John E Davies

I don't either, but I expect the inventory level may have something to do with it. When the shelves are overflowing with one particular version (the green one in this case), they drop the price way down and clear them out, then raise the price back to average. It's also a way to drag the buyer to that page, then he sees that there are other colors available. He didn't really like the green, so he orders brown for a higher price. Just guessing. This is interesting: Amazon only uses data from the Amazon platform to establish product relevancy. It does not consider data points such as off-page SEO that other search engines like Google does. The goal of the A9 algorithm is to maximise that amount of money each customer spends on Amazon. To achieve this, Amazon records all customer data from searches, to clicks, to purchases to establish product relevancy. Long complicated technical article here: ... https://www.repricerexpress.com/product-ranking-on-amazon/ Camelx3 is definitely a good way to watch for bargains, IF you are patient and do not need an item immediately. Sometimes I just get tired of waiting for that super deal and just buy at the regular price, or off-site if the Amazon price is not so good. The Honey browser app is great for finding better prices, or for reassuring you that you got the very best deal. Amazon is not always the best choice. https://help.joinhoney.com/article/39-what-is-honey-and-how-do-i-get-it John Davies Spokane WA

Those are very cool, but I do not care for the interior at all. I would love the frame, coupler, rock rails and independent suspension under an Ollie Elite II cabin. That would check ALL my boxes.... except for the darned propane appliances. How much would an Oliver Extreme Offroad Independent Suspension Chassis option cost? $15k? I would pay....I bet it would cost twice that to have one custom built, and the body swapped. How did you like the Overland Expo? I recall that you have attended this before. How was the build quality of the Black Series? They are mass produced. The company has built 30,000 in Oz in just ten years. That seems as if it could be problematic, but it lowers production cost and MSRP significantly.... will they have a dealer network? I love the suspension, but the FIRST thing I would do would be to hang some rock guards in front of those pretty red twin shock A arms. And it needs a bigger tongue jack ;) Thanks. John Davies Spokane WA

That Man is terrific for wide open desert, where it doesn’t matter so much if you drive a few feet off the road. It certainly has a fine array of solar panels. I especially like how you can park the trailer 30 feet away and stretch an awning between both rigs ro make an enclosed garage. How cool is that...? I don’t get the talk about two trailers. There is only one. The front living area is bolted to the truck frame. As far as Big Things go, I agree that for most parts of the US these monster rigs are beyond stupid. An Earthcruiser makes so much more sense if you actually want to get into the woods.... RHD version shown, imagine truck and camper shell flipped: The new FUSO 4wd trucks in the USA these are built on will hopefully get the new option of a big GM drivetrain that the rest of the RWD lineup gets, replacing the dinky 3.0 diesel and horrible failure prone AWD dual clutch tranny for a much stouter 6.0 liter V8 GM gas engine and a six speed Allison, with a real transfer case and power takeoff. Woohoo! These are very cool vehicles, VERY much like an Ollie inside, but I have to admit, the systems are much better put together in general. John Davies Spokane WA

It is only the green version for that price....https://www.amazon.com/Quick-Set-9281-Portable-Protection/dp/B00E3LF7FK?th=1 Thanks for the heads up. BTW you can order With Expert Assembly and it only adds an extra fee of $427.89. What a bargain! John Davies Spokane WA

My Suburban heater has the hidden electric element switch ... not really hidden, but really hard to see since it is buried up and out of sight, unless you squat down low. The normal convention for all Single Pole switches (in this country) is for UP to be ON. The Suburban switches are backwards. It is important to leave the outside heater switch turned OFF when you have drained the tank, so that somebody cannot inadvertently close the inside circuit breaker (where ON is UP) and burn out the element when you are hooked to shore power. Without water in the tank, the element will burn out in a minute less than no time, as Mr Rodgers said. [attachment file=HWH label annotated.jpg] [attachment file=HWH Switch location.jpg] This way I can feel with my finger and verify it is switched off. A replacement element is less than $20 so it isn't a disaster if you do screw up. Just frustrating. It would be nice if this switch was visible and oriented correctly. I suppose you could rotate it 180 degrees, but that would cause problems if you took it to a shop and they were used to the wrong "normal" orientation. I got this following tip from another member: color the door latch! Switch turned OFF: [attachment file=HWH Switch OFF.jpg] Switch turned ON: [attachment file=HWH Switch ON.jpg] I used a black Sharpie instead of red. I figured the red would turn pink quickly. Interesting side note. I found this comment on an electrical forum about switch orientation (in a circuit breaker panel): "The reason that "down for off" is correct is for when you are being electrocuted whilst working on the fusebox, you can pull down on the switch by so doing cut the power as you slide down the wall..." LOL. John Davies Spokane WA

