John E Davies

This is not just me being wierd, this time. Rubber valve stems can be replaced by a mechanically competent Ollie owner in a couple of minutes sitting beside the road. https://expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/rubber-vs-metal-valve-stems.92386/ John Davies Spokane WA

Use rubber stems if the TPMS guy said they are OK. I like them and specifically choose them on my trucky vehicles where possible for resistance to impact damage. If you never tow on rougher unpaved roads (like the completely unmaintained tracks to those cool primitive spots along a forest road) you can use steel .... but keep in mind they are way more vulnerable to bashing into something hard. It really depends on how long the stems are and the added extension of the transmitter - how far out they extend past the rim. The ones on my Land Cruiser are steel OEM so in this particular application they do fine, but they are fairly deeply recessed and also protected by oversized tires. OTH rubber ones can be sliced by a kid trying out his brand new Buck knife..... everything is a tradeoff. If you want the look of steel, specify rubber stems with chrome covers if they are available. They still will flex a little. But replacing all five plus balancing will probably cost you $75+. Is the extra cost worth it just for stems? Probably not, but you do need to at least get them balanced. To the best of my knowledge they still come unbalanced from the factory. Which is stupid.... and a whole different thread. For the truly anal... [attachment file=164355] https://store.bleepinjeep.com/product/colby_valve/ John Davies Spokane WA

Thanks for the comments, but after further consideration I think I will pass.... what I would really like is a nice aluminum off-road bumper with high integrated receiver but that is pretty much at the bottom of my very long Honey Do list. John Davies Spokane WA

That is your typical construction for a “better quality” RV, the pic is an excellent way to see what NOT to have in a legacy trailer. How many leak points, marginal materials and water traps can you see in that screen capture? https://www.venture-rv.com/products/sonic-travel-trailers/construction.html I think Oliver Trailers should make a similar graphic showing a cutaway Elite II..... John Davies Spokane WA

The VIN is generated and applied to your trailer when it is 100% finished and has been weighed. They also install the VIN sticker on the tongue at that date with the empty weight and other info. Until then, it would only be a guess. John Davies Spokane WA

I am sort of interested in buying this Curt receiver which is a twenty minute bolt-on for my truck, it sits way too low for my liking but it comes off quick enough with four bolts if I ever got in a stituation where it was dragging. https://www.curtmfg.com/part/31198 [attachment file=74AA55DD-87D7-4482-8C64-41662801996C.png] It is only rated for 500 tongue/ 5000 trailer but I think for five mph maneuvering it would be OK. My Elite II is 620/6000 usually. The problem is that it sits pretty far back as shown in those pics and I would need an extended mount, something like this: [attachment file=D2AC5438-3CF7-42F1-911B-EF5F2FD55B8D.png] It is also rated at 500/5000 but when used flipped up in the Rise position it is ONLY 350/3500 pounds. That does bother me. Can anyone comment? Is there a stouter mount that has a higher rating when poking up 8 inches? Would I need to get something custom built from stronger material? If you can post closeup pics of whatever front hitch you have I would appreciate it. I have never used one. Thanks, John Davies Spokane WA

The March 22 2018 link is good, not the one at the top of this thread, which is a dud, and I cannot edit that post! Or try here. http://olivertraveltrailers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/OLIVER-TRAILER-CHECKLIST-021818.docx Be sure to edit it for your particular equipment. For example external solar panel or sat antenna, tv coax, etc, none of which I have. Also, I have tire pressure listed as “80 psi recommended.” While true, you could change it to your actual running pressure, in my case for an Elite II, I use 45 psi. As far as I know, Oliver still has not changed their recommendation to reflect actual real world pressure, rather than the very high sidewall rating. John Davies Spokane WA

My showing fee was sent on a company check and I declared it as income and paid taxes on it. Once there is a paper trail - written check, deposited into the bank - there is no way to disguise the fact that it is income. Maybe, instead of cash payment, factory credit for parts (in-house or mailed to you) or service would be a way to avoid the appearance of an owner “working for” Oliver. John Davies Spokane WA

