John E Davies

Those straps look fine, but you need to come up with a way to protect the nylon material where it goes through the sharp steel tray slots. They will wear rapidly otherwise, because the load will be pulling upwards hard at a concentrated location. If you can use the front and back slots, not the side ones, you can thread them through the rear slots, then route those ends under the tray, not back over the top. It might help. This won’t be possible if you are using the side slots since it will bind up the slides. Or just use the same kind of hook straps and slide a piece of thin (22 gauge , 0.025”) stainless steel between the battery case and each hook. The steel itself will not hurt the battery, and it will spread the load to prevent chafing. And it will look good too. You can buy it new online, or repurpose an old stainless bowl or kitchen item. You only need a small amount. https://alcobrametals.com/product/22ga-t304-4-polish-stianless-sheet/ John Davies Spokane WA

That little step-up power supply is interesting, however you could only get 5 amps at 24 volts, with a 10 amp 14 volt input current. An MPPT solar controller is pretty efficient, around 98+%, but that is still not much power from the truck when you are towing. Plus you would need some way to limit the current draw to 5 amps at 24 volts, or it will burn up, can the Victron MPPT controller be programmed to do that? The Redarc unit puts out a reliable 11 amps at 14.5 volts, which tapers off right at the end of the charge cycle. I haven’t seen a similar device anywhere, it makes a whole lot of sense, with more and more RV owners switching to lithiums as their lead acid ones bite the dust. The Redarc unit is very nice, and a very high quality item, but I expect the price would be more like $125 than $250 if a mainstream manufacturer started churning out lots of similar ones. John Davies Spokane WA

Exactly, I will wait on choosing an exact location until I receive the unit (back ordered for a month). It will probably go under the rear bed, on the inside of the fender well, a little aft of the inverter. I am going to be mounting some other heat generating devices (one for sure, possibly two, MPPT solar controllers) in that area and also near the existing PD converter. One major concern is cooling air, where does all that extra heat go? Those compartments are quite isolated in terms of air movement. They get hot in the summer and cold in the winter. I am going to add 4 inch round inlet vents at floor level, a computer cooling fan under the battery box, holes in the battery box, and additional exit vents up high, in an attempt to “condition” those spots. Keep the chargers cool, keep the new lithium batteries cooler in summer and warmer in winter. This should move enough air (38 cfm), it is super quiet and it sips power (70 milliamps): I prefer this approach to just ducting furnace heat over on that side, and hoping it gets where it should go. Furnace air does nothing at all to reduce the electronics heat load in summer..... I think this makes more sense than using an electric heating pad under the batteries. John Davies Spokane WA

I really like the big hatch, and would do that mod except I need the existing cubby to hold a bottle of vinegar, for rinsing the Natures Head. Maybe if I can come up with another place for that bottle...... I have not yet ventured under the sink, it is on my Honey Do list, near the bottom. I sure wish these trailers came with hatches everywhere. But compared to stick and staple ones, they are fine, most of the time. John Davies Spokane WA

If you have a compressor at home, even a really small one, a pneumatic grease gun will work very well. 90 psi is plenty, and the gun just goes “click swooosh” each time you pull the trigger. Once you have tried one you will not go back to a lever type. Unless you go for a battery operated one, to lose the pesky hose, but they are very expensive and most suitable for a maintenance tech. Mine is not a fancy one but it works fine. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Lincoln-Industrial-Air-Operated-Grease-Gun-LING120/306824341? You will probably be OK with just a flex hose and straight fitting at the end. If you can stomach the price, one of these Alemite swivel tips will make even those “impossible to reach” zerks accessible. I bought one a few years ago and now would not be without it. I had a big assortment of different tips, now I never use anything but this one, or maybe a needle tip. Alemite swivel grease coupler Most greases will separate, the oil comes out from the wax carrier, and runs everywhere. So even if you keep your gun sideways, in a stable environment (no hot garage!), six months later you will find the lubricant has leaked out. Plus this happens on your trailer suspension, and it makes a huge mess. I have switched from a regular cheap lithium grease to Redline CV-2. It is expensive, but it does not separate at all. I have four year old cans, and the grease looks like new. Use it in your wheel bearings and electric jacks too. Redline CV-2 14 ounce tube John Davies Spokane WA