One option: get the 30 lb bottles and ask the propane person to partially refill them, say to 45 pounds total weight. The full bottle weighs about 55 pounds. That would make them easier to lug around, and if you had a serious winter trip you could get them fully filled, and get some help to put them back. This would give you some flexibility. In cold winter temperatures a nearly empty tank may cause issues with your appliances not lighting due to the pressure drop. Full (and bigger) tanks can help avoid this. I have the big tanks and always top them up, and I have little problem lifting them, but as I get older I may start doing this. I don’t think the composite tanks are worth the cost for a fixed installation. For portable tanks, they probably make a lot more sense. My ideal setup would be a compressor fridge and diesel fired marine appliances..... I hate propane and think it is very dangerous. I don’t understnd why there are not more accidents, but I suspect most go unreported, unless they level the camper. Then we get pictures on the Internet.... John Davies Spokane WA

That is fixable, no worries! this Grand Cherokee kit fits your truck... https://www.rocky-road.com/wk2-lift-kit.html John Davies Spokane WA

The truck camper option is great for a single person, it is definitely way more maneuverable. You won’t worry about not being able to turn around if you encounter a deadfall or unexpected road closure. This is a constant worry for me as I explore backroads. Plus it is the only safe way to camp through the winter months. I originally intended to put a Northern Light on a Ram 3500, but finally decided that the harsh ride and marginal build quality of the truck was unacceptable. Especially with that boat anchor diesel engine, it really loads down the front end. Admittedly my truck was a Gen 3. The newer ones ride a lot better. But they will still beat you up. The only Ram I personally would consider would be Power Wagon, but you can’t put much of a camper in the bed. Have you seen the new Earth Cruiser slide-in campers? They make a version for full sized trucks. ... Very neat and super well built.... https://earthcruiser.com/our-vehicles/earthcruiser-gzl/ I really like the Northern Lite campers. They are definitely solidly built. But definitely not as good as an Ollie.... The XP Camper V1 is way better than an Ollie but you need a ute tray and at least $120k, plus the truck. Good luck in whichever path you take. John Davies Spokane WA

Bill, this topic comes up regularly.... do I have enough truck? The bottom line is that a marginal TV that may work OK in the east simply runs out of steam in the more challenging conditions of the high plains and mountains. 30 or 40 mph head winds, extreme grades, blistering temperatures ... you need an ample margin of power and brakes. I agree that your older 4Runner would be adequate, but only sometimes. Be safe, IMHO you should buy a half ton pickup or full sized diesel/ V8 SUV. It will make those long hours on the road much safer and enjoyable. Either sell your beloved 4Runner or give it to a deserving family member to enjoy for another 200,000 miles. Those are great vehicles, and nice ones are in very high demand. Take a look at the 2013 or later Land Cruiser 200s. They are built to the very highest standard, have the bulletproof Tundra drivetrain, and are extremely comfy trucks, and a Certified one with less than 100k miles would be fantastic way to tow an Elite. You would not need the Anderson hitch, which works very well, but frankly is a royal pain in the butt to use. If I were not married, I would trade my Elite II in on an Elite, for better towing dynamics. For exploring remote areas in comfort without the trailer in tow, a 200 is matchless. Big engine, big truck, small trailer. That is the formula. Welcome to the forum. John Davies Spokane WA

