John E Davies

I can't comment from experience but I expect it will fit, but the EU3000i Handi version has a smaller motor and a little smaller footprint, smaller tank and is way lighter. That would be my personal choice, is there a reason you want the larger one? Home backup? https://powerequipment.honda.com/generators/models/eu3000i-handi They are both very expensive, have you considered the Yamaha 2400? It's a great unit and very capable. https://www.amazon.com/Yamaha-EF2400iSHC-Starting-Portable-Inverter/dp/B00AYUWDZG John Davies Spokane WA

I am sorry for your pain, I would try very hard to get Oliver Trailers to replace this at no charge. I do not think this is your fault. You should fill out a new online service request and also call the shop and explain the vague and conflicting instructions. There should be a Service Bulletin!!!!! There should be a very prominent warning placard at the outside of the heater. There should also be a Winter Plug of some sort - a dust shield that will prevent winter gunk from contaminating the open tank, but will also let any moisture pass by. An old-lint free microfiber rag would be adequate. OTH I think owners of the plain vanilla water heaters should also learn a lesson,,, leave the anode rod out over the winter. Usually there will be no worries, but if you are using the trailer's fresh water system and one of your winterization valve leaks internally, you can get water into the tank that might freeze. The very high cost of the Truma has always bothered me a lot - that and that they do not recommend using RV antifreeze inside the unit, or compressed air.. A new Suburban tank type one is only $350 and is super easy to replace. How much labor did they quote you for yours? Good luck and keep us updated. John Davies Spokane WA

I don’t know of longer bolts, but you should probably at at least replace all the nuts with new ones, so you are sure of their self locking ability, and also peen the exposed threads - Use a big center punch to put two or three craters in the threads right next to the nuts. They will act as a secondary “safety” and also as a visual clue if the nut is backing off. If you are truly anal like me, you should remove every single bolt, one at a time, to inspect them, and make sure lube is getting where it is supposed to.... it is a ton of work and it might make sense to just buy and install a brand new bolt kit. Make sure the bushings are OK. John Daveis Spokane WA

I check mine for torque every other time I grease the zerks. They don’t normally loosen but it can happen.... HOWEVER! Each bolt has a short area of ridges or splines underneath the head, that bite into the steel of the mount holes to prevent it from spinning. At least that is the concept. It is VERY important to hold the head with a big combination wrench when tightening the nut using a socket and torque wrench, to prevent the bolt from rotating and tearing off the steel inside the mount hole. The mount is mild carbon steel, the bolts are hard. I think the system design has proven to be reliable, most of the time, but incorrectly torquing the hardware can cause problems. I guess it would be smart to carry an extra equalizer and hardware, just in case, plus the required tools to change it out. It would not be easy. I have never heard of a properly torqued nut just falling off, there must have been a defect or the wrong kind of nut was installed. Proper lubrication is critical, even the EX Flex system might fail if run dry. How is this for scary? Geronimo John, we need to know how you got back down that fire road.... with more pictures if you have them. Where you able to fix it yourself or did you call Billy Bob’s Mountain Top AAA? One great thing about an Ollie - it will easily fit on a flat bed wrecker. John Davies Spokane WA

I appreciate the comments. I have had a general Umbrella Liability rider just about forever, it is currently $1,000,000. I don’t recall the exact premium amount, it is not exactly cheap. I have no clue how much a court case could award a damaged buyer, but I bet it could be many times that. I should ask my agent about increasing it. A waver sounds good. I will try to speak with sales tomorrow when I am stuck at home during our next @#$&* snow storm... John Davies Spokane WA

I have been trying to get a written response from Sales but so far I have heard nothing after three emails. I guess I will have to call, but I need to have this in writing. I thought I would bring this issue up here to see what folks think. I received an email several months ago from a fellow Ollie owner. He was showing his trailer to a couple referred to him by Oliver Sales, and a woman tripped and nearly fell on her face exiting the stairs. He is concerned about liability and a potential personal injury lawsuit and he withdrew from the sales program. That seems a little extreme to me. However, I did not see a stranger nearly destroy her face on my driveway This had never occurred to me but he has a valid position. I would hope that Oliver Trailers would help an owner who got sued by an injured potential buyer..... Considering that the owners are their only extended sales force, this should be clarified and owners should be reassured that they are backed up by the company. I asked Anita to discuss this with the rest of the staff, and I am sure their company lawyer has some good input. Would it be prudent to have a liability release form signed by the prospective buyers? What would be the best wording? Do these stand up in court? Has anyone been injured viewing YOUR trailer, and what was the result? I am not trying to scare anybody or stir up unrest, but this is an important topic that needs to be discussed. I would really like to remain in the program, but not if I am at serious financial risk. Comments are very welcome. BTW, I have shown “Mouse” half a dozen times through this program and only earned a half commission -$125 - because they had also viewed another Ollie. I don’t care about the commission, I like interacting with people. John Davies Spokane WA

