topgun2

Yep - off with their heads! A dab of white paint or fingernail polish will help with looks and sealing (even though mine have never budged since new). Bill

The costs of producing these "colored" Ollies was very expensive - they were not painted and the color was obtained in the same basic manner as the white is obtained. Therefore, the cost of cleaning ALL of the coloring out of the machines and anywhere near the production space was very labor intensive when it came time to switch back to another color. There may have been another color - blue - but I'm not sure that this was painted or produced like the red and black ones and I've only seen a picture of the top outer shell - not the complete trailer. Here is the red one before it was lovingly restored by its current owner. Bill p.s. I found it! Below is a pic of that blue top outer shell.

Are you sure? This "switch" is simply a little black button that gets pushed in and out and has a little LED light that indicates if the signal boost is on or not. Bill

Now all you need is a Blue Man Group outfit! All of this at 2am? Did you hit that bike trail too hard or not hard enough? Bill

Where's that black Oliver when you really need it?

Since the charge from the truck must go through the batteries and if the batteries are toast then there is no way for that charge to get to the fridge - or anything else for that matter. Bill

Sure enough one would not want their face or private parts in the way of that anode! Bill

I'm sure that Foy would be very happy for you to give him a call about that table top. Both will surely look good in that new Ollie in five months. Bill

Welcome to the Family. Indeed, you are now a full fledged member with one very nice looking rig. Perhaps a PM to Foy would help in getting the measurements you need and even might help in getting a source for that insert. Bill

My bad! I'm running 0 for 2 today. Hopefully this is not old age.😬 Thanks for the update! Bill p.s. I have edited my post above to reflect the change in the 2020 models.

B & B - Note that Patriot is presently on the road, so it might be a couple of days before he can get back to you. The BuiltRight platform for the Ford's is great. On my F-150 I did not use the backing plate (and I do not think that Patriot did either) and have had zero issues with vibration. I'm not sure if Patriot has his 890 mount connected directly to the BuiltRight or not (I think he does), but, I connected a 6 inch RAM arm to my 890 and then to a RAM ball mount on the BuiltRight. No vibration with this set-up. Also note that I removed the rubber tray liner in the area where the BuiltRight is installed. This way, in the event I replace the BuiltRight and/or sell the F-150 I can simply remove the BuiltRight from the tray and replace the rubber mat thus covering the holes. Bill

While we are on the subject - Note that there are currently both software and map updates available for the 890. There are also map updates available for most (if not all) other Garmin GPS units (like the 2797) Bill

Yes - unless you have something else plugged into one of the ac outlets.

That was quick - I simply Googled the question and here is the response: Wi-Fi capable Garmin devices support 2.4 GHz frequencies and cannot connect to a 5 GHz Wi-Fi network. For more details on Wi-Fi network compatibility and ... Sorry about that - I (obviously) simply assumed that 5 G was it. Bill

Time - out! I just rechecked my Garmin and it actually does not specifically tell me which of the two networks I'm connected to. More research is needed to make sure it is actually the 5G. I'll be back! Bill

The TV in the Oliver runs off DC - 12 volt. At least up to the 2020 models. Bill

Yes, it automatically connects to 5G but even though my router has both the slower and the faster networks, I only saved the faster (5G) to the Garmin. Therefore, the Garmin has no choice. Of course I could add another network (i.e. the slower one) but since I've had no issues I'll leave sleeping dogs lie. Bill p.s. perhaps you might try deleting and then reconnecting your networks to see if that helps?

