John E Davies

That is a very interesting story, can you please elaborate about your Dillon experience? I have never dealt with them but they do have the most aggressive advertised pricing in the country, from what I have been able to determine. They sure beat the pants off many of the big volume “super dealers” like Dave Smith in north Idaho. And 90% of Dillon’s sales are Internet and fly in/ drive home. How was your transaction? John Davies Spokane WA

The really big deal with using a TPMS for the trailer is the great peace of mind it gives you. Like having a backup camera that can be operated when driving, it removes a whole lot of worries, making your trip more enjoyable. Which I think is pretty darned important...... John Davies Spokane WA

I want a shirt with an Ollie on it, and the words “No, it is NOT some kind of Casita.” I can’t count how many times that has been asked; eventually I decided to install the “Oliver Legacy Elite II” stickers onto the previously naked hull and that reduced the number of questions significantly. I once had a Bernese Mountain Dog and people always asked, “What is that, some kind of Saint Bernard cross?” I guess if you own unusual things, people will ask silly questions. John Davies Spokane WA

Welding aluminum correctly by hand is very much an art. Your average trailer hitch shop cannot do it, a specialty company is usually the best place to have something like a personal project welded. Robotic machines are taking over in the larger factories like Aluma. In a shift they do the work of ten men, and with very repeatable high quality. I don’t know if Olivers will ever be machine welded, it would not be a bad thing, but their human welders do beautiful work, and as owners we should appreciate it and thank them. John Davies Spokane WA

This has been discussed, as you mentioned. We were definitely promised an Ollie Store two years ago. One member here very graciously sent me some new Oliver gear that he got at a rally. USPS lost it - the delivery person admitted to putting it in the wrong mailbox, but they were never able to find the package and I keep looking for some neighbor kid walking around in my Ollie hat and shirt. 😢 ... I had no purchase receipt since it was a gift, so USPS told me to bugger off. With the new sales and service facility and lots of room, hopefully the store will appear, if the trailer building business survives the virus. https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/2654-quotollie-gearquot-company-store-products-desired-speak-up/ Post a Wanted thread in the Classifieds, maybe an owner has something he can give or sell you. At the very least, Oliver should post free high quality graphic images of their logos so somebody could have a local shop make something to resell here. John Davies Spokane WA

For those with the factory Oliver bike rack, with the two 2” receivers bolted to the frame, this might be a great option for carrying about 100 pounds of camping stuff, or even a couple of bikes or ebikes, using full length bike trays or with fork (skewer) mounts. You could not fabricate your own tray for anything close to this price if you had to pay a shop to weld it up. Aluminum is expensive. I don’t know the alloy type, but they manufacture trailers so it must be decent. They buy in very large quantities so their materials cost is reduced. https://vankams.com/products/northbound-aluminum-cargo-carrier-hauler-24-x-49-heavy-duty Amazon has it for $8 more, for some reason. There are lots of positive reviews, some buyers complain about sloppy welds, but that is nit picking IMHO. https://www.amazon.com/Northbound-Aluminum-carrier-hauler-X-Large/dp/B00CJH9QFC You could possibly use a hitch adapter to make it fit the Oliver 1.5” center receiver, but it would be super easy and inexpensive to replace the bolt-on center bar of this rack with one at each end, to plug in to the Oliver frame receivers. It would be plenty strong and would not have that wobble of a center mount one. For a more or less permanently attached application it would be better with reflective DOT stripes and/or some LED running lights. Receiver hole center to tray front is 5.75”. Rail height (inside) is 5 inches. Tray height is 6.5”, not including the 2”x2” mount bar. Weight is 35 pounds. (These numbers are from user questions at Amazon.) I am considering buying one in the 2x’4’ size to use occasionally with my Land Cruiser when not towing. The truck has a split tailgate, the small lower gate would be partially blocked but the upper one would work, no worries.... also, this is plenty strong to climb and stand on to access the cargo area or stuff on the roof. I can always add a hitch extender. Has anyone seen or used one of these USA MADE carriers? It is a decent price for a truly well made carrier, that you won’t worry about it falling apart like the $100 bolt together junk ones. Any comments? John Davies Spokane WA

