topgun2

Even in the rain these Ollies are good looking. I too had mine delivered in the rain and it was a muddy mess by the time I got south of Atlanta of an overnight on the way to Florida. Just could not stand it and did a quick wash before getting to bed for that night. Welcome to the Family! Hopefully you have spent a bit of time in the Oliver University (FOUND HERE). Let us know if we can help you in any way. Try to get to the Rally if you can. Be safe and enjoy the heck out of your new baby. Bill p.s. thanks for the info in your signature line - it helps us help you.

Short answer - yes, onto the ground. Longer answer - We live in a very wooded area and our general drainage from the roof and driveway is basically collected into two large catch basins which have their outlets well away from the house down in the woods. We have structured the outlets in such a way as to disperse this water over a fairly wide area so as to not cause erosion and/or drainage into a small nearby creek. With the water I used in flushing the fresh water and grey tank in the Spring, any anti-freeze is well diluted by the time it gets to these outlets. Of course, any flushing of the black tank goes directly into the waste water system of the house while the "main dump" of the black tank occurs prior to bringing the trailer home. Bill

Olive - Check the ingredient list on the anti-freeze you used. It should not include ethylene glycol - mine doesn't. Therefore mine isn't toxic to dogs and I'd suspect that yours isn't either. Bill How does ethylene glycol affect dogs? Even small amounts of ethylene glycol can cause permanent kidney damage in dogs. Less than ½ a teaspoon per pound of body weight can be enough to kill a dog. Dogs can get into antifreeze by drinking from puddles or licking it off their paws.

Truma - are you reading this? Good for Lifeline! I agree with SeaDawg - unless you have some compelling reason for switching to Li, simply keep those new AGM's for a few years and enjoy the savings. Bill

Jay - Welcome to the Family! If you have not already been there it is in your best interest to become VERY familiar with the Oliver University - which can be found HERE. Being from TX it is a fair drive to get to Hohenwald, TN, but, if you can make it there and/or to the Annual Oliver Owner's Rally it would be time well spent. And, of course, there is the TX Owner's Rally that Mike mentions above. If there is anything that we can do for you - just ask! Bill

The quote below was prepared by the Franger Gas Company. Bill How often does a Propane Tank need to be recertified? Propane tanks are good for 12 years from the date of manufacture. After that, tanks typically need inspecting and recertification every five years. To check your tank’s status, look at the collar at the top of the tank. You’ll find the date of manufacture stamped into the collar using the typical month and year code. A tank stamped 08 18, for example, was manufactured in August 2018. When the tank is recertified, the company certifying it will either add a sticker to the tank with the inspection date on it or stamp its own mark into the top of the cylinder. A recertified date code consists of the letter A, B, C, or D as well as a two-digit number. The letter in the code indicates the quarter, and the number signals the year that the tank was recertified. A stamp that reads B 20 indicates certification during the second quarter (April, May, or June) of the year 2020. There are a few more things to note about the dates/tags listed on your propane tank, and how it indicates the propane inspection type performed on your tank: Date Only If your propane tank shows only a date, with no letter following it – this is typically the manufacturing date and indicates you will need to have your propane tank recertified within 12 years of the date on the tank. Date followed by a Letter An “S” on the tank after the date indicates an internal hydrostatic method was used for inspection. This means you have 7 years before needing your DOT propane tank checked again. An “E” following the date listed on your tank means the tank was inspected only visually and externally. This means you will need your propane tank inspected within five years of that date. The codes are meant to let you and any future technicians who examine the tank know when it was last checked and in which way. How to Recertify a Propane Tank Now that you understand the reason and timing behind recertification – we will explain the simple process of having your propane tank recertified. You can follow these quick and easy steps and you will be back to grilling or RVing in no time! Visit frangergas.com to find the nearest Franger Gas location. No appointment is necessary! Bring your tank to one of our refilling locations for recertification. We will inscribe your tank with the inspection date and recertification date. Note: There is a nominal fee for recertification. Once your tank has been recertified, it’s time to get grilling!

jd1923 - I just sent rich.dev a PM and didn't receive the message you stated above. Therefore, I doubt that your "issue" is due to a "system problem". If I get something back different, I'll let you know. Bill

There are a number of factors that determine state of charge, life of an AGM battery(s), charging an AGM battery(s), etc.. HERE is a discussion of these factors. In any case it appears that you have seriously discharged your battery(s) multiple times to levels that are very low - well beyond 50% of capacity. Hopefully you will be able to bring them back to life but it appears to me that you will be very lucky to do that. In addition to investigating your batteries, I would also make sure that your charger is operating properly to include being set at the proper charge rates. Good luck! Bill

