John E Davies

David, what is your tow vehicle? Loading down the tongue is acceptable if it is a HD truck. If it is a lighter one or an regular SUV (not for example, an old Excursion) you will hate what it does to your marginal payload. I carry a Yamaha 2400 in the back of my Land Cruiser, it weighs around 90 pounds “wet” and is plenty adequate. I don’t want to leave an expensive target like that out in the open..... Sherry, the Handi weighs only 78 pounds, no gas...! john Davies Spokane WA

There is no doubt that charging while running the engine will work, but powering the trailer off the Ram 48 volt battery pack alone might or might not. I am dubious, but I think you need to check a Ram tech forum or even contact Ram customer service. It sounds like it could be a very handy feature. It depends entirely on the truck’s programming and the battery pack design if “engine off charging” would work. Running the TV engine for long periods at idle is never good for it. Plus it is antisocial if you have close neighbors. That is why we use generators! If you don’t want a big heavy one to run the AC, then a 1000 watt 35 pound suitcase inverter generator will be plenty adequate for infrequent supplemental charging. But it will be measurably slower than a big one. Not a huge factor. If payload has you worried, consider fabricating a rear cargo rack. Carry your heavy stuff back there and NONE on the tongue. Problem solved. Or at least greatly improved. Moving my tray and 2 full jerry cans off the front dropped my TW by 240 pounds. .... https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/3263-how-to-move-the-factory-cargo-tray-to-a-rear-rack/ John Davies Spokane WA

You are very right, it is not nice to see that. I hope folks dumping will do it very discretely and 50 feet away in the surrounding bushes. Not right behind the rear bumper! It is also a good idea to not let anything but soap suds go down into the grey tank. No grease, food particles, leftovers, etc. Pans and plates should be wiped with a paper towel and that goes into the trash bag. And be sure to add some tank deoderant to turn the stink into a lemon fresh scent. Or a close approximation of one. I think every Walmart on the planet carries this product. https://smile.amazon.com/Camco-Control-Drains-Treats-Holding/dp/B007JG1W1E/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=Rv+grey+tank+treatment&qid=1581049598&sr=8-4 John Davies Spokane WA

This occurred to me, if you are only rinsing off, just wear your bathing suit or whatever, and use no soap. If you are wanting a full cleaning, most campgrounds won’t let you dump the soapy grey water on the ground, especially if there is a shower inside for you to use, either your own or the campground’s. The camp host might give you a stern lecture. If you are out in the boonies, I agree, just don’t worry about any nudity or soap. Before Ollie I took naked showers under a solar shower bag, it feels great to get the sweat and dust off after a hike or dirt bike ride. Now I always use the inside one.... what a luxury! If you are inside, you don’t have to put your clothes back on. LOL. John Davies Spokane WA

For the outside one, no, there is no curtain, nor am I aware of any way to attach one. You could use a free standing enclosure, but you would need to extend the shower hose for it to reach. I think that most people don’t use it for bathing, rather for a quick rinse of your feet or your dog’s paws. There are a bunch of “pop open” enclosures starting at about $50. You toss it up in the air and it self erects in the air. Pretty cool to watch. Getting it put back to its storage frisbee shape can be a challenge .... practice at home and do not lose the instructions. I personally would not miss the shower if it were gone. I have only used it a couple of times in three seasons.... John Davies Spokane WA

I think ALL established campgrounds frown upon it. In a primitive spot out west, in the desert or forest, nobody will see or care if you water those starved scrubby bushes. Just let it trickle out gradually, don't empty the entire 30 gallons in a few minutes! A 50 foot 3/4' garden hose attached to a 3" to 3/4" Garden Hose Sewer Adapter works fine. You don't need to use the big stinky slinky hose for this job.... I actually dump my grey tank at home onto the gravel driveway, sometimes. I carry a short section of garden hose and a bucket. In an emergency I could carefully drain some grey water into that and dump it into a grey water disposal grating IF it is not prohibited by posted signs. Never dump your black tank except in a proper spot! .... https://www.newsweek.com/dave-matthews-band-dropped-800-pounds-feces-chicago-sightseers-14-years-ago-1064129 John Davies Spokane WA