What do you plan for that area below the steel tray? Access appears to be limited - it appears to be about a 6 inch gap. It would be great for wood blocks, if you can reach back far enough. What was your reason for keeping the Oliver tray rather than just mounting the new tray directly onto the tongue, (to save a little weight and lower the generator)? Are there drain/ debris holes in the bottom of the Ollie tray so gunk doesn’t get trapped there? Do you plan to make a dust cover for the generator box? It is a pretty messy location normally. Please post a followup report after using your generator for a while. Thanks. John Davies Spokane WA

We moved into a newly built house six months before buying “Mouse”.... we picked a small floor plan, 1850 sq ft on one level, and a big attached RV bay, 42’x16’x16’ tall. It is insulated and sheet rocked with four south facing windows up high. Cost for the bay was $30,000, but that option also got us a fully insulated and sheet rocked garage. Covered secure RV storage is about $350 per month in this area. So in the 36 months since delivery we have “saved” $12,600, not counting the gas and miles on the truck we would have spent visiting the facility. Our small development has covenants that allows RV storage if out of sight. Out of the 24 homes, about ten have RV bays.... There is a 120 volt 30 amp power socket inside the bay on the proper side, but no dump station. City code simply will not allow it. We live about 100 feet from the city boundary, if we were in the county it would not have been a problem. Since there is a composting toilet it isn’t a big loss. I sometimes dump a small amount of gray water in the gravel adjacent to the driveway slab. There is a fresh water hose bib inside with cold and hot water, so I can fill the fresh tank from inside. There is another cold bib outside for washing, as shown in that picture. There is a double gate allowing full access to the rear, and I have had an Oliver guest overnight back there. Having year round immediate access to the trailer is priceless and I have zero regrets. It can even be used as guest quarters and in case of a major power outage. I can’t run the propane stuff in winter with the doors closed, but I could run the 2400 watt generator in the back yard and have most of the electric appliances going in the trailer. John Davies Spokane WA

Thanks for the pic, overland. I do not pressure wash mine, so I don’t think this is a fair comparison. The only cleaning the parts get is a rinse as I blow out the wheel wells and blast the tires and wheels..... I do try to detail clean the suspension parts when they get too gross, but I do it by hand with brake solvent, then follow up with new grease. John Davies Spokane WA

I thought I would revive a stale thread. I was rotating tires today, checking brakes, doing the Dexter brake recall and other stuff and decided to eliminate the chrome wheel bullets: I never cared for them- they are way too long, they dent and they look dorky IMHO. Now I can easily check hub temperature, pop the rubber plug to inspect the condition of the grease, and pop the cap to adjust a slightly loose bearing without removing the wheel. Also it is a little easier installing the lug nuts. The new bearing caps are stainless steel so they will not rust, and the paint is Duplcolor ceramic brake caliper paint. Very good paint, no primer needed, fast drying and very tough! They also offer the paint in red (the fastest color for sporty cars) and silver, if you wanted to make the hub blend in with the wheel. My Land Cruiser has no center caps, now the trailer matches. I am sure it will be faster now 😀 John Davies Spokane WA

Here is the cheap stuff after 6000 miles. I don’t mind the mess on the springs but this is very unsightly. After a light cleaning today, while rotating tires and checking stuff: Maybe any good synthetic would be better than this lithium grease.... if anybody is using a lube that doesn”t do this, please comment. John Davies Spokane

