topgun2

You might try THIS Bill

Pat & dewdev - Its been awhile since I took a look at my nightstand, but, as Bill says above, removal of the nightstand really should not be a big deal. As I recall, there may be a couple of screws or bolts holding this unit to the fiberglass edges under it. If that is correct then these should be very easy to see once you remove the drawer and poke your head inside. Past this, the only other thing really holding it is the caulk at the bottom where the nightstand rests on the fiberglass under it. I'd use plastic razor blades something like THESE in order to cut and remove that caulk without "nicking" or cutting the fiberglass. Many of the nightstands do have electric and USB outlets in them. But these can either be easily moved to the area under the nightstand or simply disconnect them and cap the wires. Good luck! Bill

A couple of days ago I finally received a replacement extension cable and 5 new fuses. Even though I've got a fair amount of THESE, I didn't have any of the 1/2 amp fast blow fuses that Garmin uses. Again I went down to the workshop in order to "bench test" just to make sure that all worked as it should. Unfortunately, when I plugged in the "new" second extension cable it worked at first but the signal would be lost thereby cutting out the picture on the Garmin 890. Also, unfortunately I do not have the equipment, time nor patience to accurately test for the appropriate power that is or is not being transmitted through some 16 feet of total cable. However, since this unit only takes a 1/2 amp fuse and the specifications provided by Garmin show that the camera plus transmitter have a total current usage of only 150 mA at 12 Vdc, I seriously suspect that the reason for the outage is due to voltage drop. So, my current plan is to mount the camera in the usual place above the Oliver third light on the roof. Then I will drill a hole and feed the camera cable into the attic, run the cable over into the curbside cubbies and then towards the kitchen cubbies via the single extension cable and WiFi transmitter. Once out of cable I will get power from the "camera" switch by the door that I had installed during my build that also powers the camera I have in my spare tire cover. The WiFi transmitter will be secured to the top of the inside of the kitchen cubbie. Given that Garmin claims WiFi transmission of at least 45 feet, there should be little problem. But, if there is an issue I'll simply move the transmitter to a spot where I can get through the "foil" insulation. Pictures will be posted when I actually do the install which will not be until the weather gets a bit warmer (not that I'm complaining about the high temp of 48 degrees we had today while much of the nation is well below that). Bill

First - I do not own an F-250 but do have the F-150. Certainly not the same duck by any means. However, a fair amount of the answer to your question(s) has to do with how you mainly want to use your truck. If you are going to do some mild off-roading then you will probably be happier with the slightly wider but more aggressive A/T tires. And, I'm sure that there are those that will advise you to get even more aggressive. If you are going to do mainly paved road and the occasional dirt road or forest road then probably the standard tires will be OK. If you are really into how the tires "look" then the A/T's might give you that "bad", "mean", "big boy" look that some prefer. Good luck with your decision. Bill

Its all relative. 😇

Go2 - I'd add to what JD said above and strongly suggest that if your 1500 is still under warranty you there is no "probably" in getting the Andersen unless you want to take the risk of losing that warranty and/or having liability issues in the event of an accident. Bill

Time2Go - I'm conflicted! First I wanted to give you a "Wow" with regards to the weather issue. Then I wanted to give you a "like - thumbs up" for your new delivery date. AND, then I see that you have sent me a PM. I've not had that second cup of coffee yet!!! Hang in there. Bill

The Andersen WDH tends to get maligned here and elsewhere upon occasion, but, in my experience 95% of the time it is better than any other WDH I've seen or used. I've never heard of an Oliver that really "needed" the anti-sway features but those red bushings on the Andersen really do help with dampening the "bounce" or "porpoiseing" that can occur with large bumps like interstate bridge expansion joints. Yes, life would be easier using a TV that didn't require a WDH in the first place. But, these larger vehicles do have some distractions/features that make them not the best choice from an overall perspective for many people - like me. Bill

I do not disagree with anything said above. However, there is an old saying that goes something like this: "always give the man a chance to say no". In other words, you will never know if you could or could not have received a better price unless you ask. Bill

