topgun2

Rolind - Another possibility is that there is a short in the brake wiring. Several owners have noted wiring issues with the brake wires that are run inside the axle. I'd guess that the RV tech didn't check this and even if he did there is no certain way of checking this without pulling those wires out of the axle. Having said this - your Ollie is relatively new compared to those (that I'm aware of) that have had this issue. But, it is one more thing to be aware of. Bill

I have no clue to what you're saying but it really sounds neat!😅 Bill

rideandfly - Given the temps that are forecast, when we had a heat pump we would have been on "emergency/backup heat" which didn't use the external heat pump unit. However, with one of those newer "fancy" units, they work at lower temps than ours did. If that is what you have and the forecast for sleet/ice is correct then I'd also do what you are thinking. Obviously, you should give the "tarp" or whatever you use on the top good enough support - sleet/ice is heavy, particularly in the amounts that is forecast. Bill

Good news (at least for the more southern states) it appears as though the storm track has moved a bit further to the north. Bad news (at least for the southern states) this could mean more ice down there.😮‍💨 Bill

Yep - Just heard from a friend in State College, PA that they are expecting 11 to 12 inches. But -11 to 12 inches is much different in PA as compared to VA, TN, SC, NC who (for the most part) do not have the equipment, personnel or infrastructure to deal with these things. Be careful out there. Bill

Probably most members and readers of the Forum are aware of the "brewing" winter storm that is forecast to hit the southern states this weekend. But, for those that are not - it is forecast to start Friday over in the mid to northern Texas area and move through Oklahoma and Arkansas. Then on Saturday morning it moves over Tennessee, the northern part of South Carolina, and North Carolina. Continuing through Saturday and well into Sunday the storm then moves slightly north before exiting off the coast in the mid Atlantic region. While totals of snow are as high as 18 inches, it is the ice that will cause many problems - downed power lines and roads that are very difficult to clear. For those not familiar with the southern States - many simply do not have the equipment to deal with either the ice nor the amount of snow that is forecast. If anyone and or their Ollie is in this area of the country, NOW is the time to prepare for this storm. Be careful and best of luck to everyone in dealing with all that is to come from a winter wonderland. Bill p.s. HERE is one forecaster's take on the storm

Wish I had a pic of mine - but - no angle metal needed on mine. Good point on the wing nut if your point is to deter a thief. I've found that the wing nut makes things easier to get into and out of (there isn't that much space in that spot). But, then again, I'm not worried about "unauthorized" access to my batteries for a number of reasons. Bill

GJ - Remember that the later model Olivers have two of those spring loaded catches on the tray. This was done to lessen the chance of failure at that point. Unfortunately, I do not remember exactly when Oliver made this change. As far as Horace's ideas - why not simply drill a hole for the bolt a bit closer to the sliding portion of the tray, use a wing nut on the that bolt and do away with the angle piece of metal since the bolt head will be enough to stop the tray from sliding out? Bill

Wow - good research! I forgot about that thread - it appears to be exactly the same problem. Maybe Galway Girl would be willing to do the repair for you?😉 Bill

A thread on "cracks" at and/or near the battery box was posted a number of years ago. But, as I recall, these cracks were generally in the exterior hull right at the corners of the battery box. Have you looked at the "support post" that is between the hulls directly under the battery box (approximately in the bottom center of the box)? Bill

jd - I really don't remember exactly how you wired your three batteries - but - it is possible that if the batteries are wires in such a way that what happens to be the newest battery is the "last in line" (i.e. the positive cable which feeds into the Ollie comes off that newest battery) more juice will be drawn from that battery. The preferred way to prevent this is to run all the negatives to a buss bar and all the positives to another buss bar and then connect the related positive and negative in such a position as to be as equi-distant from each of the battery connections as possible. Having said this - it still sems to me that the differences you are noting are larger than what I would have thought. Bill