I expect that you are correct, but maybe you are not. Insurance policies are intentionally deceptive and weird. We agreed to be a foster home to a fertile female Australian Labradoodle puppy for three years, the breeder would artificially breed her twice and sell the puppies, and at the end of that time we would get her free of charge after neutering. The stipulations were that we would care for her as our own, not let her get knocked up by the dog next door, and the breeder would pay her vet bills and pay us $500 per litter as compensation. At that time pet quality puppies were selling for “only” $2500, and she was expected to produce 16 of them. We did the math and realized that our “$2500 puppy” was actually a $40,000 one. So we needed to verify that our four month old puppy, who was very valuable (another breeder had offered to buy her outright for $12,000) would not destroy us financially if something bad happened to her. Theft was a high possibilty. There was no language about liability in the contract. My insurance agent told me that most definitely, since we were going to be paid to house and care for this animal, which did not belong to us, our personal liability insurance did NOT cover its loss. We had the breeder change the language on the contract so that she did not pay us at all, and we were to buy Zadie outright afterwards for a discounted “pet price”. My point in this rambling story is that being reimbursed by a company to work for them as a sales representative does indeed change the dynamic. It is NOT the same as your inviting a passerby that you have already looked over, talked to and vetted into your hull for a quick look. The intent of letting a complete stranger into your trailer for business reasons is completely different. Intent is a very important part of determining liability. This is VERY similar to “agreed value” vs “stated value” for a used car. Not understanding the difference will get you screwed if you interpret it wrong and end up filing a claim. I don’t know the final answer, that is why I want to hear from the Oliver lawyer in writing. If there are any insurance agents here on the forum I would really like to hear your opinion. John Davies Spokane WA

Well, we all see your avitar, but do you mess with HO stuff or the real deal? Do you travel just to watch? I keep seeing a guy out in the middle of rural WA in the weirdest places filming Burlington Northern freight trains, I guess that is a special fetish.... My dad was an Englishman who grew up in pre-WW2 Yorkshire during the Age of Steam, he often told stories of him as a youngster rushing out onto a bridge so he could be enveloped in ash and steam as the train went underneath..... I am kind of interested, but not that obsessed. John Davies Spokane WA

Any steam train nuts here? Do you plan to go to see the newly restored Big Boy freight hauler and also this wonderful Living Legend high speed passenger locomotive? Skip ahead to 11:00 minutes if you like and watch to the end as they run it really fast. I hope to see these fine machines steaming someday, I am not sure I can make the big event in Utah. https://spike150.org https://www.up.com/heritage/steam/ John Davies Spokane WA

What did you plan to operate off it? With only the standard batteries you can't draw a big load (microwave, toaster, hair dryer) for very long. In your situation (no boon docking) I would just buy a small high-quality portable inverter and plug it into a 12 volt outlet when I needed to charge or run something small. Don't get a cheap one since the power output is nasty and can harm electronics. Something like this Tripp Lite would be fine. https://www.amazon.com/Tripp-Lite-Inverter-Outlets-PV375/dp/B012E9GYNQ?th=1 Keep in mind that the trailer comes with several 5V USB ports for plugging in your phone or other device. I am not sure what type of charger is used now, mine (Hull 218) came with three 1 amp chargers and I replaced two of them with better ones for faster charging. OTH a factory inverter will add to the resale value, lots of folks order it. I suspect they also get the big battery bank too, but that could always be added later with no problem. Inverters require huge amounts of 12 volt power, don't expect to pull more than maybe 150 watts AC continuous from your round 12v DC outlet. My factory inverter draws more than 75 amps when running a 1000 watt microwave. Thus the really big cables... John Davies Spokane WA

The big cross member is too close to the fiberglass, the whole rack will have to be moved back or removed entirely. I expect you could install a 2" steel receiver, it should work fine as long as you make sure there is sealant underneath to prevent dissimilar metal corrosion. If I were doing that I would have a local shop build me one out of stainless. Oliver stayed with a smaller one in an attempt to limit how much weight and stress you apply. I am pretty sure they don't want you to add a motorcycle carrier and a Harley.... They probably used aluminum for the receiver so it can't rust and leave ugly stains. They build this stuff to last decades. The tire cover does not lift straight up, as you might hope for, it has to be pulled rearward a few inches first so the center flange can clear the center threaded rod. See here: http://olivertraveltrailers.com/topic/howw-to-service-your-spare-tire-without-removing-it/ The cover has a flat center section with a hole in the middle, that rests on top of the wheel retaining bar. The cable and lock are mine - Oliver does not provide a way to lock the spare wheel, nor can you use a regular wheel lock because there are no studs. I took my cover off the day after getting home from delivery, I cleaned waxed and stretch-wrapped it for long term storage for the next owner. John Davies Spokane WA