I'm also in an Elite II but don't think that I'd sleep much differently in either Ollie. I did get a mattress for one side and I use the other side as a couch unless my wife or fishing buddy is along. Initially I tried the regular bedding thing with special sheets but soon reverted to my long time tradition of a sleeping bag with a mattress cover and bottom sheet on the mattress. I bought a "rectangular" sleeping bag so as to have more foot room and it is only a 25 degree bag. This weight bag allows me a fairly wide range of conditions where I can use it along with a microfiber bag liner and a couple of blankets. If it is hot I simply use the liner. If it is cold I use the liner in the bag along with blankets at the feet in the event I get chilled towards morning - note that I almost never sleep with the heat on. In the morning, the sleeping bag is much easier to smooth out and/or roll into a neat "pile" at the foot of the bed. Either way - experiment a little until you find what works for you for a great nights sleep. I'd bet that moving the bedding back and forth to your TV will get a bit troublesome after awhile though. Bill

Maybe. There are so many differing systems and components in and on all RV's all being produced by differing manufacturers that the odds of something(s) not working properly are better than they should be. Being somewhat "handy" is usually not really all that difficult and most of this kind of stuff is fairly easily learned by simply watching some YouTube and listening to what respected contributors have to say. Yes, there are some things where the discussions tend to get more "technical" than is really necessary for the "casual" observer. But, that is really no different than a couple of engineers talking about the inner working of the internal combustion engine when all one might care about is that if the car will get you to the grocery store or how does one wash it. On balance, the more you know about your RV the better prepared you will be to take appropriate measures when a situation presents itself. Bill

One of the many benefits of living in the Southern States. While it can get cold here and it can get hot here, the extremes don't usually last very long. And, that's a good thing.

I doubt that Hohenwald is very prepared for this kind of snow. However, it appears that by next weekend they will be having a major melt going on. Certainly that is a good thing for those that had to postpone delivery due to this storm.

Good luck but by all means - be safe. Bill

Depending on which TPMS you bought - some manufacturers recommend a counter weight and some don't. I bought the EZ Tire brand that claims re-balancing is not necessary. But, I did re-balanced anyway since at the same time I converted to metal stems. Bill

From another thread - I just noticed that there are a couple of great shots of that water heater by-pass valve - see photos 2 and 4 (from the top) above. Bill

Netflix? You've always got the Daytona 500 at 2:30pm today if you want to take a nap 😃.

Depends?😇

Don't forget about the scupper holes and that air "leaking" around your non-sealed, dust leaking fridge. I've never had an issue with the Mister Heater in years of use. But, then again, I really only use it to take the chill out of the Ollie prior to the sun coming up. And, as with any use of any thing that involves open flame (think candles, cook top stove) I'm VERY careful in its placement AND operation. Between this and the safety features already incorporated into the Mister Heater, I feel more than safe. Finally, I forgot to add that these heaters are virtually silent. Even my electric heater produces more "noise" due to its fan. Bill

A couple of summers ago I was showing another person how to use a torgue wrench - they had never even seen one before. For those that have never used one THIS VIDEO should help with the most common type of torgue wrench. Bill

From the reports I'm seeing this morning it appears as though things are getting worse with this set of storms. Please everybody - be very careful out there. Bill

Fred - In that case, you are going to love your land vessel. Welcome! But, now comes the hard part of deciding which of those options you really need and/or want. Bill

Ray & Susan - YES! (EDIT) - I just re-read your post and you are talking about "EXTERIOR" while my reply below is mainly for interior. AS long as those panels you have are at least somewhat waterproof then I'd still say you are good to go. I did exactly this a few years ago. At the time, my goal was to get the water pump to be a bit quieter. After I put in an accumulator tank and added some Stainless Steel braided lines along with pipe insulation, I was still not happy with the sound levels. So, I happened upon some sound deadening I had in the workshop and placed it on the underside on each of the access hatches. This did make a difference with both the sound deadening and (slightly to my surprise because I was not thinking about this at the time) with insulation. I initially used foil duct tape to hold the material in place but later had to go back with a glue gun to better secure this stuff. Bill p.s. if you do this mod - don't forget to allow for the red ribbon material so that you have something to lift the panels by.

Walter - So, are you good or do you still want me to look around? Bill

For the readout on the interior I use just two of those strips. Other than taking it down for winter storage, the unit stays right there. For the exterior sensors I used exterior "Velcro" (remember the thread regarding the different types of this stuff). These also stay in place during my Rving season and are taken down during winter storage. The sensor in the "basement" is also attached with a command strip. Bill