WOW! One of my new favorites - not. Bill

What was that old saying? "You place your bets and you take your chances". Technology is always changing. It is likely that both charging and storage tech will continue to improve. But, I've read recently about difficulties with both the amount of lithium available and the ability to mine it. Will these conditions improve over the next year? How about over the next five years? And what about "new" storage tech that promises to totally change the way energy is stored in the first place? Perhaps better questions to ask would be along the lines of how long do you expect to keep your Oliver? What climates do you plan to use it in? What is the "payback" time on the lithiums versus the answers to the first question versus what the potential impact on resale value? Certainly not an easy thing to figure out! Good luck! Bill

My Garmin 890 is better in all respects as compared to any other GPS unit I've owned. This includes the GPS navigation system in my Ford F-150. Having said this - none of these units (in my experience) are perfect. Speed limit signs/zones are delayed or missed, wrong turns and/or directions are given and these units can be a bit slow when it seems that they are needed the most - heavy traffic and congested areas. School zones are missed, etc.. It really does help to: have a navigator who really knows how to use these devices. Knows or at least has a general idea of where you are going and the general direction you should be taking to get there. Has a "sense of direction" and can read a map - both digital and paper. These devices are "aids" but do not replace my responsibility for knowing where I'm going and what the conditions are in getting there. I can only wonder what that State Trooper would say when I'd tell them that my Garmin told me it was "x" speed limit when in reality the speed limit was "y"? Perhaps there is something wrong with your specific unit. Mine always connects to my 5G here at home. Bill

Note that the larger CLAM's such as the one in Katjo's video above will not fit in the closet of the Ollie. They must be stored either in the tow vehicle or someplace else in the Oliver (i.e. the aisle, the bath, the bed, etc.) The smaller version like THIS one will fit inside the Oliver closet (folded up of course). Bill

Even though Mainiac poked a bit of fun at himself in his original post above - this is no joke. Serious injury could result from this "anode plug" given the force behind it. As John Davies mentions above - bad things can (and do) happen, Bill

1st question - Just like any insurance the answer to you question depends on: a. can you afford to "self insure"? The word "afford" has several meanings here - obviously the money involved is one but what about peace of mind knowing that many "big" expenses will already be taken care of? b. what are the "odds" that you will actually need the insurance? Obviously, the odds are very good IF you ever have a claim, but, these same odds are very bad if you never have a claim. c. are you disciplined enough to "pay" yourself that $25 per month and put it into a "repair fund". And even if the answer is "yes" then will it be enough to cover the expense of what you might have to repair? Remember that you already have some insurance on a brand new Oliver. Certainly for at least the first year you will be paying that additional $25 per month for basically nothing given that the Oliver warranty covers everything. 2nd question - I do not "do" Facebook, so, I'm not the best person to ask. From what little I do know, at least one of the Facebook groups was formed in order to make it a bit easier to post pictures and since members of a group were more "centered on Facebook for other aspects of their lives, it was simply an easier platform for them (i.e. it avoided having to jump back and forth from one thing to another with different formats). Why there are two separate groups? I could guess but that would be of no use. Bill

Understand that this chore is not really all that difficult. And, it is good to know how to do this job in the event you have problems while on the road. However, it is messy and requires attention to detail. Remember that mistakes can be very costly. Your "big question" relative to the brand of bearings really depends on a bunch of factors - how hard are you on your bearings (i.e. do you normally tow in high heat at high speed or in wet weather or in a salty climate or tend to perform maintenance on the bearings later versus sooner, or .....). Having said this - quality is generally a good thing, kind of like one of the reasons we all bought an Oliver in the first place. But, if you are gentle on your bearings, always perform maintenance at or ahead of time, etc. there is a case to be made for not throwing your money away just so you can say you have the best. Tools are a similar decision. Buy quality tools and they will last you a lifetime. However, if you will only plan to service your bearings once a year or so and do not plan on using the tools for any other purpose and only plan to keep your RV for another 10 to 20 years and usually keep your tools in good condition (i.e. don't leave them out in the rain, stress them beyond normal tolerances, don't use a screw driver as a chisel, etc.) , a case can be made that you are wasting your money by buying anything beyond what will give you service for that period of time. Bill

Don't know about "cost saving" but my 2016 hull #117 does not have this panel. 😥 Bill