What is your tow vehicle? Time to update your profile and signature..... That model of 2” ball 2” stinger fits most trucks, if yours is lifted, or if you have a 2.5” receiver, it isn’t the one..... and you might need a longer drop. You need the ball to sit at around 23.5” with the truck loaded for travel. That is approximate because the Andersen hole spacing is 2” if I remember correctly. You can’t get it exact unless you luck out. It would be nice if they drilled them closer together, there is plenty of material. There has been some discussion about upsizing to the bigger 2 5/16” ball and putting a matching coupler on the trailer. As far as I know they won’t do it during production but Service might swap the bigger one on at delivery. The 2” coupler is rated for only 7000 pounds and is very borderline for capacity, especially if you load heavy and plan to travel a lot of rough roads; the smaller contact area causes the ball to wear excessively. The couplers are about the same price, and look the same other than the opening. It would be significantly cheaper to upsize right from the start than to do it yourself at a later date. Check with your Sales contact if you are interested, and also follow up with Service. I suspect you would have to provide the coupler. They would have to drill new holes, theirs come predrilled from Bulldog. They could stick the one they took off your Ollie onto another frame. .... http://www.bulldogproducts.net/mobile/products/trailer-couplers/straight-couplers/square-rectangular-mount-coupler/cWx03ACJNXOAxT!C6g2PubZ!Y9Ul6YZw6UKreMTgOq0= John Davies Spokane WA

https://money.cnn.com/2018/09/07/news/companies/wells-fargo-scandal-two-years/index.html I was a WF customer for a few years, I never felt that they cared an iota about me as a person and the customer service was dismal. In 2004 in a face to face meeting I was promised a great deal for a home mortgage, for new construction, with no points and a competetive interest rate. It sounded wonderful and I was immediately a little suspicious. I demanded a signed letter stating the terms with the company letterhead as insurance. Sure enough, the loan officer was fired, his replacement told me he was going to have to charge points and that the guy had made a bunch of “verbal promises he should not have made”. I waved the letter in the new guy’s face and told him he had better honor those written promises. He looked pretty depressed, but he did it. Always get it in writing. A good local credit union for banking, credit card and personal loans, and a good broker like Vanguard for investments, makes way more sense. I joined BECU right after the Wells Fargo mortgage incident and never looked back. These newest scandals you read about? Old news to me. John Davies Spokane WA

Having used a dead weight hitch on a Ram 3500 and an Andersen on my Land Cruiser, I have to say I prefer not using it, but it is necessary for many lighter trucks. I have used a Drawtite WD hitch in the past, and compared to that the Andersen is lovely, light, simple to store and easy enough to use. It still can be a PITA at times. I think it is important to keep the tongue as light as possible (avoid the cargo tray) and use only enough chain tension to stabilize and take away jounce. If you really crank down on the nuts, the system won’t flex. The ball wears weirdly, but all heavily loaded hitches do that. The Andersen ball assembly is a lot more expensive to replace than a $10 ball fro Walmart. The sleeves wear out, if you buy an Andersen be SURE to get the newest version which has improvements. And buy a spare sleeve. I would much prefer to throw mine away, if I could, but unless I downgrade to a HD Detroit truck, that won’t happen. John Davies Spokane WA

Yes, or moved back several inches ... you have to be able to slide the cover rearwards to clear the tire. Maybe perhaps possibly you could remove the spare without disturbing the rack if you left the cover at home, as I do. If you have TPMS, as you should, you can install a fifth transmitter onto the spare tire so you don’t have to take everything apart just to see if it has enough air....so removing the rack would be only in case of a flat tire or rotation, or for a routine inspection. You must look inside every now and then to make sure it is secure. With no cover installed this takes five seconds. John Davies Spokane WA