GAP, just run your fridge on propane, I have never used mine on DC, ever. If I have to shut it off for a ferry, I leave the door closed until the crossing is over. There are other things you must consider when trying this wiring mod, like limiting the current flow so you do not fry your truck alternator. Your TV won’t charge your lithiums over about 70% anyway, it cannot provide the required 14.5 volts, even at the alternator. I would not try this without also installing a DC to DC charger in the rear of the truck, to boost the voltage. In Australia they have a Land Cruiser 200 alternator (booster diode) hack, that raises the charging voltage to 14.5 volts, but I would not do that to mine, it never gets over 14 volts, and it usually is around 13.7.... so I have a Redarc trailer charger on order, but I won’t get it for another month. I started a thread about it. It will give a steady 11 amps even with less than ideal wires in the truck and Ollie. https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/4759-redarc-trailer-charger-mounted-inside-the-ollie-for-100-lithium-charge/ Even for the Redarc unit, you would still have to do some wiring changes inside the Ollie, maybe. My black charge wire was an acceptable size (12 AWG) but the white ground wire was only 14 AWG, too small for sure, since it also has to carry the brake current and that for the lights. Even if you do not have to alter yours, you must physically inspect to make sure the correct gauge wires go all the way to the battery area. I broke into the splices under the front dinette seat, where the tongue wires connect to the trailer, and ran new 10AWG wires from there back. I do not know what gauge wires are in my truck, but they are protected by a 40 amp fuse, so I am very sure they are OK. I will post a thread about that mod.... John Davies Spokane WA.

I am now leaning toward a thicker pad, one with holes molded in. I hope to mount a big computer fan under the box floor to circulate cabin air up through the compartment and out the top. So a firm (NON rubber) layer would be excellent in terms of allowing cooling/ warming air to flow around the bottom of the batteries. I like the “egg crate” design, but want something that is solid through its thickness, not depending on widely spaced little legs to support the weight. Like this, but more heavy duty: Any ideas about this? Has anybody seen a flat panel of egg crate plastic, that doesn’t have a a recessed bottom or sides? John Davies Spokane WA

VIDEO: Burro trailer walk around Interesting article. Their history shows that most of the battle in building these over a long period of time is financial stability. ”In the early ’70s someone in St. Cloud MN manufactured a trailer called the “Cloud”. The Cloud looked very much like the Burro. In the late ’70s the first Burros were produced in Plymouth MN, less than a hundred miles from St. Cloud. Interestingly, the Burro was double-wall construction while the Cloud was apparently single walled. Burro was manufactured in Plymouth MN until the early 80s. Burro re-appeared in Sac City IA and began production in the mid 80s and had a production run until about 1990. Sac City saw the introduction of the 17′ wide body along with the 13′ standard Burros. Apparently the business was poorly managed and investors seized the molds and production equipment. Burro resurfaced in Escondido CA with new molds that were fabricated in Mexico in 1998 or thereabouts. Again because of a variety of factors, Burro went out of business. According to the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, the owners ran into significant legal difficulties and seem to have disappeared, along with the molds and equipment.” https://tincantourists.com/wiki/burro-rv/ I think one great thing about the Oliver company is that their bathtub manufacturing and mobile home divisions can stabilize the finances in times of “RV drought”. Stand-alone trailer manufacturers do not have that safety net to fall back on, when people stop buying their trailers. A 17 ft Burro popped up on my local Craigslist, that is what got me started with this topic. https://spokane.craigslist.org/rvs/d/athol-burro-travel-trailer/7250882363.html John Davies Spokane WA

The Tundra has a 4.30 axle ratio, so you should have plenty of torque at the wheels. My Land Cruiser 200 (6 speed) with the same engine and transmission, and 33” tires, has 3.90 axles, so it struggles a little. I think your truck will be just fine if you do not put a heavy canopy on it, oversized tires and heavy aftermarket stuff like a winch bumper. How much do your kayaks weigh, and what sort of rack system do you have? Will the bikes and other gear go in the bed? Roof mounted boats or bikes will 100% kill your already marginal fuel economy. A big aero box like a Yakima Skybox will be fine for camping stuff and not impact your fuel economy.... much. I suggest keeping the Ollie pretty light in front. No tongue tray, no generator on it!!! Put the generator in the bed toward the front if it is a heavy one. A rear rack for bikes or cargo will be fine, and will really help to lighten the ball weight. That will help with your payload limit. Try your new truck with the Ollie, it will probably be very acceptable. If you run out of payload, then you need to definitely consider a HD truck. Or leave some of your stuff at home.... John Davies Spokane WA

