John E Davies
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Posts posted by John E Davies
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Mark, I have read that other states are cracking down on out of state owners having bogus “Montana LLCs” to avoid paying sales tax on their expensive motorhomes. How is that going, do you know? Is Montana pursuing these owners and also the so-called “lawyers” doing this for them?
Not that I would mind having a MT plate on my trailer..... I love the state other than the Californicated hot spots like Boseman and Whitefish.. LOL. OTH Helena is just about the coolest capital I have ever seen.
John Davies
Spokane WA
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Washington had inexpensive renewal fees a long time ago. They tried changing that to a "value based" fee that was a big percentage of the car's blue book value. That meant over $3000 annually for high dollar cars. You can imagine the turmoil that started... they discarded that after a couple of years. Now they are attaching fee after fee in an attempt to fund projects. State park donation ($5), State Park pass ($30) organ donor donation, etc. All pre-checked "options" that you have to deselect before you proceed.
My Ollie tag was $67 this year. Base fee was $30 plus a bunch of miscellaneous small stuff. Plus:
RV Sanitary Disposal $3.00 (funds public dumps which I don't use)
Abandoned RV Disposal $20 (so they can round up all the junkers abandoned by homeless people)
Transportation Benefit District - Spokane $20 (for mass transit)
My cars are a little higher at $84, they don't include the RV stuff but do include a weight based fee of $25 (for no apparent reason - potholes?). In the Olde Days I paid $15 per vehicle per year. LOL.
WA has always charged sales tax on vehicles, even those brought in from out of state, based on sales price x the local tax rate (8.8%). So for my "Mouse" I had to pay about $5450 in tax just to get the plate. Yikes.
Then there is this one from Seattle ... https://patch.com/washington/seattle/1-500-car-tab-renewal-puget-sound-residents-shocked-fees
How are things in your state?
John Davies
Spokane WA
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Do the parks that prohibit generators have any issues with portable solar? I suspect they don't want the noise, but OTH they also don’t want the place looking like a solar farm....
John Davies
Spokane WA
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Prolonged idling is not good for any vehicle for many reasons. A modern quiet generator makes so much more sense. A small engine running hard is very fuel efficient. That is why they exist, so you don’t have to run the big engine on your expensive truck with no load for long periods. If you want to have power for air conditioning for eight hours you simply need a generator.
John Davies
Spokane WA
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Having used the factory solar with 4 AGMs for two seasons, I have to comment on how wonderful it is to have a system that usually doesn’t requires any fussing with a generator to keep them topped up. In your shoes I would select the factory solar and two 6 volt AGMs and NO inverter.
Not that I never need the gennie, I need it for running the AC and for dim dark short autumn days. But in the long spring and summer months I hardly ever need it for normal use. It makes me smile every time I see the power panel showing all that free and silent power streaming in, making the batteries stay happy too. For boondocking it really is an outstanding system, and it keeps your neighbors happy too. You should embrace it. I don’t think you would regret it.
It works so well that for the rare times we end up in a full hookup site I don’t usually connect to the shore power unless cooling is needed. We certainly don’t need the sewer....
A portable panel is a great idea for shady spots but I consider it a supplement to the main ones. It would be very hard to match the high performance of those two big rooftop panels.
Ollies are great RVs and I think the factory solar option is one of their very best features.
John Davies
Spokane WA
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The folks that assemble these trailers do not always think about drainage. The cabin steps trap lots of water when folded and need some holes. My suggestion before you remove the rubber seal is to drill a couple of 1/4” or larger drain holes as indicated.
They need to be large enough so that tree droppings won’t plug them up. In winter that may not be enough. If you store it outside the seal should be removed entirely or you will get a large ice dam.
Since I started this thread I have had no regrets about taking it off. Well, one regret. The tech who installed it used a permanent blue ink pen to lay out some guide lines and they won’t come off!
Have you alerted the factory about this issue? It is not something minor and they need to know.
John Davies
Spokane WA
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Cool, is the system heavy? That would be my primary concern, after cost and maintenance issues.
John Davies
Spokane WA
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Thieves and muggers are lazy and often addicted and they stay in places they know, which is usually urban alleys. You are very safe out in a forest or beside a reservoir. You do need to worry a little about wild animals in some places. Fortunately, unlike a tent, a hard sided Ollie is very comforting when there are bears wandering around at night. This is very rare: https://www.nationalparkstraveler.org/2018/08/bears-have-prompted-glacier-national-park-restrict-rising-sun-campground-hard-sided-campers
For a medical emergency or breakdown, you should have some sort of satellite communicator, either an actual sat phone (many $$$) or a small two way messaging device like this which can summon a medivac helicopter if needed: .... https://explore.garmin.com/en-US/inreach/
You can buy an annual $50,000 search and rescue policy in addition to the inReach service plan, that will pay for a rescue, cost is only $18. An inReach provides great peace of mind to both you and your family at home, since you can send unlimited pre-composed check-in messages at no charge.