One interesting thing about an Oliver that sets it apart from all other (mass produced) RVs is the resale value. In the current economy their values are holding very high, they hardly depreciate at all, so if you needed to sell yours, it would not be a huge financial loss like for a Thor-built plywood junker. HOWEVER, when the US economy tanks again, in a year or two or five, the artificially booming RV market will definitely collapse with it and it will be much harder to sell your Ollie, and the price will inevitably be lower. Because the production numbers are so low, there is no real way to know a used one’s true Blue Book value and RV dealers are reluctant to buy and sell them. So you have to sell privately. When the economy tanks your financial investments will too. Especially if they are based on the stock market. Not good. The point is that it is a real gamble if your finances are shaky in any way, and as we turn grey you never know when a medical emergency might happen. Some of the trailers listed here have been due to unexpected medical bills. It is unfortunate but a fact of life. In your shoes instead of raiding my money reserves I probably would be shopping for an older easy to handle self contained Class B motorhome like a Roadtrek that has already depreciated, to buy outright and use for a year or more. The shorter ones can even be used as a daily driver. If you like the lifestyle you can sell the house while living in the RV, order an Ollie and look for a low miles Certified Used truck, or a new heavily discounted one, and then sell the current RV for a minimal loss. Don’t liquidate your retirement savings unless you have a very dependable second income. I am not a financial advisor, nor do I play one on the Internet, so don’t believe me or anyone here. Talk with a trustworthy one who charges for his services and who is NOT trying to sell you something on commission. This is my own advisor, look at her description, and try to find somebody close by who is similar. Or give her a call, I highly recommend her and she might be able to offer a referral, or she can do everything for you remotely. If you hire her, she is not cheap but you won’t end up with some weird annuity you don’t need and you can trust her to be completely working for your best interests. .... https://www.financialtrex.com/faq/ https://www.financialtrex.com/blog/how-to-choose-a-financial-planner/ Get your investments “tuned up” for a coming downturn. Change banks (Wells Fargo is plain BAD - Google “Wells Fargo problems”.) Don’t make any major moves before confirming that they are good moves. Remember - I said to don’t trust me! ;) Good luck. John Davies Spokane

Welcome, June will feel like forever.... what is your tow vehicle and which Ollie did you order? It has been mentioned here before, but I will repeat it. For a couple with zero RV experience, it would be great to rent a small trailer, say 25 feet, locally for a week or more. Learn to maneuver in an empty parking lot, practice backing, learn how all the systems work. Dump the tanks, deploy the awning, run everything! Your Ollie’s equipment will be very similar, but by spending some time in an inferior “stick and staple” mass produced trailer, you will more appreciate the fine craftsmanship and engineering that goes into every Oliver. Please fill out your profile and consider adding a signature describing what you drive. Do you plan to boondock out west? Got solar? John Davies Spokane WA

Drive at least three or four different trucks from several different manufacturers! Don’t just pick a GM because the dealer is there..... Once you find one or two you like, take a picture of the window sticker, or ask for an electronic copy from the salesman, and post it here. We can tell you if there is anything for you to reconsider. You first of all must decide how much load the truck will be carrying - passengers, dogs, extra equipment, canopy or tonneau cover, boat or bikes, generator, cast iron cook set, tools, etc etc PLUS the trailer tongue weight (use 700 pounds for an Elite II). Add it all up for the very MINIMUM payload you need. Add 20% to that, to allow for a small safety margin. If all your stuff plus the 700 pound trailer load comes to, for example, 1200 pounds, add another 240 pounds (20%) and you are up to 1440 pounds. This is a typical maximum payload for many half ton AKA 1500 pickups, but that number varies, so read the specifications. So you might need to go to a different model 1500, or to a 2500 with stiffer suspension and axles, so you can carry that weight. Once you decide if a 1500 will be OK, or if you must go to a 2500 for the extra capacity, then you can drive some trucks and make a good decision that will give you years of towing safety and enjoyment.. When in doubt, for good towing performance, always go bigger! All other things being equal, pick a bigger gas tank, a bigger engine (or torque rating), a bigger axle ratio (4:1 is better than 3.5:1), or a bigger payload. Nobody ever complains about having too much performance.... especially when you get to the Colorado High Country. Be sure to study the towing equipment on the truck, specialized stuff like cameras, self levelling suspension, and backing assist. Ask the sales guy to demonstrate for you. Fords beat the others in trailer towing aids. I am not a Ford fan, but I have to admit they really know how to build a truck that tows very well. Good luck, and enjoy. Don’t stress out too much. Don’t act in haste! These super deals will be around for a while. You don’t have to take one home right away. We can tell you if there are any problems, then you must decide. Above all, do not believe very much that the sales droid says, he is trying to earn a commission and he doesn’t really care beyond that. But we do care! John Davies Spokane WA