Joe & Janet - A few more quick thoughts since you are "first timers" - 1 - bring a camera. You will not remember all of the things you see. A picture will help several months down the road to jog your memory of that mod you thought was interesting. 2 - bring a notebook for many of the same reasons you bring a camera. 3 - bring good walking shoes. I think that you will find that one of the better benefits of attending the Rally is meeting and talking to other owners. This is best done by simply grabbing that camera and notebook and going for a walk. 4 - bring a bike. For many of the same reasons as #3 above. Also, depending on where you are camped, a bike can make quick work of getting down to the vendor area, the Beach Pavilion, camp store/check-in or simply to another campsite. A bike certainly isn't necessary but it can save some walking/driving. Unless you are an exceptional biker - don't even think about biking up to the Lodge for presentations and seminars. The hill is fairly steep. 5 - be mindful of wildlife. Early in the morning and at dusk the deer really do come out and they are not afraid of humans and vehicles. Also, particularly if you are camped up near the road note that there have been reports of snakes seeking the warmth of the asphalt. I've never noticed a poisonous snake but a bite is a bite - just keep an eye out if you tend to walk around after sunset. There really aren't many but --- 6 - be sure to save some time to relax. Usually I get back home from the Rally really tired. The State Park is really pretty - be sure to schedule watching the sunset from up at the Lodge deck or from down by the water. If you see a group around a campfire or even someone simply relaxing outside their Ollie, grab a chair and ask to join them. 7 - never leave your Ollie with the awning deployed. A few years ago a sudden storm came up and at least four Ollies had the awning destroyed. Even last year a sudden storm nearly claimed an awning or two. 8 - with reference to #3 above - Do not be afraid to approach people or simply knock on a door. Most of us love to talk about these trailers and are more than happy to show you what we mods have done. 9 - if you have (business) cards bring them. This will save you a bunch of time giving out this information if you chose to do so. 10 - don't worry about what to bring. We are all camping! Attire for the opening meeting will range from shorts and t-shirts to business slacks and collared shirt. Most will have nice jeans and a golf type polo or shirt. Always bring a sweater or light jacket when going up to the Lodge - there ae times when the air conditioning can be a bit cool. In this same vein a hat and sun glasses are always a good idea when going down near the lake. For supplies - there are a couple of grocery stores in Guntersville to include a nice Publix. There are also hardware stores and the like. There are a number of nice casual restaurants in town too. 11 - finally, as with virtually all things, don't be afraid to ask for recommendations, to borrow just about anything, advice on how to fix just about all things related to your Oliver, etc.. There will be plenty of owners in attendance that will be more than willing to help with just about anything you might need. Bill

Mostly this depends on where and/or how you like to camp. Due to a storm several years ago, the sites closer to the water tend to not be as shady as those further away from the water. Also, the "vendor" area, the "beach pavilion" (where in year's past a number of presentations have been made/held) and dog park are located closer to the end of the campground where the camp office/store is located. Many of the sites that one might consider "better" have already been reserved. However, as a general comment - most of the sites are decent and it is generally a very good campground. If you have specific needs be sure to mention that to the park personnel when you make your reservation. Bill p.s. there are a number of YouTube videos that show both the park and the campground like THIS and THIS and THIS. Also, see THIS video by one of our own members/owners which was filmed at last year's Rally.

Does that also mean that it is "5 o'clock somewhere"? 😎 Bill

Absolutely agree - that is a good deal. Unfortunately, there are no Nexair stores near Asheville, NC. Perhaps other "gas distributers" similar to NexAir also would do this kind of swap. Yes, there are facilities that will/can recertify older tanks. I've been told that our local propane dealer will do this but since my original tanks do not expire until later this year, I'll wait until then to investigate further. I really would prefer to keep my original tank versus either exchanging them or buying new ones. Bill

I didn't know that you could "swap out" 30# tanks - I've never seen that available at any of the usual places. The only situation that I'm aware of - other than places that are rather remote - is in Vail Valley, CO. All of the former "refill" places in that rather large area from approximately Frisco, CO all the way over to Glenwood Springs, CO were forced to close. Therefore, if you are in dire need of propane and you are in that area, your only choice is to swap 20# tanks. Another situation where "dire need" might come into play would be if you run out of propane and it is after "normal" business hours when most (if not all) propane refill places are closed but gas stations, grocery stores, etc. are still open. Obviously, the best practice is to NOT run out of propane in the first place. Bill

If you are looking for the "solar tracker thread" - it has been split to a thread titled "Solar Tracker Module" which can be found HERE Bill p.s. thanks to both Max Burner and rich.dev for getting us moving on the split to the thread.

Please note that second section of the sentence in the first quote above. Not only does one have to "watch out what you're trading for" but with all of the vendors of those "swapped out tanks" you do not actually get a full tank as you would if you simply have your own tank(s) refilled. However, again, "if you are in dire need of propane ...." Bill

Looks like things have warmed up a little bit!

No problem - I'll work on that later today. Bill edit: Mission accomplished - new thread established. And, thanks to both Max Burner and rich.dev for getting us moving on getting this thread split from the original thread.

Certainly no question on this one IF you do a bunch of winter camping and (for whatever reasons) don't mind the extra weight and size. In addition, the 20 pounders can be simply "swapped" out at gas stations, grocery stores, hardware stores, etc. if you are in dire need of propane and there isn't a refill station either open or nearby. Bill

Coy Gayle (a member of the Forum - "hardrock") is the person to contact. Bill

Steve - Some of us (still) refuse to join Facebook. Can you give us an idea of what you're referencing there? Thanks! Bill

Congratulations on the "semi-retirement" - the only thing better is the "full-retirement"! The rest of your post is above my pay grade but it sounds like ya did good. Bill

Since those tires are (at least) 7 years old right now, assuming that what you are saying is that you will not be taking virtually any trips with the Ollie over the next two years, I wouldn't do anything other than think about what tire and where you are going to purchase them when you do plan on getting back on the road. The "normal" guideline for tires is to replace them somewhere between 5 and 10 years (with 7 years being the average) regardless of the number of miles. Congradets on the upcoming new addition to the family. Sounds like you will have your hands full with a face full of smiles. Bill

Both you and your Ollie did good! Sure will be something to remember. Bill

Try watching THIS Oliver video. Bill

Steve - That's what I call a "bad" hair day!