Composting toilet - just buy it, you will fall in love with it. Put all paper products into a small 3 gallon flip lid wastebasket. It fits neatly between toilet and vanity. Spritz the front bowl area two or three squirts after peeing. The vinegar kills the odor and rinses the bowl. Poo is not an issue, normally it drops straight down onto the compost. If you get the runs your toilet will not like that. For your height issue, there is a floor ledge that sticks out in front of the base. Climb up, set your feet there and no worries. Or you can get a small step and stash it behind the toilet when not in use. My wife is 5'6" and has no problems. For a boondocker the NH toilet is simply wonderful, just get used to the quirks. Not having to find an open dump station and wait for fifteen minutes is priceless. If you camp off season, this is a huge factor since many close down when freezing night time weather arrives. Around here that means late October. Plus it saves a bunch of your potable water. If you decide that you hate it, sell it on Craigslist for $400 and buy a flush toilet. All the plumbing and the tank is in place. Installation of a standard RV toilet would be very simple. Camera; you NEED a backup camera when solo, no question. It is not just for backing into a site. It is useful in heavy traffic too. You might want to invest in a different system. I already use and really like the Garmin RV660 gps and I mounted a Garmin backup camera. The gps will accept up to four wireless camera inputs. Resolution is low but entirely adequate. ... https://support.garmin.com/en-US/?faq=w0sjNmRQFR3N58uLaMpMR8 http://olivertraveltrailers.com/topic/how-to-install-a-garmin-bc-30-backup-camera/ Hot water heater: get the standard unit, leave it turned off until you need some hot water. Turn it on for fifteen or twenty minutes and it heats up enough for one person. It is cheap to replace or service and is generally very reliable. We just run ours 24/7. It does not use that much propane and we have the big gas tanks.... if we do plug in, it switches over the shore power if the outside switch near the bottom is turned to "ON". John Davies Spokane WA

I have a Yamaha 2400 and I think it is a perfect size. It is heavier than the suitcase units (about 85 pounds), but I leave it locked with a heavy cable in the back of my Land Cruiser and just open the hatch and tailgate and run it there. I use a 25 foot 10 gauge 15A extra heavy duty cord which never shows any sign of overheating. the dual outlet is rated at 20A. It will handle an 18 or 19 amp load for hours, and will surge to well over 30A without a problem. It starts my AC just fine, but I have the small Air Command unit and it does not need an easy start capacitor. It is very quiet, reliable, easier to start than my Honda 1000, and is built just as well. Running inside my rear cargo area makes it inaudible unless you are near the truck. Be aware that your microwave and inverter is NOT your friend when boon docking. My inverter draws 75 AMPS with just the microwave running, and if you plan to cook a couple of 6-minute tv dinners, it will have an impact on even the biggest battery bank. If you are parked in the direct sun, in summer, you can cook those meals at 4:00 pm and your batteries will be charged back up pretty quickly. Try this in October, in a northern latitude, running your furnace all day, with overcast skies or heavy tree cover, and your batteries will go flat in a hurry. The generator is not just for the air conditioning, it is to allow a quick 1 hour recharge if the weather won't let your panels do their job. Or if you want to park in the shade. Of course, you can charge off the gennie at dinner time and run the microwave of the generator's 110VAC current, no worries. The onboard converter will charge at up to 45A when running off a generator. Your panels or truck cannot match that. But if there is some sun, the panels will add to the generator's charge rate. I don't think it is wise to buy a barely adequate sized generator, always have some reserve power. That way when the lights go out at home you can run more stuff off it. John Davies Spokane WA

Land Cruisers (other than the wonderful twin turbo diesel which we can't get here) are thirsty due to the way they are overbuilt. Stock mine got 18 mpg, at best, at 60mph. I never towed with it that way. With 2 inch larger 10 ply tires and nothing on the roof, I get 15-16 at 60 mph, 10-12 towing. With a 25 gallon tank, cruising range is a worry. I carry 10 gallons of extra fuel if I am off in the real remote boonies. Adding a roof rack cuts another mpg. It does use 87 octane, that is a plus. It runs a little bit peppier with mid-grade but not enough to want me to buy it. It REALLY likes the 87 ethanol free, and the mpgs go up, but since I cannot reliably find it while towing, I do not pay the extra 60 cents per gallon. If I could count on filling up with it every time on a long trip, I would use it, no question. I won't use anything else in my small power equipment. John Davies Spokane WA

