John E Davies

[postquote quote=180177][/postquote] That receptacle would be OK inside the battery compartment, but the rubber cover looks very dorky IMHO and according to reviewers it doesn’t stay on. The max amp rating is low, 10 amps, like the Furion. If I were using that sort of connection I would pick a high quality 30 amp Anderson Power Pole set (crimp pins and self cleaning) and use a surface or chassis mount inside the compartment. If I ever decide to replace my Furion, I would use this in the same outside location. https://powerwerx.com/panelpole-panel-mount-powerpole-housing I would gut the Furion, cut a 1 1/8” hole and mount the PP socket inside the Furion door..... with the biggest PP pins and fat cables going to the battery it would handle up to 90 amps ?... The Furion door and weather seal seems to work well. BTW soldered connections are bad for an RV or car, they can fracture from vibration. Properly crimped ones are ideal. John Davies Spokane WA

There is a snap ring at the bottom. The black ring at the top is supposed to prevent the friction cone material from gradually oozing out (see KenB’s pic on the first page) and maybe possibly it also seals out water and dirt. That last part is still a mystery. Andersen must think it is important, it is a very major modification.... It looks super cool and nifty though, don’t you think? If I hear back from them I will post an update. John Davies Spokane WA

duplicate, sorry

Cool. I am jealous, this has been on my wish list for several years. There is a newer Eclipse version for about $75 more, do you know anything about that one, and what is different about it? https://smile.amazon.com/Renogy-100-Watt-Monocrystalline-100W-Waterproof/dp/B01NADR1CI/ref=dp_ob_title_garden Thanks, John Davies Spokane WA

I received my new 2 5/16” head, it is gorgeous but I have questions.... I emailed Andersen for clarification. Is that blue ring the friction cone, or a separate water seal? As delivered, it doesn’t contact the black retaining ring, but with towing use the cone (and blue ring?) will extrude upwards into the retainer ring, hopefully creating a water tight connection. Fingers crossed.... The new whaletail is silver, but its does NOT have the swiveling pin lugs, it is built similar to the old one except the internal diameter of the large hole is smaller. It won’t fit over the tail of my old ball... ??? I also got a new 2 5/16” Bulldog coupler for $88 shipped. I will start a new thread for the coupler and for the hitch when I install them, which will be in a week, as I have a trip to the Wallowa Mountains in Oregon, starting in a couple of days. John Davies Spokane WA

Mirna, for its type that Lance isn’t too bad, you could probably get a well optioned one for $40,000, well below the base price of the bigger Ollie. But they are really apples and oranges, the build quality, materials, warranty, resale value and above all customer service are nowhere as good. It does have big tanks, which is good, but that means extra weight to tow. The slideout is a very bad thing for a number of reasons, the optional solar package is too small and the twin batteries are only adequate. The rubber axles and tires are budget items, For boondocking you need ample solar and battery capacity, a composting toilet, enclosed tanks and waste systems, rugged suspension, and ample ground clearance. The Ollie excels at this sort of camping. The Lance could work, but it isn’t really meant for this. No offense, but nobody here is going to recommend a conventional mass produced low quality trailer over a high quality hand built Oliver legacy trailer, which is intended to last decades and be passed onto future generations. I would be surprised if that Lance lasted five years of moderate use. Have you looked at an Ollie in person? That is the first thing you should do at this stage, a half hour of poking around will answer so many of your questions. A F250 will pull either trailer without working hard, no worries. If buying a new one, consider waiting for the brand new 7.3 liter gas engine, it sounds as if it will be great. Welcome to the forum. Fill out your personal details, and tell us where you want to boondock. John Davies Spokane WA