That is a wonderful endorsement. The only thing I have to add is that they should find a small independent shop somewhere in the West, say in a centralized location like SLC, that can do their high quality warranty work and service repairs. I have zero plans to ever return to Hohenwald, not because I don’t like the town or the factory, but because I don’t want to go anywhere east of the Rockies. Owners who live for months at a time in their trailers and tow 10,000 miles annually probably don’t mind a little detour to TN, but for those of us out here who don’t, it is really out of the way. Does that sound like a selfish request? John Davies Spokane WA

This will sound laughable to some folks, but I really like to stay analog if I have a navigator along. I use the wonderful Benchmark Recreation Atlases and colored dots. The maps are highly detailed (and much better than the Delorme versions) but on any atlas it can be quite hard to keep track of where you are. I plot a route using removable dots so it is easy to see where we are headed. And I add colored tabs on other pages so when we “drive off” one page it is easy to find the next one. As you drive past a “dot waypoint”, the navigator peels it off for reuse or disposal. https://www.benchmarkmaps.com/atlases https://www.amazon.com/ChromaLabel-inch-Color-Code-Labels-Dispenser/dp/B00N17XAZ6 For actual routing I use a Garmin RV 660 and just verbally tell it to take me to the next major town on the planned route. I like the maps as a backup, and for slow speed exploring in the back country where there is no chance of a cell connection... if there is nobody sitting in the right seat, this is a real pain, since the driver has to stop and study the maps. Just like in the old days. I do always use Gaia on an iPad Mini 4 which is hugely helpful too. It is priceless when you are somewhere the gps shows nothing but a featureless line on a blank background. You zoom out in an attempt to see something - anything - of value and your road disappears! John Davies Spokane WA

The 3.0 diesel runs hot, that is a well known problem. If you had issues on steep desert grades on blistering hot days, that is easily corrected. .... https://www.haydenauto.com/Featured%20Products-Radiator%20Mist%20System/Content.aspx Long ago I built a similar crude spray system using copper pipe and a windshield washer pump kit to cool an overworked hot-rodded 1984 Suburban 454 ci big block towing too much boat in the mountains. It actually helped to reduce vapor locking. The actual cure was regearing the rear axle... OTH my 5.7 200 engine never gets too warm, and the trannie converter temp never spikes above 230 degrees. (Using an OBDII scan display.) Lack of cooling is simply not a worry for this engine. Especially if you have the tow package with 4.30 gears, your Tundra will pull your new toy without working hard. John Davies Spokane WA

The Gladiator Rubicon should tow an Elite II adequately with the diesel, I suspect, but it may be a year or more before it comes out. I am pretty sure your Tundra will do it significantly better tho, unless you are running 37” tires. It will just not get good mpgs or look sexy... The big problem with the Gladiator, like any hard core Jeep, is that the temptation is very strong to load it down with lots of steel armor, winch, skidplates, lights, big tires etc etc. And all that stuff takes away from the available payload. If you want to go that route a Power Wagon makes more sense since it already has most of that gear from the factory and you are working with a stout 3/4 ton platform.... Readjusting the Anderson chains is simple enough, the only remotely tricky part is getting the ball height correct and those big bolts torqued down tight. Don’t buy the tongue tray, keep the tongue as light as possible. If the tongue is light enough you might possibly be OK with a dead weight hitch on either TV. Once you load down the tray with heavy gear, you are stuck with the Andersen, for sure. John Davies Spokane WA

Pete and Bosker overnighted in my back yard on their way back home from Alaska last Fall. They are both great company. John Davies Spokane WA

It is always good to tell us what model you recommend, and especially WHY, and maybe post a link. For example, there are a more than a few Honeywell heaters: ... https://www.honeywellstore.com/store/category/heaters.htm Thanks, John Davies Spokane WA

Well, Baja is a different beast, I wouldn’t hesitate to go there directly from California. I don’t think I could get the nerve to go over to the mainland with a travel trailer. But travelling anywhere in Latin America with a gorgeous high dollar camper will attract unwanted attention. How about a vinyl wrap that makes the hull look old, and spray the wheels with flat grey Plasti Dip. Apply a few bullet hole stickers. Replace a window with plywood. And keep everything really dirty. That part is easy enough. Here is what you want it to look like.... Hmmmm, it’s time to watch Dust to Glory one more time. John Davies Spokane WA

Thanks for the info. It would be really helpful if sellers posted the actual sale price of their used Ollies, not just the asking price. All the asking prices are right up there close to new MSRP but we don’t know how far that number dropped to make the sale. John Davies Spokane WA