Randy, Yes I have a composting toilet. I might use the black tank port as a fresh water fill eventually. I was pointing the situation out in case other owners might want their system to be Stupid Proof. Which as delivered, it is definitely not. This is not about draining the acquifer. Remember that many owners are either completely new to RVs, or the may have physical or mental limitations. They might appreciate a design that turns the tank flush water on and off automatically when the tank handle is operated. I am pretty sure that you don't think the idea has much merit. That is cool wih me. Anybody else? John Davies Spokane WA

Where do you live and camp? Do you want to be able to stay in one spot more than three days? Will you camp often under heavy tree cover or clouds? Did you order factory solar? Battery type? How would you transport the generator(s)? Extra gas? Did you order the large propane tanks? Do you care about using it as a backup at home? How strong are you physically (how much are you comfortable lifting)? Answer these and we can quickly narrow in on what would be a good choice for your needs. Please fill out your profile, that really helps us understand your basic situation. John Davies Spokane WA

Resurrecting an ancient thread. I am still very disturbed that the black tank rinse system is not at all Murphy Proof. If a mature, well intentioned but slightly forgetful owner (not me) opened the inside ball valve, connected and turned on fresh water at the rinse port, and neglected to open the black drain valve (say, his phone rang and he walked away to talk), the black tank would fill completely, going up the 2 inch tank vent to the tee under the vanity, and then the water and whatever nasties it contained would flow into the gray tank through its own vent pipe. Eventually all that muck would back up into the shower drain and fill the pan. Potentially it could flow out onto the cabin floor and out the cabin door, .... if it was closed, the inside of the cabin would start to fill up. If the grey tank travel valve was closed, the gray tank would not accept any black water and all of it would come out the shower drain opening. I hate to contemplate such a sewage disaster, but it could easily happen. This is purely hypothetical. If it had happened, I would surely post lots of pictures. You could fix this for about $40 in parts and a little labor. Add this electrically controlled ball valve at the fill port ... https://www.amazon.com/Motorized-Stainless-Electrical-U-S-Solid/dp/B06XD3W8QD Add an on/ off limit switch at the black valve or its cable, to actuate the motorized valve when the dump valve opens. Whenever the black dump valve is closed, the inlet water valve will not accept any water flow. Easy. Automatic. Foolproof. Comments? Should I run this idea by the factory? John Davies

Search is 99% useless here, I cannot find the old thread discussing repurposing the black tank. If you haven’t seen this one, check it out. http://olivertraveltrailers.com/topic/natures-head-composting-toilet-installation-in-an-oliver-big-thread/ aaaaaaand: http://olivertraveltrailers.com/topic/natures-head-venting/ John Davies Spokane WA

Matt, what you are suggesting has been discussed, but using the black tank for gray storage will just not work without some sort of positive displacement electrical transfer pump. The bottom of the black tank is several inches higher than the rest of the system, so the water will just sit in the drain pipe. You could drastically lower the tongue, but then the grey tank could not drain since its outlet is at the very rear.... Using the black tank to gravity feed extra FRESH water to the main tank will work, but I do not think anybody has actually done this yet. It is on my honey-do list, near the very bottom.... Use the black rinse port to fill the tank through the existing nozzles. Disconnect the big waste vent and block it off under the bathroom sink, and add a new overflow/ vent hose in the top of the tank, exiting out the floor. Access is easy under the Natures Head. Disconnect and cap the big waste discharge line forward of the slide valve. Add a custom 3 inch slip to 1/2” FPT adapter to the tank outlet,. install a 1/2” line and manual ball valve. Route the line to the right rear and tee the line to the tank fill system near the water heater. Voila. If you can figure out a simple and effective way to store gray water there, please let us know since I actually would rather have that capability. Finally, welcome to the forum. Your input is valued. John Davies Spokane WA