Welcome, lots of pics are always appreciated. John Davies Spokane WA

hobo, I would not buy that HF unit except as a gift. I can tell just by studying the pics that the engineering is not as good as Honda or Yamaha, in spite of the pretty “Honda” covers, which will soon fade to pink... In addition to suspect build quality and the 90 day basic warranty (Honda and Yamaha are three years), little things like.... That dinky pot metal wheel lock arm and bracket will not survive the first bump, the plastic wheels are 100% garbage. The better brands have stout rubber vibration isolation standoffs. Who makes the engine, will HF sell you any repair parts (this is a huge problem - parts shown in the illustrated parts diagram are “unavailable” when you try to order), will there be any support in five years when something insignificant breaks and cripples the unit? What gauge is the internal wiring, the Chinese stuff is normally VERY marginal in terms of conductor size and thickness of electrical contacts. If you have a Honda..... https://www.ereplacementparts.com/honda-eu2000i-ac2-generator-jpn-vin-eaaj1170001-parts-c-37657_206860_206875.html I did browse this thread, Post 6 is enlightening about the HF snake oil extended “warranty”...... https://www.powerequipmentforum.com/forum/9-generator-forum/18618-harborfreight-predator-3500-inverter-generatore.html I think this would be satisfactory as a garage unit for rare power outages but I wouldn’t carry it around for regular RV use. Just saying..... I haven’t read any reviews or seen inside one... Caveat emptor on this one. I paid $600 for my pristine used Yamaha 2400 with only 5 hrs use. You don’t always have to pay full price. John Davies Spokane WA

Mount a large level on the hull above the doghouse, so you can see it from the drivers seat, it saves a lot of time when positioning since on lumpy ground you can sometimes shift the rig a few inches to center it perfectly. Sometimes you can only get close.... http://olivertraveltrailers.com/topic/how-to-install-a-big-bubble-level-no-drilling/ Enjoy your trailer. John Davies Spokane WA

[postquote quote=179751][/postquote] LOL, I call them “slopper stoppers”. I hope that was a typo..... There are a bunch of different designs, I have never seen that one but I do like this, it is simple, compact, robust and affordable, and found at many camping retail stores for around $22. Plus built in the USA. https://www.amazon.com/Hitch-Clamp-Cross-Heavy-Duty/dp/B013J6O5H0 John Davies Spokane WA

Pretty, but it looks damp .... (moss on trees). Are any of the sites big enough for the Elite II? Any road noise? Sun exposure? Too many of the 1030’s era Wet Side forest service campgrounds in WA and OR are too drippy, buggy, and cramped for my taste.... Enjoy your visit. John Davies Spokane WA

My trailer had a tongue weight of about 700 with the factory cargo tray and 100 pounds of stuff. I moved it all to the back and it is around 500 now. About 600 with the rack empty.... I don't think you will have any worries using a dead weight hitch, but you might want rear airbags later to level the bed. 480 ft lbs.....? That is pretty impressive from a 6.2 l normally aspirated engine. What axle ratio comes with that Max Tow package? Where is home? North Idaho has some impressively steep back roads, I have used Low Range while towing in a previous underpowered truck (1996 LX450) on a couple of grades. I don’t think you will have a problem with your rig.... John Davies Spokane WA

Pack some heavy stuff away from the front of the cabin, or put a rack behind the bumper and carry a bike. Olivers don’t need anywhere near 10% tongue weight, that is Lawyer Talk. With conventional stick and staple trailers, or even an aluminum can (Airstream) they do sway with a light tongue. Especially if you are using an Andersen hitch, you can go lighter without worries, just do it a little at a time to see how it pulls, and don’t overload a rear rack. OTT says 100 pounds max back there, which I would definitely follow with your Elite. Some Elite II owners are carrying more weight but I think that is starting to get into the shady risky area..... tandem axle trailers are inherently less likely to sway, but I think the rack structure would not like more than 100 pounds. How do you like your Canyon so far? John Davies Spokane WA