I have never been to Mexico and won’t for the foreseeable future. With so many wonderful and safe places to visit in the USA and Canada I have to ask why anyone would choose to travel anywhere in Mexico. Sure the odds are that nothing bad will happen, but I guarantee that you will be constantly worrying about becoming a target for theft or worse, or an innocent bystander in a gang shooting. I won’t ever go into the bad neighborhoods of Baltimore or East St Louis, and I consider the mainland of Mexico to fall into that category: a place to avoid. This particular state is a real doozie: ”Tamaulipas state – Level 4: Do Not Travel. Do not travel due to crime. Violent crime, such as murder, armed robbery, carjacking, kidnapping, extortion, and sexual assault, is common. Gang activity, including gun battles and blockades, is widespread. Armed criminal groups target public and private passenger buses as well as private automobiles traveling through Tamaulipas, often taking passengers hostage and demanding ransom payments. Federal and state security forces have limited capability to respond to violence in many parts of the state.” That one and the other Level 3 and 4 states - Chihuahua, Coahuila, and Sonora - are all along the US border. Check your atlas. There is no way to drive into the safer parts of Mexico (other than the Baja Peninsula) without passing through them... https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Mexico.html John Davies Spokane WA

Folding solar blanket, the good side: The cables are beautiful, using a really heavy gauge wire and high-amperage Anderson Powerpole connectors. The bad side - they are not yet sold in the USA so you would have to have it shipped in from Oz, they require a charge controller in the RV, and they are the cost of a really nice generator: ... https://www.redarc.com.au/solar-products/solar-blankets A more affordable HardKorr: .... https://fordraptorlights.com/products/hardkorr-150w-flexible-folding-solar-mat I have not seen a Chinese knockoff but I would not be surprised if there is one out there. I would buy a 120 w or larger one for up to $300. It would easily fit on a shelf in the closet or in the rear attic. There are a number of them listed at Alibaba (wholesale) but i haven’t seen them for sale here. ..... https://www.alibaba.com/countrysearch/CN/folding-solar-blanket.html?searchweb=Y& Anybody have a link to one? John Davies Spokane WA

Thanks for the report, I have been considering a 120 watt suitcase unit for those shaded sites. But you are killing me.... Here is my concrete cat yard art looking out from under the patio table..... After the second snowiest February on record we have -15 degree windchill tonight. The sun is sure pretty to look at though, from inside. John Davies Spokane WA

“Financial improprieties” ...... “Allegations in the report include 1,700 fabricated invoices worth over $100 million with phony VIN numbers attached.” Whooo boy, that is beyond bad. Original speculations said that the money was funnelled into private overseas accounts but that seems to be not true. It sounds like a bunch of idiots trying to inflate sales figures.... https://rvmiles.com/report-erwin-hymer-in-tatters-amidst-c-suite-embezzlement/ John Davies Spokane WA

Wow, thanks for posting. I don’t follow any mainstream RV brands since my interest in non-Olivers is limited to a very small handful of low production high quality builders like EarthCruiser that I can’t afford ;) Oliver survived the 2008 crash because their bread and butter product is bathroom tubs and enclosures and that is a pretty steady market. RV builders typically can’t just shut down a production line and keep making money through other channels. They usually just go belly up. I researched Oliver Travel Trailer Company heavily before buying “Mouse” and I never found anything that worried me. Great company, great work ethic, great people. John Davies Spokane WA

I have never done this but it looks simple enough for somebody with basic skills who can follow instructions. You have to drill some holes, add a kill switch and and hose for the propane. The propane feeds into the engine by way of a thin plate that sandwiches between the carb and the intake port. Please do not do what the guy in the video does repeatedly - never stick your hand directly under a drill bit while drilling a hole. Use a piece of cardboard to keep out debris, not your skin!!! having drilled into my finger two times in 50 years, all I can say is no injury that size hurts more. I do strongly recommend that you check all connections using soapy water to make sure there are no leaks before starting the gennie. The guy in the video did not do that. John Davies Spokane WA

Be VERY careful in your choice of canopy. Most light duty ones will carry about 100 pounds and it is tricky or impossible to mount rack rails because they are not reinforced (the material is way too thin there). Leer makes a really nice unit that comes with Thule compatible rails, thicker roof structure and a high enough load rating. A canoe especially will exert a lot of wierd dynamic stresses in crosswinds, and you can’t tie down the back end properly since it sticks pretty far out (and the ropes will always block the gate) and you can’t tie the bow down easily because it is in the middle of the truck roof. Two single 14 or 15’ kayaks make way more sense when carried on a canopy. On their sides they kick up at the back for clearance, tho they “should” still be secured bow and stern. Since you already have a cover I think you should consider a sliding drawer system to gain access to all your gear, and a light duty boat rack mounted to the bed rails. The rack could be quickly removed off season. ... https://www.oakorchardcanoe.com/racks.php BTW I sometimes carry a Wenonah Sundowner 17 tandem fiberglass lake canoe with minimal rocker, inverted on my Land Cruiser and it is awkward at best. Even with a rear Yakima roller boat loader it can be tricky to get up there after a long paddle when your arm muscles are limp noodles. The side loaders are a joke.... It weighs 70 pounds, so a kevlar version would be much easier to sling around. If you have any questions about carrying boats, please start a new thread about it. BTW again, I think a pretty, high quality canoe on a pickup looks very sexy, if that matters at all. Beat up old corroded aluminum Grummans, not so much. John Davies Spokane WA