Has anyone tried this grease in the Ollie zerk fittings? I have been using it in the cans for a number of years in wheel bearings and CV joints, and it is now becoming my do-everything lubricant. The biggest feature is that the oil does NOT separate from the wax carrier, at all. I have cans that are four years old and when you pop the lid, it looks perfect, there is no puddle of thin oil on top. It has terrific lube properties and is waterproof. I have been using regular lithium chassis grease on the Ollie, but the oil dribbles out, spreads over the surrounding areas and onto the rubber Ez Flex pads, and it attracts dirt like crazy. It just looks butt ugly, and it is a pain to clean it off. I think the Redline lubricant would stay where it belongs. Cost is high, typically around $14 for a tube, but it would save a lot of cleanup time and it might leave the suspension looking more pleasant. Any comments before I use three cans of brake cleaner and a bundle of rags cleaning off the old mess? John Davies Spokane WA

The standard Stone Stomper stinger-mounted bar works fine, as long as you have a couple of inches for it. Mine has bolt on arms, instead of one piece, and I ordered an extra set of bars in case I bent one. So far that has not happened 😁 John Davies Spokane WA

For a while Andersen sold Plus 3 inch ball mounts (stingers). I bought one when I switched from a Ram 3500 to my Land Cruiser 200, to allow clearance at the tailgate. I am not sure if they still sell them, I heard they had stopped. The extra shank would be useful if you wanted to mount a big rock guard. I had a Rock Tamer there for a while, and now I have a Stone Stomper, the bar bracket takes a little less space. John Davies Spokane WA

I don’t believe that the 10% minimum TW applies to the LEII. (I would not go too light on the single axle trailer.) I reduced the TW from 720 lbs to about 480 and the trailer tows wonderfully, with only a small amount of chain tension needed on the Andersen to control pitching on choppy pavement. There are no signs at all of lateral instability. The added payload and reduced stress on the suspension of the truck are a welcome plus. Trailer towing weight is approximately 6000 pounds (not scale weighed). The 10% figure is an accepted RV industry standard for a “worst case” scenario. It allows for poor engineering (including battery and tank location), a flexy frame, worn out suspension, no shock absorbers and really horrible aerodynamics. An Ollie LEII with its double axles and a tight suspension won’t cause problems. There are lots of LEIIs with no front tray and a loaded rear rack, and I have never seen a single report of stability problems. If I am wrong about this, I would love to hear some comments. Your hitch selection plays a factor, a simple dead weight ball doesn’t have any sway control, so it would be prudent to have a little more TW. BUT, as always, the responsibility lies entirely in the driver of the tow vehicle, do what makes you feel comfortable, and always be aware of how the trailer behaves. A TW scale is quite helpful, it shows exactly what happens when you shift weight around. John Davies Spokane WA

Your custom box looks very stout, but the receivers are positioned well inboard of where the Ollie rack attaches directly over the big frame rails. That center to center distance is about 51.5”. Here is an Oliver factory receiver (bike) mount. There have been several variations, I am not sure which generation this one is: A fabrication shop that is skilled in welding aluminum can easily make you a flat platform that will plug into those strong receivers. Or... can you simply unbolt the box from its supports, or is it all welded together? Post a few more pics. Then you could bolt down a pair of high quality bike rack trays of your choice onto that platform. The reason I say high quality is that that part of the trailer is a rather violent location to carry bikes and they need a very strong mounting system and also anchor points so you can add stabilizing straps to control the sway. Something from 1Up-USA would be perfect. This thread might give you some ideas.... https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/3263-how-to-move-the-factory-cargo-tray-to-a-rear-rack/ Have you weighed the cargo box that goes there? I am curious. I personally wouldn’t be comfortable with more than about 150 to 200 pounds (total, including racks) bouncing around in that spot. John Davies Spokane WA

Ken, how many minutes run time, and what size battery does it have? How much do the batteries cost? Do you switch chains and flip the bar? I really admire your effort, I quit enjoying cutting wood a long time ago, it just pisses me off now.... Fifteen years back I had an acre of mostly alder trash trees that snapped off halfway up the trunk or shed massive branches any time there was a windstorm. Now I have a couple of mature nearly wind poof native Douglass firs, which only shed needles. I don't dread windstorms any more. Thus the reason I sold my gas Wood Boss, and my need for a decent electric saw for odd jobs. I was unwilling to pay more than $200 tho. Now that I have said that, the next storm will probably drop one of those firs.... fingers crossed. John Davies Spokane WA