I used to have a Nash stick and staple travel trailer and the TV was a 1984 Suburban 7.4 liter 3/4T. I wired it up with o gauge welding cable from the alternator, through a marine battery selector switch, straight back to the rear bumper to a 150 (?) amp Andersen connector. I also ran a matching ground wire, direct from battery to the connector. I wired a similar charging cable on the trailer with an Andersen connector, straight to the trailer batteries. I forgot completely about fuses, I am so very lucky I did not burn something up. I was not always so careful as I am now.... I could start the truck and select the trailer and send full alternator output to it, while running the TV off its battery. Worked pretty good, I never put an ammeter on it but it would charge up the two batteries pretty fast. The big cables meant just about zero voltage drop. After a while I would turn the selector to both and keep driving to top them up and keep the Sub’s battery from dying. I like solar panels a whole lot better..... John Davies Spokane WA

No, I have not seen them in person, but Overland has and likes them. I have crawled around and under a Moby 1 XTR Offroad Teardrop. They use a homebuilt version of that suspension and it is simply glorious. They use BIG high end automotive spherical ball ends, greasable of course. .... https://www.moby1trailers.com/moby1-xtr Moby 1 is in SLC so if you are there you could check them out too. People need to keep telling the factory that we want this option. I doubt it will ever happen, but for Oliver Trailers to say it is not a desirable feature seems odd to me. I would have paid an extra $10K for this plus an electric over hydraulic disk brake system. The more units they sell in the West, the more folks there are who will want a rock solid, reliable long travel suspension that doesn't spit out parts. John Davies Spokane WA

The "inverter" means it is a solid state power converter, changing pulsating DC current to a very smooth and clean AC current, clean enough to be completely safe for electronics like your computer. The cheap generators do not use this technology and they supply dirty power, which is acceptable but will make you worry. So get one with an inverter. An EU1000i "suitcase" is a great choice, use only ethanol free gas and a fuel stabilizer and you won't need to worry about a propane kit. https://www.amazon.com/Honda-EU1000i-Inverter-Generator-Eco-Throttle/dp/B00P9ONS74 Having had Honda and Yamaha generators, I now lean toward the Yamaha, mostly because they are such a pretty blue. Either brand will be wonderful, buy another brand at your own risk after much research. If you have plenty of storage room at home and in your TV get a larger one, you will be able to also use it at home during power outages. A 1000 is pretty darned marginal for that application. Something like this would be only slightly bigger and heavier, but much more versatile. (I have and love the big 2400 version.) https://www.amazon.com/Yamaha-EF2000iSv2-Starting-Portable-Inverter/dp/B002RWK9N2/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=yamaha+1000+generator&qid=1552349615&s=lawn-garden&sr=1-2 Whatever you get, never run it unattended without installing a good lock or chain, or it will walk away by itself. It is so quiet in Eco Mode (auto-throttle) that you mighty not hear it stop. I don't use a generator in summer months except for air conditioning, but I do have to use it for an hour in dim rainy tree covered conditions. It doesn't take long to bring up your batteries. In conditions like that try to avoid using your onboard inverter to run the microwave AKA "Battery Killer". Read me: ... https://www.greengearglobal.com/generator-sizing/ Note that a 1000 "might" start and run a single regular home refrigerator, but it will be borderline and you wouldn't be able to have anything else powered at the same time. More watts are always welcome. John Davies Spokane WA

I am not sure I would trust regular drilled bolts with castle nuts..... The point of the splines near the head is to lock the bolt solidly to the mount so it doesn't turn and subsequently wallow out the shackle support holes. All the motion should be between the moving parts and the bolts, the bolts themselves should remain completely motionless. The rational is probably that it is a lot easier and cheaper to replace worn parts than to weld on new mounts. Before I did this I would DEFINITELY check with Dexter engineering. Speak to an actual real engineer, not some drone far far over the ocean. If cotter pins and castle nuts were better I think they would already be on a gazillion trailers. If you decide to go this route, have a good shop spot-weld each bolt head in two places so it cannot move. Again, my suspicion is a bad lot of hardware, not bad design. However, leaf springs belong in the 19th Century. Here is the real fix: https://cruisemaster.com.au/cruisemaster-xt/ John Davies Spokane WA

You have both what? Both Hondas? If you are carrying the bigger one, that is a darned heavy unit to be horsing around that much. You don’t really need it all the time in the Ollie’s tray? I am a little confused, can you not just leave it on the ground when unloading or loading the ATV? You could trade that heavy guy in on a lighter one. I am older and not especially strong and my 80 pound Yamaha 2400 (fueled) is about as heavy as I would choose to move very often. I honestly couldn’t begin to get a 150 pound one in and out of a truck or basket by myself without injury. You must be pretty fit. John Davies Spokane WA