In Eco mode there is a noticeable lag while the engine speed increases. With a high load the generator “may” not be able to handle all that current and “may” kick off the over current protection circuit breaker. It won’t hurt anything, there will be a big sag in the voltage that you can see on your surge protector panel. If the air conditioning picks up and runs properly, don’t worry about it, if it doesn’t work right, switch off Eco when running that high load. One thing to understand when you shut down a Honda with that big rotary switch. It kills the spark and also the fuel supply at the same time. When you have the engine turning full rpm, somewhere around 3600 rpm I think, it stays spinning for quite a few revolutions. This sucks raw unburned gas from the carb into the cylinder. This tends to flood the spark plug and it also washes away oil from the cylinder walls. Not especially good..... If you put it in Eco before shutting down, the engine rpm is lower and the amount of inhaled gas is reduced. My Yamaha 2400 has a separate fuel shutoff, which I really like, since I can turn off that gas valve and let it run until it dies, draining the carb (mostly), and then turn off the ignition. It starts way easier the next time than my EU1000i ever did, usually with a single pull. The Honda rarely did that. So with any Honda, remember to unplug the cord, switch to Eco, let it idle for a minute to cool down, then turn it off..... And BTW, the Yamaha has an Eco mode but no switch to turn it on or off. I kinda wish there was one. John Davies Spokane WA

Running a gennie on the front tray while the bath window is open and the Fantastic fan is drawing air in is just asking for trouble IMHO. Don’t EVER run it if the wind is blowing from the gennie toward the trailer. I have run mine when it was tucked under the tongue, but only when there was a stiff wind blowing across it. Don't mess with CO, even with a working detector. John Davies Spokane WA

The Magna sets are super nice but bulky and rather heavy. We have been using a cheap aluminum nesting camp set that is super light and works well enough. I think a toaster is more important than a fancy chef’s cook set ;) But these are all very personal choices, get what makes you happiest. Storage space is more of a concern than weight, the Ollies all have a great payload. They are like little bullet proof tanks. Consider a small HEPA air filter if you camp in the west, to take care of smoke particles, plus a generator if you need to run your AC off-grid. And an outdoor grill, either a propane one connected to your Ollie, or a Cobb charcoal model. .... https://cobbgrillamerica.com/collections/portable-grill Enjoy your new toy, please post pics. John Davies Spokane WA

Well, in that case, if I were getting a new Ollie I would insist on the very latest hitch model with the collar and water seal on top, or a written promise for a free ball mount upgrade later. OTT can send the older style ones that have left on the shelf back to Andersen. One thing that bothers me when buying Andersen stuff is that they post teeny, often outdated pictures and no closeups of the mount. Sometimes the whale tail pictured is silver, sometimes it is the old black one. Maybe that is a way to sell off older inventory to unsuspecting buyers rather than scrapping them or discounting the price by 20%... I got into a heated argument with the Andersen rep here on the forum long ago, questioning how a wide open design could function correctly in a dirty wet environment. They keep making changes to the basic design of the mount, trying to refine it. Which is a good thing. Hopefully this version will be the last one needed. I remember when the Fast Lane video guys were using an Andersen for their tow tests and loved it. Then suddenly they were using convention steel bar hitches again. Maybe they got disillusioned when theirs started popping. John Davies Spokane WA

The bases are much larger diameter than steel bases, so you would have to buy the Viking double mount for $40. You would also need to lock them, which I don’t bother doing with cheap ones. John Davies Spokane WA

[postquote quote=179370][/postquote] Bill does your ball mount have the retaining collar with screws? When did this feature appear, do you know? I bought mine in July 2017, from Andersen via Amazon, and it most definitely is Old School. John Davies Spokane WA

Thanks for posting. Two full 22 lb Viking bottles would weight about 32 pounds less than my two full 30 lb steel bottles. (A 30 lb steel bottle weighs about 25 pounds empty.) I have been trying to get my tongue weight down and this would be one way to do it. Of course I could always go with two 20 pound steel cans .... that would give a similar weight reduction, with a slightly lower propane capacity, but without the high cost or sex appeal of the ‘glass ones.... Steel bottles have to be recertified at 12 years and then every 5. They don’t have a certain life expectancy, they just rust out at some point. Any propane supplier like Amerigas can do it in a day. The Viking bottles have a 15 year life, BUT they have to be recertified every 5 years from the date of manufacture, and only at specific shops. The closest one to me is 225 miles away..... I guess you could empty them and ship them. Since they are bulky it would probably cost $30 each way. I have no idea what the cost of recertifying is for either type. https://www.vikingcylinders.com/support/find-requalifier/ I used to have a 4500 psi carbon fiber compressed air tank, for a PCP air rifle, it had similar specs to the Viking tanks. And similar problems with getting it recertified. For most people these limitations and the very high cost (you can buy a new steel 30 pounder on eBay for $37 shipped) don’t make any sense at all, unless want to see the fluid level, or you want to be way cooler than your neighbors at the KOA.... John Davies Spokane WA