Nice! It is rather hard making that first hole..... after that it gets easy. I always wondered why the handles were designed so that you had to leave the big door open. What’s next on the Honey Do List? FYI, if you change the name of your thread to put the subject in it, like “Grey handle access hatch”, a Search will turn up much better results. John Davies Spokane WA

XPCamper gave you three gallons of diesel storage in a plastic tank in an outside compartment, to run the furnace, stove top and other diesel appliances. The equipment is so energy efficient that that amount of fuel might last for months. In an Ollie you would remove the very bulky 6 gallon water heater and gas furnace. Fabricate a storage locker with street side access through a hinged cargo door. Mount a diesel tank in there with a low pressure ”on demand” fuel pump. Install a marine or rv diesel combination water heater/ furnace which has a TINY footprint. If you installed a dc fridge and replaced the cooktop with a diesel one, you could throw away the propane bottles and doghouse, and do something REALLY useful with that area on the tongue, like a big storage locker, or a full width flat tray for two or three ebikes or a small dirtbike. None of this is rocket science, it just costs a lot of money, even with your own labor. I hate propane. John Davies Spokane WA

To get those really high quality components as standard equipment, you have to go up the ladder a whole great big step to the expedition rigs -Earth Cruiser, etc. They come with super reliable, bulletproof appliances but they are not in the price range of the average buyer. XPCamper was the cheapest of these high end rigs, starting at around $120k plus the cost of the truck and the special ute bed, and they folded without warning six months ago for financial reasons. It was a terrible shock to the overlanding community. Earth Cruisers used to be affordable, starting at around $250k. Now the base price for an EXP is $400k.....though they will be selling “cheaper” units bolted to an American built 3500 truck. It is really hard to offer super high end products at affordable prices, and remain in business more than a few years. Olivers are really great trailers from a great company. You just have to accept the appliances for what they are - mediocre. If you plan to keep yours a long time, you can replace stuff as they die, with better marine units. I do wish they would offer a factory electric over hydraulic disk brake option, I think the standard brakes are pure unadulterated garbage and very unsafe. John Davies Spokane WA

You are VERY wise to be concerned. I strap mine down using 1” ratchet straps. I fabricated stout attach points using steel plate, at the seat rail mount areas. I also have a really strong nylon cargo barrier net. This net would work great in your F250. It will not replace straps, but it is extra insurance in case you are in a bad accident. It will also restrain pets or other heavy objects that could otherwise end up in your lap, or break your neck... https://raingler.com/collections/ford-f250-f350-vwr-heavy-duty-cargo-nets/products/2018-newer-ford-f150-f250-f350-divider-for-supercab If you decide to order a net, call and talk to them first, there is a discrepancy in the model year between the page header and the URL - make sure you get the correct version. John Davies Spokane WA

ARB fridge pics, I can easily access it through the open passenger window. Either hold up the lid, or pop it off its hinges and set it aside. Easy. John Davies Spokane WA

I have a mid sized ARB compressor fridge that rides behind the driver seat on long trips. I have had this unit about ten years and it has been flawless. I made a 12AWG adapter cable that plugs in my trailer’s external solar port. When stationary overnight I run the cable inside the TV to the fridge. It works fine and saves the truck battery. A 100 watt portable panel would do the same but obviously would not provide any power overnight or when shaded... The compressor draws 2.3 amps when running on DC, and has about a 50% duty cycle on normal hot days. It runs a lot more on a sunny summer day, so I try to park in the shade and crack the windows if I don’t have it plugged into the trailer. These units need good airflow in back, so you have to be very careful not to obstruct the intake and exhaust grills with anything. https://expeditionportal.com/buyers-guide-portable-fridge-freezers/ https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/3247-how-to-external-solar-dc-power-cable-using-factory-furrion-port/ John Davies Spokane WA

That is interesting, Your Ollie is only a little older than "Mouse", but my few elbows are copper. Most of the 90 degree changes are done with sweeping bends, as overland pointed out. I personally would never use a plastic pex fitting in any application. Are your other elbows plastic? Are you the second owner? If so maybe that failed one was a previous repair.... John Davies Spokane WA