Did you ever figure this out? If you are indeed hooking up city water to the outside black tank connection and the manual valve is open under the front dinette area, then there is a blockage, or perhaps the check valve was installed backwards. The latter is unlikely, you would have seen signs of a sewage leak at the outside connection. It’s a pretty simple system - unless there is user error, not much can go wrong.... Regardless, I think flushing the tank often would be smart, to prevent any issues with the spray nozzles getting plugged up, or the, uhmmm “deposits” hardening on the inside of the tank. You can always try the ice cube trick. Empty a big bag of ice down the toilet with a few gallons of fresh water and immediately tow the Ollie around for an hour or two. The ice will break up any hard stuff. John Davies Spokane WA

I think a lot of experienced RVers would agree with me that your controller should be 100% bulletproof, since a failure could be a real irritant, if not deadly. I know Bluetooth has come a long way in the last few years, but I don’t think these systems are nearly as robust as they should be. Do you really want to worry that your brakes might not be paired? If you can get a Tekonsha P3 to work with your German car, that would be my recommendation. There are so many other things to worry about, like your tires.... Have you bought a TPMS kit yet? John Davies Spokane WA

I detailed “Mouse” a while back and did not feel the need to polish first. I pressure washed and then hand washed with a strong concentration of Dawn, to strip off any previous wax, wiped down with 3M Adhesive Cleaner (bugs, sap and tar) and then applied Rejex. It looked stunning and the finish is holding up very well. I have received compliments about the gelcoat by boat owners who know what to look for. Looking down the side in good light shows no ripples, dips, dull, or uneven areas, just a smooth even glossy surface. One person commented, “Oliver sure knows how do fiberglass!” I agree. They have had decades of practice building high end bathroom tubs and enclosures, and that experience is evident in their trailers. While I continue to have reservations about how certain parts of the trailers are put together, the shell and frame are not in that category. I suspect that the final buffing at the factory is a little variable depending who does it, but I certainly have zero complaints about my trailer. It makes me smile every time I see it. John Davies Spokane WA

When we talk about traveling light it usually means leave at home the cast iron cookware, canned goods, ammunition, 1/2" socket set, etc etc. That is pretty obvious. If you are driving a HD pickup, this does not apply. But the bottom line for your delivery trip is that you should leave all tanks empty and the system winterized. Many owners travel with a full fresh tank for extra stability and so they have a known good source of water for boondocking, but that works out to about 265 pounds. A full grey tank adds another 265 pounds. Full black, if you use it, adds 150 pounds. That is close to 700 pounds of fluids right there. A full hot water heater tank (regular type) holds 50 pounds. So it is possible to be in a situation where you must tow with full tanks if you had a fresh water source but nowhere to dump, which is not at all uncommon if you are out on public lands... hopefully that situation is short term, to the closest dump station. Most of which, however, will be closed for the season on your late November trip. I THINK Oliver calculates empty trailer weight with full propane tanks, but I cannot be sure. You could ask them to swap the full ones out for some un-filled ones for your trip, and strap down the bottles in the Audi cargo area, towards the front. That will lighten the tongue. A pair of 20 pound bottles (full) weigh about 75 pounds. They definitely weigh the trailer before issuing the VIN and putting the sticker onto the tongue. Any options added after that sticker was made are not considered part of the trailer in terms of weight ratings. So if a previous owner added bigger bottles, extra batteries, etc the trailer can pork up quickly. So to speak. We travel with full fresh water, and a moderate amount of food and stuff, and we do not full time. Our load is usually about 600 to 800 pounds over the empty weight. Adding stuff to the tow vehicle to keep the trailer lighter only helps a little, you still have to watch out to not exceed the Gross Combined Weight Rating, regardless of where you stash the heavy tools and ammo.... Does this help? In reading your replies it sounds as if you will be fine, my main worry is of your losing control of the trailer. and of cosmetic damage due to sand and caustic deicing chemicals. I have never towed in winter and do not plan to, so I will bow to your past snow experience. I do hope you will post a trip report and also lots of pics of your Ollie in the snow. John Davies Spokane WA