The issue with the 2” ball and coupler is not so much that you are maxed out, there is indeed a huge safety margin. For those with the Andersen hitch, the small ball wears very badly where the coupler is pushed hard forward by the tension on the chains. A larger ball provides more surface area and should resist that effect better. Also, for larger trailers that is the most common size and some folks like to have a single ball that will work on multiple trailers. Lots of good Andersen reading here.... http://olivertraveltrailers.com/topic/andersen-wd-hitch-faq/ John Davies Spokane WA

Thanks for the kind words. I just want to comment that my initial posts contained an error that I have not been able to edit out, due to a Forum software change. The propane cover, AKA “doghouse”, does NOT have to be removed to install the Andersen brackets in either the centerline or the small angled beams. Sorry for the mistake, I did try go take it out.... John Davies Spokane WA

Well, the $100 upgrade offer mentioned in the Technical Bulletins section still works! I am going to receive the very latest ball mount assembly, the newer style silver pivoting whale-tail, and the larger 2 5/16” ball and a spare friction cone. The Andersen tech called me this morning and told me that this version has a circular collar on top that secures the friction cone and also incorporates an effective water seal. It is held down with six allen head screws. I will start a new thread about this with pics when I get the parts in a few days. They are including a prepaid shipping label so I can send the old parts back. (FYI I did not have to send my old unit to them first, for modification, as mentioned in the Bulletin.) I also ordered a new larger coupler here : https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ZRVQPVK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 If you want to do this upgrade, take pictures of your old hitch, and send your request as an email to Andersen, and mention the $100 trade-up offer. Be sure to say that it is creaking and making nasty noises and include your shipping info and a phone number. They will call to verify details and get a credit card number. http://olivertraveltrailers.com/topic/fyi-andersen-wd-hitch-ball-locking-up-or-load-noise-11/ Email: customerservice@anderseninc.com I have to say that Andersen customer service is darned good, maybe as good as Oliver’s. John Davies Spokane WA

If you install along the centerline, it is harder to reach and adjust the big adjusting nuts, and it requires some metal removal on the Andersen brackets which is best done with a power tool like a bench grinder. The C/L installation does not need the pointy grub screws which damage the frame, and the stresses are concentrated on the main tube. Otherwise, either location works fine. If I had to do it again, on a new trailer, I would still choose the C/L. .... http://olivertraveltrailers.com/topic/how-to-anderson-weight-distributing-hitch-center-frame-location/ **** There is some misinformation in that thread. You do not need to remove the doghouse to install in the factory location, which is on the second and fourth beams, not on the outer beams. At the time I wrote it nobody told me about the factory installation and I could not find any closeup pictures for an Ollie. I can’t edit anything in that thread because of a forum change. Enjoy your delivery day, try to take notes, air down the tires, and enjoy your new toy. Are they still putting people in Fall Hollow the first night? I thought that the campground owners were nice but it really is a scruffy place, with underground potable water spigots in the same dank dirty holes as the sewer pipes. Yuck. Does that meet any kind of code? John Davies Spokane WA

I think it is amusing that the only thing Ollie owners can say about their steps is that they can trap water when folded, or the cotter pin fell out. Regular thin formed steel RV steps literally break and injure people. I talked to an Airstream owner who told me his two year old steps failed and the dealer charged him $900 to install new ones. Your pin and washer cost what? $1.98? These are great trailers. John Davies Spokane WA