For what its worth - I'd lower this a bit - say down to 145 - certainly you can go lower but if you have that side of the trailer in the sun, are traveling on dark black asphalt roads and are traveling at speed - above 55 mph - you might have times when you will get a signal that things are getting too hot. While I'm sure that there will be some discussion here about the 65psi to start in the tires, if I'm planning on doing a fair amount of driving on the Interstate (i.e. speeds of above 60 mph) I'll start with a psi of 60. Having said this, I doubt that your 65 psi was so high as to be the only cause of that worn spot in the tire. I wouldn't be worried about the psi fluctuation you saw due to the ambient temperature drop. As things warm up I'd bet that your psi will return to close to what you originally set it. Interesting information on the storage of your Ollie - indeed, that salt air and lack of movement point to rust being a major suspect in the problem. Please let us know what the results are of the mobile tech taking a look at the situation. Bill

The only thing that I can think of is that something got jammed in the brakes which either made that single brake lock in the "on" position or that something was like a stone that jammed the brake very tight to the drum on that one brake. Then as you backed up the trailer - probably into the camping spot - whatever was jammed became released thus causing everything to return to normal. I assume that your mobile tech will check the brake wiring, the magnet and all other parts of the brake (at least on that wheel) plus the bearings, etc.. What pressure do you run in your tires? I ask because the worn spot is directly in the center of the tire as opposed to being spread out. This might indicate that your pressures are too high. Also, can you tell us what TPMS system you are using and what your "high" temperature limit is set at? I would have thought that the temps should have reached a high enough level to trigger the TPMS unless (of course) the wheel wasn't really "locked up" all that long. Bill p.s. glad that other than the cost of the tire and the mobile tech that everyone is OK.

Welcome - Sure is "interesting" fishing for trout while knowing that there is a bigger predator out there possibly looking for you (Griz?). Once you get that solar and battery upgrade done - you will be well on your way to getting to some really neat boondocking spots. Please let us know if you have questions about the "new" Ollie of yours. Bill

Actually - I believe that those were the words used by ScubaRx.🫣 Bill

Chris - Ideas? Heavy mods like axles, air conditioners, inverters, batteries, etc.? Light mods like cloths lines, cedar lining in pantry/closet bottoms, paper towel holders, entry step covers, etc.? Routine maintenance items like jacks, bearings, winterization, descaling, etc.? You're doing a great job on this - please keep it up! Bill

I believe that ScubaRx will do it for a "sharp stick in the eye". 🥲

I'd be willing to bet that once you hear the price you WILL have all the motivation that you need. As (I believe) Mike said - this is really not a hard project. But, it is a bit tedious and requires that you really pay attention to what you are doing. Bill

Yes, it is possible for you to only restring one side. But, if one broke then I'd guess that the other side is not far behind. Besides, since you have to basically take the frame apart to do one side, you might as well go ahead and do the other side while you are there. Basically what I'm saying is the very same thing that rideandfly said above. Bill

I'd bet that the string broke because there is simply no "extra" string in the "loop" until you get to the very middle of the top and bottom of the frame. And, even then this "extra" string is tied off. I'm afraid that you are going to have to rethread the whole thing. Bill

That's OK - I know where there might be a couple more. Besides, those note cards also were gone over a year ago! Bill

There just might be a "Ravel Wine" glass in it for you if you do!😉 Bill

Really? Does having THAT tractor count as "alone"? I really like the thread title though. Bill

Nope! The spare tire housing was originally designed to fit a 15 incher. But Oliver changed to 16 inch tires at some point and never got around to changing that housing - this includes both the exterior cover and the indent in the two outside molds. However, Oliver was again "forced" to change back to a 15 inch tire due to supply issues thus making a possible change to the molds unnecessary. So, My spare is a 15 incher and the other four "running" tires are 16 while the newer Ollies are 15 inch all around (including the spare). I'm sure that someone has those exact dates of change (ScubaRx maybe) but it is easy to see which spare you have. Bill p.s. perhaps it is understandable concerning the spare tire issue when you know that a single exterior main body mold costs something in excess of $2,000,000.00 to fabricate. I'm guessing that a change to that mold might cost a bit less but then you've got to consider the cost of taking it out of production while the change is being made to it.

John & Debbie - Below is a pic of the black window molding. Please disregard the black "louver" in the pic since it was/is a mod done by another owner and is not available for sale (that I know of). Note that one pic is from the outside while the other is from inside the trailer. Bill