Welcome, you aren’t going to find anybody willing to let you take their Ollie. They are just too special and unique. However, you might find an Ollie owner who would let you spend the night in the trailer, or at least a very long afternoon. I have shown mine a few times and I have always offered as much time as the folks want, I just go inside the house and let them kick off their shoes and hang out in it. If you want to try a week of camping, my suggestion is to rent a compact motorhome in St Louis and head to the Missouri Ozarks. You can try boondocking in the National Forests, full hookup state parks and even some upscale lakeside RV resorts. There is a lot of stuff in a fairly compact area. If touristy fluff interests you, Branson would be worth a visit. It would teach you how the RV systems work (they would be almost exactly what comes in an Ollie) and it would be a good way to get a taste of the lifestyle. https://www.417mag.com/issues/october-2018/ozarks-camping/ If you have some trailer towing experience you could rent a small travel trailer, but you would have to borrow a properly equipped full sized tow vehicle. Would that possibly work? You can’t rent a truck and then go tow a travel trailer with it, as far as I know. I would never recommend that somebody who has never RV camped jump head first into an expensive purchase like an Ollie unless they first tested the waters by renting some kind of RV for a week or two. You are very handicapped by your location but I think what you are contemplating could work. Regardless of what you decided in the end, that would be a fun week... if you can borrow some grandkids for the trip, it might be even better. Have you contacted the Sales Dept or filled out a “See an Ollie” request? At the very least you could inspect one up close. ... http://olivertraveltrailers.com/see-an-ollie/field-visit-request/ John Davies Spokane WA

There are endless threads about this. Have you read them in the Towing section? You need to decide how much cargo you will carry, then buy a truck with ample payload reserve. That may mean stepping up to a 2500. The half tons require (most likely) the Andersen hitch which is a PITA. You can use a simple dead weight hitch with a bigger truck. Easy peasy. In your shoes I would definitely look at the Ram 2500 with coil suspenion (air adjustable would be nice) and either the 6.4 gas or big diesel. If you plan to tow 10,000 or more miles annually get the diesel. Get a tow package, the lowest axle ratio possible (bigger number) and the biggest fuel capacity. Four wheel drive for sure. Nobody likes getting stuck... John Davies Spokane WA

You can make your own plastic scraper.... buy a scrap of 1/4” or 3/8” thick plexiglass at Lowes and cut it with a saw to a handy size, say 2” wide by 4 “ long. Use a belt sander to sand a 45 degree cutting edge on one side (run the belt away from the cutting edge so melted plastic does not build up there). Curve the sharp ends if you want to eliminate gouging. Curve and radius the end that goes in your palm so it is comfy. When the scraping edge gets dull, touch it up on the sander. I have scrapers of various sizes in my tool box that are over 40 years old, made from scraps of busted aircraft windshields and windows. They last forever.... well, almost. If you know an A&P, ask him to save you a piece of broken window. Plastic scrapers can quickly wreck pretty gelcoat, I don’t recommend using one unless there is no other way. Always use a lubricating solution, either soapy water or a mild solvent that won’t attack the plastic. Dry scraping just scratches! John Davies Spokane WA

I hate drippy trees, cottonwoods are also really bad.... here is what I use. https://www.amazon.com/3M-General-Purpose-Adhesive-Cleaner/dp/B00ZIM9XPI It works very well on sap, bugs and road tar too. It will completely strip any wax so you must reapply a protective coating afterwards. It is quite expensive online but if you call a local auto paint supply store you will find it way cheaper. I pay $14 per quart locally. It is used everywhere for paint prep at body shops. Wear gloves and use adequate ventilation. You only need a quart unless you plan on camping under drippy trees all the time. It is safe for the solar panel and all plastics. I also suggest that you strip off any old wax from the entire trailer hull by washing with a strong solution of blue Dawn detergent and this product. Apply Rejex or a similar non-wax coating. Rejex cannot be applied over wax, it needs to bond to the gelcoat. It will make future cleaning much easier and the trailer will look stunning. John Davies Spokane WA