Yes, I have a had separate Victron BMS for a year now. The batteries do indeed shut down the charging by themselves, for example, I had one cell that was over voltage, it simply shut down all charging. When the converter was turned off, the cells in both batteries equalized over a short period of time. The only thing I am concerned about is the BMS cannot actually control the Oliver installed Progressive Dynamics charger (I added the lithium charging section). With a smart (connected) Victon charger, the BMS will turn it on or off, or cycle it, to control this stuff. Unfortunately the biggest smart Victron charger is only 30 amps. I would hate to lose the 45 amps of my present one. I will also be adding a Victron MPPT solar controller, which the BMS will be able to fully control. Over voltage alarm: After turning off the charger. (The second battery cell voltages were almost identical). I think these Victron batteries take a few cycles to “settle down”, in terms of cell balance. They can only compensate for small variations at a time. I have no clue how the other brands deal with it. John Davies Spokane WA

I ran across this diagram from a Victron battery installation manual. I am having a hard time understanding why separate fuses would be desirable if the main line has a suitably rated one. I just hooked up the big 4/0 inverter cables as before, and jumpered the two battery positives and the negatives with short cables. I emailed the vendor that sold me the batteries for advice. Does anybody know if this would be a good idea and why? Does Oliver fuse each battery? I have not yet completed my cable configuration, I may do this, just in case, and mount the two fuses on the sidewall, inside the box with the batteries... and run a separate 00 gauge cable to each battery positive post, with enough length to allow the tray to come out part way. FYI, here is an excellent reference for the Victron batteries. I wish I had found this before I started this project. It is very complete, but it may be intended for more complicated electrical systems like in a yacht. Many of the marine system parts and interconnections are not needed in an RV. https://www.victronenergy.com/upload/documents/Manual-Lithium-Battery-Manual-EN-(P).pdf Thanks for any comments. John Davies Spokane WA

Russell, I am with you on the KISS side of the argument: Keep It Simple Stupid. I even have that as a prominent sticker on my home tool chest..... I wonder how an F150 owner will feel when an out of warranty inverter (or related component) failure rears it’s ugly head? Are these devices user repairable? The most expensive part on your typical Honda EU2000i is the inverter unit, a brand new replacement is $400+, with used ones costing a third of that. Installation takes a few minutes. I would like to see an illustrated parts list with prices and a labor flat rate chart for the Ford, please. There is bound to be some unpleasantness from close neighbors in the campground. I already carry a small dead-blow mallet for pounding stakes into the ground and for mechanical repairs. Maybe I will start carrying a couple of large baking potatoes. One plugging each exhaust tip would do the job I think. Add a little olive oil before installing and it would smell like French fries. 😬 Or maybe a bunch of party horns. .... https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ht35P7GnvuQ Bah humbug. Stay well. Merry Christmas. John Davies Spokane WA

I would hate for there to be no Tundra V8. The Land Cruiser is going to be gone here in the USA, and the Lexus LX will have that heavily boosted twin turbo hybrid 3.5 liter V6. The Sequoia will probably lose the big motor too.... I suppose the light duty trucks have to keep pursuing those improved miles per gallon numbers. I have owned either a Cruiser or an LX for the last twenty years. I will keep my present LC 200 until it is totaled, burned or stolen. At that time I will either look for a low miles used replacement 200, or perhaps get a Power Wagon. If the new Tundra were to be offered with a big motor, I might consider it, if I could also get the good off-roady stuff like locking differentials. I am a huge fan of big V8s. My wife drives a 1998 Lexus SC400 (290 bhp V8) what a lovely car and what a stellar drivetrain. John Davies Spokane WA

What year? The 5.7 engine with 4.30 axles will hardly feel an LE behind it. I really love the super reliability of Toyota body on frame trucks but I do not care for the way they never seem to get updated. John Davies Spokane WA

Hi Don, it is nice to hear from you. There have been a few threads about this recently. That document is fine as far as it goes, but it isn’t really adequate for an Ollie with its rear mounted batteries. The cable length from TV battery to hitch to Oliver batteries is too far for small 6AWG cable and connectors, though that size should be adequate for batteries mounted on the tongue. And the Ollie adds the problem of how you route the big cables through the hull wall and floor. Feasible, but rather time consuming.... They recommend that you have a professional install the terminals, that is entirely unnecessary since Powerwerx sells the crimp and insertion tools. Do it yourself now, and you will be able to repair it yourself later..... How did this setup work with your Conquerer? Post some pictures of your trailer please, it is allowed 😬 John Davies Spokane WA