Part of the risk of venturing away from populated areas is that it will take longer for police or medical aid to arrive, possibly hours. There is not much you can do if you or your wife has a cardiac arrest or a stroke. That is just the way it is.... if either of you has a serious health problem you should probably not stray from urban areas.
John Davies
Spokane WA
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Can you please explain why you would like to make your stinky soapy gray water potable? There are plenty of water filtration systems available but they are best used for relatively clean water like from a stream or lake. And they will always be very expensive to install and operate. There are a few very high end expedition campers like the EarthCruiser that have such a system, but they don’t normally use it on grey water.... it would trash the filters pretty quickly.
John Davies
Spokane WA
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There are many RVers who go from reservation site to reservation site, never spend a night unplugged, and are perfectly happy. It is a VERY expensive way to travel. IMHO you might as well leave the RV at home and travel by car and stay at motels... But reservations take out the uncertainty of whether you will find a space at all.
https://camperreport.com/average-rv-campground-rates-much-expert-per-night/
If you are 62 you can buy a forever senior pass for $80 that lets you camp at Federal government campgrounds for half off the regular fee and you also get free admission for up to four adults into National Parks. So all those campgrounds run by the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, Corps of Engineers, National Forest Service, Bureau of Reclamation, etc etc are yours for less than $10 usually, and sometimes half that (off season). A large percentage of these beautiful spots require you to be completely self contained. One of my favorite local spots is half off the regular $18, and only $4.50 in the winter months. It has great scenery, paved spots, beach, boat ramp, irrigated grassy lawns, and NO hookups or dump station.
https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/passes.htm
Please don’t go into this expecting to always be hooked up. You will miss out on some of the very best camping experiences the West has to offer. These spots are what the Oliver trailers were designed for! If you spend all your time in the eastern states, that is a completely different scenario.
John Davies
Spokane WA
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Everyone has a different tolerance for gross stuff. Mine is pretty low, and I always hated dumping waste tanks. Even if you wear, gloves and are careful you can get splashed with fecal material and that is just not very nice. The dump stations are not very sanitary either, I won’t camp where the fresh and waste systems are together in one place. Like the old Fall Hollow CG near the Oliver factory. The fresh taps are underground next to the sewer, yuck. They should be well separated and the fresh tap should be above ground.
The composting toilet is a great option, especially if you boondock or travel in the western areas that often have no hookups of any kind. But there is usually a toilet at least, where you can empty the pee tank. And off season, most dumps are closed and you may have a really hard time finding one. The free ones at Interstate rest stops are usually closed during freezing weather. The ones here in WA are still not open....
I have never seen a survey, but my feeling from reading posts here is that those owners with composting toilets are glad they chose that option.
There is no way to tell you how quickly the 18 gallon tank will fill up, it depends on how often you use other toilets. The flush does use a lot of your precious fresh water.
The black tank spray just rinses out the solids into the drain pipe, it doesn’t make things less messy. It just keeps the tank from getting a build up of dried crud.
When you camp with your sewer hose connected, your dump valves should all be closed at all times. Let the tank level get at least half way before you dump, so the large outrush of water carries the solids away. Follow up by dumping the grey tank, to rinse out the hose. Then use the black flush system if you like. If you leave the valves open all the time, your hose will fill up with poop and paper and perhaps clog. Double yuck.
John Davies
Spokane WA
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Overland, thanks for the comments. I may add a strip up on the back of the AC shroud. If the yellow strips up front are too bright and wash out the truck’s backup camera, I may try smaller pieces. I already have a silver paint stripe on my coupler which helps when the light is decent.
As far as the back getting covered, I am hardly ever in mud since I usually am in a dry climate and if the roads get sloppy from a shower I just wait for them to dry. Dust however is a real problem, I carry a gas leaf blower that takes care of that in seconds when I get to the end of the dirt road....
BTW the 3M tape reflects from straight on to almost 90 degrees to the side, so it does not necessarily have to be perfectly aligned.
John Davies
Spokane WA
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Bear spray is perfectly legal in Western Canada, just tell them you are camping in the woods. Self defense pepper sprays are very much illegal.
John Davies
Spokane Wa
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RB, I wanted narrow tape for my rack and I did not want to cut down the wide stuff because of dirt intrusion. The red/ white pattern is only available in 2”. I wanted to augment the existing red/ yellow scheme, not add extra colors, so I chose those. Also I did not want fluorescent colors since those are normally used on emergency vehicles and fire trucks.
Be aware that the tape has a two year shelf life so you should not buy much more than you need. I still have a bunch left and may add some more after looking at the trailer at night by flashlight.