I think that with a nasty history like Fenn's - which includes looting SW historical sites and selling forged art masters - we should just consider this buried treasure to be a huge wild goose chase. If you want an excuse to walk around with your head bent, looking for stuff, it would be more rewarding to start geocaching. Tho even that harmless pursuit can cause great unrest if an uneasy person sees you poking around or digging, or leaving behind a suspicious box. .... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geocaching#Reception I would not mind stumbling across a classic lever action rifle in the woods, I have been to Great Basin and that didn't happen. Maybe next time.... but it would have to be given over to the Park ranger. John Davies Spokane WA

Don't you just hate that? It is a VERY common RV problem and most people will experience it ONE time. After figuring out what is wrong, you will never do it again. It is very embarrassing. It happened to me too - I could not get more than luke-warm water, maybe 105 degrees, since it was continually sucking cold water into the hot system through the outside shower head controls. You have learned your lesson, now you can be the one to tell the next new Ollie owner what to do. John Davies Spokane WA

I haven't seen those before, do you know anything about them? I don't care about that spit spoke style, compared to the old ones, they will be much harder to clean; but OTH if you installed a set of sexy stainless disk brakes they would look stunning in those large openings. With drum brakes you will need to keep the drums well painted. John Davies Spokane WA

That is essentially a light add-on overload spring. There is probably room for it but it doesn’t alter the severe lack of upward travel (about 1.5” on my moderately loaded trailer.) BTW these trailers do not need stiffer overload springs, but they absolutely need longer wheel travel, plus a little better ground clearance. The first time you smack a deep pothole at high speed you will wonder if you broke something when the axle ubolts crash into the subframe....it is frightening. The Sumo Springs would probably help a little but I can’t see them being truly effective. However, if you flipped the axles, those would make dandy bump stops. Maybe somebody could field test them and report back. Thanks for posting that... John Davies Spokane WA

Did you have the AT3 XLT tires? They are a brand new evolution of the AT3, and I read that they corrected the noise problem. Plus they have those nifty sidewalk blocks. I agree about the AT3, I had an older set on a Series 80 and was not real happy with the noise as they wore down. But pretty much every aggressive tire I have tried is that way, to one degree or another. My Nitto Ridge Grapplers have a very soft compound, are wearing rapidly and got really loud at 50% tread. I do like the reports on the BFG KM3, but I haven't run one yet. The tread design is a classic. I like an open mud tread for gravel roads since they don't sling rocks, but finding one that has highway manners and lasts is difficult. Even the "hybrid" designs have a ways to go. John Davies Spokane WA

No, just in her car and my truck. With SiriusXM, though I rarely listen. My wife turns it on. A sat radio in the trailer would definitely be on my To Do list, if I listened regularly. The news channels would be nice. And it would be nice to have a weather alert mode too, for “just in case”. John Davies Spokane WA

FYI the remote display is super easy to relocate, and it uses a regular Cat-5 ribbon style cable to power it. John Davies Spokane WA

That is how mine is.... it works when camped in a town, otherwise it is completely useless. I suggest an amplified unit mounted on the roof if you want decent performance. A higher location is always better. I do not listen to broadcast radio other than for weather reports, just satellite. FYI I bought a well rated weather alert radio to use while camping in places where storms and tsunamis might happen. Talk about useless. The reception is non-existent with the supplied antenna. I bought an external 25 ft wire antenna intended to be hung from a tree, in case of a true apocalypse. My inReach will receive weather broadcasts, if I choose to pay for that option. That works anywhere on the planet. John Davies Spokane WA

I would not mind seeing these trailers coming with these tires, they are on my shopping list as replacements for my Land Cruiser. They are what I call High Testosterone Tires. (I think Ollies are a little bit effeminate.) For rocky roads they would offer a whole lot more sidewall protection than any regular All season. John Davies Spokane WA

There are a whole bunch of Discoverer tires, that is the model range for their LT tires. I guess that narrows it down to 15 possibilities.... http://us.coopertire.com/tires/view-tires?viewalltire=all Eventually a more detailed description will follow. .... my guess is that it will be a standard All Season road tire like the HTP. John Davies Spokane WA

Update to my first post, adding a screen capture of the NFS map. John Davies Spokane WA

I have not been able to locate the Report button on my iPhone. Plus I was unsure if it was indeed spam, it was a very subtle effort. OK, I found it. On my iPhone it is a Flag symbol, it does not say “Report Post”. Thanks, and you can delete all these last posts too. John Davies Spokane WA