I looked at this AudiWorld thread .... https://www.audiworld.com/forums/q5-sq5-mki-8r-discussion-129/ok-tow-close-max-q5-tdi-2887118/ ... and I think the Q5 will be perfectly fine for a delivery trip, even in mountains, but I bet it will need the Anderson, and towing light with empty tanks makes great sense. For local trips medium load, probably fine, but for really long trips with full-timing gear, I think it will prove to be very inadequate in terms of payload. Maybe then will be the time to trade up to the Q7 or a big Merc diesel... https://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/road-tests/a10159528/the-mercedes-benz-gls450-is-a-shockingly-capable-tow-vehicle/ If you read the story, the writer towed the decrepid rental car hauler, a loaded weight of 5000 lbs, and which had a blown and inoperative brake system, from NC to NJ. And back again. In heavy traffic. After two sleepless nights working on the race car. This is beyond stupid, it is borderline criminal. The Merc did just fine in spite of this lunacy. John Davies Spokane WA

What figure did Oliver Sales quote you for shipping by truck? I don’t recall ever reading a post about this, but probably it has been done at least a few times, not everybody is comfortable with or wants a 6000 mile round trip. Especially in winter... John Davies Spokane WA

Hey, I have never shipped a trailer or a car. In thinking about absolute shipping cost, you also need to think about your saved time and aggravation, the impact of weather delays and the cost of missing your deadline (lost driving class fees), and unfortunately, the incredible hassle of fixing your equipment if you should slide off a slick highway or worse yet, jackknife. The latter will trash both your vehicles... How much are your insurance deductibles? Have you totaled up your planned trip costs? Diesel, fast food, lodging, campground fees, wear and tear on your expensive TV? I don’t have a clue what your towing mpgs will be, it varies enormously with your road speed and the environment. I think 20mpg towing would be a realistic figure for the return trip, to account for steep climbs, headwinds etc. Add up the costs, then subtract them off the cost to ship. I don’t think the difference will be that hard to accept, considering how much simpler and safer shipping would be. If I were in your shoes, delivering a trailer here to Spokane in late November, I would not hesitate to ship. An option for you to consider.... have it shipped to Los Angeles or San Francisco, and have a nice warm safe drive up the west coast to PDX, hitting all those glorious ocean parks.. That would give you some nice easy learning miles, so you can spend some time with your new toy in a much more benign environment. I shudder to think what an early season white-out snow storm with 50mph crosswinds in the high plains of WY or northeast UT would be like while towing. Please don’t think we are being harsh or unfriendly. I personally have close to 50 years of towing experience, and many others on the forum are very high mileage if not high time towers. I think Pete (and Bosker) “bugeyedriver” has almost 130,000 miles now pulling his 10 year old Elite after his latest loop through Alaska! If we don’t think your original plan is advisable, we are only looking out for your well being. Don’t we look at least a little trustworthy? ... Well, maybe Bosker does. John Davies Spokane WA

My personal feeling, having driven directly to Hohenwald from Spokane and back over three weeks in late April, is that you will wear yourselves out trying to do the entire trip so fast. Having two important deadlines will worry you, and you will not have time to deal with any minor emergencies that might happen enroute in early winter. I personally would never recommend what you are doing, especially for first time RV owners. Instead, have them shrink wrap and ship your Ollie to a dealer near you in Portland for final delivery..... The trailer is definitely able to handle frigid temperatures. However, towing it safely over snow, ice and corrosive deicing chemicals will be a real challenge. You need to bring chains for both your tow vehicle and the trailer, and be prepared to wait out storms and only drive over the high passes after they have been cleared. Make sure you have excellent mudflaps on your TV, Rock Tamers would be a good investment. You will be driving fast through a lot of abrasive grit on the passes and you need to deflect as much as possible off the trailer. Maybe tape sheets of high density foam to the front of the hull, as if you were headed to Alaska.... Are you planning on using the southern route, then up through california? That would be better but a far longer drive. Welcome to the forum, but I am not afraid to comment that you really need to reconsider your strategy. IMHO having it shipped to your home town makes so much sense this time of year... https://www.uship.com/cost-to-ship/vehicles/recreational-vehicles-rvs/ John Davies Spokane WA