If you want a pretty decent pump with a very high flow rate and not pay for a larger Viair, consider this one. https://www.amazon.com/Smittybilt-2781-5-65-Universal-Compressor/dp/B004K25GMG https://www.fourwheeler.com/product-reviews/1306-4wd-smittybilt-2781-air-compressor/ John Davies Spokane WA

Not in any way will it replace a Viair. They do not list the flow rate (cfm) but it can only run for 5 minutes then rest 5.... which is VERY feeble performance. Good enough to top up a small bike tire, or maybe a car tire by a few psi. Not good enough to pump up a nearly flat Ollie or truck tire, for that you need at least 2 cfm, unless you are prepared to wait a long time. You certainly could not blow out any water lines, or remove dust. If somebody can find the flow rate, please comment. I find it to be a little odd that it is not listed, even in the operating manual..... John Davies Spokane WA

In regards to the push-in Shark Bite vs crimped..... most crimp fittings have enough space to install two rings. If you are anal like me, for a fitting that will be really hard to reach in the future (inside a sheetrock wall) double the clamps and you will sleep better. And use brass fittings instead of plastic. The steel rings are less than $0.50 each so it is cheap insurance. Water running inside a house for a month.... yikes! I turn off the main valve if we leave for more than a couple of days. Water damage is no fun. John Davies Spokane WA

Love bugs, hah, in Washington we now have these delightful killers..... “Beekeepers have reported piles of dead bees with their heads ripped off, an alarming sight in a country with a rapidly declining bee population.” https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/03/us/washington-giant-murder-hornets/index.html This is not a joke......😳 I’m not sure what the best campground defense would be.... a .410 shotgun? John Davies Spokane WA

If you plan to learn, you might as well get the correct tools. I strongly recommend the stainless pex clamps instead of the copper rings. They are WAY easier to install, they are very simple to remove with the twist of a flat screwdriver (you have to chisel or saw a copper ring off - that will make you swear) and you can buy the crimp tool and a good assortment of rings and a few plastic elbows and splices at Home Depot for under $75. Another advantage is that these parts are perfect for use around the home and for underground irrigation connections. The ratcheting tool is easy to use and won’t release until there is the correct tension. I find it impossible to crimp a big 1” ring by hand (I am a little feeble) but it is simple enough to slide a steel tube over each handle for extra leverage. The smaller rings are no worries. https://www.sharkbite.com/products/pex-clamp-tool (HD has this for $53.) https://www.sharkbite.com/products/stainless-steel-clamp-ring (Most Ollie lines are 1/2” with a very few 3/4” ones.) You will also need a pex tube cutter, so that the end is square and not crushed. HD sells 5 and 10 foot lengths of tubing for dirt cheap, or you can have an Ace Hardware employee cut whatever length you need off the big rolls. Pex is good stuff, I used to really like copper but this has so many advantages. Finally.... if you decide to move the check valves, make sure the lines that go from them to the fill ports will gravity drain - no weird humps or loops that could trap water, it should all dribble out the fitting. I think this might be a reason why Oliver installs them so close to the outside.... Please, post some pictures of the repair, I have never even looked under that floor area. John Davies Spokane WA

If you can reach the parts, replacement should not be very hard, if you are at all handy. I would personally follow a previous suggestion to relocate the two valves further away from the cargo area door. Have you ever worked with threaded pipe fittings and Pex fittings? John Davies Spokane WA

At $5.17 per foot that glass seal is quite expensive. How many feet would be needed for an entire Ollie LE2? John Davies Spokane WA

Sorry I can’t answer your question, but I have one. Have you been using anything on those moldings? They look pretty gross. Would 303 Protectant be effective? John Davies Spokane WA