John E Davies

I think that for the average person who does not have a hard core rock crawling trailer, an offroad coupler provides peace of mind for that rare occasion when your stomach knots up and your sphincter does too. Most of the time a decent ball coupler will be transparent and trouble free. OTH Andersen recommends that you disconnect the chains in these situations. if you keep the tongue weigh really low, that won't add any new problems. If your are carrying 700 pounds on the ball, expect your light duty tow vehicle to be unhappy and maybe unsafe if you remove the chain tension. I towed a dinky little utility trailer maybe 30,000 miles over 12 years, I installed an Australian Treg polyblock coupler right way. It performed faultlessly and as a bonus, it looked very trick. I never had any issues backing that were due to the coupler itself. John Davies Spokane WA

Does the unit stay in place or does it tend to wander? Does yours have rubber feet or pads or an anchor in back?? I would be a little concerned about it smashing into the bathroom door during an emergency stop. Thanks for posting the pics. John Davies Spokane WA

I responded to this in a PM to you, but maybe other folks would like to read this and comment. Mine works great without the booster, tho I bought one just in case. It may have to do with the length of your tow vehicle, extra steel panels (like the front wall of a pickup bed and the rear wall of the cab), a steel rear bumper, and perhaps dense cargo stored in back that might block the weak radio signals. My Land Cruiser 200 is fairly short (112 inch wheel base) with plastic rear bumper and perhaps I am on the edge of of losing the signal and just don’t know it. The signals travel straight from low near the ground, so having a booster in your closet up very high would probably be very effective at beaming the radio waves straight at your cockpit. Have you tried extending the antenna on the display? Mine is down all the time. John Davies Spokane WA

Yes this is something that should be done annually, in spring, including ALL the water lines. I use a hand pump to suck treated water from a bucket into the outside ports.The fresh tank is a little hard to completely treat, but if you can tow it around for a while with chlorinated water sloshing, that will be best. If you can't don't sweat it. For your 30 gallon tank you need half a cup of fresh beach. Do not use old stuff, it loses potency. After three hours flush flush flush until it no longer smells like the pool at the YMCA. John Davies Spokane WA

I am bumping this old thread, can anyone contribute any new information? As a recent buyer, within the last year, did you have to sign or agree to any kind of liability release from the Sales Dept before you were given the contact info for a showing? Thanks, John Davies Spokane WA

Even with a bunch of extra panels on the roof, and more battery capacity, eventually any battery bank is going to go flat. Before you reach that point you run the generator. Or hook up the trailer and go to where the sun shines more.... gloomy, rainy forest camping is not a good choice. Nor is winter camping, you need long days of direct sun exposure. John Davies Spokane WA

Beaker, I see you changed your avitar image .... you look like a very nice couple, but honestly, your previous Muppet version was a hoot, I will miss it. John Davies Spokane WA

Would you mind starting a brand new thread about your Sequoia? I am particularly interested in any comments on the stability of the independent rear suspension, and the stock tires and rear air suspension capabilities. Have you done any upgrades? I think your truck has 4:30 axles, is that correct? Are you concerned about the relatively low tow rating? I don’t expect fo see a Toyota diesel here, ever, hybrids are in the future, even in the trucks. Thanks, John Davies Spokane WA

Here is a comparison pic, you can see the wear on the old ball. And the very obvious size and strength difference. The ball wears very fast initially and then slows down. But the wear never stops entirely. The higher the tongue weight, and thus the higher the chain tension, the faster the wear. John Davies Spokane WA

Ollies are super low maintenance, this is at the far other end of the spectrum. https://spokane.craigslist.org/tro/d/coeur-alene-trailer/7101004815.html How would you like to wash that, and try to get off mold or moss....? Or keep it even vaguely waterproof? John Davies Spokane WA

Lippert says this is “as designed”. I added extra seal strips along the bottom, leaving MUCH smaller drain slots. John Davies Spokane WA

IMHO for a couple, going lots of miles, the larger unit will be more enjoyable. The extra floor and storage space is significant. The pantry is valuable. The small one lets you get back to spots that the larger one has trouble, and I think it is perfect for one person using a lighter tow vehicle. If you plan you to use only established campgrounds, which I believe is a mistake, the length is a non issue. If you want to drag it on rough tracks, get the small one for sure. A big tow vehicle with plenty of covered bed space should be on your shopping list, for all the bulky stuff you will want to bring along like generator, camp chairs and shelter, bikes, tools, etc. You could start with a smaller (appropriate) TV for a year or two, but I bet money that before you head to Alaska you will be thinking hard about a bigger one! There are solid reasons why, by far, most buyers choose the larger unit. I am not sure the percentage, I think it is 95%. The little one is cute as a bug, but it is a little toy-like; the big one just looks right, proportionally speaking. Especially a plain white one behind a white truck. That is the fastest color, as dirt bikers say. IMHO.... of course. PS, if I were single I would probably trade my LE2 for the LE, for its back country capability.... Welcome to the forums. John Davies Spokane WA

The new 7.3l Ford gas engine with a supercharger and about 5psi of boost would be truly enjoyable..... but it will really mess with the fuel economy and you would need Premium fuel. I don’t think you would have to worry about durability. John Davies Spokane WA

This may or may not relate..... https://www.jaycoowners.com/forums/f6/dometic-furnace-will-not-operate-at-high-altitude-61353.html They reference a high altitude conversion kit .... http://www.upgnet.com/pdffileredirect/035-14461-000-c-0404.pdf This comment is important... "Altitude Considerations Some owners have experienced problems with furnace operations at high altitude, where the furnace works correctly at lower altitudes. Propane suppliers in low altitude areas (less than 1,000 feet above sea level) may mix additives into the propane. While this can provide improved operation at lower altitudes, at higher altitudes (greater than 5,000 feet above sea level), it can lead to furnace failure, including intermittent lockouts and other symptoms. If planning a cold weather trip to a location greater than 5,000 feet above sea level, filling tanks after arrival may provide for more reliable operation of the furnace." Step one IMHO would be use your bbq grill tank, or borrow a tank that was filled locally, and try it. If that works, take your tanks to a local supplier and get them refilled with a normal mix. Then if your system operates, see if Oliver will refund your expense. And ask if they get their new tanks already full, or do they have a big supply tank at the factory that they use. I hate rv propane appliances with great passion. NO WAY should a new owner have to go through this. Good luck, and please keep us posted. John Davies Spokane WA

I looked but I can’t find one, I am pretty sure I took a pic when I was working on my Garmin camera install in that location.... there are other junction blocks in the electrical bay below the rear dinette seat too, where you would expect them to be. That back one is a surprise. John Davies Spokane WA