The color choice is personal preference since there are no DOT regulations for light recreational trailers, but I did not want the thing to look like a Christmas tree.... mainly I wanted to alert drivers behind me and passerby's who might walk into the rack at night. The yellow Tee up front is a backing assist for hitching up at night.
John Davies
Spokane WA
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This is an easy and rewarding mod, and a lot of fun. I wanted to add some brightness to my new rear cargo rack and a couple of other places, and some non-skid material near the emergency exit. That last area should have tape there from the factory. Exiting out through the window, across the spare tire and any bikes or other cargo is risky enough, and then you have to step across a possibly wet and slippery bumper. Ouch...
There are endless sources of inexpensive low-grade reflective tape but I chose the real deal, the commercial 3M "Conspicuity Tape" that is used on semi truck trailers. It is available locally but you probably have to buy it in 150 ft rolls for up to $250! Here you can get various widths in smaller lengths at a about a buck per foot. If applied properly it has a ten year life expectancy. I bought 15 ft of red and yellow in the 1" width. Shipping was $7.53. You should buy the correct width that is "edge sealed" ... don't buy a wider strip thinking you can cut it lengthwise since the cut will allow dirt into the cells of the material. Sealed edges prevent that, you only get some dirt in your cut ends.
https://www.identi-tape.com/3M-conspicuity.htm
[attachment file=3M Conspicuity Tape Instructioins.pdf]
A smooth and clean surface is important. I sanded lightly with 360 grit sandpaper and cleaned with 3M General Purpose Adhesive Cleaner. Good stuff. I used regular 2" Gorilla black non-skid tape from Home Depot for the tops of the surfaces in back. Round the corners a little so the patches look neat and there is less likelihood of them lifting.
I used a fresh clean roll of 1" masking tape to make guide lines. Don't use an old roll with dirty edges since it can contaminate the area with oils. Rollers are helpful but not necessary. Just make sure the colored and black tape is really pushed down hard.
Here are ambient and flash pics of the areas I taped.
Notice that the teeny round factory installed reflectors are quite bright, but they are very low down and possibly obscured by a rack or bikes. The tail lights don't reflect much at all. I was surprised by that.
If you use a pressure washer be really careful around the tape, it is rated for 1200 psi at a foot distance. Don't get too close. I'll add some outside and night time pics later. I took my time and it was done in about 90 minutes. It was fun. Highly recommended!
John Davies
Spokane WA
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If you go into Canada via the Washington state ferry system or transit through to Alaska, you must have your tanks turned off and flagged (I use red surveyors tape) and you may not bring more than 100 pounds total of gasoline (in cans) and propane. The language about propane is INDEED very confusing and they have not updated the page. I called to make sure last year.... They are worried about loose cans of propane, not “built in” tanks in RVs, which can be quite huge. As long as your bottle valves are turned off and your appliances are not running on propane, you are good to go. When you get to the waiting area for the ferry, an attendant will ask if your bottles are turned off, but unless you look confused he won’t even check.
I can’t comment on any Canadian restrictions, can you post a link?
John Davies
Spokane WA
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Has anyone here used TorkLift StableLoad Rear Suspension Upgrade on any brand of pickup and what’s your thoughts on it?
Bill, I have no personal experience with those but have done a bunch of research. They are designed for compensating for a really heavy constant load, like a big truck camper. They make the heavy overload leafs work all the time, not just when the frame comes down that far. On a moderately loaded truck like yours it would probably ride too harsh.
John Davies
Spokane WA
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Woohoo, nearly complete. I am waiting on some super reflective 3M tape to put on the rack, so it will stand out at night in traffic and when folks walk past it after dark. It would be a real knee knocker if you stumbled into it.
The spare tire can be removed without even unloading the tray, but I do have to unscrew and remove the big threaded rod so the tire can roll out to the side. Here is what excites me..... the old normal “loaded” tongue weight with the cargo tray on the tongue and all that stuff (one empty and two full jerry cans) was 720 pounds. Here is the new weight with that same load moved to the rear...
I’ll start a new thread on this when I have completely finished and tow tested “Mouse”.
John Davies
Spokane WA
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The advantage of airbags beyond their adjustability and side to side levelling is that they don’t significantly inhibit the suspension’s ability to articulate. For a pickup that spends all its time on level roads that is a non issue. For a truck that has a camper on its back full time, ditto... For an offroad vehicle like a Raptor, Jeep or Land Cruiser you need to make very sure the axle can move upwards through full travel. Big rubber cushions like the Timbren are a problem if the compound is fairly dense. For this application I would choose the squishiest compound available.
I chose airbags. I run 4-5 psi unladen and 12 psi towing. The unloaded ride is a little stiffer and the butt sticks up a fraction of an inch over stock, not a big deal. You cannot run zero psi since it could pinch the bags.