You can do the same thing by skipping Maverick’s angle pieces, just drill 1/4” holes in the end of the slides, insert bolt and self locking nut in each. Or just one bolt is enough. It is mainly to prevent the rack of batteries from smashing into the door if the latch fails. Which has happened to some here.... But it appears the newer trays have dual latches. John Davies Spokane WA

Oh yes, algae, I remember that stuff, and swamps, and humidity, and brown slow moving rivers. All that “back East” stuff. I was kidding mostly, I love Corps of Engineer projects, they have beautiful campgrounds along many waterways here in the PNW, like along the Columbia River. They are nicely manicured, green (even in desert locations), well maintained and inexpensive, especially with a half-off Geezer Pass. Unfortunately most are still closed due to Covid. John Davies Spokane WA

I still couldn’t get it to play, so I am downloading it at about 2 MBPS. It certainly won’t stream at that slow speed, there is a problem with the server. My normal download speed is around 200 MBPS and my network is working perfectly. Is there any reason this can’t be uploaded to YouTube? That is where I put all mine. They work fine there. Thanks, John Davies Spokane WA

LOL, I wondered if anybody would see that. You win a big pat on the back! I had removed both the yellow and red wires for a completely different reason and when I reinserted the yellow, one conductor strand bent sideways. It is no longer there. There was indeed a brief “larger than normal” pop when I reconnected the batteries. That tiny strand vanished when it acted like a FUSIBLE LINK. This is a good example of why you should always focus very intently on what you are doing, and don’t work too long without taking a break. FYI those are the Oliver installed main battery wires. The Progressive Dynamics wires on the other hand are “tinned” with a very light coat of solder which makes them a lot less likely to suffer from an idiotic Senior Moment like mine. Thank you for bringing this up. Everybody screws up sooner or later. I had a couple of big ones while working as an aircraft tech that still bother me thirty years later. But in that industry there are built in checks and balances like an inspector sign off, that “should” catch one before anybody gets hurt. And I have had countless small ones and they get more frequent as I age. When you are doing stuff by yourself, you don’t have any backup. This is why I am reluctant to discuss in detail a really major project like totally rearranging the wiring (moving all the positives and negative wires to separate buses, adding extra circuits and fuses). If I make a mistake on MY trailer, I bear the complete responsibility. I am not at all ready to take the responsibility of my advice screwing up YOUR trailer!😳😳😳 OTH doing stuff like this by yourself is personally rewarding and saves lots of labor cost. I don’t want to discourage anybody from doing them, just please be very careful and even more aware of your own limitations... Thanks. John Davies Spokane WA

LOL, I just noticed, they dye the pond blue and aerate it, I guess they want it to look prettier than the scummy brown creek feeding it. John Davies Spokane WA

I think your plastic strips will work well, however FYI I think the rivets are facing the wrong direction. Mine are installed with the head inwards, so they don’t cause any significant amount of wear. It would be simple enough to change them, but I think the strips are fine too, as long as there is enough room for them. Wow, the acid sure made a mess, didn’t it? AGMs are known for being “maintenance free”, but that is definitely an eye opener. I do recommend the ceramic Duplicolor Brake Caliper paint I mentioned previously, I think you will like it. It claims to not require a primer coat, and I rarely do, but considering the condition of the steel on your tray, I think that should be applied as well. The only caveat about the paint is that while it is dry to the touch in a couple of hours, it doesn’t fully cure for 7 days. I would not install any batteries on on top of it until then. Just think, if the batteries had been located above a regular steel trailer A frame without a plastic box, those steel rails would have been damaged too. The Ollie fiberglass will clean up easily enough....l Good luck. John Davies Spokane WA

I am glad that worked, but I don’t see that option on my iPad, only an embedded video that does not stream well. A direct link to the actual file would be better. John Davies Spokane WA

Thanks for the video! I am having trouble viewing it, it starts and stops. where is it hosted? Can you upload it to YouTube? Consider reposting it in a new “Oliver Tour” thread so others can find it easily. With it buried in this thread it is not very easy to find. John Davies Spokane WA

Weird, because mine came with a single page in black and white, no pictures at all. I will add this one to the How To thread I started,. Thanks. John Davies Spokane WA

https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/4812-how-to-progressive-dynamics-pd4045-lithium-upgrade/