topgun2

And, this is the case with thousands of these brakes. Yes, it is unfortunate when they do not work as designed. Yes, they are much more complicated as compared to the manual adjusting kind, but, for many people who do not or will not adjust their own brakes, the automatic ones generally do the job. Bill

I know that it is rare - but - there are times that I actually am lost for words. Two punches to the heart and gut in such a short period of time are tough by just about any standard. It is good to know that your Mom lived a wonderful life. Hopefully Ford will take good care of you such that your memories of this time can be met with peace in your heart and warm thoughts of your Mom. Bill

I too use one of those adapters that converts the discharge of the black/grey down to a garden hose size for the same reason - I do not use the black for anything other than #1. Obviously, this means that only liquids - either grey tank or the #1 in the black tank goes out that garden hose. which is left permanently attached to the connection in the Ollie bumper area. For those that do use the black tank for #2 then, just as obvious, they can not use a garden hose adapter. But, many have used a 45 degree "clear" adapter (like THIS or THIS) in order to be able to get to the connection better for the hose and to be able to see when the tank has actually emptied and/or is running with clear water. Bill

When I first got my Ollie I thought that those little lights under the camper were simply a cute gimmick that simply shouted - hey, look at me, I'm an Oliver. Fortunately, I changed my mind on this subject when later that very first summer I was preparing for bed in a nice boondocking spot and thought that I'd take a quick trip outside to ..... Anyway, I flipped the switch to turn those little lights on and made that first step out the door when I noticed a fairly large timber rattler curled up at the bottom of the second step! I sure did appreciate the indoor plumbing that night! Bill

In order to clarify this statement - Most (if not all) TPMS systems will alert you to "issues" with a tire - such as sudden loss of pressure, or pressures or temperatures that are outside of a predetermined range that you set. And, the TPMS system that integrates with the Ford system and screen will do this too as I assume that the other truck makers do. However, I've found an unexpected plus to having the stand alone monitor is that I'll watch it keeping an eye on the relative differences between tire temp and tire pressure under varying road and climate conditions. All things being equal - tires running on a concrete road will have a lower temperature and pressure than those running on a black asphalt road on a sunny day. smooth road. Generally, the same statement is true for a rough surfaced road versus a smooth road. So, how does one decide on what tire pressure is correct for their particular trailer? In the pages of this Forum there have been many posts that flat out state that one should NEVER have tire pressures under "X" or above "Y". These statements may or may not be correct for the particular trailer the poster is referring to under the conditions that they normally drive - or even those conditions that may be encountered from time to time. Trailer weight, the roads that are normally driven or even specifically driven, the speeds at which they drive, the weather, etc., etc. all influence the decision as what tire pressures are appropriate for any given situation. Indeed, many of these posters will "admit" to "airing down" for those times when they travel on rough (dirt) roads. This is done for basically two reasons: 1 - for better traction; 2 - softer ride. Interestingly, this is one of the same problems that we are all trying to solve when deciding what our "normal" or "regular" tire pressure will be. We don't want to have such a high pressure in the tires such that they are like (to borrow an oft used statement) rocks. Nor do we want a tire with such low tire pressure as to cause it to heat up too much in "normal" driving. By keeping an eye on my tire pressures while also seeing the tire's temperature I can make a rough judgement as to when or why a tire is reacting to any particular situation. For instance (for my Ollie loaded for a "normal" camping trip), I will set my tire pressures at 60psi. But, the weather changes and/or one of the main roads I'm traveling has been repaved from concrete to fresh black asphalt and I note that my tires are increasing more than about 1 psi for every 10 degrees increase in air temp. Depending on how long or how severe this situation might continue, I might decide to add 3 or 4 psi. This is a bit counter intuitive but note that a harder tire (more psi) will have less rolling resistance and therefore run cooler than a softer tire. Another way of thinking about this is that a softer tire (less psi) will have more surface of the tire on the road and will "squirm" or "flex" more thus causing more friction and thus more heat. Over time I have been able to predict (generally speaking) what tire pressures are about right for me and my Ollie. But, just because I chose to run my tires at a certain pressure does not mean that this is the correct pressure for your Ollie in any given situation. We all want as soft a ride as possible while at the same time we want good traction, high tire mileage and most of all safety. By having the information provided by a TPMS we not only increase our immediate safety but we also obtain information from which we can make informed decisions as to satisfying some of the other conditions present when operating in a constantly changing environment. Bill

No. The "situation" hasn't really bothered me that much. Bill

Well, As I type this I'm right on the North Carolina beach (TopSail Island) enjoying sun, sand, surf, fresh shrimp for dinner tonight, etc.. Therefore I do not have access to either my Ollie and/or any information on my dimmer. About all I can tell you is that it is similar to THIS one. I didn't want my dimmer to scream "dimmer". However, there are a bunch of these 12 volt dimmer switches available on Amazon or West Marine. I tapped into the main supply wires located above the curbside bed and mounted the control panel just to the left of the storage cabinet above that bed but aft of the kitchen cubbie. Good news and bad news - good news first - it works great. I am no longer blinded by the airplane landing strip of lights running down the center of the Oliver. I'd certainly do this mod all over again. However, the bad news is that virtually all lights are dimmed at the same time - both inside and outside. Obviously, I've not been so bothered by this as to take the time and effort to change the wiring such that this was not the case. But, there have been times where I've wanted or even needed brighter lights on the outside and I had to go back inside to make the change - yes, I known - "poor baby"! Bill