Other than a big leak that occurred at installation and I fixed, the bags are solidly airtight. I could tell if one developed a leak because the rear end would sag on that side. They are plumbed independently for just that reason.
John Davies
Spokane WA
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If you have an inverter, it is wired up separately with great big cables and a big inline fuse. You would need to disconnect the ground cables at the batteries to kill it.
John Davies
Spokane WA
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For J.D.
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Thanks! I have not seen that vehicle, it is pretty amazing. I think it would tow an ollie....
That is a 13k winch below the TWO spare tires and the massive slide out drawer.... to match the winch up front.
The build level and design of the overland equipment is jaw dropping. However, it isn't a Land Cruiser killer because the Cruiser will take you out to the end of the world, and beyond, and back again. The Ram will take you out at least part way and maybe not back at all. The Toyota reliability is stellar. I just wish we could get some of the lower level models with twin turbo diesel that are available down under.... I don’t like diesels but that one would work for me.
John Davies
Spokane WA
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Teaser shots for a future thread. I am working on relocating my tongue cargo tray to the rear on a custom aircraft aluminum rack similar to the factory ones. I removed the top diamond plate cover to work on it, what a horrible job that was. It was pinched between the frame rails and the fiberglass of the body. It took me over three hours to get it off.
And yes the spare tire will be able to come off without disturbing the cargo rack, which is good news since it is going to bolted down solidly, no receivers on this one.
I got stalled out and need to go get some more materials Monday when the stores open. This stuff takes me so much longer than it used to when I was an active A&P. I have the skills but it seems my brain and fingers are not nearly as nimble. I get there eventually, I just wouldn’t make any money working at this slow rate.
John Davies
Spokane WA
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PS, it might be good to wait since the 2020 Power Wagon has some changes coming, a new interior, maybe even an 8 speed. Plus room for even huger tires.... LOL
https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a25384478/ram-power-wagon-2020-pickup-spy-shots/
Aaaaaand Ford’s new 7.3 liter gas V8 is tuned for fuel economy and will have beaucoup torque. And the water pump is right on top of the timing case. It appears to be a very simple engine to maintain. It will only be offered in the Super Dutys.
Talk about choices.....
John Davies
Spokane WA
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They make some interesting comments about the changes in the new 2019 Rebel model. They got about 18 mpg cruising at 70 to 80 mph. Not as good as I would have expected but they did a lot of climbing. I really like the new Rebel, but if I had to choose, for the same price I would get the PW since in the end it is a heavy duty truck with better articulating offroad suspension, better angles, front locker, solid front axle, axle disconnect and a winch (the only factory winch offered in any current vehicle), and I would worry a lot less about driving it in nasty conditions. Plus I could use a simple dead weight or offroad hitch for the Ollie.
If I got a Rebel I would order the big tank, low gears and the dealer installed 2” taller steel spring lift kit, and consider installing 35s if I felt the need to more clearance. If they offered the hybrid version with the 5.7 Rebel, I think I would probably choose it over the PW. It might be worth waiting a year to see if this becomes an option.... for towing and offroad it would be stellar.
https://www.allpar.com/trucks/ram/2018-1500.html
Keep in mind that a tonneau or cab height canopy will improve highway mileage measurably on any pickup.
I think the bottom line is whether you want all the latest tech and a more carlike experience, or simpler systems and a truckier vehicle. I know which vehicle a forest ranger or border patrol guy would drive, and it ain’t a Rebel.
John Davies
Spokane WA
So close to ordering an Ollie
in Introduce Yourself
Posted
Welcome,
The Andersen is a cool lightweight hitch, but not without its own set of problems. They keep changing the design in attempts to fix those issues. Depending on the age and specs of your truck, I would DEFINTELY consider towing with a dead weight ball mount to see how your long bed Taco does. Where the Andersen excels is on undulating roads where the truck is going one way and the trailer the other. It helps immensely to dampen that frightening pogo motion. Without the effect of the urethane bushings under compression all the stress goes to the rear shocks of your truck. If the are old they may not be up to the task.
In spite of the advertising the hitch doesn't do a very good job of weight distribution, compared to steel spring bars, but you can use it without cranking down hard on the nuts and it will still provide great vertical dampening. If you keep the tongue light (don't order the front cargo tray) then you might not ever need this hitch.
http://olivertraveltrailers.com/topic/fyi-andersen-wd-hitch-ball-locking-up-or-load-noise-11/
If you will tell us your camping desires and your tow vehicle specs (payload, engine, gearing, tow options) we will be happy to argue about them.... ;) I'm a huge fan of Toyota body-on-frame trucks but there have been a bunch of changes over the years that will affect how well your Tacoma can tow.
John Davies
Spokane WA