He said all the units they are getting are earmarked for new construction 2023 units. Truma has not made units available for aftermarket installs yet. Their entire production is going to manufacturers for new units. Jason's theory/opinion: if the A/Cs turn out to be well-received as new unit components, Truma might ramp up production and start selling to the aftermarket. Jason thinks OTT will offer them as a retrofit if/when that happens.

Yeah, I can see that. Especially the new armless ones. They do make me nervous, but I see the same ones on a lot of the big Class As, so I guess they're OK. I think the old manual awning we had on our 1999 trailer was the strongest we've had.

Hi, Steph! 🥰

True. But more expensive to retrofit than to include in the build. Ying and yang.

I think I've read every thread about the 2nd awning. No absolute consensus there. We do boondock at a CT state park in the summer. Basically in an open field, so good for solar but it gets hot. And, I like that the awning can help keep light rain off the dinette window. And, and, we absolutely plan to get back to the Southwest during retirement. So, those are all pros. The biggest downside to me will be that it will make snow removal a bit harder. But... we really hope we won't see that much snow after retirement anyway! I think I know which way that coin's falling.

As some you know from our signature, we were originally scheduled for a late July delivery. Then, over the winter, the date slipped to August - which was a concern. Steph and I are both teachers up in CT, so once school starts we pretty much can't pick up an Ollie until the December holiday break. With all the supply chain issues, we were worried another date slip would put us in that situation. Then what? Pay to have it shipped up to us? Pay to have it stored until December? Made us really nervous. Many, many thanks to @SeaDawg who recommended mentioning our predicament to our sales rep. Jason was on leave, so Anita stepped in to take my call. She was great! She took the dates of our summer break and said she'd check around and see if there were any cancelled deliveries on an earlier date. Incredibly, she found an opening on the very first day of our summer break! So, our delivery is now scheduled for June 20!! 😃 But wait, there's more... Got a call a few days ago from OTT. We were planning on the Lithium Pro package. Apparently, those batteries will be unavailable during our build time (chip shortage). 😬 We had three choices: go to a later (August again) delivery date and hope the batteries become available, go with AGMs instead, or upgrade to the Lithium Platinum package at a substantial discount off the standard price. Really only one good option there. So, now our trailer will have 630Ah of lithium instead of 390! ⚡ ⚡ I have to say, OTT has been wonderful through this whole thing. Our build sheet goes to them tomorrow (still waffling on the street side awning, may have to flip a coin). To be followed soon after by a chunk of our cash. Quite a rollercoaster!

I have photos somewhere, but not handy. We were actually almost to our exit when I saw the high temp. Was able to limp a couple of miles to our destination campground. The trailer was still under warrantee and the manufacturer agreed to pay for a mobile service tech to come out and do the work, so it didn't even impact our vacation much. He came out, pulled the wheel, ordered parts, and came back a couple of days later with everything down to the spindle including bearings, backing plate, and drum. Didn't cost us a dime. I have to give credit to Rockwood/Forest River RV for quickly honoring our warrantee claim and Coach-Net for quickly finding a mobile tech for us. The root cause was a defective spring in the Dexter brake assembly and we weren't the only ones that had that problem around that time (2017).

We have used poly mats like ScottyGS recommended for years. Putting a mat down is one of the first things Steph does as we set up because it helps keep dirt out of the trailer. Aside from RV stores, you can find them at pet suppliers because they are commonly used at dog shows. We also have a storage bag for them that we found at Camping World.

Pretty neat. We have fixed iPad mounts in our ambulances but I like the idea of something removable in my personal vehicle.

So that wedges between the seat and the console?

Are you talking about handheld GPS or dash mount for a vehicle? If you're talking about handheld for hiking, etc. also get a compass and learn how to use it with paper maps. Never bet your life on anything with batteries. In fact, get a compass and maps either way. You can get lost on back roads, too. We've all seen the stories about people who take a wrong turn on a forest road and can't get themselves out. A $25 compass and some practice with it before you head out is good life insurance.

What happens when you're plugged into shore line and it's a sunny day? Does the charger take as much solar as it can, then supplement with shore power? Or does it just go on shore power and ignore the solar?

I heard the same thing from a sales rep.

The cold tire pressure listed on your door sticker should be calibrated to your GVW and rated axle weights, so there's no need to go over that unless your manual says otherwise. On my dually, I actually lower my rear tires slightly below the sticker pressure in the off-season - when I'm not towing or carrying cargo. I put them back up to the sticker pressure in the spring. If I don't do that they wear in the center of the tread from overinflation over the winter.

So, where ARE the 120v and USB outlets located in current models?

Is anybody using a Diamondback cover on your truck? If so, how do you like it? Pros/cons?

We had a catastrophic brake failure on one wheel of our fifth wheel. A spring broke and part of the auto adjust mechanism fell inside the drum, leading to further parts thrashing around inside the drum as we drove. My first indication was unusually high temperature in that tire, reported by my TPMS.

Are you plugged into shore power or your truck's 7-pin connector? With the solar panels disconnected and the main negative battery terminal off you must be getting power from an external source.

Wire gauge looks too small. Some sort of monitor?