I assume from your post that other than the wheel rim there was no damage to the Oliver - wheel well, tire fairing, brake lines, brake wires, etc.? If that be the case then consider yourself to be very fortunate. Certainly there is a margin of safety in having two axles versus only one. And, a big thanks to that driver who alerted you to the problem. When purchasing my 2023 F-150 I too considered getting Ford's trailer TPMS. But even though it would be nice not to have yet another of these screens in the cockpit of the truck, the price was much higher than simply getting a stand alone TPMS. Also, I've found that having the stand alone TPMS I tend to monitor it more often. There are numerous brands on the market that do a great job of monitoring both pressure and temperature for the trailer and the spare tires on the truck and Oliver. I simply went to YouTube and Amazon, looked at features, size, reviews and price to get the one I liked best. Glad that you are OK. Bill

I installed a dimmer switch such that just about all lights (inside and outside) the Ollie are dimmed. Your solution certainly is a bunch cheaper! And, easier to do too. Bill

To be fair - I believe it was Mike & Carol that first had the idea of mounting the one door magnet to the bottom of the bath door and the other magnet to the INSIDE of the dinette seat nearest the bath. This arrangement provides just enough "holding" power for the bath door, hides one of the two magnets for a cleaner look and is easy to do. The one that I used is similar to THESE. Bill

I always like a "target" when backing my Ollie - makes good sense. Bill

Try this - "Hover" your mouse over "Activity" at the top of the page. Then look to the right and you (hopefully) will see "online users". Left click on "online users" and start counting. Right now there are 10 members signed in 140 guests. Bill

Please join us! This morning I counted the number of guests versus the number of members on the Forum. 138 guests versus 7 members! Just think of all the additional information, history, advice, knowledge, interesting stories that exists and could be shared. You can make this Forum so much more valuable than it already is! Joining us is simple, easy and we go to great lengths to not share and protect what little information is needed. Bill

As far as I know - No Oliver is equipped with a valve that can stop water from getting to the outside shower unless the owner has made a modification to the original plumbing. You can always add extra insulation to that area from the inside and/or the outside which will add extra protection. Bill

Greetings from hull # 50 (plus 67)! 😁 Bill

Using Windows; 1- open the picture from the picture files 2- left click on "edit" (its the icon at the top of the screen with a "pencil" 3 - left click on "markup" (another pen/pencil icon). This will change the "mouse" to two mice with a red "plus" on their backs. Moving your mouse in a circle around the area to be noted will draw that blue line. Bill Note - I have other programs that allow for changing the color of the line, size of the line or even shapes for the line but using the standard Windows program for viewing saved pictures was the quickest and easiest.

Do this help anyone? The black "blob" circled in blue is the fuse.

What "misinformation"? Perhaps his fuse wasn't located under the rear dinette seat (where mine is) but you did say to follow that positive wire until you find the fuse.

Absolutely - YES! I've tried flashing high beams, waving out the window, and yelling (like that would do any good at 65 mph on the interstate with the other Ollie traveling in the opposite direction). All this and still getting disappointed when there isn't any (or doesn't seem to be any) waving back. I'm sure that I've missed a couple of Ollies in my travels because and I apologize if I didn't see you. Bill p.s. kind of difficult to miss that one sitting outside your garage.😁

Glad you found the source of the problem! Interesting that the previous owner must have lived with that issue since Hull 49 was new. Bill

I don't meet the requirements that you state above for those that comment. However, it appears to me that (as you say) most manufacturers are going to 18 inch wheels. That is the direction that I'd go if I were in your shoes. Good luck. Bill

I assume that you are talking about the "Command" Velcro strips? If that be the case then I'd reattach those on the back of the pictures with some E6000. Let the E6000 dry overnight and then put the pics back up. I would not use the E6000 on the Velcro that attaches to the Ollie. Yes, it could be removed but it would be a bit of a bugger to get off the fiberglass versus just the plain "Command" strip. Bill

Both you and the Ollie are going to love it! Bill

Absolutely wonderful! This is one of the few times that a "spotted Ollie" has been recognized and confirmed. Congrats to both of you!

When you use the tank flush port or waste water holding tank port, it will fill the black tank with fresh clean water. Once the black tank is full (assuming that you continue to allow fresh water into this port) the water will fill the toilet. Once the toilet is full it will fill your bathroom. Once the bathroom is full ...... The tank termination valve is the place where the black tank terminates - i.e. the blade valve that you use to empty the black tank. With this valve in the open position, the black tank can not fill thus the toilet will not fill nor the bathroom, etc.. Of course, you will not want to open that blade valve unless you have attached the waste water (black water - i.e. sewer water) hose (aka "stinky slinky") to your Oliver and the other end to an appropriate sewage dump. Bill